Yoshi’s Cookie – Yoshi Cookies
I first encountered Yoshi’s Cookies on Game and Watch Gallery 3 which I had for my Gameboy Color. The updated, ‘modern’, version of “Egg” on the cartridge involved Yoshi eating some Yoshi Cookies as prepared by Chef Mario. I never did get along very well with the Game and Watch Gallery, it was all about personal bests and high scores, and, as a renowned confident loser of the world, I was always uninterested in competing with myself. One thing I did want to do was eat those cookies though. I had dreams about those cookies against a haunting rendition of that ever panic-inducing music.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – St. John’s Dairy Farm Biscuits
Having managed to survive, the party agree to take solace at the St. John’s Dairy Farm. The promise of food, wide open spaces, and of course good defences, are too tempting to turn down.
On arrival we’re greeted by Brenda St. John, and a basket of freshly baked goods which appear to be some classic, home-made, Southern biscuits. You need fresh milk and butter to make those; a rare thing these days.
The St. John’s are lucky to also have some fresh herbs growing here, which can be blended with a little butter and served over the warm biscuits.
Let’s just hope things don’t turn out to be too good to be true…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – Energy Bar
Protecting Clementine has become my top priority. I feel responsible for her, but I feel like maybe I need her more than she needs me; her spirit keeps me motivated. We’ve taken shelter with a group of people in a pharmacy, and I’ve managed to gather a couple of energy bars I found lying around. Packed with oats, fruits and nuts they’re filled with the essentials to keep us all alive during this chaos, but who do I give them to? Whoever needs them the most? Whoever has been nice to me? I could even use them as a bargaining tool or with hold them as punishment… I’m not even sure I deserve one.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
Request: Devil May Cry 3 - “Dante’s Inferno” Pizza
Recently, our copy of the Devil May Cry HD collection finally found it’s way to us so we’ve been reliving the gaming past. I’m a huge fan of the first Devil May Cry; I played it many times, but never bothered to pick up any of the sequels. It wasn’t until a couple of people started telling me how amazing the third instalment was that I thought I should probably give it a go, and you probably would too if someone told you they quit a job to play the game full-time when it came out. I’ve made pizza twice before for Gourmet Gaming, so this time I thought I’d kick it up a notch with this “Dante’s Inferno” recipe. A chilli base, with chilli sauce and chilli cheese, topped with spicy pepperoni and Dante’s detested black olives – one bite is sure to drag you to hell. At least your tears will prove your humanity.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
Request: Pokémon – Lava Cookies
Lavaridge Town’s speciality, and now a Gourmet Gaming speciality too! Originally, the Lava Cookie is referred to as a “rice cracker” which frankly doesn’t sound too exciting, so I turned to the awesome poké visual appeal of this trusty status heal for inspiration. Combining the idea of an Asian “rice cracker” and a “cookie”, I was pleasantly surprised by my rash decision to create the Lava Cookie as an “East meets West” fusion of strong, bitter chocolate chips and aromatic, salty nori in a sweet and chewy all-American cookie. Perfectly restoring and unusually delicious, for pokémon and trainer alike.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
Beyond Good and Evil - K-Bups
How many E3s are we going to go through before we receive any news about Beyond Good and Evil 2? Each year it’s brought up, people demanding to know more since a teaser was posted an eternity ago. This desire for a sequel gives me hope for the gaming industry; that in a market saturated with complex clones, what we still yearn for is the simplicity of a beautiful story of friendship and good triumphing over evil (without the need for senseless violence). Sometimes, we don’t even want a quick-time event! We just want to take photos and hang out with a pig, who knew? Initially conceived as a possible early Gourmet Gaming recipe, as I had just finished playing Beyond Good and Evil for the first time last summer, K-Bups were off the cards until I found an incredible cake pop pan in a local store. Sticking to the quasi-Jamaican theme – these K-Bups are beautiful balls of vanilla and coconut sponge, filled with a coconut frosting and coated in a delicate purple chocolate.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
This week sees Gourmet Gaming turn one year old! Almost 60 posts, 17,000 fans and over 1,000 requests - it’s been an incredible year and I promise to push it even more for a 2X combo.
