Instant Bread and Butter Pickle

This is a great recipe for those who are new to pickling and aren’t necessarily interested in being in it for the long haul; if you want to enjoy pickles but haven’t had the forethought to plan a few months ahead. The recipe came about because I was having friends over for a BBQ pulled pork feast and decided last minute to make this as an accompaniment (I also added a whole chilli as I wanted to spice things up a bit). This pickle is very versatile and can also be enjoyed in an array of sandwiches, with cold meats and cheese, or - as the name suggests – simply paired with bread and butter.

Ingredients:

 

Half white cabbage, chopped
½ cucumber, sliced
1 whole red chilli, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp grain mustard
3 tbsp vinegar (any, except balsamic)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar

 

Method:

 

Add all of the ingredients to a pan and cook on high heat until the liquid begins to boil. Place a lid on top and turn down the heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes, checking from time to time that there still remains a small amount of liquid at the bottom of the pan (this will stop the vegetables from burning). If needed, add another tbsp of water. Once the cabbage is tender and can be easily pierced with a knife, turn the heat off and leave the lid on whilst the pickle cools. Transfer to a jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in the fridge for around 5 days.

Gooey Chocolate Brownies (With an Easter Twist)

These gooey brownies are extremely easy to make and taste amazing! If you are feeling creative, try topping some them with flaky nests. I have to admit, they were slightly fiddly, but were well worth the effort as they looked great and tasted extra chocolaty.


Makes 2 small trays (around 18 brownies)

 

Ingredients:

200g caster sugar
125g salted butter, melted
30g cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs
110g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder

 

For the Nests:

3 Cadbury’s Flake bars
1 pack Milkybar Mini Eggs
30g dark chocolate, melted

 

Method:

Begin by lining a deep tray 20cm x 10cm with greaseproof paper (I used two 10 x 10 trays which worked fine too). When lining trays, I find it easier to cut a piece of greaseproof slightly larger than the area needed and then cut a small incision from each corner (at 45 degrees) towards the middle of the paper.  This will help when placing the paper inside, as each corner can then be overlapped to fit snugly in to the corners of the tray. 

Once the mixture has been made, a little blob on each corner of the tray will help to hold the lining in place and stop it from sliding around. Preheat the oven to 180C and weigh out all of the ingredients so that the mixing process is quick and efficient. 

Add the sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and eggs - one at a time - continue to mix on high speed until you have a smooth mixture.

Add the baking powder to the flour and fold in with a spatula or wooden spoon. 

Pour the mixture in to the tray and then even it out with the back of a spatula. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

The longer you leave them, the more ‘set’ they will be once cool. I personally prefer a gooey brownie so I opt for just 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and when slightly cool, place in the fridge until ready to use.

Whilst the brownies are baking, make the nests. Simply melt the dark chocolate and cut the flake bars length ways to create long, thin ‘shards’. I think that dark chocolate works best here for adhering as it dries quickly and is less temperamental when melting. But by all means, use milk chocolate if you want the joins to be less obvious (and don’t go thinking that you can use any wastage from the Flakes; the stuff just will not melt! Which leaves me wondering - why the hell not?)

Place some of the shards in a small triangular(ish) shape. Dip the ends in melted chocolate to allow them to stick together. Then dip the bottom of the eggs in the chocolate and place them on top of the triangle base.

Add extra flakes wherever you need more support, using the ‘dip and stick’ method. 

These should be refrigerated until the chocolate ‘glue’ has set. Once the brownies are completely cool, slice them in to even squares and use a fish slice to lift and place the nests on top. You can use the chocolate ‘glue’ here too so that the nests don’t topple off.

You can make these a few days ahead and leave them refrigerated in an airtight container. You will of course then have to avoid the temptation to eat them before intended.

Happy Easter everyone!

Easy Peasy Cheat's Crème Patisserie

This is not a pastry cream that the French would be proud of, but it’s quick, easy, and will happen on your first attempt (yes, I have been through many boxes of eggs before trying to achieve custard that doesn’t resemble something I could eat on toast for breakfast).

