BLOG: What do you cook when the fridge is bare?

By PHOODIE

Have you ever had a bare pantry or fridge? A cupboard with not one thing in it? A fridge with zip, zilch, nadda, zero, nought, NOTHING inside? Sometimes time runs away from you, or you’ve been on holiday, or maybe the kids have been sick, you’ve been working too hard and you just have not had a second to whip to the shops. For a gazillion different reasons we all end up with empty cupboards at some point.

Ok, so when I say “empty”, obviously I don’t REALLY mean empty, empty. Even with the 1000 words I used above to describe “nothing”, you knew I didn’t really mean nothing!? Right? In any case, by “nothing” what I actually did mean was very, very little.

And the point of this post is to show you how from very, very little, from the bare basics, from ingredients that every home across Australia would or should have at hand at all times, I (and thus, you) can whip up something outrageously delicious and super impressive! Something cheap. Something that tastes insanely good. Something that (on a bad day) could actually Save. Your. Life. Gastronomically, not medically, speaking, of course. And all you need is three simple ingredients. Five  if you want to go the extra mile!

Sometimes people talk about “pantry basics” or “simple ingredients” and then go on to list hazelnut oil, King Island brie and Manuka honey but not I. No, no, I’m not joking with you. I mean it. When I say pantry basics, I’m talking sugar, flour and butter. If you can promise me, or better, yourselves, to always have these 3 items in your home, you will NEVER BE ALONE again. And if you can smash together some chocolate and cream, and a total of about 45 minutes of your time, you too can have delicious, crunchy, buttery, sweet, satisfying, biscuits in your hands!

You will WEEP tears of joy at the simplicity of this recipe. WEEP. And that, ladies and gents, is my aim.

Phoodie’s Super Simple Chocolate-dipped Shortbread Bikkies

Makes 30

INGREDIENTS

For the biscuits:

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 and 1/2 cups plain flour

For the chocolate coating:

200 grams dark chocolate (any type of dark chocolate is fine)

100ml thick pouring cream

METHOD

1) Place the sugar and flour (no need to sift! Happy dance!) into a bowl.
2) Chop butter and add to bowl.
3) Using clean, dry hands, rub the butter into the sugar and flour until all ingredients are combined. (Helpful hint: when almost combined I tip everything out of the bowl and work it on the bench.)
4) Once combined, roll out, and cut heart shapes (or whatever shapes you want!) with a cookie cutter.
5) Place on baking paper lined tray and pop into pre-heated 160 degree oven for about 35 minutes (or until golden brown on top.)
6) While bikkies are cooking, whack the chocolate and cream into a pot and place on stove over a medium heat. Constantly stir and when all the chocolate is melted and the 2 ingredients are combined, take off heat and set aside.
7) Dip cooled biscuits into chocolate mixture and place on baking paper. Place into fridge for 20 minutes to set.

For maximum freshness, store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. ENJOY!

What do you cook when there is nothing in the pantry? Any tips and tricks to share?

After graduating from high school, Phoodie studied Interior Architecture at UNSW. She worked for several years as a designer before having the courage to throw caution to the wind and run, very, very fast to the Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in London. She is a cookbook, restaurant, and all round food obsessed blogger and Mum of 2. She can be found posting recipes here, tweeting here, or on Facebook here.