The Cave: Magnifico the Magnificent’s Invisible Cupcake
On its release several weeks ago, I was completely addicted to the wonderful little puzzle game that is The Cave. On my first adventure through its murky depths, I took with me The Adventurer, The Time Traveller and The Monk. The moment I had to travel back in time to block some dripping water to prevent a stalactite being formed in the present… ! I was sold. One of the more darker tales was that of The Hillbilly; a story of love and loss at the carnival, from whence our magical cupcake appears.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
Myst: Uru – D’Ni Mushroom Bread
The Myst series is possibly one of the greatest I have ever encountered, with Myst III: Exile being my personal favourite (it has Brad Dourif in it - automatic win). I’m a huge fan of puzzles, story and exploration, and Myst always satisfies on each of these levels. The cultural detail of the worlds you encounter through every game is outstanding; incredible minutae is written about in the multitude of books scattered throughout - including the mention of a mushroom spore bread from the Teledahn, or ‘Mushroom’, Age. A delicacy for the elite, spores were harvested so furiously to make the outstanding Mushroom Bread all resources dried up, and the age had to be abandoned.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
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!
Read More
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!
Read More
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!
Read More
Request: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Snackoos
Quiet, please… It’s snack time! Snackoos are the favourite treat of one prodigious forensic detective Ema Sky. What better way to ignore people you don’t want to talk to than appear to eat, well… er… something that looks a little like poop. (There have been far too many poop related posts lately! I apologise!) Snackoos are actually based on the traditional Japanese treat of Karinto (Karintou) which is a sweet deep-fried yeast based snack often drenched in a sugar syrup. Since “Snackoo” is a European and American localisation, I thought I should localise the recipe myself, as it seems Karinto recipes are few and far between! I hope none of you object… I’ve based mine on the traditional, but added an American twist and even coated them in chocolate, just like Ema loves.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
Read More
The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire – Snowberry Crostata
Hearthfire, or “Sim-rim” as I like to call it, was released as DLC for The Elder Scrolls V this week. I’m not sure if while wandering the beautifully stark landscape of Skyrim one of the thoughts in your mind was “This sure is the perfect place to start a family!” (it’s not, it’s full of dragons), but build ye shall.
A Snowberry Crostata is the perfect dish for a citizen of Skyrim; Snowberries are renown for their frost and fire resisting properties, and what’s better after a day out Fus-Ro-Dah’ing or getting lost in a Dwemer ruin than a home baked treat.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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Dark Souls – Dung Pie
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition was released last week for PC, so I thought I should share a dish from one of my favourite games of all time by making some Dung Pies. Now, some of you may complain that Dung Pies aren’t technically a food in Dark Souls, and I’d tell you that you are wrong! Dung Pies are actually Kingseeker Frampt’s favourite food. And Kingseeker Frampt is my favourite. You can purchase Dung Pies from the Female Undead Merchant in the sewer (or risk a battle with a sluggish, yet terrifying, Dung Giant) and they are one of the best ways to bank your precious souls. These decadent chocolate Dung Pies are certainly worth the toxic poisoning!
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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Final Fantasy XI - Moogle Pie
I was shocked and appalled when I realised a food from Final Fantasy hadn’t been done yet. What the hell kind of gaming blog is this?! Inspired by our friends over at The Drunken Moogle, I thought what better way to pay tribute to such an epic and celebrated series than a fresh Moogle Pie! But don’t worry, these pies aren’t made from Moogles, but by Moogles. Though I can imagine a drunken one may be in charge of the pastry department, which explains why a Moogle Pie must be a little burnt to be truly authentic.
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!
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![The Cave: Magnifico the Magnificent’s Invisible Cupcake
On its release several weeks ago, I was completely addicted to the wonderful little puzzle game that is The Cave. On my first adventure through its murky depths, I took with me The Adventurer, The Time Traveller and The Monk. The moment I had to travel back in time to block some dripping water to prevent a stalactite being formed in the present… ! I was sold. One of the more darker tales was that of The Hillbilly; a story of love and loss at the carnival, from whence our magical cupcake appears.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 16 cupcakes.
What you will need: A muffin tray, brown cupcake cases, 3 mixing bowls, a whisk, a piping bag and a large nozzle.
