Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
A huge thank you to all 25,000+ of you for an incredible year! Gourmet Gaming wouldn’t exist without you, and I’m so happy to have such a wonderful community of people who help out, make suggestions and pledge support. I can’t wait for 2013, and hope Gourmet Gaming will continue into the future and evolve.
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![ChristMMOs: World of Warcraft – Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies
Merry ChristMMOs! This festive season, Gourmet Gaming will be celebrating with a selection of treats from your favourite MMOs to bring a little bit of gaming to your table this holiday season.
I love gingerbread. I start to buy it around Halloween and then never stop – once, I managed to get a pretty big gingerbread cookie for a mere nine English pennies. It was a good day. I didn’t care that it had a ghost on it and it was November 3rd that is beside the point! The Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookie has featured in World of Warcraft’s festive Winter Veil event for a few years now. This year there’s even a quest titled “The Winter Veil Gourmet” featuring the Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies, Egg Nog and Hot Apple Cider…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe makes 24 cookies.
What you will need: A baking tray, greaseproof paper/baking parchment, 2 large mixing bowls, a sieve, 1 tree-shaped cookie cutter, a wooden spoon, a small bowl, and a pastry brush.
Ingredients:
200g / 1½ Cups Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
¼ Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda
2-3 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
55g / ¼ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
50g / ¼ Cup Caster/Superfine Sugar
1 Egg (Room Temperature)
70g / ⅓ Cup Molasses Sugar
To Garnish:
200g / 7 oz. Green Royal Icing
White Icing Decorating Tubes
2 Tablespoons Icing/Confectioners Sugar
Water
Making the Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies:
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and spices into a large bowl then set aside. Line a baking tray with baking paper/greaseproof parchment.
In another bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together for about a minute. Add the egg and molasses sugar, and continue to mix until well combined. Slowly add the flour and spice mixture, continually beating gently until a dough is formed.
Bring the dough together, then wrap it in cling film/saran wrap and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
Once chilled, kneed the cookie dough gently on a floured surface before rolling out to about ¼ Inch thick.
Use the cookie cutters to make your shapes, and set them on the baking tray; evenly spaced and not too crowded. Chill the prepared cookie shapes for 5-10 minutes in the freezer before baking in the oven.
Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes, depending on their size, then remove from the oven to cool. Repeat this process as needed until all the dough is used.
Garnishing the Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies:
While the cookies cool, mix the two tablespoons icing/confectioners sugar with a little water to create an icing paste in a small bowl – this will act as a glue between the cookie and the green royal icing.
Roll out the green royal icing on a surface dusted with icing/confectioners sugar to about 1cm thick. Use the cookie cutter again to create the same shapes from the green royal icing. You may need to trim the stumps of the trees off with a knife.
Paint a little of the icing paste on to the surface of the tree shaped cookie, then carefully stick the royal icing tree on top. Use a small rolling pin to evenly distribute the royal icing, to avoid finger prints.
Repeat the process until all the cookies are covered with a green royal icing top. Finally, use the white icing tubes to trace a delicate line around the inner edge to finish the Winter Veil Cookies.
I brought these cookies into work and, frankly, I’ve never been so popular. They were lucky there were any left as I had previously made another batch of 36 that never even made it from the kitchen. You can of course use the recipe above to make any shape cookie, or even add a small hole prior to baking if you’d like to hang them from your tree this Winter Veil.
Like this? You might also enjoy the World of Warcraft – Graccu’s Mince Meat Fruitcake.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/4f1cb42e43138c4c5dbe57b38c0e2baa/tumblr_mfautdJCuo1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
ChristMMOs: World of Warcraft – Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies
Merry ChristMMOs! This festive season, Gourmet Gaming will be celebrating with a selection of treats from your favourite MMOs to bring a little bit of gaming to your table this holiday season.
