Category: Christmas
ICE CREAM
PRETTY IN PINK
I have 2 ice cream machines here – Mums, which is an early model electric, but you need to pack around the canister with ice and salt, and the Cuisinart which you just plug in and it refrigerates as it churns. Okay the Cuisinart is easier, but it doesn’t churn well. Don’t buy one. We bought one a couple of years back for the Whole and Natural Foods Chef Training Program and I thought it should at least get use other times during the year. Mum’s churn is so much sturdier – no plastic dodgy paddles that don’t actually move that well. But enough about that. I’ve been having a bit of ice cream binge – started no doubt by the attraction factor of making and putting in the freezer as far ahead of demand as you like – an ice cream cake for my niece on Boxing Day (30th birthday – make it ahead and freeze – ta da !). In my search for a recipe for strawberry ice cream, I went to Mum’s original book that came with the machine and it’s got something about it that I think you will find interesting and useful.
A key point in making ice creams is that the more fat the more creamy and less “icy” your end result will be. As a mixture with little fat (so perhaps lots of watery fruit) sits in the freezer, the frozen water molecules begin to link up and form large ice crystals. Fat molecules prevent these water molecules from linking up and thus it remains creamy. People do all sorts of things to try and get around making a lower fat ice cream – especially with very watery berries. Mum’s recipe uses gelatine powder dissolved in a little water which is then added to blended and strained strawberries, sugar and cream. Hey presto – add it to the machine and truly, it is the most delicious thing. Mum replaced the cream in her day with Evaporated milk (for a less rich end result), and I’ve replaced the cream with coconut milk for a dairy free end result. It’s delicious, but slightly more grainy. Right now I’ve got a mango and coconut milk one in the freezer. You will also find another version below (vegan, which uses Amasake). Be careful of the gelatine you use – you can read about the ones I like here on the jelly blog. But if you are looking for a way to include more gelatine in your diet (great for the bones and gut), then this is a mighty nice way to go. If you are culturing your cream with Kefir (instructions in Wholefood for Children), this is the most perfect place to use it – a delicious way to get those good bugs.
You’ll be wondering no doubt where the photo of the end result is – I forgot to do the photo bit and by the time I remembered, we had eaten it. You can see it up above, ready to go into the freezer – see how creamy it looks ? (this is made to the recipe below). So quick before strawberries and summer are gone – it’s a delicious and nourishing treat for this time of the year.
MUM’S STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
The recipe for this originally comes from the book Old Fashioned Homemade Icecream, by Ann Creber. Decalon Books, 1979. This is my slightly tweaked version. In regard to how much sugar to make, I recommend tasting the mix (once made) and adjust to your taste. Remember – the mix should be slightly sweeter than you like as it will loose some of it’s sweetness once frozen. Should you wish to use coconut milk, consider coconut cream also – it will give it a smoother consistency. I’m partial to the Ayam brand of coconut milk and coconut cream. I’m not sure how much this makes, but it’s a fair bit and it keeps.
With regard to the gelatine – see the jelly blog for the low down on gelatine. If you are using mango, the measurement is in the actual edible fruit (so weigh it once the skin has been removed and flesh cut from the seed). A bit of lime zest is also delicious with the mango.
About 600 gm (no more) strawberries (or other berry / mango) – washed and green removed
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatine
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 – 3/4 cup golden castor sugar I like the Billingtons brand
1 1/2 cups cream (or, coconut milk, or coconut cream)
Dissolve the gelatine in hot water and set aside to cool.
Blend the strawberries and then press through a sieve into a bowl – discard the seeds that remain in the sieve.
Add the cooled gelatine mix, 1/2 cup sugar and cream to the strawberries and mix well. Taste and add more sugar as needed. Pour into the ice cream machine canister and churn as directed.
STRAWBERRY AMASAKE ICE CREAM
Amasake (Amazake) is a creamy, sweet fermented rice with a consistency similar to rice pudding. It’s traditionally made by inoculating cooked rice with Koji. It’s the amasake here that interferes with the ability of the water molecules to link up, but it’s still going to be a little more grainy than the one above. It’s great stuff and a must in a dairy free household. In Australia I prefer the Spiral brand. Go easy on the sweetening, as you are adding more with the cordial.
