Thursday, December 29, 2022

688/1038 - Brandied cumquats

This recipe was actually made a couple of years ago, put in a cupboard to mature and then promptly forgotten. My desire to add these beauties to Stephanie's Christmas mince pies brought them again to the front of my mind. Digging through my heavily laden pantry, I was desperately hoping that the boozy little jar had miraculously survived the many clean outs and reshuffles that occur periodically in my kitchen. 

Survive it did, and I excitedly scooped out the contents, marvelling at how much the alcohol soaked cumquats looked like the shrivelled thumbs of my children after they had sat in the bath for too long. It didn't require much coaxing to convince the two citrus loving men of my household to test them out to ensure they had not gone bad. 

The verdict was a good one - apparently the cumquats were still lovely and tart, with a heavenly brandy flavour throughout. I cannot wait to add these to all sorts of desserts over the coming months, even if I can't eat them myself! Things are definitely stabilising in that department and I am very much hoping that citrus will be back on the menu for me in the next couple of years. In the meantime, my boys will have an extra helping of my lovely citrus desserts all to themselves. 

Stay tuned for Stephanie's (post) Christmas mince pies! 

Friday, July 8, 2022

687/1038 - Raspberry sauce

Keen to get another recipe on the books, my inspiration for making this sauce was a half bag of frozen raspberries which had been languishing in the freezer. I love fruit but raspberries are just one of the foods that now switch my mast cells to fight mode and so this sauce was created for the enjoyment of the two other raspberry lovers in my family. The sauce, or coulis, was ridiculously easy to make and the result was smooth, glossy and very professional looking. Even better, the making of this recipe fortuitously coincided with a freshly churned batch of homemade vanilla ice-cream. 

Having to rely on taste testers can be a tough gig when all I can extract from them is, "It's really good". Enter Luke, my gorgeous taste tester ring-in who happened to be at our house helping out with some odd jobs. According to Luke, the sauce provided an instant hint of tart berry flavour which was immediately followed by a gentle sweetness. The flavour of the brandy was subtle but pleasing and the sauce had just the right amount of viscosity which enabled it to cling to each spoonful of ice-cream for maximum enjoyment. 

By all accounts (some more articulate than others) a successful project. 

Sunday, February 13, 2022

686/1038 - Grandma's bramble cake

The idea of using lard in the pastry for a dessert had my stomach turning. But once I remembered that lard pastry is used in Chinese egg tarts, which of course are the most magical sweet things ever created, I was sold. I decided to include a mixture of blueberries and blackberries in my "cake" just to keep things interesting. The resulting dish was more pudding than cake but was definitely well received by my little family. The soft pastry in the centre blended with the fruity filling to create a concoction that was both sweet and satisfying. The crunchy exterior provided a lovely bite to the dish which is so important for maximum enjoyment. A definite winner and one to be repeated.

That's now two recipes on the board for 2022, a doubling of last year's achievement, and it's only February!

Monday, January 24, 2022

685/1038 - Wattleseed chocolate truffles

I no longer eat chocolate. Nowadays, it causes my face to swell and brings on breathing difficulties, so I have bid (a hopefully temporary) farewell to one of my favourite foods. Even so, I decided to spend this hot day making some beautiful wattleseed truffles for my family and also for some friends who have been in quarantine almost every day since Christmas. Unfortunately, with COVID everywhere right now, quarantine is inevitable when you have teenagers who are out and about. The very least I can do for them is a doorstep drop of something sweet!

Enter truffles. The making of these was truly a reflection of my love for others, with me unable to even lick my fingers as I worked. In truth, I did reap some benefits. I very much enjoyed the heavenly smell of wattleseed brewing in hot water, reminiscent of both coffee and chicory. Reports from the family are that the wattleseed flavour is quite subtle in this recipe, appearing like an earthy afterthought once the truffle has been  consumed. Sounds divine. 

Although this post was very delayed, I am thrilled to have one on the board for 2022. Hopefully more to come.