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
150g / ¾ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
50ml / ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
400g / 1½ Cups Caster/Superfine Sugar
3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
200g / 1¾ Cups Flour
125g / 1 Cup High Quality Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda
Pinch of Salt
225ml / 1 Cup Milk
For the Strawberry Frosting:
110g / ½ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
450g / 2 Cups Strawberry Flavoured Icing/Confectioners Sugar
2-3 Tablespoons Milk
To Garnish:
Strawberry Sauce
Edible Glitter
Red Maraschino Cherries
Making the Chocolate Cupcakes:
Line the muffin tray with the cupcake cases, and preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, vegetable oil and butter together until pale and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one, then add the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking/bicarbonate soda and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter, and stir in. Next and half the milk and stir again. Repeat with the rest of the flour, follow by the milk until gently combined.
Fill the cupcake cases, and bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Until firm, but springy to the touch. Once baked, leave the cupcakes to cool completely.
Making the Strawberry Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat the butter until pale. Gradually add the strawberry flavoured icing/confectioners sugar while continuing to beat. Add a few tablespoons of milk as needed to thin the frosting to the desired consistency.
Garnishing Magnifico the Magnificent’s Invisible Cupcake:
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle with the strawberry frosting. Pipe a large swirl on top of the cupcake. Garnish with a drizzle of strawberry sauce, a sprinkle of edible glitter and a cherry on top.
Put the cupcake into your mouth and… tah-dah! Invisible! And yet the weight still counts - Magic!
If there’s one thing you should get more of at carnivals, beyond the hot-dogs and candy-floss, it’s cupcakes. Maybe that should be “cup-cakes” and it would be accepted among the other hyphenated foods… Chocolatey and delicious, there has never been such a thing as a disappointing cupcake. I only wish they were actually invisible, so then I could eat as many as I liked and no one would realise what a piggy I was being. I would simply appear to be yawning.
Gourmet Gaming is saddened to hear of Ron Gilbert’s recent departure from Double Fine, but look forward to the games he may make in the future.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Costume Quest - Mossy Log.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/2b738b65e4b1279483331cf537939627/tumblr_mid3vz3LLF1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Myst: Uru – D’Ni Mushroom Bread
The Myst series is possibly one of the greatest I have ever encountered, with Myst III: Exile being my personal favourite (it has Brad Dourif in it - automatic win). I’m a huge fan of puzzles, story and exploration, and Myst always satisfies on each of these levels. The cultural detail of the worlds you encounter through every game is outstanding; incredible minutae is written about in the multitude of books scattered throughout - including the mention of a mushroom spore bread from the Teledahn, or ‘Mushroom’, Age. A delicacy for the elite, spores were harvested so furiously to make the outstanding Mushroom Bread all resources dried up, and the age had to be abandoned.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 2 loaves.
What you will need: A frying pan, a large mixing bowl, a sieve and cling film/saran wrap.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Butter
250g / 3 Cups Wild Mushrooms (Finely Chopped)
½ Small White Onion (Finely Chopped)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire or Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dried Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Sachet Dried Active Yeast (7g)
1 Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Salt
250g / 2½ Cups Strong White Flour
Making the D’ni Mushroom Bread:
Melt the butter on a medium heat in the frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute, before adding the mushrooms.
Sauté the mushroom and onion for several minutes before turning off the heat, and adding the Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and parsley. Stir well, then set aside to cool.
Add the yeast to the cup of warm water and allow to stand for several minutes. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the natural yoghurt and honey.
Pour the warm yeast and water into the flour along with the cooled mushrooms and mix well until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead with floured hands.
The dough will be incredibly sticky to begin with, so gradually add small amounts of flour until it begins to feel slightly more solid. After 10-15 minutes of kneading, place the dough in a clean bowl lightly greased with olive oil. Cover the bowl with cling film/saran wrap and set in a warm place to rise for an hour.
After an hour, the dough will have doubled. Knock the dough back and divide it into two portions. Gently knead the dough again into a neat round shape and place on a prepared baking tray. Leave the dough to rise again for 30-40 minutes.
Once the dough has risen again, preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Bake the bread on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Allow the D’ni Mushroom Bread to cool completely before serving.