1 cup (which will be 1 packet Amasake
500 gm strawberries – washed and greens removed
2 – 4 tablespoons golden castor sugar or maple syrup
2 tablespoons of a lovely raspberry cordial (I would go the Belvoir)
Place the amasake into a shallow dish to freeze (it won’t set solid, just chill it up nicely).
Blend the strawberries and strain through a sieve into a bowl – discard the seeds that remain in the sieve.
Add the amasake, sweetener and cordial to taste – again, remember, it will need to be slightly sweeter than you want it as it will loose that once frozen. Whisk together well and pour into the ice cream machine canister and churn as directed.
IT’S JELLY !!
CHERRYLICOUS
Welcome to the new year. It’s been a quiet space from me I know – I had planned to stop before Christmas but not soon enough for my body it seems – my back went (a first for me, and a first I’d rather not have had), and then Christmas doings, comings and goings on, arrived at my doorstep – much to my delight. Since Christmas I have been – can I politely say – exhausted and very much in need of quiet, doing nothing and searching for the unraveling threads of my body and soul so I can begin to be able to knit them back together again. I thought I had done a good job of that knitting earlier in the year, but it seems not. In a sense it’s a clear space to see where I’ve been and where I want to go. But, I think I’ve begun to find those threads, so when we head out to our island paradise (mind you not everyone thinks Rottnest is an island paradise) next week I can begin to knit. I think that metaphorical knitting looks something like this: salty ocean water, ocean breezes, sitting with a good book and perhaps a cup of coffee (yup, I’m living dangerously here I know).
And, it’s been hot. Really hot for days on end. I mean horrible hot not just hot. Luckily I have a freezer full of berries (a basic rule – when something is in season, get lots at a good price, preserve it in as many ways possible – jam, bottle, freeze etc). In my desire for doing as little as possible, I opted for the freezing option. There were very few West Australian cherries this year, but this 1kg I found at my butcher the other day for $10.00. Yes, they were in the cool room since Christmas, so going cheap. Thank you very much. Perfect for jelly. Or pie. Or jam (with scones). I’ve been in a cherry and ice cream mood. They are both easy and lovely to eat when it’s hot and a pretty delicious way to include gelatine in the diet. Gelatine is such a good thing – soothing and healing to the gut, ensures that foods are more easily digested, great for bones to name but a few of it’s benefits. But, you have to be very fussy about the brand – I wouldn’t be touching the generic stuff in the supermarkets labelled ‘ from Australian and imported ingredients’. No way. If you are having bones, skin and cartilage, you want to know it’s come from animals that are healthy and have had respect paid to them. I use either of 2 options – Bernard Jensen or the Great Lakes Grass Pastured. I’ve come across organic leaf gelatine in my travels also, but really quite happy to use the slightly more old fashioned powdered gelatine.
I like to make jelly from scratch, and it’s a lot easier than it sounds. The commercial ones taste like the chemicals that flavour them – they don’t even bother to disguise it it seems. The so called ‘natural’ ones – not much better as far as I’m concerned. A jelly is simply a juice of some kind, sweetened to taste and set with gelatine. That’s it. You could also use agar and I’ll give you the recipe for both. Gelatine will give you a more sexy, wibble wobble, smooth and flexible end result, but it will melt in the heat and take hours to set. Agar will give you a boofy, clunky end result but set in a matter of 30 minutes or so, and hold up to bullying heat.
In the void of the nothing, I am confident I will find myself and my soul again but I also know some delicious food will help. The rest of those cherries are coming with me to Rottnest for a Cherry Pie for Body and Soul and Beignet are most certainly happening for breakfast one morning (french doughnuts). You could make a cherry pie too – it’s easy, and this is the pastry recipe I use. Just toss the cherries with a bit of cornstarch/flour/arrowroot to bind the juices (about 2 tablespoons for 1 kg of cherries), a bit of sweetness – taste the cherries first, and vanilla.
Mum gave me Bathers for Christmas and can I tell you they have cherries on them :) They’re called Cherrylicious. May your new year be cherrylicious in every possible way.
x Jude
BERRY JELLY
You can happily use frozen berries here – for mine, I used a mix of strawberries, logan and blackberries. Sweetness wise, I add just a touch of golden castor sugar, a semi refined cyrstallised sugar (Billingtons) as it allows the taste of the berries to come through. Rapadura, Coconut Palm etc muddy the flavour too much for me – be careful if you are using the moscato or fruity dessert wine, as they will add sweetness also. The moscato (I used Strawberry Champagne for Christmas) etc is not necessary – you can just use more berry juice to make up the amount required. If you’d like to add a 1/2 vanilla bean to the stewing berries, do so – just a little or the vanilla takes over too much.
