The Tingle Factor Box

Roy Creates A Deliciously Festive Chocolate Salami

This week, Roy decided he wanted to create something delicious, beautiful and a little fun for a New Year party he would be attending with his family. He looked through his cookbooks for a recipe which would suit, thinking about savoury versus sweet, and just how to achieve his goal. Then, he came across mention of a recipe which is popular in Portugal and Spain, and perfect for this time of year – Salame De Chocolate (or chocolate salami). The recipe was rather vague, but he loved the idea and decided to put his own spin on it. The results were not just delicious, but really did look like salami! So this week, Roy Creates A Deliciously Festive Chocolate Salami.

You Will need:

• 250 grams of dark cooking chocolate
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 150 grams of butter
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa
• 180 to 200 gram packet of plain, sweet biscuits. Roy used Marie Biscuits/ 
• 100 grams of slivered almonds
• 100 grams of unsalted shelled pistachios
• 2 heaped tablespoons of chocolate hazelnut spread
• Icing sugar to roll

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and toast the almonds and pistachios until they are fragrant. Be careful not to burn them!
• Break the biscuits up into small pieces and set aside

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate chips, sugar and cocoa together.
• Lightly beat the eggs. Add the eggs slowly to the butter and chocolate mix as soon as the chocolate and butter are nearly melted and stir vigorously to avoid the eggs scrambling
• Cook the mix for about 5 minutes, or until it is a smooth and glossy mix.

• Add the chocolate hazelnut spread, broken biscuits, and nuts to the chocolate mix and stir everything together
• Set the mix aside to cool slightly but make sure you don’t leave it so long that it sets hard!
• Transfer the mixture to a sheet of waxed paper and roll it up into a cylinder shape. Twist the ends of the wax paper and use rubber bands to hold the ends shut.

• Roll the entire roll on the bench until it is an even ‘salami shape’
• Allow the log to chill and firm up completely

• When the log is firm, prepare clingwrap with a good dusting of icing sugar. Transfer the roll to the clingwrap and roll in the icing sugar. This will create the white outer layer of the ‘salami’
• Roll up again firmly in the cling wrap and use kitchen twine to tie the salami up if you like, so that it looks like a real salami.
• Slice and enjoy!

It's Useless But Fun - Toy Soldier

Imagine you are a little boy living in 1977. You have saved your pocket money for the week and have just bought a Kinder Surprise Egg. You are hoping that inside the egg might be the missing soldier for your collection. He's the only one missing from the set you have been collecting, and if you can find him, you will be the first person you know to complete the set! You break open the chocolate and pull it aside to reveal the secret surprise inside. You open it up and  . . . there he is! You can't believe your luck - just the figure you were after!

Whenever I show the children small, diecast or lead models of figures, their reactions are quite mixed. Most of the children think they’re very cute, being so small, but they also think that they’re ‘pretty useless’. Children today are used to toys which have moving parts or which do things, where diecast and lead toys are fixed in their positions. Yet these little toys have a remarkably long history, and when the children are left alone with them, you can really see why – they are perfect for children to let loose their imagination, staging mock battles or inhabiting imaginary worlds with them. As one child said, ‘useless, but fun’.

When we say ‘toy soldier’ we are usually talking about any miniature figure, no more than about 10 centimetres tall, which represents some sort of military figure, like a soldier or member of the cavalry. Still produced today, though often in plastic instead of metal, toy soldiers have long been popular. Yet the first toy soldiers were not toys at all – they date back to nearly 4500 years ago and were discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. Yet these were not toys – they were figures used as a ritual. In medieval Europe many kings and their generals had their own sets of ‘toy soldiers’, sometimes made in precious metals like silver. Yet again, these were not toys – they were used for strategy sessions, to help plan out wars! In fact, despite the basic idea of a ‘toy soldier’ dating back over 4000 years, toy soldiers to be used as childrens toys actually appeared in the 1700s! These earliest true toy soldiers were often made of finely carved wood or silver, and were the toys of rich aristocratic children. Then, in the very late 1700s, metal workers began to produce small toy figurines, including soldiers, from tin. These figures were made in the metal workers spare time, and were known as ‘flats’ because they were only 2 dimensional (showing just one side of the soldier), but they were cheap to produce and soon became very popular.

