Off to Matarangi Beach

On the Winter Beach

I walk the winter beach

from here to there

and beyond where the beach ends

past indifferent sea gulls

over beached kelp's

over bleached sea shells

to the sound of crushing waves

to the call of ebbing memories

I walk on the winter beach

I shall go

I must go

alone

beyond where the beach ends.

    Suchoon  Mo

The past few days I have found myself sulking about winter and being alone, however, I have some wonderful friends in Auckland who are always there to pick me up when I'm down and  my good friend Kathy (yes the same Kathy who gave me the chocolate cake recipe) :) has persuaded me I need a few days away at her beach cottage for a change of scenery and some lovely walks.  

Kathy asked me a few weeks ago to go to Matarangi with her but it was one of those times you find every excuse not to go when really deep down inside you would love to just drop everything and escape.  This time Kathy was not going to take no for an answer and she left a really sweet message on my answer phone suggesting I bring my camera to take photos of the cottage, this was her way of encouraging me to get away from my easel and laptop for a well needed break.

Kathy and her husband have a lovely little beach house in Matarangi which is on the beautiful scenic Coromandel coastline of the North Island of New Zealand.  It certainly is the idyllic summer break but brrr... I am wondering if I will survive a wintry weekend there without feeling the cold too much.  Kathy has assured me the forecast looks good and asked me to bring myself, my camera, my gluten free bread (I am trying hard to be gluten free), warm jacket and walking shoes, oh and the pomegranate green tea I am into right now. 

It would be very easy for me to stay home, warm and cosy in front of my fireplace with a stack of magazines including the new Artful Blogger mag and become a "recluse" for the weekend.  However, I am stepping out of the box with my brand new lime green soft, woolly scarf and my back pack filled with all the essentials I think I need for a weekend away.  Yes I am going to leave behind my computer as much as I would love to squeeze it into my backpack but a rest is a rest and the only time I plan to use my mind is reading my copy of Eat, Pray, Love. My little cottage has someone to look after it  while I'm gone so I am all set to go with no excuses and I must admit I am feeling very enthusiastic and excited at the prospect.

Next week I will open the doors to Kathy's cottage with the photos I take but today I will leave you with the winters seaside poem above and a lovely photo of Matarangi beach.

Gorgeous Tops and Tulle Skirts

photo of ballerina within this collage credit to www.studiobella.com.au

I have not blogged much with regards to fashion apart from the fabulous Vintage clothing  of Timeless Vixen.  However, I do class some fashion as  “Art”, for me this would  include unique pieces using exquisite fabrics and detailing.  My latest discovery on Etsy.com fits perfectly into what I consider to be, “Fashion as Art”.


Tutus Chic is the name of an Etsy shop that designs and makes Ballet bodices, skirts and head pieces for Ballerinas. I want to add here, please don't stop reading because you think that these may not be of interest to you, as these beautiful garments have been designed so that they can be worn not just by the ballerina,  they can easily be dressed up or down and I think some of the bodices would look fantastic worn with jeans. Alternatively they could be worn with a smart or casual skirt or one of the beautiful  tutus such as the ones below.  A night out at the opera, party, a wedding, bridesmaids or bride, these beautiful tops and skirts are definitely not just for the ballerina.

The designer of these pieces is a former professional ballet dancer and has used her knowledge, creativity and desire to produce beautiful tutu’s, dream like tops and gorgeous headpieces.The owner of Tutus Chic says Degas paintings have also been an inspiration for her creations.  I have selected some gorgeous pieces I feel could be dressed down with jeans or worn to a special occasion with a beautiful skirt.

Victorian Ballerina Bodice - US$90 (The rose is available separately)

I think if you wanted a Victorian style wedding dress this bodice would be fabulous. It is boned and lined with a stretchy soft material.

These two designs would look great with Jeans.