400gm blackberries or other moist berries such as rasp, straw, young/logan berries or cherries + extra to set in the jelly – as you can see, I used cherries for that.
1 – 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon (20 ml tablespoon) high-quality powdered gelatine
125 ml /1/2 cup moscato or fruity dessert wine *** optional see above
Place the berries, the sugar (add a bit, then taste and add more if needed a little later, remembering you might be adding the moscato) and 435 ml (1 3/4 cups) of water in a saucepan. Stir through and bring to a gentle boil [over medium heat. Continue to simmer over low heat (not too rapid a boil or you will evaporate off too much liquid) for 40 -50 minutes, I often put a lid on it to be sure.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing ever so lightly on the solids to extract as much juice as possible (if you press too hard the liquid won’t be as clear and sparkly). You should have 500ml (2 cups) of liquid; if have less, you will need to make this up with water; if you have more, set the excess aside for another use. Return the 500ml of liquid to the pan and bring to the boil. Immediately turn off the heat, sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and whisk through for about 1 minute or until it is well dissolved. Add the moscato and stir through. Place your extra berries (as many as you want) in the bowl, and pour the jelly over. Cool before placing in the fridge to set overnight.
MAKING THE JELLY WITH AGAR:
Replace the gelatine with 1 1/4 teaspoons agar powder and 1 teaspoon kudzu (kuzu).
Place the 500ml of strained berry juice in a saucepan and whisk in the agar. Return the heat and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking frequently because as the agar dissolves it likes to the bottom and stick. Gently simmer for 6 minutes from the time it comes to the boil, whisking frequently.
Meanwhile, combine the kudzu with 1 tablespoon of the moscato and mix to a smooth slurry.
When the agar mixture is ready, remove from the heat and whisk in the kudzu mixture. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining moscato.
Christmas Cookies + Meringue Mushrooms
CHRISTMAS DEER PONDERING THE AFTERNOON LIGHT
(otherwise known as Spelt, Almond and Maple Syrup Cookies with Pecan Mushroom Meringue and Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ganache)
At it’s practical core, this post is about a very simple and delicious biscuit / cookie – wet to dry, dairy free and could easily be nut free. It uses the delicious and wholesome sweetener maple syrup and when chocolate is included (either in the cookie or with the ganache) the coconut oil almost gives it a chocolate crackle groove. The dough can also be rolled out and stamped with your cookie cutter of choice. But, for me, the post is also about taking time out in a world that’s becoming seriously at risk of forgetting about daydreams, fun, delight, fairy dust and magic. It’s my version of a Christmas Gingerbread house.
piped and ready for the oven
You can make the meringues a fair way ahead of time and store them in an airtight container.
To put it together, I found a vase with straight sides and used the ganache to ‘glue’ the planks. This enabled me to put water in the vase for the greenery. Basically, if anything doesn’t work or is tricky – use the ganache to stick it together or add depth where needed.
As we draw close to the end of the what has been a busy year, I’d like to give you a great big Christmas hug – you read me, you cook from me and you invite me into your homes and lives – thank you. I happen to think the way we grow our food, prepare and eat our food (and treasure those who grow and do the cooking), and value family and friendship is at the core of being a human. Your support enables me to do the work I do – thank you. I wish you dreams come true and magic this Christmas season.The recipes below are a from the new book (Wholefood Baking), due May 2013 and are a little Christmas pressie preview for you….
Pecan Mushroom Meringues
gluten and dairy free
Oven temperature is tricky here – it will depend heavily on YOUR oven. I set my fan forced oven (which runs hot) at 130c for 30 minutes, then 100c for 10 minutes. A slower oven for a longer time frame is better than a hotter oven for shorter time. This will give you far more than you need, but they keep forever and will make it easier for you to pipe. No replacing the golden castor sugar with rapadura – they won’t work. Oh, and Golden Icing Sugar – this is a semi refined crystallised sugar – in Australia and England it is available under the Billingtons brand.