I was seriously worried about making a bread like this, but I was incredibly impressed with myself afterwards! The D’ni Mushroom Bread is so wonderfully fragrant and soft, it would compliment any platter of meats, cheeses and chutneys or ideal with fresh soups.
If you’re curious about Myst, you can pick up the games from GOG.com, or wait for Jonathan Blow’s The Witness.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – S’Jirra’s Famous Potato Bread.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/8886d6af6a5bb289d06050935906b85a/tumblr_mgoypdLxZs1qjhjgyo1_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!
[[MORE]]
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)
![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)
![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)
![Request: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Snackoos
Quiet, please… It’s snack time! Snackoos are the favourite treat of one prodigious forensic detective Ema Sky. What better way to ignore people you don’t want to talk to than appear to eat, well… er… something that looks a little like poop. (There have been far too many poop related posts lately! I apologise!) Snackoos are actually based on the traditional Japanese treat of Karinto (Karintou) which is a sweet deep-fried yeast based snack often drenched in a sugar syrup. Since “Snackoo” is a European and American localisation, I thought I should localise the recipe myself, as it seems Karinto recipes are few and far between! I hope none of you object… I’ve based mine on the traditional, but added an American twist and even coated them in chocolate, just like Ema loves.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 20 Snackoos.
What you will need: A deep pan, paper towels, a mixing bowl, greaseproof paper/baking parchment and a sieve.
Ingredients:
110g / 1 Cup Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon High Quality Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Brown Soft Sugar
1 Egg
40ml / ⅛ Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Oil
Oil (For Frying)
100g Milk Chocolate
Making the Snackoos:
In a mixing bowl, sieve in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar. Next add the milk, egg and oil and mix well. Allow the dough to stand for about 20 minutes in a cool place.
Meanwhile in a deep pot, heat some oil on a medium-high heat. Have paper towels prepared and something to scoop the Snackoos out with. You can tell when the oil is ready by dropping in a test piece of dough.
After 20 minutes, with well floured hands, roll out the Snackoos. The dough will be quite sticky, but this is normal! Keep the Snackoos quite long and thin, as they double in size when you cook them.
When you have all your Snackoos prepared, and the oil is warm enough, drop the Snackoos in one piece at a time. Fry them for no more than about 60 seconds. They should sizzle and expand instantly in the oil and be golden after about a minute. Rotate them to ensure even cooking.
Remove the Snackoos from the oil and drain them on paper towels until cool. Once they’re room temperature and dry they’re ready for their chocolate coating.
In a large bowl over a small pot of boiling water, melt the chocolate. Dip the Snackoos in one and a time, covering them evenly in the chocolate. Gently shake off any excess, then place on greaseproof paper or a wire rack to solidify before eating.
Snackoos are very unusual. The taste is somewhat sweet, savoury and salted; with a contrast between the soft, fried cookie-cake and chocolate. Despite the flavour combination, I found them to be quite addictive and enjoyed many a Snackoo with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate! I used a dark chocolate (since I’m allergic to milk chocolate) and the bitterness was wonderful. A white chocolate would also make a super sweet casing, so use whichever type of chocolate you prefer! A delicious little morsel I certainly wouldn’t waste throwing at anybody.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Dark Souls - Dung Pie.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maz934qXe11qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire – Snowberry Crostata
Hearthfire, or “Sim-rim” as I like to call it, was released as DLC for The Elder Scrolls V this week. I’m not sure if while wandering the beautifully stark landscape of Skyrim one of the thoughts in your mind was “This sure is the perfect place to start a family!” (it’s not, it’s full of dragons), but build ye shall.
A Snowberry Crostata is the perfect dish for a citizen of Skyrim; Snowberries are renown for their frost and fire resisting properties, and what’s better after a day out Fus-Ro-Dah’ing or getting lost in a Dwemer ruin than a home baked treat.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
[[MORE]]
This recipe makes 2 Snowberry Crostatas.
What you will need: Two saucepans, a sieve, a whisk, a container, a baking tray, a rolling pin, a knife, a round 7inch template and a pastry brush.
