Tourist bit, Rochfort en Terre

Visited Rochfort en Terre today for a stroll and lunch, Although I've been there a few times its always been out of season, so this is the first time I've visited the Château, I took loads of photographs, far to many to post here so go to my photoblog by clicking HERE to see the rest.

Rosies shortbread treat with rosemary-infused salted caramel.

225g plain flour
85g caster sugar
315g unsalted butter (200g for the shortbread, 115g for the caramel)
2 x 397g can sweetened condensed milk (original recipe called for 1 tin, after I put it on the shortbread I decided to add a second tin)
4 tablespoons golden syrup
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 teaspoon sea salt
200g good-quality plain chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

Preheat the oven to 170c

Mix flour, sugar and rub in the butter


Push into dish, (you may want to line it with grease proof paper) then prick with a fork. Allow to cool.


Melt butter in a saucepan, pour in condensed milk, golden syrup and rosemary.


Cook over a medium heat, stir constantly about 10 minutes till thickened and the milk becomes a light caramel colour, be careful not to burn it.


Remove the rosemary and pour the caramel over the cool biscuit base. spread it evenly. Sprinlke with salt.




Melt the chocolate over a bain marie or microwave for about 1 minute 30 s second stir half way through.


Spread the chocolate then allow to cool, put in the fridge to set. Cut into portions, you can serve from the fridge but if you leave them at room temperature for a while the caramel goes lovely and gooey.

I mentioned it before

I hate these things, A Voiture sans permit, a car you can drive without bothering with such things as a driving test; or if you lose your licence because you like to much drink.
They usually have some crash damage. This one had a piece of wire holding it together.

Rosies Bannoffi pie

Put tin of sweetened condensed milk in a pan of boiling water, then simmer for between 3 or 5 hrs depending how caramelised you want it.

Well you can if you want, but you will find this method a lot easier;
200gr pack of biscuits, (digestives are best)
250gr butter
Tin of condensed milk
175gr sugar
3 Bananas



Put the biscuits in a freezer bag then smash to crumbs with a rolling pin, put the crushed biscuits into a bowl and pour 100gr of melted butter over and mix well.


push the biscuit /butter mix into the bottom of a cake tin, then put in the fridge to set.



Pour tin of condensed milk in to a saucepan.


Along with the butter 150gr and 175 gr f sugar.



Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, till its caramelised, 5 to 7 mins, your better off under cooking than over, getting this right is a bit of trial and error.


Cut up two of the bananas and place on the chilled biscuit base.



Let the caramelised milk cool slightly then pour over the bananas. once its cool place in the fridge to set.

That is the basic pie, use the extra banana and cream to decorate, try using melted chocolate, I saw a recipe that used cream in the bottom with coffee sprinkled onto it, as I try different ideas I will post the results, if you have any ideas, let me know how they turn out.

The view

Lack of sunshine and a cooler day meant we could do a little outdoor work, I wanted to open up the view a little, although as Paul said we trimmed the oak tree to get a better view of oak trees.

I don't do heights.

Hope you can read this

From Viz

Who my son saw today,

In St Tropez


Karl Lagerfeld

A Walk In La Guerche De Bretagne

After lunch at Mike and Violaines we took Kenzo down to the park, he started off on his bike but by the time we reached the park he was asleep in his push chair.





Rather than post a lot of pictures here I've put the rest on my photoblog. Click here

Kenzo's first steps

The ponies

The other day we had to bring the ponies back to Half Acre as they had eaten all the grass on the other land we use, unfortunately we don't have much grass here so they are on the pellets. We haven't been able to get any hay yet also, but were not too concerned as they go to there new home in a few weeks.
Normally well behaved when we walk them down the lane, not bothered by the odd passing vehicle, but this time they didn't like the tractor that came past, Paul had got the one pony so wasn't able to help as Pepito shied away from the tractor pushing me into the ditch, Luckily I was able to hold on to him, and was fine after the tractor passed, I was just glad the ditch was dry.