2 egg whites, at room temperature
105 g / 1/2 cup golden caster (superfine) sugar
1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
25 g /1/4 cup finely ground, lightly roasted pecans
dutched cocoa powder, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 150c C OR 140 c if fan forced. and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Bring a saucepan half-filled with water to a simmer. Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl that can sit on the saucepan without its base touching the water. Place the bowl on over the simmering water and whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is warm. Take care not to let the bowl get too hot as the egg white will begin to cook.
Turn the egg white mix into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until very dense and shiny, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the vanilla extract and pecans with a spatula. Scoop the meringue into a piping (icing) bag fitted with a 10cm plain nozzle. Pipe out a small tube shape, to make the stalk of a mushroom – ranging from ranging from shorter to slightly higher, but no higher than 25cm and a small circular top onto the prepared tray. I like to make different shapes and different sizes for my mushrooms. Go for it, make as many mushrooms as you like.
Bake the meringues until they firm to the touch and almost dry (you can break one open to look inside), about 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 130 (or 110c fan forced) for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely.
Use a small amount of chocolate ganache to glue the mushroom tops to the stalks. If you want to go all out, you can pipe very fine lines of ganache on the underside of the tops. Just before serving, use a sieve to dust the tops of the mushrooms with the cocoa (I use the Green and Blacks Dutched Cocoa).
Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ganache
can be dairy free is the chocolate is dairy free:
makes a generous ¾ cup
This is a dark, luscious ganache with a definite bitter edge – made all the better by using coconut milk rather than cream instead of cream. Not only is it less rich, but it allows the dark bitterness of the cocoa to come through, but it softened by the maple syrup and coconut. It’s very good. If you’d like to replace the coconut milk with cream, you can replace it with an equal amount.
Baking Notes:
I use Green and Blacks 70% Dark Chocolate, but it does have dairy. Dairy free brands include Rapunzel and Dagoba.
100gm dark bittersweet chocolate – 70% is good
140 ml coconut milk
2 – 3 teaspoons maple syrup, or to taste
Finely chop the chocolate and add to a small mixing bowl. Bring the coconut milk to a boil, and pour over the chocolate – stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Once made, place the ganache in a small bowl and leave in a cool place (the fridge is fine) to set – this will take a few hours. Once the ganache sets, it will be a perfect spreading consistency and will keep in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks, covered. When you need to soften it – either for spreading (if it is too hard), bring it out to come to room temperature. If it is freezing cold set the bowl in a small pot of hot water and leave it to sit for a few minutes. As it starts to soften, it will look as if it is splitting a little, but once it has all melted, you can stir it together and it will be perfect.
Almond, Coconut and Maple Syrup Biscuits
dairy free and egg free – could be nut free
makes about 50 x 4cm biscuits
This recipe can be used as a classic dairy-free and egg-free biscuit. Made with coconut oil, the result has a great crispy texture; when made as a thicker biscuit (not rolled out, but simply formed), it is still fine. The coconut oil flavour does come through but is a divine combination with maple syrup, and even better with chocolate added with hazelnuts or almonds. This is a quick, simple and easy recipe. They are also delicious with dark chocolate added or sandwiched with dairy-free Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ganache. If you’d like it nut free you could replace the chocolate with 1/2 cup cocoa nibs, ground to a coarse meal. I simply rolled the dough out and cut it into lengths of 1 1/2 – 2cm width to use as “trees”.
Baking notes
· Make sure the nuts are roasted first. The skin can stay on almonds, but it needs to be rubbed off the hazelnuts. Take care not to grind the nuts too fine or too coarsely.
· This is a lovely dough to roll, but it most certainly has a temperature sweet spot — neither too cold or too warm. It will come out of the fridge very firm, so leave it to relax for about 5 minutes before working with it. When the dough is very cold or if the weather is chilly, you may get a few cracks at the edges in the beginning if you roll too aggressively, so just go gently and it will become easier as the dough warms. Again, if the weather is very cold, I sometimes put my hands on it warm the fat, and thus soften the dough. If the weather is hot, the oil will melt too quickly, and you may have to put it back in the freezer to chill for a moment or two. Don’t be tempted to use any flour. To make the dough easier to handle, just pop it back in the fridge. The pastry should give a very slight resistance when rolling and needs to have some chill to hold the coconut oil. The pastry shouldn’t be at all oily.
· When making these with chocolate, ensure the nuts are absolutely cool or it may melt.