For the Crema Pasticcera:
70g / ⅓ Cup Sugar
½ Vanilla Pod (Scored)
3 Egg Yolks (Room Temperature)
30g / ¼ Cup Flour
225ml / 1 Cup Whole Milk (Two Halves)
For the Snowberry Crostata:
350g / 12 oz. Shortcrust Pastry – Recipe
200g / 1 Cup Berries/Fruits
Redcurrants
Cherries (Pitted)
Blackcurrants
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
50g / ¼ Cup Sugar
1 Beaten Egg
Preparing the Crema Pasticcera:
Warm half a cup/110ml of milk with the vanilla pod on a low heat and in a good saucepan. Allow it to slowly just come to the boil. Keep an eye on this, do not let it boil over or burn! Once your milk is bubbling, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until a creamy paste is formed. Sieve in the flour and add the other half cup of milk. Whisk together again until well combined.
Remove the vanilla pod from the cooled milk, then add the egg mixture. Return the saucepan onto a very low heat, and whisk continually as it warms through.
After several minutes, the custard will begin to thicken. Once the crema pasticcera has reached a good consistency, immediately pour it into a container and place in the fridge to cool completely.
Preparing the Snowberry Filling:
In a saucepan warm the redcurrants, blackcurrants and cherries (or whatever berries or fruits you like) with the orange juice and sugar on a medium heat until they soften.
Once the berries have simmered for a few minutes and start to resemble a jam, remove them from the heat and set aside to cool. Feel free to keep some fresh berries or fruits aside to use as a garnish.
Making the Crostata:
Prepare and line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
Roll out your dough on a floured surface to about 3cm thick. Cut a round of dough 7 inches in diameter and place on the prepared baking tray.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of the chilled crema into the middle of the pastry, spread it around but leave a border of pastry about an inch around it. Wash a little beaten egg on the pastry around the crema.
Next, carefully fold over the pastry edges around the crema, keeping the folds neat and flat. Cover the pastry with a wash of beaten egg.
Pile 2 tablespoons of the fruit compote on top of the crostata, and allow it to just about cover the folded edges. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top, then place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes.
Crostatas are a type of traditional Italian pie. What’s an Italian inspired pie doing in a Nordic set game, you ask? Maybe some rogue Kajiit or Dunmer merchant smuggled it in from a neighbouring province… Who knows! But it sure is tasty. It’s simple and rustic, with a great balance between the sweet vanilla crema and tart fruits. I was initially going to only use redcurrants or cranberries for the crostata, but decided they were slightly too sour. You could use any berry or fruit you like, but I decided to try and emulate the flavour I felt snowberries would have by creating a mixture.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Sweet Roll.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9wcai9s141qjhjgyo1_r1_500.jpg)
![Dark Souls – Dung Pie
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition was released last week for PC, so I thought I should share a dish from one of my favourite games of all time by making some Dung Pies. Now, some of you may complain that Dung Pies aren’t technically a food in Dark Souls, and I’d tell you that you are wrong! Dung Pies are actually Kingseeker Frampt’s favourite food. And Kingseeker Frampt is my favourite. You can purchase Dung Pies from the Female Undead Merchant in the sewer (or risk a battle with a sluggish, yet terrifying, Dung Giant) and they are one of the best ways to bank your precious souls. These decadent chocolate Dung Pies are certainly worth the toxic poisoning!
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This recipe makes 14 Dung Pies.
What you will need: A baking tray, greaseproof paper/baking parchment, a large bowl and a sieve.
Ingredients:
225g / 1 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
280g / 1¼ Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
65g / ½ Cup Cocoa Powder (High Quality)
250g / 2 Cups Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
100g / 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
50g / ½ Cup Pecans or Walnuts (Chopped)
Making the Dung Pies:
Prepare the baking tray by lining it with baking/greaseproof paper and ensure you have room in your freezer.
Cream the butter and the sugar together for several minutes until pale and fluffy in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until will combined.
Sieve in the cocoa powder and stir. Gradually sieve in the flour, salt and baking powder. Finally, add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix well.
The dough will seem very sticky, but this is normal. With lightly floured hands, take about 2 tablespoons of dough and create a rough ball. Take another tablespoons of dough and shape it on top of the other piece. This will form your rough “dung” shape.
