Wiener dogs, school treats and a slice of cheesecake.

Hey everybody!

This entry is going to be long – and contains links to three recipes for three very different occasions, from three different excellent foodblogs – I do so love the internet. Read on!

I know it’s been a while, so long in fact that I have completely new hair from the last time I posted. This is not a rare happening, but a happening all the same – and it shows at the very least a day has passed – in this case, quite a few days!

Today is a very special day. Today is the 2nd birthday of this guy:

Happy birthday Linkers!!

In honor of his birthday, I’ve baked him up some wiener dog shaped cookies – and you can find the recipe HERE! (I added the word “dog”here at the start, even though I normally wouldn’t, to make it clear that these aren’t cookies for a bachelorette party – from this point on I shall say wiener, and wiener alone.)

This particular wiener is my best friend – no joke. In the summer he’s the perfect companion for swims and walks, and in the winter or if I’m not feeling well, he makes the perfect hot-wiener bottle to warm my feet.

He’s a good guy. Solid, dependable, and incredibly long.

So for you today, on this day of your wienerness, I bake you these cookies. That look like you. I hope that isn’t a form of cannibalism. (cookie cutters – Bulk Barn – 89 cents – woot!)

Next up, churros.

My manfriend Adam has been back at school this year, getting his education degree – and that means a lot of being away, but a lot of going away treats – I’ve made these twice for these types of times. I’m no photographer, but I couldn’t pass up taking pictures of these – the chocolate sauce was ridiculous – creamy and dark chocolatey with a hint of cinnamon and orange steeped in to the cream. The churros themselves crispy and sweet on the outside and soft and yielding on the inside, perfectly light and airy to counterbalance their fried heavy madness.

Think mini-donuts, fresh out of a truck at the fair – best eaten straight out of the oil. These are not a health food.

I found the process for these fascinating, cooking the dough on the stovetop, piping it out with a piping bag in to the hot oil – super fun. One tip, and this is probably a no-brainer for people who work with piping bags often, hahaha, but seriously, don’t overfill the bag or else you’ll have a crazy mess squeeze out the top of it. It happened to me twice. That and make sure your frosting tip is securely in the piping bag – or else. Just trust me. That happened to me twice too.

CLICK HERE for the recipes! (the first time I made these I used bakers chocolate in the dip, the second time we splurged and got a giant Ghirardhelli dark chocolate bar – both were delicious, but seriously, splurge on the bigger bar – I mean if you are going to have deep fried dough with sugar on it, you may as well go all the way with it. And please, DO steep the cinnamon sticks and orange zest in the cream, it is SO worth it.)

Speaking of health food, my last little note here is, during a fun but too-brief visit with my mom last week, we made this savoury cheesecake:

If you are eating a bit lighter, but want a treat – something creamy and cheesy and decadent within reason – a slice of this is delicious! Think the flavours of quiche but instead of egg, a whole lotta creamy cheesy deliciousness. This was a huge hit with us! We served it with a simple bunch of arugala. Again, it’s cheese – but all lighter types!. ;) You can find the recipe here: Savoury Cheesecake (I totally copied the arugala garnish from that site, too! hehe)

Anyways, happy birthday Linkers, all the best to Adam on his homestretch of school, and safe travels to my mom! (she’s already been back home a week now but, you know, it can’t hurt!) ;)

Take care, and love your friends.

Cheers,

Alley :)

ps.On a musical note, (har har), I came across this video yesterday of Oscar Peterson playing in Denmark – if you want to feel music hit straight to your heart, and see crazy complex piano lines made to look as simple as taking a breath – check this out. This remains one of my favourite songs in the world. Also, Youtube is so awesome.