I love gingerbread. I start to buy it around Halloween and then never stop – once, I managed to get a pretty big gingerbread cookie for a mere nine English pennies. It was a good day. I didn’t care that it had a ghost on it and it was November 3rd that is beside the point! The Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookie has featured in World of Warcraft’s festive Winter Veil event for a few years now. This year there’s even a quest titled “The Winter Veil Gourmet” featuring the Winter Veil Gingerbread Cookies, Egg Nog and Hot Apple Cider…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
![ChristMMOs: League of Legends - Eggnog Health & Mana Potions
Merry ChristMMOs! This festive season, Gourmet Gaming will be celebrating with a selection of treats from your favourite MMOs to bring a little bit of gaming to your table this holiday season.
The League of Legends seasonal event is known as the “Snowdown Showdown”. During this time, many festive fares slip into the world with one of the regular changes being the trade-in of the traditional Health and Mana potions for ones of the Eggnog variety! Here in the UK, Eggnog isn’t very popular. So when I saw my chance to taste the drink that saturated my favourite Christmas cartoons and movies as a kid, I couldn’t turn it down.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe serves 4-6.
What you will need: A whisk, three mixing bowls, a piping bag and nozzle, and a fine grater.
Ingredients:
4 Eggs (Separated & Room Temperature)
75g / ⅓ Cup Caster/Superfine Sugar
500ml / 20 fl oz. Whole Milk
225ml / 1 Cup Double/Heavy Cream
85ml / 3 fl oz. Bourbon
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Fresh Nutmeg
Blue Food Colouring
1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
To Garnish:
110ml / ½ Cup Double/Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Icing/Confectioners Sugar
Blue Food Colouring
1 Teaspoon Cocoa Powder
Fresh Nutmeg
Making the Garnish:
Whisk together the cream and icing/confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. Divide the cream in half. Add blue food colouring to one half, and cocoa powder to the other. Mix well and set the cream aside while you prepare the drinks
Making the Eggnog Potions:
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale, then gradually add the sugar and continue to beat for about 5 minutes. Add the milk, cream and bourbon, a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg, and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until the peaks stiffen. Whisk the egg whites into the prepared egg yolk mixture until well combined.
At this time, divide the mixture in two. One will become the Health potion, the other will be the Mana potion. To one mixture, add a dash of blue food colouring and mix. To the other, sieve in the cocoa powder and mix.
Pour the Eggnog Mana and Health potions into individual glasses, top with a piped swirl of corresponding whipped cream and a garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
I was apprehensive about making Eggnog as I don’t usually enjoy bourbon, but the sweet cream and the spiced nutmeg cut the flavour just perfectly. Chilled in the fridge, this drink is both refreshing and warming. So whether you’re in need of health or in need of mana, I have discovered Eggnog is always the answer.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Animal Crossing - Brewster’s Pigeon Blend.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/19ae90c136e7f562741dd1ed51c6c3aa/tumblr_mf2uk2kwOa1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
ChristMMOs: League of Legends - Eggnog Health & Mana Potions
Merry ChristMMOs! This festive season, Gourmet Gaming will be celebrating with a selection of treats from your favourite MMOs to bring a little bit of gaming to your table this holiday season.
The League of Legends seasonal event is known as the “Snowdown Showdown”. During this time, many festive fares slip into the world with one of the regular changes being the trade-in of the traditional Health and Mana potions for ones of the Eggnog variety! Here in the UK, Eggnog isn’t very popular. So when I saw my chance to taste the drink that saturated my favourite Christmas cartoons and movies as a kid, I couldn’t turn it down.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Cybercandy.co.uk – Nintendo Super Mario Mushroom Sours
Ever wonder what exactly it is about those red mushrooms that gives Mario his super-human boost?
It might be because they’re filled with super cute, sour candies!
Each beautifully detailed mushroom tin is filled to the brim with delicious sour candy, available in cherry (red), raspberry (blue) and apple (green). You could use them to decorate cupcakes or fill someone’s stocking this Christmas!
Cybercandy is one of Gourmet Gaming’s favourite spots for unusual, geeky treats, and they have a wonderful range of Nintendo noms and gaming grub. Check them out!
![Halo: Reach – Moa Burger (With Mountain Dew Energy Sauce)
“New Flavor” at World Cuisine and at Gourmet Gaming! Now you too can enjoy a Moa Burger straight from Reach. I’m a huge fan of burgers, and many of my friends are huge fans of Halo. I myself was a regular on the Red vs. Blue network for many years where I made some lifelong friends. But if there’s one thing on everyone’s minds while playing Halo: Reach, it’s definitely “Damn, I bet that weird bird-lizard-thing would sure taste good.”