130 g /1 cup unbleached white spelt flour
145 g /1 cup wholemeal (whole-grain) spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of fine sea salt
80 g /1/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts, roasted and finely ground
100 g dark chocolate (I like 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped (optional)
125 ml /1/2 cup maple syrup
125 ml /1/2 cup coconut oil (must be liquid but not too cool or it will set)
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
Place the flours, baking powder, salt, nuts and chocolate (if using) into a bowl and whisk together to evenly distribute the ingredients and break up any lumps — the nuts, especially, can tend to stick together due to their oil content.
Place the maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl and whisk together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together. Divide the dough in half, roughly flatten each into a 13 cm (5 inch) disc, and place in a sealed plastic bag to chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C or 165°C if fan forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Roll one piece of dough at a time, between sheets of baking paper. This is a very easy dough to roll, and you won’t need extra flour (see Baking notes). As the pastry becomes bigger, it will stick to the paper. Lift the paper off and replace the paper — this breaks its seal. Gently turn the whole thing over (paper and all) and then repeat with the paper underneath; if you don’t do this, the pastry will just stick to the paper and won’t get any bigger. Roll until the pastry is about 25 cm in diameter, but it is more important that it is about 4 mm thick. Stamp out the biscuits using a 4–4.5 cm biscuit cutter, and use a palette knife to move the biscuits to the trays. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more biscuits.
If you want drop biscuits, do not chill the dough, but rather scoop 1 heaped teaspoon, roll into a ball and place on a tray. Gently press to flatten slightly.
Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on the trays for 5 minutes before gently moving to a wire rack. If sandwiching with a filling, wait until they are absolutely cool before doing so.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks. Take care not to store them in the fridge or it will harden the coconut oil and damage the texture of the biscuit.
Marshmallow
TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
I very nearly put a photo of my stunningly messy kitchen here, but thought better of it – way too embarrassing. This last week has been full on – shopping, catching up with my sister who is visiting from Switzerland, cooking (finally got that Christmas cake in the oven), lunch with neighbours, cricket yesterday evening, not to mention a bit of recipe testing thrown into the mix. That’s our Christmas tree up there – we had a dream run this year. Cool day (thank you, thank you), found it in seconds and they even came and cut it down for us. I made Christmas muffins for us to take in case hunger struck – cherry and blackberry. I go prepared – I think I’ve given up trying to find an edible muffin in Perth. Morning tea in Fremantle last week was the straw that broke the camels back – here we are in summer, bountiful fruit all around and what were the muffins (at least they were made by the cafe) – apple, but even then, none left. Starving, I settled for the Curried Corn – a curious combination I thought – and so it proved true – inedible. You can find the recipe for the muffins here, just use what fruit or nut appeals, and I made mine with spelt.
I know there are lots of photo’s here, but I just couldn’t resist some of them – jewels of colour all around me, bountiful nature. This is a photo collage of sorts, of whats been happening in my kitchen. We will get to the recipe for today …..
The recipe for the trifle? A more sophisticated version than this, as I made the agar strawberry jelly – for agar jelly see here (I cooked 500gm fresh strawberries with 1 cup water, strained to get 2 cups strawberry juice, sugar to taste, 1 1/4 teaspoons agar powder). And, lots of Chambourd.
Right, which brings us to today, and the recipe. Diamond (on my facebook page) asked if I was posting any treats. Hmmm, I thought, yes I should. And I’ve settled on Marshmallow. When I was in Melbourne this year, dining at one of my favourite places PM24, we were served a strawberry marshmallow – oh, insanely good – slightly tart, soft – heaven. This is my first attempt at that – it’s not quite there, but it’s a work in progress. This doesn’t quite capture what I was after – lots of colour, fresh, slightly tart strawberry flavour, wild pink colour, but it’s good. I’m in the mood for marshmallow – it’s a light treat, and fun for the kids (once made). I based the recipe on the Miette version, but used more wholesome sweetening – the Billingtons Golden Castor Sugar (less refined) and a Brown Rice Syrup (in Australia I use the Spiral brand) rather than Light Corn Syrup – the brown rice syrup works fabulously. Oh, fresh strawberry puree and high quality gelatine, from healthy animals. As another thought, you could try using some of the dehydrated berry powder – available from Burch and Purchase (in Melbourne, lucky you if you live in Melbourne!!) both to add to the marshmallow and add to the coating mixture.
