Hamburger Buns

So I was in a 'can't be bothered going out and buying any' mood. So looked up a recipe for hamburger buns.
They turned out pretty yummy! As close to 'store bought' as I have ever got.

Here is the link, but I will type it out here so I have it on my records

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/belles-hamburger-buns/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (7g) envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS
Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

OK what I did differently. Didn't accurately measure the yeast, well kind of did, 2 teaspoons and a little bit. Didn't accurately measure the butter either, sort of just cut it up and thought 'yeah that looks like 2 tablespoons', used caster sugar. Didn't use a saucepan, I put it all in a bowl and zapped it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then had to put it in the fridge till it cooled down.
Used 2.5 cups of plain white flour, and 3 cups of plain wholemeal.
Following someone elses advice somewhere, I put the bowl with the dough into the oven and placed an oven dish filled with HOT water on a rack underneath the bowl. Left it to rise, it ended up being 1.5hours as I had an almost-nap. The bowl was full of dough, so it may have risen a bit more than normal, not sure.
I cut it into 10 pieces not 12 so the rolls would be a bit bigger.
But yes I am very happy with this recipe and will use it again :)

34 Weeks

Have a midwife appointment this afternoon.
Will edit this later.
But for now, my belly hehe

'Star' Biscuits aka Shrewsbury Biscuits that aren't

Shrewsbury Biscuits - that aren't

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Skin of one orange, grated.
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
Add egg & grated orange peel and beat well
Sift flour & baking powder together and mix into creamed mixture.
Knead well.
On a lightly floured board roll out to 4mm thickness. Cut out rounds (or stars & hearts or whatever ;))

Place on baking paper lined (or greased) trays. Bake at 180C for 10-15minutes (I bake at 160c (fan oven) for 8 minutes)

The original recipe of this had 1 tablespoon of lemon rind instead of all that orange rind. When you cut them out into the circles you would cut a 1cm hole in the centre of half of the biscuits, bake as usual. When cold spread rasberry (or whatever) jam across the half without the holes, and then press the half *with* holes on top. Does this make sense? But I did it the other way cause a) had no lemons b)had no jam lol


Food Processor Pie Dough

2 cups flour (i use wholemeal)
Approx 50-60g cold butter cut into cubes
Approx 2-3 tablespoons cold water

Put flour & butter into food processor and whiz until resembles breadcrumbs, keep whizzing and add cold water gradually until the dough starts to clump together.
Take out, knead into a ball. Wrap in cling wrap and put into fridge for 20minutes.
Cut in half and roll each half out to fit pie dish.

About time for an update!

Since the last post what has happened.
I had some maternity photos taken, GORGEOUS, so happy with them, they turned out wonderfully!
Here are a couple of my favourites

I had a tummy bug on wednesday night, was horrible. Up all night with stomach cramps, barely any sleep, finally throwing up at 1am, and again at 6.30. Thursday was a write off, I was so weak and felt dreadful. Damien thankfully was able to take a 'carers' day off. By friday I was much better thankfully!
No one else got the tummy bug either, thank goodness!! But Damien now has a cold and conjunctivitis, JOY, and I am fighting off the same cold.
So we (apart from Lauren) have been/are a house of sickies!
Because of being sick I had to cancel my midwife appt on thursday, so rescheduled it for tomorrow :)

33 weeks pregnant today!! Madness, only 7 weeks to go..
Stacey only has like 2 and a bit ... give or take :P Its so exciting, babies in the air!! I cannot wait to meet all the new babies *happy gooey sigh*

I am so not ready though, mentally maybe, but there is so much 'stuff' that I need to buy/borrow/fix up/get/organise .. so really should get started on my list, I have the list but need to print it so I can actually see what needs to be done.
I'm getting sick of these braxton hicks, and they are only going to get more intense over the next 7 weeks ... noooooooo

So we are all better

I didnt hear heartbeat last visit, far too faint and with background noise impossible, but I will hear it in the flesh in a couple of months :)

Going to spam up this entry with some photos and some Lauren art that I am mega mummy proud of hehe It so exciting watching her drawing evolve!
Have had a good day today :) It feels nice. We went to the park and although I am no very stiff and sore and feeling sorry for myself (back/both hips/top of thighs) it was so nice to be in the park in the middle of the day and it not be too hot, was just lovely :)
We made some choc chip cookies when we got back, YUMMMMMY, making cupcakes tomorrow. Having lamb chops and roast spuds for dinner tonight, real comfort food hehe

Ok on to the photos. I havent taken photos for weeks as my rechargables are kaput so need to buy new ones (keep forgetting) and the other set were in Laurens camera and I kept forgetting to get those out and recharge, but now that I have I have taken photos!
First off though Laurens drawing :D