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe serves 1.
What you will need: A griddle pan.
Ingredients:
Four 55g / 2oz. Ostrich Burgers
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
1 Teaspoon Raspberry Preserve
3 Teaspoons Mountain Dew Energy
1 Large Burger Bun
2 Cheese Slices
Red Onion Slices
Beef Tomato Slices
Lettuce
Preparing the Mountain Dew Energy Sauce:
To the mayonnaise, add the fresh lemon juice, grated lemon zest raspberry preserve and Mountain Dew Energy.
Mix the ingredients together well, then place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the burger.
Preparing the Moa Burger:
Heat the griddle pan on a low heat. Gently flatten out the burgers so they’re quite thin. When the pan is warm, cook the burgers gently and slowly, and on each side. When cooked to your liking, remove the burgers from the pan and set them aside to rest.
Construct your Moa burger by layering in the following order: bun, mayonnaise, burger, cheese, burger, mayonnaise, burger, cheese, burger, mayonnaise, red onion, tomato, lettuce and bun.
When describing this burger, it’s easier to let Samuel L. Jackson do the talking. Ah hah! A whole post about food from Halo and I didn’t even make a ‘Master Chef’ jo… oh.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Grand Theft Auto IV: Burger Shot Bleeder.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdv0rwrTdN1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
Halo: Reach – Moa Burger (With Mountain Dew Energy Sauce)
“New Flavor” at World Cuisine and at Gourmet Gaming! Now you too can enjoy a Moa Burger straight from Reach. I’m a huge fan of burgers, and many of my friends are huge fans of Halo. I myself was a regular on the Red vs. Blue network for many years where I made some lifelong friends. But if there’s one thing on everyone’s minds while playing Halo: Reach, it’s definitely “Damn, I bet that weird bird-lizard-thing would sure taste good.”
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
![Request: Minecraft – Pumpkin Pie
Someone was kind enough to remind me that it is Thanksgiving soon! Here in the UK we don’t celebrate the holiday, nor do we eat enough sweet pumpkin flavoured things if you ask me, so I was very, very excited when I saw Minecraft had recently added Pumpkin Pie. This recipe is a bit of a hybrid between a traditional pie, a cheesecake and delicious edible pixels. I promise this is the last recipe of the year that is orange and involves pastry, because it took me 4 attempts to get it just right this time. Not quite as simple as the input made it appear…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 2 small Pumpkin Pies.
What you will need: A 9-inch loose base cake tin, a large bowl, a whisk/electric mixer, and a 3.5 inch round cookie cutter.
Ingredients:
150g / 6 oz Shortcrust Pastry [Recipe]
150g /⅔Cup Light Brown Sugar
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
⅛Teaspoon Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
400g / 2 Cups Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
230g / 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
To Garnish:
Various shades of orange icing, cut into small squares.
Preparing the Pumpkin Pie:
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. With your pastry prepared, roll it out to about 1cm thick, and cut a piece to line the base of your cake tin.
Bake it in the oven for 12 minutes until golden, then remove and leave to cool. Once it’s out of the oven, turn the temperature down to 180C/355F.
Meanwhile, combine the light brown sugar with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Gradually add the sugar and spices, while continuing to beat the cream cheese. Next add the eggs, vanilla and maple syrup and mix well.
Stir in the pumpkin and mix again until combined, then pour the mixture over the now cooled pastry. Place a small tray of water in the bottom of the oven to keep the air moist.
Put the pumpkin pie in the middle of the oven to bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, change the temperature of the oven to 160C/320F and bake for another 15 minutes.
Once firm, remove the pumpkin pie and leave to cool before placing in the fridge to chill for several hours, or overnight.
Making the Pumpkin Pie:
Remove the pumpkin pie from the cake tin and place on a flat surface. With the cooking and chilling, the filling will have contracted. Take a large round cookie cutter, and cut two perfect cakes from the large cake.