Midnight Modern Day Aristocrat Tee Shirt - Black Viscose & Silk ruffles tee with Pearl & Rhinestone accent US$65.00

Aristocrat Tee Shirt in Earl Grey Tea tones - charcoal silk and cotton Tee - US$65.00

Venetian Lace Camisole - US$50 - with beautifully detailed scallop style lace edging, (also available in black as seen below)

A Night at the Opera - vintage style full skirt in black and silver tulle over bridal satin

 circle skirt US$145

Tutus Chic has many more designs including hair accessories, I would definitely recommend checking out her Etsy store for more styles, sizing and availability. Shipping is worldwide  If you click on these photos they will take you directly to the store, otherwise you can click on the link below:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TutusChic?ref=seller_info

Photos credited to Tutus Chic. Collages created from Tutus Chic's photos by Lee Caroline Art.

Recipe - Brenda's Zucchini Pie

Please see my Recipe page for this delicious recipe given to me by Brenda, a friend I met in Brunei. Brenda used to host wonderful get together lunches for some of her expatriate friends,  I would always be excited to go to her lunches as beside the great company and wonderful food Brenda was one of only two expats I knew in Brunei that defied the "all white walls" that the landlords inflicted on us as tenants.  

Living as an expat you are provided with company accommodation and 99.99% of the time the homes/apartments are all white or cream painted walls because I guess its just easier for them to re paint when new tenants move in.  However, Brenda had used colour, wonderful colour and I remember what it was like to have your spirits lifted by the use of colour after having to live with white walls for so long. Brenda had one bedroom in this gorgeous turquoise colour with rustic wood furniture, I will never forget that room it had such an effect on me that I went back to our home and convinced my husband to paint one of our rooms in a sunny yellow.  It had a wonderful uplifting affect, but be warned, yellows must be chosen carefully as they are very much brighter when on the walls. It is always best to use a test pot first and if you use it in the darkest area of the room in a corner where two walls meet you will get a much better idea of the strength your yellow will be.  Live with it a few days as colour always changes in daylight and artificial light.

I am getting way off track here and running late, sorry.  Please click on the image above or go to my Recipe page for Brenda's Zucchini Pie.

Exquisite Prints

vintage Giraffe IV - US$10.00 (excluding mat)

I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning after my very late night trying to sort out my blog banner.  I did promise to tweak out the imperfections today but my eyes are just too tired so those of you with eyes that reflect exact measurements, please forgive me for not fixing them immediately.  I think as soon as I finish this blog I am going to lie down on the sofa with my cuddly faux fur throw, a cup of pomegranate tea and a copy of "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. My escape into finding out about "One Woman's Search for Everything" which is the catch phrase used to describe the book. I have had to wait nearly 6 weeks for the library to recover their copy for me, I guess since the movie its become very popular and certainly the last year back in New Zealand with the stress of my mums illness, I have been doing a lot of eating and praying and all the loving has been "maternal" for my boys and my mum.

Today I wanted to share my new discovery, a very talented lady who is printing beautiful early designs of animals, fruits, architecture, flowers and many other subjects onto genuine vintage Dictionary pages, what a unique idea!

photo credited to Pottery Barn

Jean Cody has her art studio situated in Portland, Oregon, and by the way I have discovered that a huge number of talented artists seem to come from Portland, Oregon or are they all moving there I wonder, something must be very special about the city.  Jean loves exploring paper, collage, paint and photography and has come up with these beautiful images that are digitally printed onto vintage dictionary pages.  Jean has sold 4,399 items to date from her Etsy store with 100% positive feedback.

The designs Jean selects are  printed onto salvaged pages from tattered vintage dictionaries. The antique images are altered by Jean before digitally printing onto the aged page. I just love the transparency of this idea, being able to see the dictionary words through the image. No one page is the same and the patina of the vintage page and style of the prints go hand in hand to create a wonderfully unique and affordable artwork.  

The size of the works are listed under the individual products on Jeans Etsy site and also shipping costs. If you purchase two or more prints Jean will send you a complimentary surprise print. I truly think these works are wonderful and would make a really nice display if grouped together as shown in the example above.

The prints are unmounted but fully protected with excellent packaging. However, the double mat boards can be purchased through Jean and prices are very reasonable, definitely if you are living in New Zealand cheaper to purchase the mats from her shop. 

