home alone

Ok so it has been a while but feeling some inspiration to get back onto the blog.
Sorry for all those that were hoping for a poker blog but this is ALL about food!!!! I promise to get back to blogging about poker later this month.

My husband has been away caddying in some tournament in Augusta that is suppose to be important but all I know is tha he has been away for 3 weeks now and seems to be having a better time than I am stuck at home.

So tonight I decide to cook a treat for him for when he comes back home.  My inspiration was an idea for salted caramel.  He is not a massive fan of caramel like me but I thought if I match it with nuts and chocolate he will still be happy.

Salted Caramel with roasted peanuts and Chocolate Ganache Tart...........

Long name and equally long time to make.  Thankfully I went to Dan Murphy today and had some wine to help me enjoy the cooking process. 

It all starts out as fun and sort of like origami as I cut out the baking paper for the blind baking of the pastry.

I start this at 6 pm and think that the whole task will take me approx 1.5 hrs.  Enough time for me to settle back on the couch with dinner and a glass of wine and watch the psycho bitches on "The Bachelor".

I dont have any other proof that I made my own pastry but this is where the majority of the wine was consumed.  Until I actually eat a tart I am not sure if it was worth the hassle.  It was tedious and annoying and it better taste like crack otherwise never again.

It is pretty obvious from the pic above that the pastry shell is not store bought.

Next came the making of the salted caramel.  Now if I had not actually tasted the end product I would have said it is something I would never ever make again.  But....... this stuff is probably the best thing I have ever ever tasted.  While that sounds like bragging I am being totally serious. 

I line the base of the tart with the salted caramel, thankful and regretful all at once that there is a heap left that I can eat later.

I then roast some peanuts to add some texture.

I burn the nuts three times before I actually roast a batch that I can use.  Been a while since I have handles some nuts obviously ;) The chocolate ganache is made with Lindt chocolate and again was a pain to make. 



I have not taste tested the end product but unless itastes totally amazing I would not recommend anyone to try this.  It took me 4 hours and an entire bottle of wine to make.  And now you have to endure my blog and drunk ramblings.  x