Soon enough, metal workers and manufacturers recognised the potential market for toy figurines. The first mass produced toy soldiers appeared in Germany in the early 1800s and were made by companies like Heinrichson and Heyde but they were still 2 dimensional, and still sold as unpainted models. Then, Johann Gottfried Hilpert established an assembly line in his factory, employing ladies to paint the figures, with each woman in the assembly line responsible for a different colour. As the market for toy soldiers grew, so too did the amount of time and money companies were willing to spend on developing new figures. By the late 19^th century, three dimensional toy soldiers were available, made by pouring molten lead or metal into a mold and then removing the figure afterwards. Sometimes these figures, which were now also made by toy makers in France, Britain and America, were even made to look like famous military leaders of the day! These figures were still rather expensive though, and could not be afforded by most families. Then, in 1893, William Britain came up with a new method for making toy soldiers. He worked out how to hollow cast lead, which allowed the figure to be hollow, using less metal and therefore being much cheaper to make. These figures were also lighter, which made them a popular and affordable toy. As time went by, other metals began to be used, like tin or even iron. In the 20th century, they were even used as prizes inside cereals and chocolates - like Kinder Surprise Eggs, which issued the soldier I showed the children in 1977. 

Rover Finds His Voice - Carols By Candlelight Service

This week, with Christmas upon us, Rover wanted to do something properly Christmassy to celebrate. We thought long and hard about what to do, but Rover came upon the solution when he was listening to the radio. A Christmas carol came on, and Rover began to sing along. It was perfect – we would have to go to a carol service to celebrate!

The photos in this post were taken at our local carol service (at the Uniting Church in fact), but there will be carols by candlelight services all over Australia which people can attend. Alternately, you could have your own private carols service at home – just put on your favourite carols music, light a candle and sing along!

Carols have an amazingly long history, though they weren’t always Christmas carols as we know them. Originally, carols were pagan songs which were sung during the Winter Solstice celebrations which predate our modern Christmas (or even the birth of Christ!) This is probably where the idea of a carol originates from, and the word carol even means a song of praise or joy. Before Christmas existed, carols were sung throughout the year in celebration of different events, often seasonal events, like solstices or changes to the season. Then, early Christians adopted and adapted the earlier pagan celebration of the Winter solstice, changing the date slightly from the 22^nd of December to the 25^th. They also adopted the tradition of singing and dancing to carols. Of course, these carols weren’t pagan though – they were Christian songs. The first carol we know of was ‘Angel’s Hymn’ which a Roman priest said should be sung during Christmas celebrations in Rome in 129 ACE. Other early Christmas carols were written by composers all over Europe, but they weren’t carols as we know them – in fact they were all written in Latin. This meant that most people couldn’t sing along, because Latin was a language which most people didn’t know. By the middle ages, interest in Christmas, and its carols had almost disappeared.

Then, in 1223, St Francis of Assisi started to hold Nativity plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang carols and normally, these carols were in a language which people watching the play could join in with, be it Italian, German, Spanish or even English. These carols quickly caught on and people began to enjoy Christmas celebrations again. Soon enough new carols were being written which were only very loosely based on the Christmas story – they were entertaining songs sung in homes and by families, not religious texts. They were so popular that travelling minstrels would sing them, changing the words to suit the place they were singing in. One of these carols is still sung today – I Saw Three Ships. There was a time in England, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s, when singing carols was actually banned, as was the celebration of Christmas, because it wasn’t seen as properly religious. People still sang and celebrated in secret though! By the Victorian period, carol singing in public was returning to popularity, with official groups of carol singers called Waits starting to appear. They were often led by a counselor or even the mayor of towns, but they only sang on Christmas eve. Orchestras and choirs soon also began to add carols to their repertoire, and new carols began to appear. So popular were these new carols that they began to be sung in the street by the light of candles. Today, we continue this tradition through carols by candlelight services.