Many thanks to the wonderful people who interviewed me or wrote about the blog, to my family and friends for their support and most of all to the gamers of the world.
Gg x
Fallout: New Vegas – Sunset Sarsaparilla
Since making the ‘Wasteland Omelet’ I picked up Fallout: New Vegas and have been playing it for the past few weeks. While I enjoyed Fallout 3, for me New Vegas is in a league of it’s own. I’ve of course been playing it on Hardcore so I could cook up some survivalist snacks and get the most in-depth experience, and while I’m well over 60 hours into the game, I feel like I’ve hardly made a dent into the main plot. One thing I’ve become obsessed by, as my completionist nature dictates, is finding the Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps, but my motivation isn’t the mysterious prize offered by Festus; it’s personal. Here you’ll find my own version of the homebrew recipe for Sunset Sarsaparilla, the most popular beverage in the west!
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
Shadow of Memories/Shadow of Destiny: Chocolate Sample
To celebrate of a whole year of Gourmet Gaming this week, I thought I’d feature a recipe from my favourite game, Shadow of Memories.
You can grab this easily missed ‘Chocolate Sample’ in chapter 3 from Marie’s Bakery during 2001, but it isn’t an essential item to Eike Kusch’s ultimate survival. As the description hints, you can give it to any female character in the game and sweeten her mood. I personally like to give it to Margarette who, living in 1580, has never tasted chocolate before, and seems incredibly delighted by it. I can’t really imagine what it must be like to taste chocolate for the first time… Almost like telling a girl who has a crush on you that she might be your ancestor; devastating but delicious. Set in the fictional German town of “Lebensbaum”, I thought the oft mistaken for actually being German, classic ‘German chocolate cake’, would be a good place to draw inspiration for this decadent, yet currently unnamed, chocolate sample.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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Request: Muramasa: The Demon Blade – Fish Udon (???)
People always send in requests for Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a game which I had never heard of, and that even after lengthy investigation remains completely enigmatic to me. There’s very little information available about this game, for example the Wikia only has 13 pages. Thirteen! If half the people who asked for Muramasa related food had taken the time to perhaps contribute to that Wikia then I might know what the hell I’m cooking. Truth be told here, the recipe below is based solely on the most common image used to represent the (apparently) wide variety of dishes available at noodle houses through the game – so in a sense it’s the purest Gourmet Gaming dish; it only has its in-game representation influencing it and nothing else. If you happen to know what this is, or could provide more information than the few people I passed the picture around, please let me know!
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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![Yoshi’s Cookie – Yoshi Cookies
I first encountered Yoshi’s Cookies on Game and Watch Gallery 3 which I had for my Gameboy Color. The updated, ‘modern’, version of “Egg” on the cartridge involved Yoshi eating some Yoshi Cookies as prepared by Chef Mario. I never did get along very well with the Game and Watch Gallery, it was all about personal bests and high scores, and, as a renowned confident loser of the world, I was always uninterested in competing with myself. One thing I did want to do was eat those cookies though. I had dreams about those cookies against a haunting rendition of that ever panic-inducing music.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 20 cookies.
What you will need: A large bowl, a wooden spoon, a rolling pin, cookie cutters: a flower, a diamond, a heart, a large and a small circle, and a square, a baking tray, and greaseproof/baking paper.
Ingredients:
250g / 1¼ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
140g / ⅔ Cup Caster/Super Fine Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1½ Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
300g / 1¼ Cup Plain Flour
½ Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
To Garnish:
Jams/Jellys
Purple
Red
Green
Icing/Confectioners Sugar
Water
Ground Cinnamon
Sugar
Making the Cookie Dough:
Preheat the oven to 180C/355F, and prepare a flat baking tray by lining it with greaseproof/baking paper.
In a large bowl, mix together to butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined. Next add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix again. Sieve in the flour, and gently stir until a dough begins to form.
The dough may seem quite sticky and loose, if it’s too soft – place it in the fridge for around 30 minutes to firm it.
On a well floured surface and with floured hands, form the dough into a neat ball. Divide the dough evenly into six portions. Put four aside, as these will remain vanilla.
