Request: EarthBound – Peanut Cheese Bar

I was pretty much oblivious to EarthBound until I was introduced to the curious character Ness in Super Smash Bros; having never owned a classic Nintendo console growing up I was subject to the gaming tastes of whoever owned the console I was playing (I was not beyond using a fellow classmate and neighbour to sate my need to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). When I decided I was going to make this recipe I tried to source EarthBound from a friend who has an extensive retro games collection, but the fact he didn’t have it just instilled it’s cult status even more for me. However, I’m not without my EarthBound knowledge; I’ve read about it enough times in articles titled ‘gaming urban myths’ and ‘ultimate screwed up games’. Everyone kept asking for these Peanut Cheese Bars - I’d see the requests in my inbox and all I could imagine was some peanuts with cheddar cheese on top - melting and a little greasy… Then I remembered that cheese can be sweet and delicious too, I think the Mr. Saturns are definitely onto something!

This recipe makes 8 - 10 Peanut Cheese Bars.

What you will need: An 8x8 inch square spring-form or lose-base cake tin, a whisk, two mixing bowls, greaseproof/baking paper, cling film/saran wrap and a rolling pin.

For the Cookie Base:

175g / 1 ¾ Cups Flour

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

110g / ½ Cup Butter (Softened)

85g / ¾ Cup Caster Sugar/Superfine Sugar

85g / ¾ Cup Soft Brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

For the Chocolate:

150g / 1 Cup Chocolate

55g / ¼ Cup Butter

40g / ¼ Cup Crushed Salted Peanuts

For the Peanut Cheese Topping:

225g / 1 Cup Cream Cheese

170g / 2/3 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter (Skippy)

100g / ¾ Cup Icing/Confectioners Sugar

120ml / ½ Cup Whipping Cream

Making the Cookie Base:

1. Prepare the tin by greasing it with a little butter and lining the base and sides with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 190C/370F.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together until creamy. Slowly add the egg and continue to mix.
3. Gradually sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a dough forms. If it’s very soft pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Place the dough between two large sheets of cling film/saran wrap and roll the dough out to roughly fit the base of your prepared tray. Transfer it to the tray and lightly press it in until the entire base is covered and even.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Leave to cool while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Making the Chocolate Layer:

1. Over a bain-marie melt the chocolate with the butter until smooth and shiny. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
2. Once cooled pour the chocolate over the cookie base and spread it out until even. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts and with the back of a spoon, gently press them into the chocolate.
3. Place in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes while you prepare the peanut cheese topping.

Making the Peanut Cheese Topping:

1. In a large bowl gently mix together the cream cheese, smooth peanut butter, sugar and cream. Once combined whisk it until pale and fluffy.
2. Spoon the peanut cheese mixture over the now chilled chocolate layer and smooth it out.
3. Sprinkle on top a few more crushed salted peanuts if you like, then place in the fridge for several hours until firm and chilled.
4. Once chilled remove the combination from the tin carefully and cut it into bars.

Christmas Special Drink & Nibbles: Skyrim – Black-Briar Mead, Grilled Leeks & Elsweyr Fondue

Everyone knows cold weather demands a warming drink and something to nibble on, preferably in front of a roaring fire. For the start of my Gourmet Gaming Christmas feast I thought taking a trek back to Skyrim might be worth while due to a lot of requests and let’s not forget its cold, snowy, Nordic landscape. Someone managed to source me some authentic Norfolk mead (thank you!) which I’ve used as my base for creating the infamous Black-Briar brew. I didn’t want it to be just a plain old mead; I felt that spices and fruits available around Skyrim could be added to create a more hearty drink. I’ve also been in enough bars in Skyrim to know that you can’t drink mead without some grilled leeks, why not dip them in a Kajiit’s favourite - Elsweyr Fondue?

This recipe serves 4-6.

Black-Briar Mead

What you will need: Large pot, a sieve and a serving jug/bottle.

Ingredients:

200ml / 1 Cup Mead

200ml / 1 Cup Dry Cider

200ml / 1 Cup Cloudy Apple Juice

2 Tablespoons Honey

3 Star Anise

1 Teaspoon Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1. Add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Sieve the mixture into a clean bowl or serving jug. Can be enjoyed warm or chilled.

Grilled Leeks

What you will need: A pot, a bowl, and a griddle pan.

Ingredients:

Leeks

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 Clove Garlic

1. Slice the leeks vertically in half and wash thoroughly in cool water. Pop the halved leeks in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 4 minutes or until cooked about half way through, then drain and instantly submerge the leeks in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking any further.
2. Dry the leeks in some paper towels then season with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Warm a griddle pan on a medium heat.
3. Lay a few leeks at a time, open side down on the pan. Try to keep them intact so they still have their shape. Turn them gently every few minutes to prevent from burning. Once cooked, lay on a plate or tray to serve.