Place the prepared dungs onto the baking tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until quite firm, but not frozen! Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Once the dungs are chilled, remove them from the freezer and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. They should appear cooked outside, but very soft inside.
Leave the dung pies to cool slightly, then remove from the baking tray and allow to cool completely before serving.
The Dung Pie is a complicated treat to describe. I would probably call them as a kind of cookie-brownie hybrid; crunchy on the outside, soft, dense and chewy on the middle. The crucial step in making a dung pie is the freezing of the dough, which prevents the cookie from spreading while cooking, and keeps it relatively uncooked on the inside. Maybe the secret of the Dung Pie is what they’re protecting in Blighttown…
Like this? You might also enjoy the Legend of Grimrock - Blueberry Pie.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9dwbuNL5h1qjhjgyo1_500.jpg)
![Final Fantasy XI - Moogle Pie
I was shocked and appalled when I realised a food from Final Fantasy hadn’t been done yet. What the hell kind of gaming blog is this?! Inspired by our friends over at The Drunken Moogle, I thought what better way to pay tribute to such an epic and celebrated series than a fresh Moogle Pie! But don’t worry, these pies aren’t made from Moogles, but by Moogles. Though I can imagine a drunken one may be in charge of the pastry department, which explains why a Moogle Pie must be a little burnt to be truly authentic.
Click ‘Read More’ for the full recipe!
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This recipe makes 2 Moogle Pies.
What you will need: Greaseproof paper/baking parchment, a large baking tray, a vegetable peeler, a large pan, a knife, and a pastry brush.
Ingredients:
400g / 5 Cups Cooking Apples (4 Large apples approx.)
25g / ⅛ Cup Butter
25ml / ⅛ Cup Water
50g / ¼ Cup Caster/Super Fine Sugar
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Raisins
4 Tablespoons Apple/Orange Juice
Small Handful Breadcrumbs
320g / 11oz Ready-to-Roll Puff Pastry
1 Small Egg (Beaten)
Preparing the Moogle Pie:
Preheat the oven according to the directions on your puff pastry. Usually about 200C/390F. Prepare a baking tray with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Soak the raisins in the apple/orange juice.
Peel and cor the apples, then chop them into small chunks. Keep them in a large bowl of cool water to stop them from browning.
In a large pan on a medium heat, warm the butter until melted then add the apples, sugar and water. Cook the apples for about 4-5 minutes, until softened.
Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the raisins and the juice, cinnamon and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined.
Making the Moogle Pie:
Unroll your puff pastry and cut it in half. Take one half of the sheet and lay it on the prepared baking tray; for ease, make one Moogle Pie at a time.
Add a few tablespoons of the apple filling to the middle of the pastry. Shape it into an even, long rectangle and make sure to leave about an inch of pastry and the top and bottom. Be careful not to over fill it.
Take the beaten egg and with the pastry brush, brush an outline of the beaten egg on the pastry around the apple filling; this will help the pastry to seal.
For the next step you can use a lattice pastry cutter to create a top layer of pastry if you have one, but if you don’t, use the plaiting/braiding method below.
Cut into the pastry on the long sides; create an equal number of strips of pastry on both sides. Finally, make a square flap at the bottom and top. Please see THIS illustration for help – it can be a little tricky!
Carefully tuck the bottom and top flaps over the apple filling. Begin to plait/braid the strips of pastry over the filling. Do this by alternating the strips of pastry over each other as you move down.
Lightly brush a little more beaten egg over the finished pastry, then pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once it’s nicely golden, and maybe even a little burnt, remove it from the oven.
Allow it to cool before serving. Moogle Pie is delicious on its own, or with some custard, cream or ice-cream.
Luckily, I had my mom on hand (who I now suspect may be part Moogle herself due to her pastry plaiting skills) because this pie can be a little difficult to make look just right, but it’s most definitely worth it! The combination of a strudel and pie recipe was ideal, and although a Moogle Pie is traditionally apple, you could use the recipe above to also make peach, apricot or berry pies too. Just don’t forget your magic spell, and your Moogle Pie will always be delicious.
Like this? You might also enjoy the Fable II – Amazing Apple Pie.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m96h9lD1fK1qjhjgyo1_r1_500.jpg)
![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!
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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)