Thank you all for sharing this year with me – I have met some amazing people – like you. One of the clear messages that came out of meeting you all was that many of you feel isolated, as you try to provide real, sustainable and good food for yourself and your family. Though this path is gaining momentum, it can seem lonely at times. But know there are many of you, all across the world – each caring enough to keep on this path and how important this is. The other issue was that of time – our 2011 /12 lives are becoming quite crazy – Christmas can certainly be even busier. I hope you find some time to breathe and sigh, and that joy and peace can find a space in your home.
x Jude
STRAWBERRY MARSHMALLOW – gluten free
There are a couple of critical points here – firstly, I found I needed a fairly large pot for the sugar mixture – too small and it will boil over. Secondly, remember this is boiling syrup – be very careful it does not spill – it will burn badly, especially as it is so sticky. Keep the kids away until the marshmallow is set. I’ve used a very fiddly snowflake – some of those edges look a bit wonky !! Once set the mix is very pliable though, and great for kids. it will be much easier with a simpler shape such as a star. You will also need a candy thermometer.
fresh, ripe strawberries, green leaves removed
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing/powdered sugar ( I used the Billingtons Golden Icing Sugar)
2 tablespoons (20ml tablespoon) gelatine
80 ml strawberry puree
100 ml water
335gm golden castor sugar
100 ml brown rice syrup
3 large egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Blend enough ripe strawberries that when put through a sieve (discard the seeds) to give you 80 ml
strawberry puree.
Sieve the cornstarch and icing sugar into a bowl and mix together. Lightly oil ( I used macadamia, but a similar light tasting oil is fine) a 20 x 30cm cake tin and dust it with a small amount of the cornstarch and icing sugar mixture. Set aside.
Add the strawberry puree to a small bowl and stir in the gelatine. Leave to soften.
In a good size saucepan combine the castor sugar, water and brown rice syrup. Do not stir now, or anytime during the process. Place on a low – medium heat, and when it looks like the sugar is beginning to melt, you can increase the heat a little. If you see little crystals of sugar around the edge of the pot, use a pastry brush dipped in waster to wash them back into the mixture. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan – you want it to reach 119c.
Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the egg whites and cream of tartar, and when the sugar mixture reaches 110c, begin to whisk slowly. When the it reaches 119c, the egg whites should be nicely whipped, though sometimes this last stage 110 – 119 can take some time. Immediately remove the syrup from the heat and whisk in the strawberry mixture, whisking until no lumps remain.
Carefully drizzle the sugar syrup into the egg whites – low to medium speed. If you were using the dehydrated berry powder, I would add that also. When all of the syrup has been added, add the vanilla paste, extract and salt, and increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture has cooled to room temperature and is thick. Don’t get a shock when the mixture looks like it has deflated when you’ve added all the syrup, and be prepared for the whipping after this to take a considerable amount of time – easily 10 minutes if not more. It should look like this….
Using a spatula, pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover and place in fridge to set for at least 12 hours. Using a lightly oiled knife (or dust the knife in the coating mix) cut the marshmallows as desired, or lightly oil a cookie cutter (or dredge it well in the coating mix). The mix is quite pliable and will pull out of the cutter easily. Dust the cut edges with the cornstarch and sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Lemon Blueberry Scones
BERRIES, BAKING AND BUTTERMILK HERB CRICKET CHICKEN
This is most likely going to be my big blog before Christmas, as things are begining to get a little hectic. During this next 2 weeks, I am trying to slow down, but also still need to get quite a few things done still – pay those bills (tick), clean my house and make some sense of the mess, write my Christmas cards, Christmas shopping and get my Christmas Cake cooked !!! It sits there on the kitchen bench soaking away in brandy and vino cotto – I will get to it – but at least all that soaking should result in a mighty fine cake. I’m sure it’s a bit like this for you too. So, too the best bit – the food. These are the weeks I really, really like to make a bit special, and make a little more effort. I like the house to be full of the smells of food baking, roasting and cooking, and without doubt, these are the smells of the 2 weeks before Christmas, all mingled with the glorious pine of the Christmas tree (it’s not up yet, we go to cut that baby down on Friday). It’s got to be a real tree for me, and we get one from the Christmas tree farm. When it’s finished, the leaves (thin as they are) get used to mulch the gardenias (or azalea’s) but when dried, also make the best kindling for the winter fire. The log is dried over summer, ready to use for firewood during winter – so nothing has gone to waste.
