Cookies with a chance of Meatballs

26 October 2011 - Baked Greek Lamb meatballs and Cookies and Cream Slice

After a massive break for the best wedding ever and all the subsequent events that that entails, I was back in the kitchen this week. I (in the ambitious way I do) decided to cook two things at once - Baked Greek Lamb Meatballs and Cookies and Cream Slice.

I found the meatball recipe in a Coles Good Food Magazine and it looked seriously delicious! To be honest I start salivating over any picture of baked vegetables, and this was no exception.

It really was as simple as chopping it up, forming the meatballs, and chucking it in the oven. I changed some of the vegetables as I don't like zucchini so used carrot and there was only one of me so I only used one onion (in total) and one potato. I checked it and turned it after 15 minutes, then 20 minutes. The meat seemed to be cooked (well the outside was brown, I dunno how to tell apart from that!) as did most of the vegetables, but the potato was being a douche and refusing to cook. I ended up chucking the potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes and was good to go.

 

It was delicious. The fetta and the tomatoes were particularly yum and I was quite impressed!

The cookies and cream slice was also pretty simple. The base was ridiculously simple (after I threw a slight tantrum about Sian losing part of my mixer - when it was actually just in the cupboard) and I mixed the filling up and chucked it in the fridge. I used low fat cream and low fat Philly - not that it will make any difference to me as I generally don’t eat it and force feed it to The Pig and my colleagues... I’m just that good a friend! I had read on taste.com that if you don’t use full fat stuff, you need to add extra gelatin. I added about 1/2 teaspoon extra, but I think it needed even more still. I didn't have the right size tin so I used one that was too small. This resulted in the filling being thinker than is necessary, but it was OK. I left it in the fridge for a day and topped it with some chocolate.

I forgot to take proper photos of the slice. Letting the team down!

The filling was quite runny, so it didn't slice up very well and sit in the right shape, but it tasted OK. It was SUPER sweet! The Pig scoffed it and said it was yum (he in fact said it was "brilliant" and "beautiful") and I took the rest to work where it didn't last long and I got some more compliments! I'm pretty sure they'll just eat anything I give them though. I'll make it again but add extra gelatin so it sticks together properly.

Overall, I was pretty happy with my efforts after my time off.

Tips: Cut the potato wedges small so they cook in time; purchase the right sized slice tin.

Music: the sweet (aka nonsensical) sounds of mine and Sian's conversation (with Friends in the background)

Cookies and Cream Slice recipe

Baked Greek Lamb Meatballs recipe