I don't think I need to do any more talking about this product as you simply need to see them.  I have gathered a few pieces together, there are so many I could have spent hours looking at them (like all the wonderful things I discover). I have chosen a few works that I particularly like myself and have chosen more neutral colours, there are more colourful prints and if you are not particularly into animals I advise you check Jean's other designs, please look for the link at the bottom. I recently saw "Water for Elephants" and loved the movie so thought the elephant  print appropriate.  I also love the smiling Chihuahua because my son has a little Chihuahua who looks just like this one. I also had a dog, "Tug",  who used to smile when she greeted us, it was hilarious.  She was wonderful and I miss her so much... another story to blog about some time as we rescued her as a Kampong puppy off the streets of Brunei in Borneo.

Baby Elephant on  vintage dictionary page - US$12.00

sized for a standard 8x10 mat with an opening for a 5x7 print.
I absolutely love the detail of wrinkles in the baby elephants skin.

This page was salvaged for a tattered vintage dictionary, Jean has altered the smiling Chihuahua and added the vintage crown.  She has then printed digitally directly onto the golden-aged page.  I think this is delightfully charming, shh... I have ordered one for my son, I just couldn't resist. Without mat US$12.00

Gorgeous Transparent Vintage Butterfly - US$10.00

1. Vintage Butterfly Monarch US$12.00

2. Transparent Vintage Butterfly US$10.00

1. Big Ben US$12.00 (excluding Mat)

2. Eiffel Tower US$10.00 (excluding Mat)

1. Giraffe Portrait on vintage paper - US$12.00

2. I see you Rooster Portrait - US$12.00

3. Vintage Giraffe IV - US$10.00

 Stack of Antique Books on vintage paper US$12.00 - I love the rich earthy colours and flecks of gold in these well worn books.

For my horsey friends 2 of several different designs. - Vintage Horse Artwork  on vintage paper US$10.00

Arabian Horse on vintage dictionary paper - US$12.00

Further details on each print, size, colour etc and lots of other designs available at Jean Cody's shop Faux Kiss, please click on the banner below.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FauxKiss?section_id=7109091&page=1

New Blog Banner

Gosh its 1.45am and I am still awake!  I was eating some left over Thai fish cakes less than half an hour ago, famished by the concentration I have been putting into my new blog banner above. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong but I have persevered, its almost there but needs some slight tweaking to fix up some minor imperfections.  I have had to do a lot by eye rather than measurement as my IT skills are still being honed.  

I hope you like the new banner, will tweak it to perfection tomorrow.  I realise it hasn't got any of my art on it yet but will add one at some point. The shuttered window I shot in Italy a few years ago, I think its a really pretty photograph.  The cup is my mothers Royal Albert tea cup, the other two photos I need to credit, actually the cabinet was for sale on Trademe.co.nz a while ago and I would have bought it if I had room for it in my little house.

I am sorry this is not exactly a riveting blog but I promise to give you something more interesting tomorrow.  If you go to my new "Artist/Gallery" page you will see information on an upcoming Auction at the International Art Gallery in Parnell, Auckland.  There are some very important works being auctioned including some Colin McCahon who every kiwi art collector will know,  his paintings are now fetching between $90,000 and $200,000.

Well, I am off to bed now hoping that I can clear my mind and rest my tired eyes and get some winks, at least its Saturday tomorrow so I can sleep in.  They say that checking your email before you go to bed is equivalent to a shot of espresso, I can only imagine what hours of computing is equivalent too, I dare not try to work that one out or I will not sleep a wink!

Thought for the Week

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew."

Saint Francis de Sales

Lavendar, lace and China from my Mothers home

French Country Look

I am in love with the French Country look, I know its not the current trend as it has been around for a while, however, I still think that it can be modern and stylish if you keep it simple, uncluttered and you stay away from the "shabby chic" look.  I have sourced some really nice French themed products and put them together to inspire you with your own decorating ideas.  