But shall we get onto the food?
It’s berry season here, and we often go blueberry picking at about this time. I know this is a traditional time for cookies, but these lemon and blueberry scones are so delicious and easy to make. Perfect with a cup of tea, warm out the oven for breakfast or morning tea, I find them a more substantial than cookies.
The Buttermilk Cricket Chicken? Well, we go to the evening 20/20 cricket ( a short version of the game) and I believe in taking a delicious (but easy) picnic. No packets of chips or commercial dips, or other seriously dodgy foods that I see most families eating when we are there, I want real, good food. This is the easiest thing to make, transports well, eats well and provides leftovers. What more can a woman want? (mind you, asking that question I can think of a few other things ….Santa Baby….. love that Christmas song, Eartha Kitt has the best version). I like to cook the chicken with small chunks of potato (toss them in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and salt first) and tuck them around the chicken. The juices and fat from the chicken end up coating and baking with the potatoes. I find it’s important to cook the chicken well, that chicken juice will have the opportunity to reduce and begin to gel around the potatoes – making them even more delicious. The chicken fat will also make them extra crispy. When serving remember to scrape off all those sticky chicken juices from the tray – that gelatine will help you digest the meat. Together with a yummy green salad, you have a delicious dinner. Dessert ? That will be mini pavlova with all my left over egg whites :) Topped with creme and berries. You know how much I hate hot summer days, but those evenings – glorious, outdoors where one should be on a summer night.
I love using left over chicken in salads and sandwiches – mixed with mayonnaise and herbs – it makes a quick and exceptionally nutrient dense lunch. If I have pesto floating around (and I do !) I would add that – even more delicious.
I wish you a wonderful and joyous Christmas season – Happy Holidays!!! Thank you for sharing the year here with me, and may many blessings find there way to you. May there much joy and deliciousness in your life and at your table…………..
Flattened, Buttermilk and Herb Crispy Chicken:
This is the simplest meal to put together, and left overs are excellent for lunch. Cutting out the backbone of the chicken allows you to flatten it, and thus cook quicker. You will need to marinate this 24 hours ahead of time. If you run out of time to marinate, just omit that step – it will still be delicious, and if you want an even quicker and crispier end result, you can cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
To Marinade
1 organic, grass pastured chicken
500 ml buttermilk
handful fresh herbs
The Herb Mix
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, lemon thyme, thyme and sage
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Potatoes for everyone – skin on, scrubbed and roughly cut into small – medium chunks
Lay the chicken breast side down on a chopping board. Using your kitchen or poultry shears cut out the backbone (freeze for stock). Turn the chicken over and flatten. Place in dish and pour the buttermilk and fresh herbs over the chicken, ensuring the buttermilk is evenly distributed. Cover and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Pre heat oven to 200c or 180 c if fan forced
Prepare the herb mix by mixing the herbs and lemon together. Remove the chicken and place on a baking tray (the flatter the tray the better) and roughly pat dry – make sure to leave some buttermilk on the skin especially. Gently loosen the skin from the breast and stuff 2/3 of the herb mix under the skin. Sprinkle the rest on the chicken, with a generous amount of pepper and salt. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Toss the potatoes separately in a little olive oil (and herbs if desired) and scatter on the tray, close to the chicken – even tuck some underneath the chicken. Bake until the skin is crispy and golden approx. 40 – 60 minutes, or until the juices in the thigh run clean. If you find the skin is burning rather than just becoming golden, reduce the temperature.
Remove from oven and leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Lemon Glazed Blueberry Scones:
1 cup / 130 gm white spelt flour or 130 gm white, all purpose wheat flour
1 cup / 145gm wholemeal spelt flour or 130 gm wholemeal wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ tablespoons rapadura sugar
grated zest of 1 small lemon
½ teaspoon baking soda
100gm very cold unsalted butter, cut into rough 1 cm pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup full cream, non – homogenised milk (+ 1 – 2 tablespoons more if using wheat)
½ cup buttermilk or yoghurt (+ 1 – 2 tablespoons more if using wheat)
For Dairy and Butter free:
80 ml macadamia or almond oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup rice milk
½ cup coconut milk
Lemon Glaze:
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice – you may need more depending on the acidity of the lemon
Preparing to Bake:
Pre heat the oven to 200c or 180c if fan forced.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and zest in a bowl and sift in the baking soda. Mix through with a whisk to combine ingredients and break up any lumps of flour.
