Chocolate Chit Chat

Here's a little radio interview I did about my chocolate work (in the dead of winter). Gosh I can talk : /

http://tinyurl.com/3d256mn

Sx

Sparkling Lemon & Limeade

Lemonade is ridiculously easy to make, you can control the amount of sugar for the children and it's a proper crowd pleaser. I've used Agave syrup here. It has a lovely sweetness and it's a brilliant alternative to sugar. Boiling the lemons and limes in their juices releases the precious essential oils from the peel resulting in a punchy, aromatic freshness that you wouldn't get otherwise. Skip it and you'll end up with a drink that's a bit sorry for itself.

RECIPE:

5 unwaxed lemons

4 unwaxed limes

1 cup of Agave syrup

1 litre of sparkling water

a handful of fresh basil & fresh mint

ice

slices of lemon and lime

METHOD:

Squeeze as much juice from the lemons and limes into a pan as you have strength for, along with the pulp and peel. Add the Agave syrup and gently bring to the boil. Remove from heat immediately.

By this time the fruit will have relaxed a little and will happily give up more juice and oils so gently press the fruit with a potato masher to help it on its way. Set aside to cool.

Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, strain to discard the pulp and peel.

Add the basil and mint leaves and if you can, leave the whole thing to muddle for a couple of hours.

Pour your mixture (and basil and mint) into a roomy jug, top up with sparking water, plough it with ice, add fresh slices of lemon and lime and serve.

TIP: Add vodka for grown ups OBVS ; )

Oven Thermometer

Not an exciting blog in any respect but helpful...I hope. Home baking is very much back on the agenda. Even the most fearful cooks are mustering up the courage to bake the odd cake or a batch of scones from time to time but still, there aren't enough of us doing it. I think 'fear' with baking is due to the looming issue of precision and it is true that a few grammes of butter out here or a bit of over beating there can mean the difference between a cloudy-light cake or something that resembles a shot putting discus. After a few baking disasters, most of us give up the ghost and shop for what we need rather than powering through and who can blame us?

You'll be happy to know that it's so often to do with tools and nothing to do with you at all. My own baking revelation came after I invested a couple of quid in an oven thermometer; a gadget you might like the idea of but can't really see the point because your oven temperature gauge does that for you, right? I wish. When I bought my latest oven, everything was going wrong from soggy Yorkshire puddings to cremated parsnips; sure signs that my oven was either firing on all (and then some) cylinders and burning really hot, or, not really getting up to temperature at all.

Needless to say, if your baking is a bit of a damp squib get yourself an oven thermometer. There may well be other baking hurdles but baking at the right temperature is a brilliant place to start.

Good old Lakeland! http://turl.ca/gfbrjo

Cheap as chips. This version from Nisbets will do the job perfectly well too http://turl.ca/udou

Strawberry Shelly Shortcake

I'm not usually one for biscuits; especially bought ones but I love making them and there are of course exceptions to anyone's rule. Shortcake/Shortbread - hay schmay - they're almost identical and much more lovely if you bake them yourself. This recipe doesn't have that condensed sickliness or compacted, pavement slab hardness that I associate with British shortbread. These little sweethearts have a light, crumbly, melt in the mouth texture that is just gorgeous. As it's nearly Valentines I've pushed the boat out and used a heart-shaped cutter (jazz hands) and although 'tis not the season for strawberries, what would Valentines be without them? I'm convinced that if you serve this up for your loved one on Valentines Day, his or her heart will melt...just a little bit. Amore! Amore!

INGREDIENTS:

Shortcake

240g salted butter (room temp)

110g sugar (more for dusting if required)

250g plain flour

30g rice flour

20g corn flour

Macerated Strawberries

500g strawberries (washed, de-hulled & cut in to 1cm sq)

50ml balsamic vinegar

25g icing sugar

Fresh basil (a few finely shredded leaves)

Pink peppercorns (milled)

Double or clotted cream for serving

METHOD:

Shortcake

Turn the oven on to 140 degrees and line a shallow baking tray with baking parchment.

Beat the sugar and butter until light, pale and fluffy. Add the flour in three stages and incorporate to a damp, sandy, semi-ball. Wrap the mixture in cling and set aside at room temperature for half an hour. Lightly dust your work surface with flour, form your mixture in to a roundish shape and roll out to approximately 1cm thickness. Using whatever pastry cutter you have, cut out your shapes and place on the baking parchment. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pale gold and light. Sprinkle with sugar whilst still warm. I prefer not to do this.

Macerated Strawberries

Mix the shredded basil and chopped strawberries together, lay the mixture onto a plate and drizzle the vinegar over the top. Make sure all the pieces are coated by rolling them around a little bit. Then, dust over the icing sugar and freshly milled pink pepper. Leave for an hour to do their stuff.

ASSEMBLY:

Once your shortcake is cool enough you can start to assemble them along with the strawberries into something worthy of dessert status. Strain the juice from the strawberries and place them on top of the shortcake. If you can make a quenelle of cream to sit on top, go for it. Otherwise, just dollop and go.

TIPS:

*Don't panic if you don't have any pink peppercorns. Black or rainbow work just as well.

*You can make the shortbread a day or two in advance so long as it's kept totally airtight.

*Omit the basil from the maceration of the strawberries if you just can't deal.

Adapted from a recipe by John Campbell