Ingredients:

250ml whole milk

50ml single cream

80g caster sugar
2 egg yolks, plus...
1 whole egg
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla extract (not pods, unless you want the seeds to be visible)
 

Method:

Start by heating a small pan of water (around 3cm deep) on a medium heat. The water should be at a rolling - not fierce - boil. Then away from the heat, in a metal bowl that is large enough to rest on top of the pan, whisk the ingredients together. It MUST be a metal bowl as the heat that is retained by the metal is what helps cook the eggs later on.

Place the bowl on top of the pan and stir slowly and continuously with the whisk while the heat from the boiling water heats the eggs. You cannot let it sit still for even a few seconds! It will take around 10 minutes for the eggs to cook and for the mixture to become thick custard, but what’s great is that the corn flour will prevent the eggs from overcooking and scrambling. It’s usually overcooking that gives the ‘eggy’ taste.

I will warn you that waiting for the mixture to thicken will feel like an eternity but you will need to keep your wits about you as the mixture will thicken almost in an instant! The second you feel that slight resistance, whisk more briskly for a few seconds to prevent lumps from forming and use an oven mitt or dishcloth to remove the bowl from the heat.

Continue to whisk once removed as the heat from the metal bowl will continue to cook the eggs. Transfer in to a bowl straight away and leave to cool before refrigerating. You will need to cover with cling film to stop a skin forming whilst in the fridge.

You can use this cold custard for many things: custard tarts, doughnuts; or even serve it warm with your favourite dessert. The corn flour helps to stabilise the mixture so re-heating in the oven (for something like Portuguese custard tarts) is not a problem and if reheating on the hob: as long as you whisk until hot, you’ll be fine.

Please comment and let me know if you try this out.

Wedding Series – The Guest Book

I thought long and hard about how I wanted to receive (and keep) messages from our guests on the day. And I‘m glad I did! Even if a guest book seemed quite a trivial component of the day; after all, your loved ones will wish you well in person on the day, why do you need them to also write it down?  I have three reasons why:  1) you may not even get to speak to them at all, 2) even if you do get round to everyone, you will never remember what they said, and 3) it’s nice to have a physical ‘something’ from the actual day to remind you how happy everyone was for the two of you.

Matt Ethan Photography

I had several ideas quite early on: messages typed an old fashioned typewriter; marriage advice written on recipe cards and stored in a recipe box, entitled ‘recipe for a successful marriage’; selfie Polaroid’s with handwritten messages on the back; and then there was just the plain ol’ traditional guest book. The possibilities really are endless.

As we wanted the tone of the wedding to be relaxed and non-traditional, it didn’t make sense to go for anything too conventional. I also knew that I was going to incorporate many vintage aspects in to the decor and ‘look’ of the day (my Grandmother’s china tea set, antique vases, and well...my whole ensemble). So I took some inspiration from our honeymoon plans; a road trip across the West Coast of America and started collecting a bunch of blank vintage postcards featuring places we intended to visit on our trip. I sent these out with the invites and asked everyone to write their message and bring it along on the day. Of course I bought extras for those who, like me, would forget.


People included honeymoon suggestions, marriage advice, well-wishes and even thank you notes for being included in the day. The great people at the venue hung string across trellis and I bought the cutest little pegs from Ebay for the postcards to be hung up as if on a washing line. It looked effective and meant that guests could read each other’s notes. I also loved that everyone had enough time to really think about what they wanted to write and didn’t feel rushed on the day.

Matt Ethan Photography

At the end of the night I just unhooked the string and packed the whole line away. I’ve since stored them in a memory box at home but would now like to transfer them to an album that is more easily accessible, so that whenever I feel like I need a little reminder of the day it’s in easy reach.

Matt Ethan Photography

Who else had an original guest book idea? I’d love to hear about them.

Mini Baked Vanilla Cheesecakes

I don’t think I know of one person who doesn’t like cheesecake – more specifically, BAKED cheesecake- and these mini versions are a great crowd pleaser as they don’t require cutlery (unless you’re feeling extra posh) and are individually sized so you can make exactly as many as you require. I added raspberries as a topping but most berries would work nicely.