Take the left over two balls of dough; add cinnamon powder to one and kneed gently until combined. Add cocoa powder to the other and again, kneed until combined. You will now have four vanilla, one cinnamon and one chocolate dough.
Making the Yoshi Cookies:
Tips: Prepare one type of cookie at a time. With a well floured surface and rolling pin, roll out each portion to about ¼ inch thick, then cut out the desired shapes with the cookie cutters. Place the cookies on the prepared baking tray.
Start with three of the vanilla portions – these will be cut into the flower, the diamond and the heart shapes.
Next, take the cinnamon portion – cut out a large circle, and then a smaller circle from the middle.
You should have one chocolate and one vanilla portion left – these will become the checker-board cookie.
You can make the checker-board cookie a few ways. One way is by making a patterned block with 4 rectangular cuboids ‘glued’ together on the joins with egg white. Then slice the block to form the cookies.
If that sounds too tricky, try cutting out thin, small squares of dough and laying them on top of a square cookie to make the pattern – whatever you find easier.
With your cookies prepared and placed on the baking try, bake them in the oven for around 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Garnishing the Yoshi Cookies:
Take your jams/jellys and melt 2 tablespoons of each for about 10-20 seconds to make them a smoother, looser texture.
The diamond gets a green garnish, the flowers get a purple and the hearts get a red.
Taking a ¼ teaspoon of the appropriate colour, drop it in the middle of the cookie and carefully create an even shape for the centre.
For the cinnamon cookie, mix some icing sugar and a little water to make a paste. Brush it over the top of the cookie, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
In Game and Watch Gallery 3 “Egg”, Yoshi saves the cookies from burning by eating them. This is the kind of tactic I like to employ while baking, I can respect Yoshi for this - he’s my kind of person. Delightfully buttery, these cookies are paired perfectly with their tart jammy centres, so it’s totally understandable why the Yoshis are such big fans. As for the Yoshi cookie, I think it might deserve a post of its own…
Like this? You might also enjoy the Pokémon – Lava Cookies.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7qkjnd2xc1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – St. John’s Dairy Farm Biscuits
Having managed to survive, the party agree to take solace at the St. John’s Dairy Farm. The promise of food, wide open spaces, and of course good defences, are too tempting to turn down.
On arrival we’re greeted by Brenda St. John, and a basket of freshly baked goods which appear to be some classic, home-made, Southern biscuits. You need fresh milk and butter to make those; a rare thing these days.
The St. John’s are lucky to also have some fresh herbs growing here, which can be blended with a little butter and served over the warm biscuits.
Let’s just hope things don’t turn out to be too good to be true…
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
his recipe makes 6 biscuits.
What you will need: A sieve, a large bowl, a baking tray, a rolling pin, round cutters, and some greaseproof paper/baking parchment.
Ingredients:
250g / 2 Cups Plain Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Chilled)
170ml / ¾ Cup Buttermilk (Chilled)
Making St. John’s Dairy Biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 230C/450F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
Add the chilled butter, and using your fingers, rub the butter in until it’s well distributed. The mixture should look a little lumpy.
Add the buttermilk and stir gently until a loose dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, and with floured hands, turn the dough out and shape it into a rough ball. Gently roll the dough out to about ¾ inch thick.
Cut out some circles of dough and place them on the prepared baking tray. Continue cutting out circles until all the dough is used, then put the biscuits in the oven. Bake them for 5-8 minutes. Once they’re lightly brown on top they’re read to come out.
Best served warm, with butter and jams/jellys or keep it savoury with some herb butter or cheese.
These biscuits are hearty and welcome in times of hunger or desperation; a taste of home and a piece of comfort - perfect for any zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead: Episode 2 more than surpassed the first episode for me. The interactions between characters and decisions to be made were ten times worse - it made the first episode look like a training area. It was completely brutal in all the right ways, with perfectly reasoned violence and actions… I’m eagerly awaiting episode 3.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Deadly Premonition – Thomas’ Biscuit.