Decorate each of the pumpkin pies with tiny icing pixels, and serve with some freshly whipped maple cream.
Beautifully creamy, fluffy and light with a crisp base – I’m feeling hybrids in baking are the way to go. I loved the sweetness with the spices, and then the unusual taste of pumpkin was really complimented by the gentle sour of the cream cheese. While I have no prior pumpkin experience, it was pretty delicious and something I’d like to bake into more cakes in the future for sure.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Cheesecake.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdi4zqenek1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
Request: Minecraft – Pumpkin Pie
Someone was kind enough to remind me that it is Thanksgiving soon! Here in the UK we don’t celebrate the holiday, nor do we eat enough sweet pumpkin flavoured things if you ask me, so I was very, very excited when I saw Minecraft had recently added Pumpkin Pie. This recipe is a bit of a hybrid between a traditional pie, a cheesecake and delicious edible pixels. I promise this is the last recipe of the year that is orange and involves pastry, because it took me 4 attempts to get it just right this time. Not quite as simple as the input made it appear…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
![Dishonored – Apricot Tartlet
A couple of weeks ago (which possibly explains why I missed a few posts - oops), after much of my own misplaced scepticism I will admit, I began playing Dishonored… and I love it! Apricot Tartlets have currently been few and far between during my adventures, and appear to be a treat of the privileged and wealthy; far away from the plague and endless cans of Hagfish rations. Here is a recipe to make an Apricot Tartlet any Lady Boyle would appreciate.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 4 Apricot Tartlets.
What you will need: 4 small tart tins, a rolling pin, baking beans, a baking tray and a small saucepan.
Ingredients:
4 Dried Apricots (Finely Chopped)
350g / 12 oz Shortcrust Pastry - Recipe
1 Large Egg (Room Temperature)
25g / ⅛ Cup Caster/Superfine Sugar
½ Vanilla Pod
100ml / ½ Cup Double/Heavy Cream
4 Tablespoons Ground Almonds
4 Tablespoons Apricot Jam/Jelly
16 Fresh Apricot Halves
Apricot Brandy (Optional)
Preparing the Apricot Tartlet:
Take the finely chopped dried apricots and put them in a bowl. Pour over with apricot brandy and leave the stand. If you don’t want to use the brandy, leave this step out.
Roll out the pastry to about 1-2cm thick, then line the tart tins. Place them in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
Once chilled, take the tart cases from the freezer, fill them with the baking beans and place on a baking tray. Bake the tarts for 10 minutes, until the pastry is very lightly golden.
Remove the tarts from the oven, then remove the baking beans. Leave the casings to cool while you prepare the filling. Turn to oven down to 180/355F.
In a bowl gently mix together the egg, sugar and vanilla. Add the cream and stir. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of ground almonds to cover the base of each tart.
Strain the infused dried apricots, and add a few pieces to each tart. Pour over the custard filling, leaving a small gap at the top. Bake them in the oven for 10-13 minutes until the filling is just set. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Garnishing the Apricot Tartlet:
In a small saucepan, add the apricot jam/jelly, an optional teaspoon of apricot brandy, and the fresh halved apricots.
Warm the jam/jelly though until it is loose and the apricots are softened, then remove from the heat. Once the jam/jelly begins to cool and set once again, carefully spoon a thin layer onto the tarts, then top with a few of the glazed apricots.
Chill the Tarts in the fridge until set, then serve with a glass of Gristol Cider.
One might ask why no ‘Jellied Eels’ – would you like to eat Jellied Eels? Didn’t think so.
