PERFECTLY DELICIOUS : Rose & Rhubarb Syrup

♥  ♥  ♥

After a week of bed rest & cough lozenges, I feel like it's been forever since I was last in the kitchen -- & so, to ease back into it, I've found a perfectly delicious syrup found at QUITOKEETO that can be used in a myriad of ways & sounds positively delectable!



* Images & recipe via QUITIKEETO

A WINTER STAPLE: THE HOT CHOCOLATE

Winter has well & truly arrived & nothing warms you on a cold night quite like a delectably rich hot chocolate. Below, my very favourite recipe from Donna Hay :

+ 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

+ 200g good-quality milk chocolate, chopped 

+ 4 vanilla beans, split

+ 1⅓ cups (330ml) single (pouring) cream

+ 1 cup (250ml) milk

+ marshmallows and cocoa, to serve

  Divide the chocolate and vanilla beans between 4 glasses. Place the cream and milk in a saucepan over low heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes or until warmed through. Pour over the chopped chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is dissolved. Top with marshmallows and dust with cocoa to serve. 

Makes 4. 

Stay warm & have a beautiful week -- xx

* Image & recipe from Donna Hay

a very favourite recipe | a macaron mood

In a delightful macaron mood -- & thought to share a very favourite recipe with you. . .

 

c h o c o l a t e  m a c a r o n s 

Makes about 35 whole
Ingredients:
•100 grams of almond meal
•100-110 grams egg whites (about 3 egg whites), aged 1 day at room temperature
•15 grams cocoa powder
•185 grams powdered sugar
•4 tablespoons sugar


1. Mix the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together with the ground almonds in a large bowl.
2. In another large bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand- or stand mixer. As the egg whites start foaming, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue whipping until the mixture is glossy and stiff. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down without the meringue sliding out.
3. Fold the dry mix carefully and slowly into the meringue, using a spatula & being careful not to over mix.
4. On a sheet of baking paper trace a 4cm diameter biscuit ring over & over all over the sheet, with each of the circles spaced about 3cm apart. Place the baking paper on your tray ink/pencil side down.
5. Fill your piping bag and pipe the macarons to fill each circle-- now the macarons will all be the exact same size! Let them set for 60 minutes to form a dry skin.
6. Preheat the oven to 150° C (do not use fancforce). Bake for about 14 minutes. Let cool completely, then spread caramel or chocolate ganache on them and sandwich them together.

Perfectly lovely for high tea’s, afternoon visitors, or most especially, breakfast . . .

* This delightfully delicious recipe is from Call Me Cupcake (with a few tried & tested modifications by Amour-Love + image from here. . . 

Easter: Recipe

In Australia, Easter is a warm affair-- summer may have ended but the chill of autumn has not quite arrived. . .  For a refreshing Easter Sunday treat, too revive exhausted Easter egg hunters-- try this delicious spin on a classic. . . 

. : Lavender Lemonade : .

2 cups sugar

5 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish

5 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)

In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.




*Image & recipe from Sunday Suppers

Easter: Recipe

With Easter fast approaching, there's no better time to start planning delectable festive treats-- & for a twist on the classic, why not bake a Hot Cross Custard Tart?

. :  Hot Cross Custard Tart  : .

1 sheet ready prepared shortcrust pastry 

½ cup (125ml) milk

½ cup (125ml) pouring (single) cream

1 egg

1 egg yolk

¼ cup (55g) white sugar

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 180ºC (355ºF). Line a lightly greased 20cm-fluted tart tin with the pastry sheet. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork. Line the tart with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking weights. Blind bake for 20 minutes, remove the weights and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

2.  Place the milk and cream in a small saucepan over low heat, just bring to the boil and remove from the heat immediately. Whisk together the egg, yolk, sugar and vanilla, pour over the milk mixture, whisking to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and gently pour into the cooled tart shell. Reduce the oven to 150ºC (300ºF) and bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from the tin.
 
