Chitchat thread #24

[greenishfing]

Good morning.

I'm wide awake again. Why? There's no noise. I was warm and cosy. I've just looked, it's 11°C outdoors, which weirdly is the highest temperature we're getting today. It's all downhill now. Mr GF is fast asleep so nobody to annoy here.

I think I'll do a sudoku and try and tire out my brain. I'll be back at a more civilised hour.

[greenishfing]

Definitely a more civilised hour now. I did get some more sleep ... eventually, I 'm happy to say.

It's a very miserable morning and when I look at the forecast the temperatures are going minus next week with snow showers too.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

I sleep better in a cool bedroom, though I definitely like going to bed in a warm one with a hot water bottle in the bed. Those long hot water bottles you found a while back, GF, are brilliant.

I guess no-one wants to know it's sunny here. Night-time lows still above frost temperatures. This is not good. The weeds are going gangbusters thanks to all the rain. The birds think it's spring as well.

We've done some resource management of the kind Jean de Florette would understand. Mr Snoop has brought what we call 'town water', drinking water from the house in town. And we've rearranged yesterday's delivery of firewood to make it a bit easier for cars. Really good stuff. Lots of olive as well as almond, and nearly all of it suitable for our range, which only takes smallish pieces.

Got a bit of paid work and then the rest of the day is my own. Weeding would be a good idea by the look of all the flowering wild rocket. Definitely bread and possibly a cake. Or maybe a couple of loaves with fruit and have done with it. Now there's an idea. Plus some domestics I think.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Cloudy and cold here. Have a good day

[Snoop Puss]

Is the painting done, Flo?

[mothhawk]

Morning all.

Sunny here too Snoop

Snoop, if you're making loaves with fruit, why not practice a panettone ready for Christmas? I've never made one, but it's something I'm going to try this year, as nobody here likes Xmas cake.

[greenishfing]

Morning all.

Sunny here too Snoop

Snoop, if you're making loaves with fruit, why not practice a panettone ready for Christmas? I've never made one, but it's something I'm going to try this year, as nobody here likes Xmas cake.

I hope you have a better result than me with pannetone. I've tried twice, once in the bread maker and once in the oven. Both attempts were total failures. They were a bit rocklike, just not light enough.

[bramble]

Good morning all. Its dull but its mild.
Making bramble and apple jelly today o that should keep me busy.
Enjoy your day all.

[Florence Fennel]

Is the painting done, Flo?

Emulsion done - he's back on Monday to gloss both rooms. Himself put him off from finishing today because it would spoil his TV viewing. New curtains are up, but I'm not keen. I've always had plain and these are patterned. Thanks for asking Snoop.

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop, if you're making loaves with fruit, why not practice a panettone ready for Christmas? I've never made one, but it's something I'm going to try this year, as nobody here likes Xmas cake.

Well, now you're talking. I bought lots of stuff to make panettone last year and never got around to it. And I had a look at it all just yesterday. We love panettone, but a proper one from a bakery is really expensive here. The supermarket ones are OK, but nothing to write home about.

Will you be using a sourdough starter? Have you found a recipe that has particularly inspired you? I've got a couple from my Spanish flour supplier, one with a sourdough starter, the other with a preferment. The preferment one looks simpler, but not very traditional I guess.

What I was thinking was trying my hand at a proper brioche loaf first, just to get an idea of working in all the butter...

Out of interest, greenishfing, did you try hanging them upside down while they cooled so they didn't collapse on themselves?

Anyone else interested in a panettone challenge?

[Snoop Puss]

Emulsion done - he's back on Monday to gloss both rooms. Himself put him off from finishing today because it would spoil his TV viewing. New curtains are up, but I'm not keen. I've always had plain and these are patterned. Thanks for asking Snoop.

My parents used to have patterned curtains in the downstairs rooms. They weren't easy on the eye... I guess what looked good in the transparent window of the packet was rather different spread out across the windows of the room. Mind you, we did get used to them.

At least you can choose your own music this weekend!

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all;D
Sunny here too…lovely!

OH returned this morning carrying a big bag of croissants and pain au raisin.

Loads to catch up on…plus gardening and crafting.l

Talking about Nature thinking it’s Spring…I noticed a bank next to the road covered in Spring crocus in full flower. Very pretty, and probably handy for the bees/ insects, but that’s just not right.
Anyone else got spring bulbs out yet?

Enjoy your weekend peeps

[greenishfing]

Well, now you're talking. I bought lots of stuff to make panettone last year and never got around to it. And I had a look at it all just yesterday. We love panettone, but a proper one from a bakery is really expensive here. The supermarket ones are OK, but nothing to write home about.

Will you be using a sourdough starter? Have you found a recipe that has particularly inspired you? I've got a couple from my Spanish flour supplier, one with a sourdough starter, the other with a preferment. The preferment one looks simpler, but not very traditional I guess.

What I was thinking was trying my hand at a proper brioche loaf first, just to get an idea of working in all the butter...

Out of interest, greenishfing, did you try hanging them upside down while they cooled so they didn't collapse on themselves?

Anyone else interested in a panettone challenge?

I didn't hang them upside down. They never grew enough in the first place.

Mr GF has gone off pannetone now so there will definitely not be a third attempt.

[Nicos]

Not a lover of panattone here- can’t stand candied peel…unless it’s a piece of orange rind dunked in dark chocolate

Urmmm, Snoop, hanging them upside down?…how do you do that?

[Snoop Puss]

Not a lover of panattone here- can’t stand candied peel…unless it’s a piece of orange rind dunked in dark chocolate

Urmmm, Snoop, hanging them upside down?…how do you do that?

You hang them upside down so they don't collapse after baking. If you left them to cool the right way up, while the dough is still warm the dough sags and doesn't stay soft and fluffy. The traditional way to hang them upside down is with something like thin, long knitting needles. You push a pair through the paper case and panettone right through to the other side and use the pins as supports over a pair of chair backs or the like. Obviously bakeries have proper racks. Normal panettone will only stay properly fluffy if they're hung upside down, but mini ones should be OK left to cool upright.

There's a picture at the end here (not recommending this site or the recipe as I've never used it, but it shows a makeshift way of hanging panettone): https://www.daringgourmet.com/tradit...ettone-recipe/

As for the candied peel, there's always chocolate. But I agree, I'm not a huge fan of candied peel, but I've found some really juicy, sticky candied peel, so will use that.