Telltale Games | The Walking Dead](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7dmrb6FDL1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – Energy Bar
Protecting Clementine has become my top priority. I feel responsible for her, but I feel like maybe I need her more than she needs me; her spirit keeps me motivated. We’ve taken shelter with a group of people in a pharmacy, and I’ve managed to gather a couple of energy bars I found lying around. Packed with oats, fruits and nuts they’re filled with the essentials to keep us all alive during this chaos, but who do I give them to? Whoever needs them the most? Whoever has been nice to me? I could even use them as a bargaining tool or with hold them as punishment… I’m not even sure I deserve one.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 6-8 Energy Bars.
What you will need: A square tray, some greaseproof/baking paper, a small saucepan and a large bowl.
Ingredients:
125g / ⅔ Cup Butter
40g / ¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
250g / 2 Cups Oats
50g / ⅓ Cup Pecans (Chopped)
50g / ⅓ Cup Dried Cherries (Chopped)
25g / ⅛ Cup Salted Peanuts (Chopped)
To Garnish:
Melted Dark (70%+) Chocolate
Making the Energy Bar:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease and line a deep, square baking tray. Add the oats, chopped nuts and fruit to a large bowl.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and maple syrup together. Simmer it gently for about 2 minutes then pour the melted mixture over the oats and mix well. Once combined, transfer the mixture to the prepared tray.
Smooth out the mixture until even, and pat it down until firm. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden on top.
Once cooked, allow to cool before removing from the pan and cutting into bars. Garnish the energy bars with a drizze of some good quality melted chocolate. Consume before facing any zombie hoard.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of the Walking Dead TV show, and not really a fan of the comics – so I was naturally apprehensive about playing the game. But it really is a bit of a masterpiece and my latest obsession. I also love all the ingredients in these bars, so I thought maybe Clementine would too, but even if she didn’t the chocolate would sweeten the experience.
Like this? You might also enjoy the EarthBound – Peanut Cheese Bar.
Telltale Games | The Walking Dead](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7dm8htQ441qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Request: Devil May Cry 3 - “Dante’s Inferno” Pizza
Recently, our copy of the Devil May Cry HD collection finally found it’s way to us so we’ve been reliving the gaming past. I’m a huge fan of the first Devil May Cry; I played it many times, but never bothered to pick up any of the sequels. It wasn’t until a couple of people started telling me how amazing the third instalment was that I thought I should probably give it a go, and you probably would too if someone told you they quit a job to play the game full-time when it came out. I’ve made pizza twice before for Gourmet Gaming, so this time I thought I’d kick it up a notch with this “Dante’s Inferno” recipe. A chilli base, with chilli sauce and chilli cheese, topped with spicy pepperoni and Dante’s detested black olives – one bite is sure to drag you to hell. At least your tears will prove your humanity.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 4 pizzas.
What you will need: A large mixing bowl, a sieve, a rolling pin and a pizza tray or pizza stone.
For the Chilli Dough:
500g / 4 Cups ‘00’ or Strong White Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
325ml / 1⅓ Cups Warm Water
1 Sachet (7g) Dried Fast Action Yeast
½ Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Chilli Infused Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Chilli powder
For the Topping:
150g / 1 Cup Tomato Purée
¼ Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
Salt & Pepper
½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Red Birdseye Chilli (Finely Chopped)
250g / 1½ Cup Hard Mozarella (Grated)
75g / ½ Cup Spicy Hard Cheese (Grated)
20 Medium Pepperoni Slices
50g / ½ Cup Pitted Black Olives (Sliced)
Making the Pizza Dough:
Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, in a jug, pour in the warm water and add the yeast, sugar and olive oil to it. Mix well, and allow the the mixture to stand for a few minutes.
Make a well in the flour, and pour the water and yeast into the middle. Sprinkle in the chilli powder. Using a fork, mix the flour into the water until the dough begins to come together.
Once a ball has formed, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and with floured hands kneed the dough well for about 10 minutes. It should be warm, and make a smooth ball when ready.
Return the dough to the large bowl, cover and sit in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
Making the “Dante’s Inferno” Pizza:
Preheat the oven to as high it goes, usually about 250C/480F. Place your pizza tray/stone in the oven to warm up.
Meanwhile, roll out a portion of the dough into a rough circle to fit your tray – the ideal base should be very thin. Carefully remove the warm tray from the oven, and line the tray with the rolled out dough. Trim any excess edges so that you have an even circle.