1. Black Script Linen Cotton from Reneesfabrics US$25 per yard. Renee has the most beautiful fabrics available in her Etsy store. I did a feature a few days ago on her shop, this French feel fabric is just one of the many different colours and designs available.


2. French Market black & white plate from RoyalBebeShoppe US$10. Royal BebeShoppe has some lovely French themed products.

3. I think I might have to purchase some of these gorgeous pillowcases after seeing some similar ones for double the price in Auckland. They are just what I need to add the finishing touches to my re-vamped bedroom.  Royal Bebe Shoppe is located in the USA but will ship worldwide.  These two white standard sized pillowcases have been silk screened in black with a gorgeous French design featuring Paris Hotel Les Etoiles and has lovely scroll work. I love the added touch that each pillowcase is printed so that 1 opens left and 1 opens right so they sit properly on the bed. The cost for a pair is US$32.00. With the NZ dollar so high at the moment its a great time to shop online. Royal Bebe also stock other cushions and a variety of other homewares including the lovely pot above so visit their shop on Etsy at RoyalBebeShoppe. Their range of soft furnishings are available for shipment internationally and prices are quoted in their Etsy shop.

1.100% Egyptian cotton Tea Towel US$8 each from RoyalBebeShoppe

2. Fabric Arboretum Toile US$16 per yard from ReneesFabrics

3. Bed pillow French signature softened burlap in jute US$30.95 each from RUPiperDesigns 

4. Huge burlap envelope style pillow US$65 from RoyalBebeShoppe

5.French style stained and dyed, wrinkled muslin & burlap pillows US$34 each from RoyalBebeShoppe

All of the products and many more are available at the following websites:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RoyalBebeShoppe?ref=ss_profile

http://www.etsy.com/shop/reneesfabrics?ref=ss_profile

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RUPiperDesigns?ref=ss_profile

Spinning, Felted soaps & Jewellry

20.06.2011

This morning I went spinning, no not spinning wool, or felt as a friend thought recently when I told her that I had started spinning to keep fit.  She said, "really I didn't know that". I told her a male friend of mine recommended it and she said  "spinning", I said yes he swears its the best thing for legs.  She said, "I have never heard of men spinning" or that it was good for legs. It was then that I clicked that she thought I meant spinning yarn! We had a giggle over it as I explained it was actually cycling the new craze called spinning where you got together with other mad people that want to cycle like crazy to upbeat music for an hour in the gym. Actually half an hour I try to look like I am working hard and the other half I turn the resistance down so much that I guess it would be like riding down the Matterhorn!  I have only been twice and they say it is addictive but I have yet to agree with this comment.  However I have a clear vision in my mind of  legs like Elle McPhersons well before summer time and that vision is my motivation to keep going.

I got  home very late after spinning as  a few of us went for a cappuchino  after  which then turned into lunch for three of us who were still chatting away at lunchtime and before I knew it  the day had gone.  I dashed home at 2pm knowing I had to do today's blog and hadn't actually planned what I was blogging about.  I went straight to Etsy to see what delights I might discover and the first thing I saw was these gorgeous felted pouches with soap inside.  they are in keeping with the "heart" theme of Jennifer's beads so I was excited to put together some of Sofino's products for you to view. Click on the picture below and this will take you to my Etsy page (hand picked by me) to see more of Sofino's products, her beautiful felted jewellry and learn more about the felted soaps.

Hearts - Hand made, exquisite little decorated hearts

Please see my Etsy page, Hand picked by Me, or click on the hearts below.

Amendment to Chocolate cake recipe

Gosh, a friend kindly pointed out that I had forgotten to put the baking temperature on the chocolate cake.  The cake should be baked at 160 degrees C or 320 degrees Fahrenheit for USA viewers.  I have updated the page on my recipes.  Sorry about the error. 


I do proof read over and over but usually looking for grammar or typos, I will have to be more careful in future.

Chocolate Cake Recipe that never fails!