3.  In a small bowl, combine the nutmeg and cinnamon. Place the handles of two wooden spoons over the tart to form a cross, dust over the nutmeg mixture and carefully remove the spoons. Serves 4–6.

 

 

*Recipe & image via Donna Hay

Perfect Christmas Day cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups vodka
• 2 English cucumbers; 1 peeled and coarsely chopped, 1 left whole
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 bottles (750 mL each) sparkling water
• 1/2 to 1 cup Ginger Simple Syrup Ginger Simple Syrup

Directions

1. Put vodka and chopped cucumber in a nonreactive container. Refrigerate 1 hour. Strain; discard cucumber. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use, up to 2 days.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the remaining cucumber lengthwise into wide strips; discard seeds.
3. Fill eight tumblers with ice. Add 3 cucumber strips and 3 tablespoons infused vodka to each glass. Squeeze, then drop, a lime wedge into each. Top with sparkling water; stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons syrup.

Ginger Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 piece (about 10 inches long and 4 ounces; or use several small pieces) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin rounds

Directions

1. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add ginger; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard ginger. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

 * From Martha Stewart

Faire Cuire: Spring Time

 

Spring is in the air & want nothing but to spend all day outside. . . 

& to take on your picnic, these delicious strawberry morsels-- perfectly dainty & deliciously fresh!

.:   S   t   r   a   w   b   e   r   r   y       c   u   p   c   a   k   e   s   :.

Makes 12

.: 75 grams butter, softened

.: 230 g sugar

.: 1 large egg

.: 1/2 tsp vanilla powder

.: 150 g flour

.: 1 tsp baking powder

.: 85 ml milk

.: 120 g fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and chopped


* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Line one standard 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
* Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
* In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

* Beat in the egg and then beat in vanilla. 

* With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition. 

* Fold in strawberries.
* Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups so that each is about two-thirds full. 

* Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 

* Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on wire racks

.:   S   t   r   a   w   b   e   r   r   y       b   u   t   t   e   r   c   r   e   a   m   :.

.: 5 large egg whites

.: 210 g butter, softened

.: 190 g sugar

.:100 g coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
 

* Pour egg whites and sugar in a clean and heat proof bowl. 

* Put the bowl in a double boiler, the water should be simmering. 

* Whisk the sugar end eggs constantly so they don't curdle. The mixture should be about 65 degrees celsius, about 140-150 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar is melted, it is done. 

* Remove from heat, whip until white, fluffy and cool. This step can take up to 10 minutes. 

* Start adding the butter, very slowly. 

{ Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled and soupy, it's easy to fix! If the buttercream is too cold, just put the bowl in a double boiler again for a few seconds and whip again. If it's too hot, just put it in the fridge for a few minutes and whip. }

* Add strawberries to the buttercream and whip until smooth.

*Recipe & pictures from Call Me Cupcake -- images edited by Amour-Love

Something Sweet For Sunday Morning

 .:   r   i   c   o   t   t   a    h   o   t   c   a   k   e   s   :.

1½ cups (225g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
½ cup caster (superfine) sugar

4 eggs, separated 
1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g ricotta
¼ cup (55g) caster (superfine) sugar, extra
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
 maple syrup and lemon wedges, to serve

.:   m   a   p   l   e    b   u   t   t   e   r   :.

80g butter, softened
1-2 tablespoon maple syrup

.:   r   e   c   i   p   e   :.

.: To make the maple butter, place the butter and maple syrup in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

.: Place the flour, sugar, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Whisk the eggwhite until stiff peaks form and fold through the flour mixture with the ricotta.

  

.: Heat a lightly greased large non-stick frying pan over low heat. Cook 2 tablespoons of the mixture, in batches, for 3–4 minutes each side or until puffed and golden. 

.: Combine the extra sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the pancakes. 

.: Top with the maple butter, drizzle over the maple syrup and serve with lemon wedges. 

Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay-- image from Donna Hay, modified by Amour-Love