Next, cover the top of the pizza with some tomato purée, and use the back of a spoon to spread it around. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle on the dried chilli flakes, oregano and fresh, finely chopped red chillies.
Next cover with a layer of cheese, combining the mozzarella and chilli cheese. Finally, place the pepperoni and black olives before putting in the oven until golden brown and crisp.
Most people will get injuries from sports growing up, I got them from playing Devil May Cry in the form of chronic wrist and arm cramps; “Dante Must Die” seems to be more a case of “Dani Must Die” - and this is pretty much how this fiery dish will make you feel. Hot to its very core, but still flavoursome and subtle (a little like Dante himself), “Dante’s Inferno” is truly the nine circles of hell. And remember; devils never cry.
Like this? You might also enjoy punching yourself in the face.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6arb384Ok1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Request: Pokémon – Lava Cookies
Lavaridge Town’s speciality, and now a Gourmet Gaming speciality too! Originally, the Lava Cookie is referred to as a “rice cracker” which frankly doesn’t sound too exciting, so I turned to the awesome poké visual appeal of this trusty status heal for inspiration. Combining the idea of an Asian “rice cracker” and a “cookie”, I was pleasantly surprised by my rash decision to create the Lava Cookie as an “East meets West” fusion of strong, bitter chocolate chips and aromatic, salty nori in a sweet and chewy all-American cookie. Perfectly restoring and unusually delicious, for pokémon and trainer alike.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 12 Lava Cookies.
What you will need: A large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a pair of scissors, a small bowl, and a baking tray.
For the Lava Cookies:
85g / ⅓ Cup Butter (Melted)
125g / ⅔ Cup Dark Brown Soft Sugar
50g / ¼ Cup White Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg (Room Temperature)
½ Teaspoon High Quality Vanilla Extract
125-150g / ¾ - 1 Cup Plain Flour
¼ Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
75g / ¾ Cup Dark Chocolate (Chips or Chunks)
1 Sheet of Nori (Cut into small pieces)
To Garnish:
25g / ¼ Cup Dark Chocolate (Chips or Chunks)
1 Sheet of Nori (Cut into strips)
Making the Lava Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and have a baking tray ready.
Cream the melted butter, soft brown sugar and granulated sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Sieve in the flour, baking/bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir gently with a wooden spoon, then add the chocolate chips and nori, and mix gently once again.
The dough should come together, and still be very moist/sticky, but able to be handled. If too loose, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. Add more melted butter a teaspoon at a time if it’s too solid.
Once at the right consistency, take a tablespoon of the dough, roll it in your hands into a ball, then place it on the prepared baking tray. Make sure the cookies have enough room to spread; I only baked 4 at a time.
Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes, then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before removing them from the tray, and setting aside to cool completely.
Garnishing the Lava Cookies:
Once the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate in a clean bowl. Add a small blob of the warm chocolate near the bottom of each cookie, to act as a glue, then attach the strip of nori.
Once the chocolate has cooled, and the nori is stuck, turn the cookies over and repeat the process. Tuck the remainder of the nori strip up around the back of the cookie, and neatly press it against the chocolate to help the nori stick.
Once the chocolate has set, enjoy your Lava Cookies and feel your status refresh!
I really was impressed with how these cookies turned out! They’re ultra sweet, but the nori adds a fresh, sharp contrast. Feel free to try these with white or milk chocolate too. In the winter, or if in need of a little extra ‘fire’, a dash of ginger would be great for a warming touch. Certainly, the Lava Cookie recipe will act as my base from here on in when baking cookies, they’re so delicious, I’ve gotta nom ‘em all!
Like this? You might also enjoy the Pokémon – Poffins.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5xq508kET1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Beyond Good and Evil - K-Bups
How many E3s are we going to go through before we receive any news about Beyond Good and Evil 2? Each year it’s brought up, people demanding to know more since a teaser was posted an eternity ago. This desire for a sequel gives me hope for the gaming industry; that in a market saturated with complex clones, what we still yearn for is the simplicity of a beautiful story of friendship and good triumphing over evil (without the need for senseless violence). Sometimes, we don’t even want a quick-time event! We just want to take photos and hang out with a pig, who knew? Initially conceived as a possible early Gourmet Gaming recipe, as I had just finished playing Beyond Good and Evil for the first time last summer, K-Bups were off the cards until I found an incredible cake pop pan in a local store. Sticking to the quasi-Jamaican theme – these K-Bups are beautiful balls of vanilla and coconut sponge, filled with a coconut frosting and coated in a delicate purple chocolate.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 24+ K-Bups.