Please go to my recipe page (tab at the top of my page) to see Kathy's foolproof Chocolate Cake recipe, its delicious and it never fails to rise.

http://leecarolineart.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Beautiful Fabric discovery

When I was searching Etsy the other day I discovered a  really great fabric shop, Reneesfabrics  has beautiful and unusual designer fabrics printed on cotton, linen and burlap at reasonable prices.  The store is a USA based shop, therefore, the prices are per "yard" not metre.  I have selected an assortment of greys/reds and greens for you to browse through.  They would be great for soft furnishings and shipping prices are good, especially if you are buying more than one item. 

Reneesfabrics also has other stores on Etsy, with lampshades, bolsters, tassles and curtains which you can find listed in their main store.  I have looked through their lampshades and some are quite unique as shown below. I am currently re decorating a bedroom in  french style and plan to purchase two plain burlap shades for either side of the bed and buy candlestick lamp bases in white wash. I will show a before and after of the bedroom once it is complete.

All the prices below are in USA dollars.  The company ships Worldwide, prices are on their website at Etsy If you click on the fabrics or lampshades you can go directly to their store. Please dont forget to use your back browser if you wish to return to my blog.

1. Ikat in Mocha brown Cotton $24.50                                                                             

2. Love fabric $16.95

3.Vintage Blossom Dove $24.95

4.Document Script $19.50

5.Parisienne on Cotton Duck 2 yard piece $39.00

6.Teal on Basket Cotton $22.50

7.Garden Script $22.50

8.Pawprint Linen birds egg blue $24.50

9.Blue Coral Linen $42.50

1. Tuscan Gold $19.50
2. Gate, Citrine $24.95
3. Khandar Jewel, $24.95
4. Vintage Blossom, Citrine $24.95
5. Congo in Green and white $22.30

1. Ikat spice red $22.95

2. Sea horse linen 22.50

3. Classic coral cotton $13.95

4. Firefly Ikat on Burlap $26.50

5. Susani linen $25.00

Rue de Rivoli $30.00

Scripted cat lampshade $50.00

Burlap lampshade $17.00

Attitude and the people of Christchurch.

We have had some wet stormy weather the past few weeks in Auckland and the terrible earthquakes again shaking Christchurch. The weather has settled now and we pray that the quakes will too as they have left a devastating effect on the people of Christchurch City and still people are waiting to hear if they can build their homes again in the areas they live, it is truly an unsettling time.   A friend of mine whose husband works for Telecom was down there recently helping out, on his return he said you have no idea how devastated the city is with all its demolished buildings unless you see it for yourself as we are only seeing snippets on television not casting our eye around the city from one place. 


I know our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Christchurch during this unsettling time. However, it was inspirational tonight to see on the news that Ballantynes Department store in Christchurch city centre, which has been closed since the first Earthquake, opened its doors today with a big sale and the people of Christchurch were all out for a bit of retail therapy. Amongst the devastation and mess, people took it upon themselves to be cheered up by stepping through Ballantynes doors for the first time in months and being able to spend some money on something nice to cheer them up. We know that money doesn't buy happiness but we do know that sometimes it can cheer us up for a short time and that in turn can alter our outlook.

In Auckland today the rain has stopped and the weather is very mild for this time of year, so mild that the other day I noticed some buds forming on an old fashioned rose I have in a pot on my back deck.  Then today one of the buds burst forth to a beautiful rose. I am astounded as this rose never flowers at this time of year. I also picked raspberries off my mothers vine the other day, strange things are happening to our environment and I presume Global warming has a lot to do with it. Seeing this beautiful rose, however, inspired me to photograph it and purchase some more flowers to go with it so that I can work on a composition for my next painting.  I have a shot of the rose below and I have added an inspirational quote.

Chocolate - A girls best friend when you cant afford Diamonds.

I LOVE chocolate, what women doesn't, and what man for that matter! I am fairly fussy about my chocolate and while living in the Middle East I discovered that the Middle Eastern chocolate has to be some of the best around. I am not absolutely sure if it is made in the Middle East or whether they just prefer their chocolate less sweet than the European chocolate, however, I very quickly became addicted to it.  It didn't help that below our apartment was a wonderful chocolate shop that sold not only chocolate but fresh ground coffee too and I couldn't walk past without stopping and taking in the aroma. Often I would I would pop down in the evening and get my 10 dirham's worth of chocolates when the craving finally won over. 