Elsweyr Fondue

What you will need: A fondue pot/a heavy pot and a grater.

Ingredients:

200ml / 1 Cup Ale

110g / 1 Cup Mature Gruyère (Grated)

110g / 1 Cup Emmental (Grated)

1 Tablespoon Flour

¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1. If you have a fondue pot with a heater than use that. If not – you can also use a heavy pot to melt your ingredients.
2. In the pot heat the Ale on a medium heat – do NOT allow it to boil.
3. Mix the grated cheeses with the flour until it is lightly coated. Add the cheese a little at a time to the ale, stirring gently. Reduce heat to low.
4. Once the cheese has melted, add the nutmeg and sugar and mix gently. Grate over a little more fresh nutmeg and serve.

The original recipe calls for black-market “Moon Sugar” which we know is used to make Skooma, so I had to do some research on what this could be. I instantly thought of nutmeg; it’s seasonal and is a traditional spice to serve with Swiss based fondues. It also has psychoactive and toxic effects if consumed in large amounts, causing sickness and hallucinations – not unlike the in-game drug. Skooma: Not Even Once, Elsweyr Fondue: Delicious. Try dipping in chunks of fresh bread or fruits and eating with savoury preserves or chutneys.

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Request: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Yeto’s Soup

I had planned on doing this soup for a while so when I got a number of requests through for anything from Zelda I thought this seasonal soup would fit in nicely. Also since most of us will be taking part in my favourite activity of pumpkin carving next week it would be useful to have a pumpkin based recipe. I have fond memories of Twilight Princess, it felt a lot more traditional than incarnations such as Wind Waker, although I must admit my favourite Zelda is actually Links Awakening (controversial). Yeto’s Soup comes from Yeto, a rather cuddly looking yeti, in the Snowpeak Ruins. His wife, Yeta, is very sick but you can help by giving Yeto the ingredients for his healing soup. It goes through three stages of strength – a Reekfish creates a Simple Soup, adding an Ordon Pumpkin makes Good Soup and finally adding Ordon Goats Cheese makes it a Superb Soup that restores eight hearts. Obviously I’m going for the full eight heart Superb Soup here.

This recipe serves 3-4.

What you will need:

A large pot, grater, baking tray, frying pan, baking tray, blender or hand blender.

For the Soup:

50g / ¼ Cup Butter

300g / 0.7lbs Pumpkin (Skinned and Choppped)

200g / 0.5lbs Sweet Potato (Skinned and Chopped)

2 Shallots (Chopped)

1 Small Clove Garlic

½ Teaspoon Grated Ginger

500ml / 2 Cups Vegetable/Chicken Stock

1-2 Tablespoons Goats Cheese

70 ml / ½ Cup Cream

75g / ½ Cup Smoked Haddock

75g / ½ Cup Pollock

Salt & Pepper

For the Pumpkin Garnish:

3 Pumpkin Wedges

1 Tablespoon Butter

Salt & Pepper

½ Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes

For the Potato Croutons:

Olive Oil

1 Medium Potato

Salt & Pepper

For the Carrot Tops:

5 Small carrots (Stalks On)

1 Tablespoon Butter

Preparing the Soup:

1. In a large pot on a medium heat melt the butter. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the pumpkin and sweet potato chunks and stir well, allowing to cook for another 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the vegetable/chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin and sweet potato has cooked through. Once cooked transfer to a clean bowl and blend (or use a blender). Return the soup to a clean pot, if it’s too thick then slowly add more vegetable stock until the desired texture is achieved. Set the soup aside while you prepare the garnishes.

Making the Pumpkin Slices:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/392F. Chop the pumpkin wedges into chunks and lay them onto a baking tray, cover with the butter, season and add the chilli flakes. Cook until soft and golden.

Making the Potato Croutons:

1. Dice the potato into small cubes and heat some olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the potatoes and season to taste, fry until crisp and golden brown.

Making the Carrot Tops:

1. Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the carrots and allow to cook until slightly soft.

Finishing the Soup:

1. In a warm frying pan add a little olive oil and heat. Add the smoked haddock and pollock and fry for 1 minute. Pour in the cream and season with salt and pepper, allow the fish to cook for about 5 minutes in the cream.
2. Once the fish has cooked pour the cream mixture into the pumpkin soup, add the goats cheese and stir gently. Warm the soup through on a low heat so the goats cheese can melt.
3. Serve and garnish with the potato croutons, roast pumpkin slices and glazed carrot tops.