What you will need: A cake pop pan or a cake pop scoop or a pair of good hands, 2 large mixing bowls, 1 small mixing bowl, 1 large heat resistant bowl, a sieve, a whisk, a wooden spoon, 2 large pans and an icing bag/syringe with a star nozzle.
For the Cake:
170g / ¾ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
150g / ¾ Cup Caster/Superfine Sugar
2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
225g / 1½ Cups Plain Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda
Pinch of Salt
125ml / ½ Cup Coconut Milk (Reduced)
For the Frosting:
120g / ½ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
150g / 1¾ Cup Icing/Confectioners Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4-6 Tablespoons Coconut Milk (Reduced)
For the Chocolate Coating:
300g / 1¾ Cups White Chocolate
Purple Chocolate Dye
Edible Purple Dusting (Optional)
Preparing the Cake:
First reduce some coconut milk. Do this by bringing it to the boil in a large pan over a medium high heat, then allowing to simmer for about 30 minutes. Transfer it into a clean vessel and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together until pale and fluffy. Next add the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, baking power, baking soda and salt. Alternately add a little of the flour mixture, then the reduced coconut milk, until it’s all gone - finishing with the flour mixture.
Fill your cake pop tray with the cake mixture and cook for about 15-17 minutes. Allow the cake balls to cool while you prepare the frosting.
Making the Frosting:
In a large bowl cream the butter until pale. Add the vanilla and pinch of salt.
Slowly sieve in the icing/confectioners sugar and beat well each time. Alternately add the reduced coconut until the desired consistency is achieved.
Preparing the K-Bups:
By now the cake balls should be cooled. Take an icing bag/syringe and fill it with the coconut vanilla frosting. Using a medium or small star nozzle with the icing bag, and a gentle touch, carefully slide the nozzle into the cake ball about halfway.
Move it around gently to create some space, then carefully, but firmly, squeeze the frosting into the ball.
Once it feels solid, or a little bit of frosting escapes, slide the nozzle back out. Repeat this procedure for each of the cake balls. Don’t worry if a few small cracks appear, these will be covered up by the coating.
Alternative Method:
You can of course use the more traditional option of making cake balls by baking the mixture as a cake, crumbing it, and mixing it with the frosting.
Then mould it into balls and create a hole to fill with the frosting. The final step applies to both ways – so you don’t need a cake pop pan at all.
Making the K-Bups:
Melt the white chocolate in a large bowl over some boiling water, stirring it occasionally until smooth – being careful not to heat it too much. Add the purple chocolate colouring until happy with the shade.
Pop the cake balls one at a time into the chocolate and roll them around until fully coated. Use a fork to raise them out, shake any excess chocolate off, then set on greaseproof paper/baking parchment to dry.
Once all the cake balls have been coated in chocolate and are dry, dip them in the melted chocolate again to get an even second coat, then leave to dry.
Once the second chocolate coating has solidified, lightly dust the cakes with some iridescent purple dust for the finishing touch.
Exotic in both appearance and taste, these K-Bups are rich, sweet and creamy – in fact that frosting is so good, you might want to keep some for dipping on the side, or just a snack for later. Due to their size and shape, they’re incredibly addictive in that I found myself just casually shovelling them into my mouth, even if my energy bar was already full. The “synthetic food of the Hillyan people”, K-Bups are certainly not from this world; the cake version of a space whale, if you like.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Beyond Good and Evil – Starkos.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5mi8gHigb1qjhjgyo1_r1_500.jpg)
![Fallout: New Vegas – Sunset Sarsaparilla
Since making the ‘Wasteland Omelet’ I picked up Fallout: New Vegas and have been playing it for the past few weeks. While I enjoyed Fallout 3, for me New Vegas is in a league of it’s own. I’ve of course been playing it on Hardcore so I could cook up some survivalist snacks and get the most in-depth experience, and while I’m well over 60 hours into the game, I feel like I’ve hardly made a dent into the main plot. One thing I’ve become obsessed by, as my completionist nature dictates, is finding the Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps, but my motivation isn’t the mysterious prize offered by Festus; it’s personal. Here you’ll find my own version of the homebrew recipe for Sunset Sarsaparilla, the most popular beverage in the west!