 

For the base:

100g digestive biscuits
50g ground almonds
50 g unsalted butter, melted

 

Filling:

400 g cream cheese, at room temperature
100 ml soured cream
100 g caster sugar
1 medium egg plus...
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp corn flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 punnet fresh raspberries

Method:

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor and add them to a separate bowl along with the almonds and melted butter. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula until you have a mixture that just about holds together.

Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases and press a teaspoon full of the mixture in to the base of each one. Use the back of the spoon to smooth over each base, aiming for an even layer. Place in the fridge to set until the filling is prepared.

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3. Use a hand blender to mix the cream cheese, sour cream, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once smooth, add the whole egg and then the yolk, mixing continuously. After a few minutes you will have a creamy, fluffy texture. Add the corn flour and use a large spoon or spatula to fold this in to the mixture. 

Ladle on top of the refrigerated bases (each one should be only ¾ full as they will puff up when baking). Place 2-3 raspberries in the middle of each one and place on a shelf in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they have puffed up and are beginning to colour. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before refrigerating. You will notice that they ‘relax’ a bit once cool so don’t worry, they haven’t had the dreaded curse of the shrinks! You can serve the cupcakes either in or out of their cases but if I think they look more impressive with the cases removed (especially if you took the time to make sure that the bases are even). One bonus is that you can keep them in their cases if you’re not happy with the layers and they still look appealing. 

Do you know of any other desserts that are great in miniature? Please comment and let me know.

My Favourite Face Masks

I thought that some of you would find a quick rundown of my favourite face masks a helpful read. Just to give you some context; at this time of year my skin is dry/combination, having the potential to be problematic and spot-prone all year round. I tend to favour masks that resurface and decongest but that don’t strip my skin of all of its moisture. I have also had reactions to lavender and mineral oil in the past so I avoid those particular ingredients at all costs.

L-R: Nuxe, Aesop, James Read, Ren

The Moisture Mask -Nuxe crème Fraiche De Beauté Masque - £18.50 for 50ml

I featured this mask in a previous post on winter skincare so check that out as I have gone in to a little more detail there. But in short, this mask is very much like an intensive moisturiser; it applies just like a rich moisturiser and can be left on overnight to replenish and soothe even the most dehydrated of skins. No peeling or washing off, just slap it on and go to sleep! (P.S. if you can remember to apply a layer of this after taking off your makeup - but before passing out - after a night of drinking, your skin will thank you in the morning for doing so).

 

 

The Clay Mask– Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque – £23 for 60ml

‘Mud Masks’ were like, so totally 80’s - It’s all about the clay now darling. Having problematic skin, I am a big fan of masks that include clay because of its healing properties and ability to eliminate toxins from the body. This particular mask from Aesop is a wonderful product as it contains two types of clay - Kaolin and Bentonite – that are listed within the first three ingredients (along with water) in the ingredients list. It is a very lightweight formula that once dry, isn’t...well, too dry! Your skin still feels as if it can breathe whilst you have this on. The instructions advise to leave this on for 15 minutes but I have been known to leave it on for up to half an hour with positive effects. My skin is left feeling clearer and less congested, but nicely hydrated, and all of the angry bumps that were there before seem to shrink. My skin just feels generally calmer. It also smells gloriously green and floral – very ‘spa’ like.

 

The Peeling Mask – James Read Tan Perfecting Enzyme Peel Mask - £12 for 75ml

This is the kind we all envisage when we hear the words ‘face mask’. You know, the ones you used as a teenager, waiting for the second they felt dry so that you could pretend as if you were peeling off the top layer of skin? Well this mask is exactly that. It’s a clear gel texture that sets to a smooth plastic-like film on the skin. Once peeled, my skin is left feeling clean and smooth as if all of the dead skin has been peeled away. Because of this, and as its name suggests, it is great used in preparation for tanning. The enzymes lightly exfoliate, whilst the inclusion of cucumber and pomegranate help to combat wrinkles (excellent news!). The only negative is the smell – although alcohol doesn’t seem to appear in the ingredients list, it smell quite strongly of alcohol; this does however disappear once the mask has set.