Roy Creates A Christmassy Bounty - Chocolate Cherry Slice

This week, with Christmas just around the corner, Roy wanted to make a delicious slice or biscuit which he could share with friends when they came to visit, and of course give as Christmas presents with a personal touch. We were looking through Grandma’s cookbook, when we came across a recipe for Cherry Ripe Slice. Roy assumed it would be the slice we are all familiar with, but Grandma explained it was ‘a little different, and very tasty’. Roy was sold and had to give it a go. The results were spectacular and all his friends commented on how delicious it was. So this week, Roy Creates A Christmassy Bounty - Chocolate Cherry Slice.  

You Will Need:

• 125 grams of margarine
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa
• ½ a cup of icing sugar
• ½ a cup of plain flour
• 1 tin of condensed milk
• ½ a cup of chopped glace cherries
• 1 and ½ cups of desiccated coconut
• 125 grams of cooking chocolate
• 1 tablespoon of copha

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a slice tray with baking paper
• Melt the margarine and cocoa together in the microwave and stir to thoroughly combine
• Mix together the icing sugar and flour in a bowl
• Add the margarine and cocoa and mix everything together

• Press the chocolate mix into the bottom of the slice tin and bake for 10 minutes

• While the base is baking, mix together the coconut, cherries and condensed milk

• Spread the coconut mixture over the base and bake for another 15 minutes
• Set the slice aside to cool completely

• When the slice is cold, melt the chocolate and copha together and spread across the top of the slice
• Remove the slice from the tin when the icing is set, and cut into squares
• Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

It's So Fragile - Mercury Glass Ornament

Imagine you are a child living in the early 20^th century. It is Christmas time, and you are so excited. Of course, there will be plenty of food, and presents, and time with your family, but one of your absolute favourite parts of the celebration is the tree. It is so beautiful, with its candles and beautiful glass ornaments. You were even allowed to help hang the ornaments this year – your parents think you are old enough to avoid breaking them! They are so fragile and the glass is so thin. You are sure if you held them too hard they would break into a million pieces.

When I showed the children this mercury glass Christmas ornament, they thought it was beautiful. Yet many were afraid to hold it! They had never held glass which was so light and seemed so thin and felt like they would definitely break it if they squeezed it at all. They had seen similar ornaments for sale today, but commented that they felt different – ‘much heavier and less delicate’ as one child explained. The children were amazed by how fine the glass was, and thought that the people who made ornaments like this must have been very skilled indeed.

Mercury glass, which is also sometimes known as silvered or varnished glass, is a very specific type of glass. It was first created in Germany in the early 19^th century and became very popular. It was a relatively cheap alternative to silver for things like candlesticks, and the bonus was that it didn’t tarnish like real silver. In Germany, it was actually known as Bauernsilber, which translates as peasants silver, but it became very popular, and not just for those who couldn’t afford real silver. Soon it had gained popularity in France and England, where it was used for vases and even tablewear like glasses. Next it became popular in America, where they even used it for spittoons! Of course, the most famous use of mercury glass was probably for Christmas ornaments, like the one I showed the children.

Real mercury glass is double walled glass, which has a layer of liquid silvering solution poured into the very fine gap between the two layers of glass. This silvering solution sticks to the glass, and then the excess is drained off, leaving behind a thin coat of colour. Originally mercury glass was usually silver coloured, but also sometimes gold. As time went by though other colours like red and green began to be used, created by adding different elements to the solution which was poured between the glass layers. After the excess silvering solution was poured out, the hole which was used (usually at the base) would be sealed, often with wax. Today, people still sell ‘mercury glass’ but it tends to not be real mercury glass at all, but a solid piece of glass which has been silvered in a completely different way.