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe serves 2.
What you will need: A bottle with a cap/lid, a funnel and a sieve.
Ingredients:
250ml / 8.5 fl oz. Cola (Not Diet)
100ml / 3.5 fl oz. Dandelion and Burdock
150ml / 5 fl oz. Ginger Beer (Non-alcoholic)
1 Teaspoon Angostura Bitters (Optional)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Orange Juice
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Whole Cloves
1 Star Anise
Fresh Mint
Ice
Making the Sunset Sarsaparilla:
In a large bottle with the aid of a funnel, pour in the cola, dandelion and burdock and ginger beer. Add the Angostura Bitters, squeeze of fresh orange and lemon juice as well as the cloves, star anise and mint.
Mix it all together, close the bottle and return it to the fridge to chill and infuse for about an hour. Allow the mixture to lose some carbonation, this will add to the flavour and authenticity!
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean vessel of your choice, then serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint and a twist of lemon.
Please do not sue Gourmet Gaming if you experience any of the following while enjoying homebrewed Sunset Sarsaparilla: Kidney damage, nausea, digital numbness, anxiety, loss of visual acuity, dizziness, occasional nosebleeds, joint inflammation, tooth decay, sore throat, bronchitis, organ rupture or halitosis.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Diablo - Health Potion.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m57siiazex1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Shadow of Memories/Shadow of Destiny: Chocolate Sample
To celebrate of a whole year of Gourmet Gaming this week, I thought I’d feature a recipe from my favourite game, Shadow of Memories.
You can grab this easily missed ‘Chocolate Sample’ in chapter 3 from Marie’s Bakery during 2001, but it isn’t an essential item to Eike Kusch’s ultimate survival. As the description hints, you can give it to any female character in the game and sweeten her mood. I personally like to give it to Margarette who, living in 1580, has never tasted chocolate before, and seems incredibly delighted by it. I can’t really imagine what it must be like to taste chocolate for the first time… Almost like telling a girl who has a crush on you that she might be your ancestor; devastating but delicious. Set in the fictional German town of “Lebensbaum”, I thought the oft mistaken for actually being German, classic ‘German chocolate cake’, would be a good place to draw inspiration for this decadent, yet currently unnamed, chocolate sample.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe makes 12-15 Chocolate Samples.
What you will need: Yellow cupcake cases, a baking tray, 3 large bowls, 1 small bowl, a small pot, a sieve, an icing bag/syringe and a whisk.
For the Chocolate Samples:
60g / ½ Cup High Quality Dark Chocolate
60ml / ¼ Cup Fresh Hot Coffee/Water
115g / 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
140g / ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs (Separated) (Room Temperature)
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
110g / 1 Cup Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
½ Teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda/Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
125ml / ½ Cup Whole Milk
For the Ganache:
85g / ¾ Cup High Quality Chocolate
65ml / ¼ Cup Double/Heavy Cream
For the Frosting:
90g / ¾ Cup Butter
280g / 2¾ Cup Icing/Confectioners Sugar
40g /⅓ Cup Cocoa Powder
4 Tablespoons Whole Milk
For the Garnish:
30g / ¼ Cup Sweetened Desiccated Coconut
30g / ¼ Cup Pecans (Chopped)
Preparing the Chocolate Sample:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the cupcake cases on a baking tray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat the sugar and butter together until pale. Add the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla and beat for another minute.
In a separate bowl, pour the hot coffee/water over the chocolate and stir until melted. Pour the melted chocolate into the large bowl over the butter, sugar and eggs and mix well.
Gradually sieve in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, stirring gently. Finally, add the milk and mix gently once again.
