MARIE'S MUSES

“Ah! There’s nothing like staying home for real comfort.” ~Jane Austen

I’ve always loved reading Jane Austen. Her novels are always full of witty irony and compelling slices of eighteenth century English family life. They are also cosy and full of the author’s love of comfort. Reading one is just like nestling back into a big puffy chair, next to a warm, companionable fire. They feel like home.

The big house I work in, while beautiful to look at, and full of many treasures of art and antiques feels quite far removed from those feelings. It feels a bit like working in a museum. Most of the rooms, while beautifully decorated, are quite cold and imposing. Not many feel like a home. It’s all done in a very formal French Country style … even the family pictures that are strewn about are posed and artificial. I much prefer my humble little cottage.

I don’t really have a decorating style, not unless you can call “shabby clutter” a style! What I do have, and what I strive to present, to all those who come to visit us, is a home with a spiritual grace that presents the solace of comfort to all. Down here in the kitchen, because it is the main room we spend time in, we have two comfy arm chairs, one for Todd and one for myself, always free and welcoming for anyone who enters our domain to sit in themselves. They are nothing special. We got one in a charity shop and the other was given to us. Our better furniture is upstairs in the lounge. Because Jess cannot manoeuvre the circular staircase to go up, we spend all our waking hours while at home, down here in the kitchen, keeping her company. There is a cosy electric fire in here that looks like a real coal burning stove and when it’s on you can see the flames flickering through it’s leaded glass front. Even when the heating element isn’t turned on it immediately presents you with the feeling of warmth and cosiness. On a rainy day, you immediately want to curl up next to it.

Even our bedroom is cosy and comfortable. I have endeavoured to make it so by putting a patchwork quilt on the bed and a lovely inviting pile of books sitting next to the bed, just waiting to be read. On the walls are pictures of things that have meaning to us, such as the Saviour, and water colour prints of country scenes of areas in England that we love.

My house is full of a collection of odd plants and curiosities that I have picked up on my travels and little trinkets that have been given to me, that hold special places in my heart. Nothing much of worth to anyone else but me. There is a tale to be told about each object, a special story attached to each trinket. Each one holding my history and a tiny bit of my soul. Dust collectors to some, but treasures to me.

When I am at home I am at peace, for that is the feeling I get while I am there. It makes me never want to leave, however humble it is. It is a place I long to return to when I am away. It is clean, and comfortable and it cradles my body and soul. It looks and smells of home. It is a place that shelters dreams. It is my own personal little nest, and I have built it in the same way as a bird that gathers bits of fluff and debris from the garden to cradle her chicks, weaving it into what is, to me, warm and inviting, and comforting. I hope that everyone who comes to visit feels that too. I have a door that always swings open to those whom I care about, be they an old friend or a new friend, or simply an acquaintance. I hope that when they leave my home, after having spent some time here, they feel as if they have just been stroked like an old cat stretched in front of a fire … and that they will want to come back … oh , all except for bill collectors that is! I don’t ever want them to get all cosy and comfortable and want to come back! (not that we have any … bill collectors that is!)

This is all cosy and welcoming as well. I made this for Todd yesterday as a special treat …  (Pie's good for breakfast, right?)

Serves 12

This is a rich and sweet little taste of home. Who doesn’t love chocolate chunk cookies, filled with nuts . . . this is the same, only moreish. I like it warm, accompanied with a nice scoop of ice cold vanilla ice cream melting over the top . . .

PASTRY:

2 cups plain flour

2 TBS caster sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ cup cold butter, cut into bits

1 large egg yolk

2 to 3 TBS ice water

FILLING:

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup soft light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup plain flour

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

1 ½ bars of good quality milk chocolate (100g each) cut into chunks

(I use Green and Black’s organic)

First of all make the pastry. Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to combine. Add the butter and the egg yolk and blitz again, pulsing only until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, add 2 TBS of the ice water and process only until the dough masses into a ball, adding the extra TBS only if needed. Remove the dough from the processor. Shape into a ball, kneading in any remaining flour if necessary. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 150*C/300*F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface, Line a deep, 10 inch, pie dish with it. Trim and crimp the edges. Set aside.

Mix the sugars and flour together in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs and then the melted butter, mixing well to combine. Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chunks. Spread the mixture into the prepared crust and bake in the heated oven until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean, approximately 60 to 70 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool when done. Serve warm with some ice cream, or let cool completely before serving. Either way it’s delicious!