Gee it’s been a while. Scratch that. A fair bit more than a while. The past few months have seen me picked up by a cyclone, whirled about, flipped into the eye for a brief moment of calm, and then thrown headfirst back into the whirlpool of uni/college/work/travel/life-in-general. I’m close to being spat out for good. Whumped down on the ground, hair mussed up (I really should get it cut – been meaning to for weeks now – not that you want to know), rather exhausted but otherwise unscathed (here’s hoping). You’ll be hearing far more from this scatter-brain after that. Give it six weeks or so. And I’ve missed you. No, seriously. I don’t do soppy but amidst the crazy happenings of the past few months, there’s been an ouchie in my chest that continues to expand ever so slightly as time goes on. A void that craves connection with the culinary world – to invent, to cook, to write, to discuss, heck to even be haunted by it in your dreams. And no that doesn’t mean being chased by a giant saucepan – there are those of you out there who’ll know what I mean. I’ve maybe even missed photographing. Now that means something. I’m telling you.
I’ve come to realise this year that I ain’t so good at juggling two worlds – my involvement in either is all-consuming. I tend not to do things in halves. The little optimistic fairy sitting on my shoulder says there’s still a way to be found. A means of walking the tightrope of the two, perhaps with a few teeny wibbles along the way. Over the summer I’ll do my darndest to figure it out. If not, well, we know from experience this year (and let’s be honest last year too) that life goes on despite the distinct lack of cooking and writing. And you see, when there is indeed time to write, I fear it wouldn’t be ‘just so’. For a perfectionist to post something she ain’t quite happy with is a big thing. Like baby elephant big. Although tonight (and that god-awful excuse of a post about nachos) is breaking down barriers there!
One of these next few days I’ll take you on a pit-stop tour of the many happenings of the last few months. Yeah, that’s right, it’s a way of bundling my many pitiful excuses for being absent around these parts into one neat (or not so neat) post. Perhaps it’ll send you off into a nice snooze, perhaps it’ll pass as vaguely interesting. Either way it’ll be there. With a recipe attached. Most likely definitely a recipe concocted last summer (or even earlier). In a similar vein to tonight’s. See the smooth segue there? Tehe. Oh dear. Forgive me.
Ready for the recipe? This specimen was baked on the umpteenth floor of Crown, Melbourne last December. I’ll never cook with a view of Melbourne’s CBD spread out below like that again. Twas pretty spectacular. A swanky slice to accompany a swanky pad…these cheesecake swirl espresso blondies are coffe-ey, cake-ey yet chewy (can’t really put the –ey there can we?) and just the right amount of cream cheesey. Beyond simple to prepare they’re just the kind of thing you need in you’re life at the end of a (or in the middle if you just-can’t-deal-anymore) hectic day.
And with that, good night…I’ll pop my head in again very soon!
Cheesecake Swirl Espresso Blondies
Makes 12-16 blondies
Ingredients
Cheesecake swirl:
165g cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
Espresso Blondies:
6 tbsp (84g) butter
½ cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk dissolved with 1 tbsp espresso powder/instant coffee granules
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line an 18x28cm baking pan with baking paper.
Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla and espresso powder and beat until well combined. Set aside.
Set a medium saucepan over a low heat and melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir through the sugar, salt and milk/espresso mixture. Leave to cool for a few minutes before whisking in the eggs until well incorporated. Finally, stir in the flour and baking powder.
Pour half the batter into the prepared baking tin and smooth out with a spatula. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the top and smooth the surface. Dollop on the remaining blondie batter and use a butter knife to gently ‘swirl’ it.
Bake for 25 minutes or until risen, light golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Set the pan on a wire rack and leave to cool for ten minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles.
Will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to three days.
Source: Adapted from Top With Cinnamon
And with that, good night…I’ll pop my head in again very soon!
Taste Without Waste 