In a clean, dry bowl, whisk up the two left over egg whites until puffy. You should be able to hold the bowl over your head and the egg whites wont fall out! Fold the egg whites into the cake batter a spoon at a time, being careful not to knock any of the air out.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake casing, filling each 2/3 full. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Once firm, but springy, remove the cupcakes from the oven to cool completely.
Making the Frosting:
In a large bowl add the butter and beat it until it’s pale. Gradually sieve in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, beating vigorously and adding a tablespoon of milk in between.
Once well combined and fluffy, place in the fridge for later.
Preparing the Garnish:
In a clean, dry pan, add the sweetened desiccated coconut and chopped pecans. Toast them gently on a medium high heat until just turning golden, then remove and set aside.
Making the Chocolate Ganache:
Chop the chocolate up finely and place in a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a pot, bring the cream to the boiling point on a medium heat.
Once bubbling, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mix well until melted and combined. Set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.
Making the Chocolate Samples:
Spoon a little of the chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake. Make sure it covers the entire cupcake and creates a smooth, even surface. You can place the cupcakes in the fridge to help them set.
Once the ganache is firm, fill your icing bag/syringe with the chocolate frosting and pipe a medium swirl from the centre. Sprinkle over the toasted coconut and pecan, then top with a whole pecan. Give them away as free samples, or eat them all yourself. Like me.
Got cake. Ate cake. Now require one digipad to go back in time to when I still had cake so I can eat it all over again. If that was my purgatory, things wouldn’t be so bad, like some kind of chocolate Sisyphus. People who say things are “too sweet” or “too rich” or “too chocolately” don’t know what they’re talking about. There’s no such thing as any of the above, but if there were, it might apply to these incredible samples. I’ve yet to eat any chocolate cupcake quite like these, or play another game quite Shadow of Memories.
Like this? You might also enjoy the EarthBound – Peanut Cheese Bars.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u34qs6gO1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Request: Muramasa: The Demon Blade – Fish Udon (???)
People always send in requests for Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a game which I had never heard of, and that even after lengthy investigation remains completely enigmatic to me. There’s very little information available about this game, for example the Wikia only has 13 pages. Thirteen! If half the people who asked for Muramasa related food had taken the time to perhaps contribute to that Wikia then I might know what the hell I’m cooking. Truth be told here, the recipe below is based solely on the most common image used to represent the (apparently) wide variety of dishes available at noodle houses through the game – so in a sense it’s the purest Gourmet Gaming dish; it only has its in-game representation influencing it and nothing else. If you happen to know what this is, or could provide more information than the few people I passed the picture around, please let me know!
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe serves 2.
What you will need: A Large wok and a frying pan.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Chinese Five Spice
1 Medium White Onion (Sliced)
½ Medium Red Chilli (Sliced)
75g / 1 Cup Button Mushrooms (Quatered)
150g / 1 ½ Cup Pak Choi (Roughly Chopped)
500ml / 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
Dark Soy Sauce
150g / 1 Cup Udon Noodles
2 Seabass Fillets
2 Spring Onions/Scallions (Sliced)
Making the Fish Udon (???):
On a medium heat, warm a tablespoon of olive oil and sesame oil in a wok. Next add the Chinese five spice, white onion and red chilli and fry for about a minute.
Add the mushrooms and pak choi and cook until soft. Pour in the vegetable stock, add a dash of soy sauce and allow the liquid to simmer gently on a low heat.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan on a low heat and warm through the udon noodles; once warm serve them in the bowls.
Turn the heat on the frying pan up high, add a little more oil if required then add the seabass fillets skin side down. Allow the fish to fry for about 2 minutes, then flip it over and cook for another 2.
Pour the broth and vegetables over the noodles, then layer with the seabass. Garnish the dish with sliced chillies and spring onions.
I’m not sure what I just made, but it was seriously delicious. The great thing about Asian style cuisine is how fast and simple it can be, and it leaves a wondering feelings of being well fed, almost cleansed. During my searching I discovered that food was actually a great influence in Muramasa and that recreating the “pleasure of eating” was an important aspect of its design. With an ethos like that, and after tasting this dish, I think it’s a game I would most definitely like to experience.
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