These Apricot Tartlets are light and decadent. The custard is fabulous with the sweet apricot topping, and a dollop of freshly whipped cream would be a perfect accompaniment. So now you too can enjoy one without visiting your local brothel, or taking part in childish guessing games at a party. You’re welcome.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Skyrim: Hearthfire - Snowberry Crostata.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md541sEgfx1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
Dishonored – Apricot Tartlet
A couple of weeks ago (which possibly explains why I missed a few posts - oops), after much of my own misplaced scepticism I will admit, I began playing Dishonored… and I love it! Apricot Tartlets have currently been few and far between during my adventures, and appear to be a treat of the privileged and wealthy; far away from the plague and endless cans of Hagfish rations. Here is a recipe to make an Apricot Tartlet any Lady Boyle would appreciate.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
![Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Amnesia Drink
I’m a huge fan of all things horror, which explains why Halloween is my favourite time of year - endless horror movie marathons and extended surival horror game sessions. Although I can brave the most gruesome of films, I get sucked into games more than I should. After I had to stop playing Dead Space due to palpitations, you’d think I’d know better than to even attempt to play Amnesia; a game which I credit as both the most terrifying and well made horror game in recent years. I’ve managed to play about an hour of Amnesia, and this Halloween I’m determined to finish it. Although I may need a sip of its very own drink to forget the fear…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe serves 2.
What you will need: A small pot, a blender and a cocktail shaker.
Ingredients:
6 Cubes Rose Turkish Delight
280ml / 1¼ Cup Milk
Ruby Red Food Colouring (Optional)
35ml / 1.2 fl oz. Vanilla Vodka
Ice
Making the Amnesia Drink:
Finely chop the Turkish Delight into small pieces, then place it in the pot along with the milk. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer on a low heat until the Turkish Delight begins to melt.
After about 5 minutes, pour the mixture into a clean vessel and blend until smooth. Allow the rose flavour milk to come to room temperature before chilling in the fridge. If the drink isn’t quite pink enough, add some ruby red food colouring to reach the desired shade.
Once the milk has chilled, pour it into a cocktail shaker over some ice. Add the vodka then shake it up. Strain the drink into a glass, adorn with rose petals and serve.
“That taste… That fragrance… Damascus Rose…”
Like this? You might also enjoy the Sims - Love Potion #8.5.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcs0daKWCi1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Amnesia Drink
I’m a huge fan of all things horror, which explains why Halloween is my favourite time of year - endless horror movie marathons and extended surival horror game sessions. Although I can brave the most gruesome of films, I get sucked into games more than I should. After I had to stop playing Dead Space due to palpitations, you’d think I’d know better than to even attempt to play Amnesia; a game which I credit as both the most terrifying and well made horror game in recent years. I’ve managed to play about an hour of Amnesia, and this Halloween I’m determined to finish it. Although I may need a sip of its very own drink to forget the fear…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
![Mass Effect 2 - Serrice Ice Brandy
This week’s Gourmet Gaming was posted over on The Drunken Moogle in celebration of Mogtoberfest! In case you missed it over there, here it is! Dr Chakwas sends you on a fetch quest to find her a bottle of her favourite drink, Serrice Ice Brandy. Incredibly rare, it’s the perfect drink to remember the fallen crew of the Normandy or celebrate a triumph over the Reapers…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe serves 1.
What you will need: A cocktail shaker and a lidded container.
Ingredients:
1.5 fl oz Vodka (or Soda Water if you want to lessen the alcohol)
¼ fl oz Apricot Brandy
½ fl oz Blue Curaçao
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
Ice
Garnish:
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
1-2 Teaspoons Water
Red Food Colouring
Wedge of Lime
Making the garnish:
Place the sugar in a small container and add the water with a few drops of red food colouring. Shake the container to mix the colour and dye the sugar red.
Rub a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass then dip the glass into the sugar to coat it.
Making the drink:
Pour all the ingredients into the cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake it up until chilled.
Add a few cubes of ice to the prepared glass, pour and drink upon defeating the Reapers.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Diablo - Health Potion.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbu6ykCJOW1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
Mass Effect 2 - Serrice Ice Brandy
This week’s Gourmet Gaming was posted over on The Drunken Moogle in celebration of Mogtoberfest! In case you missed it over there, here it is! Dr Chakwas sends you on a fetch quest to find her a bottle of her favourite drink, Serrice Ice Brandy. Incredibly rare, it’s the perfect drink to remember the fallen crew of the Normandy or celebrate a triumph over the Reapers…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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http://www.indiegogo.com/loading
I love to play video games and I love to eat. Preferably at the same time.
What's even better is eating the food from the game I'm playing while I'm playing it.
Gourmet Gaming is updated every Wednesday.
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