The little chocolate shop was run by a very friendly Lebanese gentleman, he used to smile when he saw me as I think it amused him that I bought such a tiny amount. If I remember rightly 10 dirham's bought 8 large chocolates or I could get 12 if I chose the smaller ones. I think probably they don't usually sell such small amounts but he always obliged and when he saw me coming in the door he would straight away go and pick out the ones he knew I liked best.  Sadly since I have moved back to New Zealand I believe the shop has closed and I think one of those cheap plastic shoe shops has taken over.  I know I would prefer the smell of chocolate and coffee drifting into our building rather than the smell of plastic shoes.

Why am I bringing up chocolate..... Because I have found a unique shop that sells on line and produces chocolate on a stick, much like a lollipop I guess. The shop is called Vanilla Stick  and the chocolates are made by a Michelin star pastry Chef, David who has studied in France but living in the United Kingdom. His unique way of producing chocolate would make lovely gifts for family and friends and the great thing is he will post worldwide. I have not seen anything like David's chocolate myself, so have picked out some of his yummy chocolates for you to feast your eyes on as they are just so pretty.  He even has some coated in 22ct edible gold! Apparently they are on Facebook and if you add them to your facebook you can go in a draw to win some of his chocolates..(makes note to add to my own facebook)!

You can find the shop at Etsy.com, Vanilla Stick, The Art of Chocolate Lollipops

Encouraging Words - Imperfections

Recently I have found myself struggling with my "perfectionist" attitude and I realise that it has often held me up with my art and my life.  I have begun to understand that perfection is an impossibility and that imperfection is often what makes us stand out from the crowd.  Even models are often chosen for their imperfections and people are beginning to realise that not being perfect is ok.  Still though I realise that some of us struggle in all areas of our work and home life, striving for perfection which ultimately cannot possibly be achieved.

I found this quote below at "The Quote Gardener.com" and chose the Leaning Tower of Pisa to go with my quote. I felt it so applicable as the Tower of Pisa is a prime example of something beautiful but not perfect. Not only is it not perfect but as you will see from the information below about the Tower, it was already failing when they reached the third level, but still they continued to build it. Today we know that people flock from all over the world to see this building for the sole reason of it being "imperfect".

I hope these quotes bring encouragement to your day.

When construction of this campanile began in 1173, Pisa was a trading center at the peak of its military might and artistic achievement. Much to the embarrassment of Pisans, however, their white marble tower began to tilt even before its third story was finished in 1274.

Perhaps engineer Bonanno Pisano failed to consider the consequences of designing a 185-foot-tall tower with a stone foundation only about ten feet thick. And this thin base rests on soft sand, rubble, and clay -- not firm underpinnings for an almost 16,000-ton tower. The structure continued to settle unevenly.

Nonetheless, construction continued. To make up for the tilt, builders made each new tier a little taller on the short side -- but the additional stone only made the tower sink more. Upon completion in 1350, the tower was leaning a full 4 feet, 7 inches from vertical.

Up in the belfry, the weight of the bells caused the structure to tilt even further. By the late 20th century the tower was leaning more than 17 feet toward the south, and a rescue operation was begun. Engineers removed soil from under the north side of the tower to even out the differences in the foundation. During the restoration, visitors were not allowed to enter the tower and climb the 293-step spiral staircase to the top. The lean was reduced by more than 15 inches. Hard to believe? What else would you expect for a tower standing on what Pisans call the Campo dei Miracoli -- the Field of Miracles


Extract taken from howstuffworks.com.

You may be disappointed if you fail,

but you are doomed if you don't try

Beverly Sills

The quote from Beverly Sills is from  "A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul"

Photo of Leaning Tower of Pisa from Mammaoca2008 @flickr.com

Sharing a Recipe - Turkish Torte

I have a friend in Canada that has been patiently waiting for my Turkish Torte recipe so without any further ado, here it is.