This is an interesting soup. I’ve never cooked with pumpkin or any type of gourd before, it’s not really as popular a thing to do here as it is in America (I still need to try pumpkin pie). There’s a nice balance of sweetness that’s cut by the sharpness of the goats cheese and smokiness of the fish – it is actually one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. I was not expecting it to be! I originally wanted to use monkfish but I couldn’t source any so I went with fish traditionally used in fish pies. I think the mixture of the smoked and white fish creates an interesting flavour that might mimic an actual Reekfish (despite it being based on a type of salmon). Yeto was definitely on to something with this soup and if it’s hearty enough for the Snowpeak Ruins then it’s a winter winner for me - I can feel my hearts restoring as I type.

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Don’t forget! Next week will be the Costume Quest Hallowe’en Special that you all voted for!

Request: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Cheesecake

This is a special request from my good friend Geoff and it is in fact his 25th birthday present from me to him. Geoff spent quite a while deciding that this was what he wanted and I could hardly deny his request because frankly… it’s pretty awesome. I’m a big fan of Castlevania but after watching a play-through of the most recent instalment, Lords of Shadow, on the 360 I’ve yet to brave it myself (seriously one of the greatest endings to a game ever ). I had been tempted to do a Castlevania entry before, often distracted by the German-esque “bakery” levels filled with breads and treats that sometimes fly at your face. So I was glad that Geoff pointed out this delicious looking cheesecake. According to its description on the Castlevania Wiki it is “with chocolate chips” but one drunken conversation later we agreed that the strawberry topping angle was the way to go for maximum tastiness and Alucard would probably pick around the chocolate chips anyway.

This recipe serves 6-8.

What you will need:

A 20cm cake tin, baking/greaseproof paper, rolling pin, large mixing bowl, wooden spoons, whisk, small bowl, pan.

For the Base:

85ml Melted Butter

140g Digestive Biscuits

1 Tablespoon Golden Caster Sugar

For the Cheesecake:

600g Cream Cheese

170g Golden Caster Sugar

2 Tablespoons Plain Flour

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

2 Large eggs

1 Yolk 

150ml Sour Cream

For the Strawberry Glaze:

500g of Strawberries

150g of Caster Sugar

2 Tablespoons Ground Arrowroot

Making the Base:

1. Prepare the cake tin by buttering and lining the base and sides with baking/greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin (should your claymore be at the cleaners) to bash them into crumbs, then place in a bowl. 
3. Melt the butter in a pan on a medium heat and pour over the biscuit crumbs along with the tablespoon of sugar. 
4. Mix well until the butter has been absorbed and then press the biscuit mixture firmly and evenly to the base of the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, remove and set aside to cool - make sure it has cooled completely otherwise you will end up with a soggy base like I did.

Making the Cheesecake Filling:

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese gently until creamy and slowly add the sugar. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir in slowly making sure to clean the sides of the bowl. 
2. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon juice. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time and then the sour cream whisking gently, being careful not to over-mix. 
3. Pour the filling over the buttery biscuit base, gently tap or knock the tin to remove any air bubbles. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 160C, then reduce to 90C and cook for 20-40 minutes. I found just keeping an eye on the cake until the centre was a little wobbly but firm was best. 
5. Leave it out to cool, the top may crack but don’t worry as this will be covered. After an hour you can put it in the fridge to continue cooling.

Making the Strawberry Glaze:

1. Chop the 500g of strawberries, place in a pan, bring to the boil with about 6 tablespoons of water and the sugar.
2. In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot with some water to create a runny paste.
3. Once the mixture has boiled in the pot, add the arrowroot water a teaspoon at a time until it begins to thicken then remove from the heat and leave to cool for several minutes.
4. Once cooled slightly pour/spread the strawberry glaze over the cheesecake and return to the fridge to chill for several hours.

I have never made cheesecake in my life. The making of was relatively easy but then the lengthy cooking and cooling process is something I wish I’d planned better and well in advance… because as I write this it’s later than I would like and I’m praying I can post this before the clock ticks onto midnight and ruin my Wednesday posting spree. It might be a little rough around the edges, but it’s still a cheesecake! And it’s one hell of a tasty one. Despite the upset tummy and ills I may incur I had to steal a little piece to taste. I will make this again most likely, only with 3 days before it’s actually needed so I wont have to cry into a pot of boiling strawberries (the tears make it taste sweeter). You see Geoff, you SEE the lengths I go to for you?! It was great to have a challenge for once though, not everything should run so smoothly all the time and the result did taste pretty excellent - it’s just one of those things you need to make a few times to perfect. The base ended up a bit softer than I would have liked, so I’ve edited the recipe accordingly - other than this it tasted perfect! I can’t seem to think of a Castlevania qu-whip without it sounding too cheesy… oh, oops. (Also sorry for the late posting - I’ve had the flu this week)

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