Add the vinegar to a cup measure, and add the milk and buttermilk. Set aside.
Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs – some bits will be the size of a pea, this is fine. Add the blueberries and toss through to evenly distribute. Add ¾ cup of milk (the full cup if using wheat) and mix with a large spoon to just combine – take care not to over – mix as this is the main cause of heavy scones. Add the extra milk as needed, for spelt you will use just about the whole cup, for wheat you will use the whole cup and may need to add another 1 – 2 tablespoons. The mix should form into a moist, but not at all sloppy, dough. For dairy free, cut the oil into the flour as best you can, forming coarse breadcrumbs. Mix 3/4 cup of milk with the vinegar, and add as described.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Depending on wether you want a wedge or a square, cut the dough.
To make wedges pat (don’t knead) the dough to form a rough circle approx 20cm x 2.5 cm thick. You may need to lightly flour your hands. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut 12 wedges (you may well need to re flour the knife in between cuts) and place on the lined tray. You may need to use your knife to pick up the scones and don’t worry too much if they fall out of shape a bit, that is part of their charm. Alternatively, form (don’t knead) the dough into a rectangle approx 21cm x 16cm and approx 2.5cm deep. Cut 4 x 3.
Bake for 15 – 20 mins, or until golden and lightly browned and just cooked in the middle (you can break one open to check). Drizzle with the glaze and serve warm.
To make the glaze, add the ingredients to a small bowl, and mix together well – taste and adjust as needed the lemon juice as needed.
The Smells and Flavours of Christmas – Summer Breakfast Salad
THE SMELL OF THE EARTH ON A HOT SUMMER MORNING – SUMMER BERRIES and CHERRIES
THE SMELL OF THE EARTH ON A HOT SUMMER MORNING – SUMMER BERRIES and CHERRIES
Right up, I can tell you I’m not a summer person, but I live in Perth, so honestly you’d think by now I would be accustomed to it. But the thing that I absolutely love about those very hot summer mornings is the smell of the earth. The east winds howl over the dessert and reach Perth on the very hot days – when they are howling, you know it’s going to be a stinking hot day. But that smell – I ‘m not sure how to describe it. It is the earth, but a very West Australian earth and slightly sweet. As I breathe it in I know I am meant to be here, and am part of this country. I feel grounded. Very early in the morning (around 5ish ) it is actually still cool. I’m up because the birds wake me up and it’s light, and I go out and potter in the vegetable garden, water the pots and get what needs to be done outside done. But the thing is, you don’t want to eat that much on a hot morning. So this is what I do, I make a summer breakfast salad. The idea came from a delicious salad I had at the Frog Hollow Farm in San Francisco some years back. The goat cheese and nuts give it a bit more nutrient density and keep you going. You can use any fruit (me? I’m using strawberries and cherries) and the trick is to try and match the dressing to the fruit – playing with the vinegars or oil. For example a raspberry vinegar is delicious with berries or balsamic with cherries or strawberries. If you have access to this delicious Wellwood Walnut Oil, I would most definitely use that – it’s a Victorian brand, but I know that Alive Organics in West Australia certainly stocks it (and as they wholesale, other shops should be able to access it). But – make sure that walnut oil is not rancid – it is an Omega 3 oil, thus highly unstable to heat, light and oxygen. It should come from and be kept in the fridge and once open have a short life span.
I’ll be back next week with some serious Christmas eating, but in the meantime, if you’re doing Fruit Mince Tarts, have you got your fruit mince and pastry made? If not check out here and you might be game enough to put up some puff pastry for a quick treat – truly, it’s not as hard as it looks….
Summer Breakfast Salad
Take as many lettuce and garden greens as you would like and scatter them on a platter. Sprinkle with fruit as desired – berries and stone fruit are especially good. Top with a soft goat cheese ( I like the Ringwould in WA and Holy Goat in Victoria) and drizzle with dressing. Top with fresh herbs.
The dressing should be simple – extra virgin olive oil (or if you have a fresh, not rancid, high quality nut oil such as walnut, use that), raspberry or balsamic vinegar, touch of mustard and salt. I keep garlic out of this. I use a classic ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, but rely more on taste – adding more vinegar if the fruit is very sweet. Make it how you like it.
Toasted nuts would be delicious and add a little more density.
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