Roaming Roy Gets Lost In A Museum - Gulgong Pioneer Museum

This week, Roy was checking out some of the photos we took together just after we first met. He was amazed to come across some he hadn't written about, and decided that this week, it would be the perfect time to share a few of them. These photos were taken at one of Roys favourite country museums - The Gulgong Pioneer Museum. 

If you would like to visit the Gulgong Pioneer museum, it is located at 73 Herbert Street in Gulgong, in the old Bakery and Produce Store. The museum is absolutely massive, and has everything from printing presses to photographs to Aboriginal artefacts. It is an extraordinary place. While you are in Gulgong, you can also visit some of the amazing shops and cafes which are to be found. Gulgong is a fantastic place to explore on a day out and about in the country 

As the picture above shows Roy got a little stuck at the lolly shop display. He was fascinated by the range of 'lollies' on display, and very disappointed when I explained they weren't really edible, and he couldn't buy any. The display shows what an old fashioned lolly shop once looked like - and it looked delicious. 

Today, many of us think of lollies and candy as something which comes from the supermarket and is a sweet treat, but the history of confectionary actually goes back far further, and begins in a very different way indeed! In fact, most historians believe the first ‘candy’ was actually eaten as a type of medicine used for people who have digestive problems. Even today, we have some candies which have a basis in this history of medicinal sweets – cough drops and peppermints for example. The first candies which were simply eaten as a treat were probably nuts, seeds and fruits which were coated in sugar – or candied. Sometimes even flowers were candied and consumed as sweets! As time went by, chemists and confectioners began to experiment with new types of candy and slowly but surely, the candy we recognize today came to be.

Roy Creates Aunty Lynette’s South Australian Pickled Salad With Tomatoes, Cucumber and Onion

This week, Roy decided he wanted to try out a recipe for a cross between a pickle and a salad which his Aunty Lynette had given him. Aunty Lynette grew up in South Australia, and said that this salad was not only popular there, but was ‘absolutely divine with Christmas ham’. Roy thought it sounded like something he should certainly try, and he was not disappointed with the results. He first tried it with corned beef, but he has since discovered it is, just as Aunty Lynette said, delicious with a good ham off the bone. So this week, Roy Creates Aunty Lynette’s South Australian Pickled Salad With Tomatoes, Cucumber and Onion.

You Will Need:

• A small white or brown onion
• 2 or 3 ripe, sweet tomatoes
• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• Salt
• Castor Sugar
• Pepper
• White or brown vinegar. Roy used white, but is assured either work just fine.

Method:

• In the bottom of your serving bowl, mix together the vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper. How much you use will depend on how much salad you are making. Roy used about ¼ of a cup of vinegar and a scant teaspoon of salt and sugar. Add pepper to your taste

• Next, finely slice the onion and place it into the vinegar mix. This will remove the bitterness which raw onions sometimes have

• While the onion is marinading, slice the tomatoes and cucumber. Roy recommends a reasonably fine slice, as then you can use leftover salad on a bread roll with some ham or corned beef!

• Add the cucumber and tomatoes to the onion and mix everything together.
• Allow the salad to marinade for at least 1 hour.
• Add more vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper to your taste
• Serve with meat and enjoy!

 

It's Cute! Mechanical Pencil

Imagine you are a gentleman living in the 1800s. You are an important man, and it is always necessary to have the means to take a note, or write a note to a colleague or friend. Yet carrying a pen is difficult, as the nib tends to poke holes in your pocket, and pencils leave stains. Luckily, your wife solved the problem on your last birthday, presenting you with a small, but very elegant mechanical pencil which fits neatly in your waistcoat pocket, and does not cause any staining. Best of all, there is a ring attached to the top to ensure the pencil is easily found, hanging from your watch chain. You are lucky to have such a thoughtful wife!

