Golden Biscuits and other treats

My husband, zack, is getting his master's in film. Because of my fondness of food, I offered to help with his final film project by doing the small amount of food styling required. There are many who are much more qualified than I am and lots of it I probably wouldn't have eaten myself, but I was kind of happy with the way these looked. The idea is it's a man who's grandmother has passed away that he's lived with most of his life. These are some of the treats he has "been given" by neighbours, etc. that he eats with his grandmother's former caretaker in the back garden. I made the cookies myself and they're delicious.

Here's the recipe courtesy of my sister Melissa's mother-in-law, Ruth Arnst:

Golden biscuits

-4 ozs butter

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 tablespoon golden syrup (this is a british ingredient that is easily found here in Wales or in Aussie where Ruth is from. Look around for it- I've heard some places in the states have it. It's a thicker syrup with a buttery sweet taste that makes these biscuits great, though I've heard 2 parts light corn syrup and 1 part molasses can work as a substitute- haven't tried it)

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put these ingredients in a saucepan and melt together. Cook a minute or two. Remove from heat and let cool a little.

Add 1 cup of flour- then possibly another 1/2 cup. (I need to add another 1/2 c here in wales, but if you're somewhere dry you may not need as much.) Needs to be a firm mixture to roll dough into balls and then flatten with a fork- much like peanut butter cookies.

Bake 10-15 minutes, depending on how soft you like them, at 350 degrees F. I like mine very soft, so i wait til they're just golden on the edges- about 10 minutes in my oven. Enjoy!

Why Peas With Honey?

I eat my peas with honey,

I've done it all my life.

It makes the peas taste funny,

but it keeps them on my knife.

This rhyme became part of our dinner conversation just about every time we ate peas with dinner while I was little. I'm not sure where my dad first heard it, but he definitely made it a little part of my childhood. I still think of it from time to time and laugh inside- not necessarily because the rhyme itself is funny, but because of the memories it brings. From the time when I did actually think it was funny, to my siblings and I groaning and rolling our eyes whilst my dad recited it again for the millionth time. Memories are a big thing with me- I'm a very nostalgic person, and when I first had this idea for the blog's title, it won Gaby over completely. I think we're both sentimentalists at heart. So here's to Peas With Honey!

Welcome

Hello there to all of our family and friends (and hopefully soon to be many more friends)! Peas With Honey is a blog about food, entertaining, supplies, and techniques….. but mainly it is about food.

We (Brenda & Gaby) met years ago while studying photography in college. We became inseparable as our friendship grew and we bonded over our many shared loves: Photography, Music, French Cinema, Crafting, and of course, food. After 4 years of college classes together, we moved to New York City under the guise of pursuing careers in Photography… but in all actuality running full force into the Mecca of culinary delights that is New York!

We were both blessed with jobs that supported this hobby of food. And even had the opportunity to spend a little over a year working together at the same company; where the conversation inevitably found its way to talk of dinner, lunch, restaurants, and something sweet.

Sadly a parting was to occur. Brenda’s husband was moving to Wales for Graduate studies and was pretty partial to the idea of her coming with him. We had to think quick! What could we do to stay connected? That is where the idea for the blog came from. We needed something to work on together to make the separation less painful. Brenda needed something to fill her days while settling in a new land and figuring out what her plan there would be. And Gaby, well those who know her know that she is never one to turn down a project.

This blog is a way for us to stay connected, and a way for us to share one of our deep loves with you. This is for all of you who wake up thinking about what you want to make for dinner that night, who are not above eating a pizza in a parked car, who have a life goal of being a “regular” at some place, and who love sharing all of this and so much more with friends and family.

Love,

Brenda & Gaby