 

 

The Brightening Mask – Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - £32 for 50ml

I love to use this one when my skin is looking a little lacklustre and dull, and needs brightening up. The first time I used it felt a little strange but do not let the fact that it has the texture and smell of marmalade put you off! The instructions advise to use this only once a week and to leave it on for 10 minutes, and honestly, I would suggest sticking to that as it can tingle a little whilst working its magic. And if you have very sensitive skin then you may want to give this one a miss altogether. However, I’m of the view that “tingling is good, but burning is bad” and I haven’t felt the burn with this one yet so it remains a ‘keeper’ for me.
This mask is intended to be removed with warm water. As an added bonus, a muslin cloth is included which really helps with its removal due to the products ‘sticky’ consistency. I just love how radiant my skin looks after I use this! The natural fruit acids (passion fruit, lemon, grape and pineapple) help to exfoliate the top layer of skin and reduce fine lines. I also like that my pigmentation and acne scars appear lighter and a little less visible once I wash this off. 

I’d love to know of your ‘Holy Grail’ masks. Have I missed any good’uns from the list?

Chia Berry Jam

Happy Mother’s day to all the UK readers! I decided to post a recipe for this delicious chia berry jam today, seeing as I made a batch and included it in a hamper of tasty goodies for my lovely mum (whom by the way eats a diet free from sugar, gluten, nuts, and dairy). The jam is very easy to prepare and has that same ‘jammy’ texture you come to expect from the standard shop-bought varieties; but without all of the refined sugar, and with an extra measure of protein.


Makes 6 small jars (or 1 regular jam jar)

Ingredients:

300g frozen berries
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chia seeds

 

Method:

Add the berries and honey to a pan on low heat. Once bubbling (after 5 minutes or so), lightly mash with a fork and add the chia seeds. Continue to cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Whilst the jam is cooking, sterilise your jam jars - either in the dishwasher or with boiling water – and leave to dry upside down. Allow the jam to cool slightly before decanting in to the sterilised jars. Once filled, leave the lids off until the jam has completely cooled; it will also become firmer and ‘set’ once cool. 

The jam will keep for around a week in the fridge. It’s another great breakfast alternative to enjoy on toast (with peanut butter), in porridge or with yoghurt.

Please let me know if you try any variations of this recipe; I’m trying apricot next so I will keep you posted...

Winter Eats - Spiced Milk Porridge

This is a recipe for those cold, wet morning (like we have so often in England) when you absolutely must start off the day with something warm inside your belly.  To save on time, you can make the milk several days in advance, keep it in the fridge, and then simply reheat when needed.  I made porridge with oats and quinoa but you could make straight up oatmeal, or even add the hot milk to cereals – anyone else remember having Weetabix and hot milk as a child?

Serves Two

For the Milk:

200ml milk (I used Oat, nut or dairy options work too)
3 cardamom pods, outer shell removed
½ cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
2 tsp honey

 

The Porridge:

4 cups of organic whole oats
6 cups of water
2 cups cooked quinoa

 

Method:

Add the spices to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder to make a coarse spice mix.

Add this to a tea infuser. My infuser was made from metal but you can get rubber versions or even use muslin tied with string (for all my Bridget Jones fans out there, just make sure the string’s not blue!).  Add the infuser to a saucepan with the milk (cold) and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, quickly turn the heat down to a simmer and leave to infuse for ten minutes. 

Remove the infuser and add the honey, stirring until dissolved. Either transfer the milk to a jar and refrigerate, or use immediately.

In a separate pan, add the oats and water and cook for around 5-10 minutes on medium heat until almost all of the water has evaporated and the oats are tender. Turn out the pan and add the quinoa and warm milk.

I served the porridge with bee pollen, chia seeds, some extra honey, and half a baked apple (sliced and baked in the oven for ten minutes with a little coconut oil).

If porridge isn’t your thing, then the warm milk can simply be drunk on its own (as a sort of ‘chai tea’ – which is great before bed!) or added to coffee to spice things up a bit.

Let me know what your favourite winter warmer breakfasts are...