When I showed the children this small, silver pencil, they thought it was ‘cute, but useless’. They are used to large pencils, with long, sharp ‘leads’ to write with and this pencil seemed far too small to ever be of use as it was too small to even sit comfortably in the hands of young children. They were also confused about how to make the lead protrude, and therefore wrote the pencil off. When I showed them that not only did the pencil have a thick lead which poked out of the end when needed, but also extended to a more comfortable size, the children were very impressed by the thoughtfulness of the design, and several decreed that ‘on second thought, I want one!’

Pencils have a remarkably long history, with humans using some sort of ‘writing’ implement as far back as ancient times to leave marks on the walls of caves. The pencil as we know it though traces its roots back to the Roman empire and the Roman stylus. The stylus was a thin, metal rod used to leave a light mark on papyrus or other material. Some styluses were actually made of lead, and this is what we still call the core of a pencil, though it is not what is actually inside! Pencils actually have a core of graphite, which came into popular use in about 1564, when a large deposit of graphite was found in Borrowdale in England. Graphite left a darker mark than lead, but it was fragile and broke easily. It needed some sort of case to keep it safe and prevent it being broken.

At first, pencils using graphite were made by wrapping the graphite stick in string, but soon hollowed out wooden sticks were used to hold the graphite core – thus the wooden cased pencil which we still use today was born. Wood was not the only substance which could be used to keep the graphite safe in a pencil though. By the late 19^th century mechanical pencils had become popular. At this time, pencils were used everyday by people, and messages were often received by a person in the same town within hours of the message being sent. Having a pencil and paper on your person was, of course, useful. Mechanical pencils were perfect for this, as they used metal bodies to keep the core of graphite safe. They couldn’t be sharpened in the usual way though, and so systems were devised where the core would be raised and lowered with a twist of the shaft or a press of a spring. Many of these pencils were very small and had a loop on the end, like the one I showed the children. These pencils were very popular, fitting on a watch chain, or for a lady on a chatelaine, and being easily found and used.

Roaming Roy Finds A Window To The Past - David Jones Christmas Windows

Recently, one of Roy's friends was saying how sad it was that there were no beautiful Christmas windows in Sydney to visit. They were wanting to take the children to see window displays, and thought that there were none to be found, but Roy was thrilled to be able to say this friend was wrong! These photos are of the David Jones Christmas Windows from a few years ago, but each year a new and spectacular display is put on, and Roy recommends that anyone with children check it out!

Roy Creates Delicious Light As A Feather Apricot Muffins

This week, Roy was asked if he could manage to create a delicious, apricot muffin to share with a friend who loves dried apricots. Roy didn't have a recipe for apricot muffins, so decided to improvise, using his favourite apple muffin recipe. The results were absolutely delicious! So this week, Roy Creates Delicious Light As A Feather Apricot Muffins

You Will Need:

• 180 grams of butter or margarine, softened
• 100 grams of castor sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• ½ a cup of sour cream
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• ½ a cup of dried apricots, chopped and soaked in orange juice to soften them up. 
• 280 grams of self-raising flour
• ½ a teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons (extra) castor sugar
• ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cases (not Texas muffin tins!)
• Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside
• Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together

• Add the eggs and beat them into the mix.

• Add the sour cream and apricots to the mix and beat
• Fold in the flour
• Finally, stir the milk into the mix
• Mix together the cinnamon, extra castor sugar and chopped pecans in a small bowl

• Drop a tablespoon of muffin mix into the bottom of each muffin tray and sprinkle over a small amount of the sugar and nut mix.
• Divide the remainder of the muffin mix between the muffin trays

 

• Sprinkle the remainder of the sugar mix over the muffins
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through
• Enjoy warm, or at room temperature the next day.
• Note: If you choose to freeze them, defrost them on a cooling rack and give them a few seconds in the microwave to freshen them up a little.