Azoresgal~Life on an Island

These are really easy, and are a great last-minute addition to Christmas cookie trays. I use red crystilized cherries with almond extract, and they are always scrumptious. They are just sweet enough, buttery,  airy and light, and just melt in your mouth. With so few ingredients, there is no excuse not to make them. I bake them every year, they have become a Christmas staple at our house. Ingredients 250 grams butter, softened (2 cups) 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup icing sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla extract/ or almond (optional) 1/4 cup red maraschino cherry/ or  crystallized fruit or glacé fruit 1/4 cup green maraschino cherry/ or  crystallized fruit or glacé fruit Preheat oven to180/ 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, combine butter, flour, icing sugar and vanilla extract; mix until mixture is a smooth consistency. ( I just use a wooden spoon) Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spoon out dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets b

 I love the simplicity of this recipe, with very few ingredients it is a keeper in my books. Brazilian Carrot Cake is a popular cake in Brazil, it’s different from the American carrot cake recipes. This has no addition of spices, it is just made with carrots, that are blended not grated with the other ingredients. It is rich in flavor, has a wonderful fluffy texture and is coated with a delicious chocolate sauce. 4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 4 eggs, 1 cup canola oil 2 cups sugar 1 pinch salt 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder chocolate sauce 4 tablespoons cocoa powder 6 tablespoons  sugar 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions:  for the cake Heat oven to 350F/180 C  Put eggs, carrots and oil in a blender. Blend on high for about 2 minutes or until there are no more big pieces of carrots left. Add sugar and salt and blend until well incorporated. Add 1 cup of flour and blend on low sp

This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes ever, I love to prepare it for Mr.G and I on lazy sunday mornings. Smoked salmon layered on a toasted bagel, topped with a poached egg and a lemony hollandaise sauce, it's magical, an explosion of flavors. I love the presentation of this dish too, it's so beautiful!  Try it for your next lazy weekend, great for brunch, lunch or dinner, so simple to make, but delicious in taste! For this recipe, you’ll need to know how to poach eggs . It’s not difficult, promise! You’ll also need to make a batch of hollandaise sauce . 4 poached eggs 1 batch  Hollandaise Sauce  smoked salmon, sliced thin 2 bagels Split and toast the bagels. Put one half on each plate, or two if your really hungry! Place a  layer of smoked salmon on each toasted bagel half. Top each salmon-bagel with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce generously on top. Serve immediately. ***butter the bagels if you wish *** top with dill, or chive

Another kitchen confession of mine, I was afraid to make hollandaise sauce, how about you?  Well fear no more, I am going to show you a quick and easy way to do it, using a kitchen blender! If the great Julia Child did it this way, then so can we! I promise you, your weekend brunch will never be the same again, I am addicted to this rich lemony sauce, and eggs benedict is something I look forward too now on Sunday mornings! 3 egg yolks 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch black pepper ( I like cayenne) 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice 8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces Directions: In a blender, combine the egg yolks, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium-high, add the butter and heat until foaming. Blend the egg yolk mixture at top speed for 2 seconds then, with the blender running, remove the cover and pour in the hot butter in a thin stream of droplets. By the time two-thirds of the butter has been added, the