Some Form of Flan

Well, as it turns out, there are a multitude of flan recipes available. Since some seemed too easy and maybe just a bit boring, I decided to try the Food Network's recipe I found online. However, when I made the trek to Tesco to find the ingredients I found that they do not have vanilla beans. They have a vanilla stalk, but thats not really the same, is it? And it cost about as much as all the other ingredients combined- not helpful with my limited funds. But, according to the ever-trusted Wikipedia, one teaspoon of Vanilla Extract gives the same flavor as a bean. Thankfully, all is well in the world. It also asks for a cinnamon stalk, but since it was to be ground up anyway I figure using my already-purchased ground cinnamon wont be too bad for the recipe. Ah, Wiki again saves the day, apparently a teaspoon is a popular dosage. Hm. Perhaps I should check that we have the proper dishes to make both the flan and the "water bath" it soaks in...

Well. So much for that! I may have dishes for the flan, but definitely nothing for the water bath... why dont the English have normal casserole dishes?? Perhaps Annemarie can come to my rescue with another way of making my favorite Texmex dessert..

The Formula for Floury Biscuits

As anyone knows who has been to England, no one here knows what a poper biscuit is. Somehow they think its a cookie. Its not. The floury, buttery, flaky goodness of a southern biscuit cant be attached to the cookie family at all. On one of my first mornings back in York again I attempted to recreate the amazing biscuits of my best friend Sydney, but with questionable results. First of all, she is an amazing baker, and I merely stick to what I know. Secondly, I had completley forgotten the lack of American- standard measuring spoons. Somehow, a British cup is smaller than an American cup (maybe somethig to do with our world-wide reputation for being fat- its just the bigger portions), and teaspoons and tablespoons are measured with actual spoons. Weird. Somehow, that doesn't seem to be very precise to me. Anyway, even with these handicaps I began to follow Syd's recipe as best I could, often with Jess offering to help or find a somewhat-the-same amount of butter or flour. In the end the dough seemed to be about right, maybe a bit floury, but most was sticking together as Syd said it should. I put them in the tiny oven of my student house kitchen and hoped for the best. They were pretty floury. After baking it seems all the flour came to the forefront of the biscuit, leaving the butter and milk far from my abilities to detect. I cant even imagine Jess could, with his poor over-worked taste bud. Bless. Oh well, they were edible, and what else could I hope for? Maybe I should have some American-style measuring spoons sent over for better cooking arrangements. It couldnt hurt. At least Jess appreciated my efforts, and Ill keep on trying to find more recipes I can attempt to recreate over in Jolly Old England. Maybe wiggly jiggly Flan shall be next...