I am not shy in saying I think I  am a fairly good cook of entrees and main courses, however,  when it comes to deserts, it's unlikely I would make a contestant for New Zealand's Top Baker as  usually I fail at deserts. Therefore, when I find a great desert recipe that works for me I am happy to share it with the World.

Turkish Torte is a recipe I used to make when I was living in the Middle East and I cannot for the life of me remember where the original recipe came from or how it somehow got lost between shipping my effects back to NZ and being left in my kitchen draw in Abu Dhabi.  However, I have scoured the Internet and although I cannot find the exact recipe, I have found the basic torte recipe and added the extra ingredients from memory that gave it that "Turkish" flavour.  If you google Turkish Torte you will find several recipes but not with the same magic ingredients which as far as I am concerned entitle it to have the name "Turkish" in it.

This Torte is a very sweet, rich desert. My original recipe had rosewater which is easily available in all Middle Eastern grocery stores. However, if you are living in New Zealand or Australia you should be able to buy rosewater  from your local Pharmacy.  Rose water is not an essential ingredient but adds a delightful aroma and flavour to the whipped cream which is used to top your torte.

I baked my torte a couple of days ago to make sure the balance of ingredients were correct. I  have one little piece left in my fridge and I am about to devour it once I post this blog.  I  took a few photos and added some finishing touches as you can see above.  I think this is a great desert to serve Al fresco in Summer after a light lunch.

Turkish Torte

1/4  (quarter) cup of pistachio nuts

1/2  (half) cup of chopped figs  (these can be replaced with chopped dates) although I prefer the figs in this recipe

1/2 (half) cup of roughly chopped dark cooking chocolate OR 1/4 Cup of chocolate cooking morsels (40% cocoa minimum)

1/4 (quarter) cup of  Turkish delight chopped into small bite size pieces  - optional

6 egg whites (large eggs)

½  (half) cup of caster sugar (superfine sugar)

1  tbsp Rosewater (to add to whipped cream) - optional

Thick Cream for whipping

9”  (22cm) spring form cake tin

(I use a measuring cup for all my ingredients; I do not weigh them for this recipe)

Method:

Chop the Turkish delight and figs (don’t forget to remove the stalk of the fig) into bite size pieces then place in a large mixing bowl with the pistachios (reserving a few pistachios for decoration). 

Chop the chocolate roughly and add to the mixture above, stir all this mixture together until mixed evenly.  You can use a ¼ of a cup of Chocolate morsels instead of the ½ cup of chopped chocolate if you wish.

Beat the egg whites in a food processor or with electric hand beater until thick and peaks begin to form.

Slowly add the Castor sugar and beat again until forming stiff peaks and it has a sheen.

Gently fold the meringue mixture into the chopped Turkish delight/figs/chocolate/pistachio mixture.

Having lined the base of a spring formed tin with baking paper, carefully place the meringue mixture into the tin and gently level the top.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Centigrade (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 40 - 50 minutes

After 40 mins check that the Torte is cooked throughout by testing with a skewer, do not allow the Torte to brown too much on the top. It should be crisp on the outside. If it needs a little longer you can cover the top with foil to stop any further browning.

Remove from oven once cooked and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and then cooling further on a wire rack. I actually turn my oven off and open the door and allow it to cool down in the oven before I remove it.

The cream can be whipped prior to serving and be spread on the top of the Torte.  Don’t forget to add the rose water to the cream while beating.  The rose water is optional but does add a bit of Marrakesh to it. 

Sprinkle a few of the pistachios over the top of the cream you could also scatter some crystallized rose petals on top or real rose petals as I have done for pretty effect.

I apologise for the poor photography as I had to take the photos at night

I like to serve the torte with a Raspberry coulis and sprinkle a few rose petals on top.  You could also scatter over some crystallised rose petals for a pretty effect.

Hot Tips: 

* Meringue is best made on a dry not humid day so it is nice and crisp on the outside.

*Make sure your mixing bowl or food processor is perfectly clean prior to beating the egg whites as if the  slightest bit of grease is present they will not beat properly.