Frozen Mint Lemonade.

Today was a wonderful Spring day, one of the first ones we've had.  It was 15 degrees, with clear blue sunny skies, one of those kind of days that make you want to head to the Garden Centre.  So that's exactly what the hubby and I did.

I was looking for a Cactus to replace the one I had till a couple of years ago, one that I could put on my dining room table.  Unfortunately, the ones they had just weren't to my liking, which I was a little disappointed about.  However, the selection of herbs caught my eye instead.  I used to grow Herbs back when I lived in the UK, and the hubby and I had a planter out on the patio where we live now until a couple of years ago too, we grew Parsley and Oregano in there. 

This time we opted for Oregano again, and two different types of Mint.  English Mint, and Chocolate Mint.  Of course, after getting them home and settled in their pots, I came looking for something I could use Mint in, besides a Mint Sauce/Jelly for Lamb and Pork.  Instead, I came across a recipe for a Frozen Mint Lemonade.  I made it just an hour or so ago, when Andy swung by for a while.  While the recipe is non alcoholic, I added two travel size bottles of Vodka to it in the blender.

My first sip brought the exclamation 'Holy Aunt of Betty Crocker!' to my lips.  People, this is GOOD!  Andy and the hubby said it's like a Mojita, and I have to agree.  It's tangy, not too sweet, with a clear taste of mint, yet it's not overpowering.  It cleanses the Palate, and of course, it freshens the breath too lol.  I can't wait for those warm summer evenings, sitting on the patio with one of these (or three!) watching the sun go down.  Heck, I may even get myself a flask and take a batch on a picnic too!  Yes, it's really THAT good!  I'd have NO problem serving this up to friends!

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
• ½ cup of sugar
• ⅓ cup packed fresh mint leaves.
• 2 cups cold water
• 3 cups ice cubes, cracked if they're large.

Method

Blend lemon juice, sugar, and mint leaves in a blender until leaves are finely chopped and sugar is dissolved. Add water and enough ice cubes to fill blender, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Strawberry Banana Twist Smoothie.

I find it a little hard to believe that I've gone without a blender in my kitchen till now.  After all, it seems that everyone has had one.  However, my husband kindly rectified that glaring omission today and I'm now the proud owner of a brand spanking new Blender sitting proudly on my kitchen counter.

Of course, I had to try it out, just to make sure it works and all.  Like you do.  So, I decided a smoothie would be the way to go - just to ease it in gently, you understand.  Of course, never having made my own smoothies before (Oh Lord, I've been missing out!), I felt an urge to check online for some recipes.  I really wasn't sure which way to go with this, because I do like a lot of different fruits, but in the end, I figured I'd stick with Strawberries and work from there.

So, after hunting around for a while, I settled on the Strawberry Banana Twist, which really is self explanatory.  This smoothie was YUMMY!!  Sweet strawberries, ripe Banana, and a healthy dose of calcium from the milk.  People, you HAVE to try this!

Ingredients.

• 2 large bananas, chopped
• 250g strawberries, hulled
• 2 small cups fresh milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

 Method.

Add the bananas and strawberries to the blender. Next add the scoops of vanilla ice cream, followed by the milk and honey. Blend for approximately 20 seconds on full power. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy.  It really IS that simple folks.

These will be perfect when the warmer weather arrives.  We found them cool and refreshing, and oh so tasty!  You could easily be fooled into thinking that they're unhealthy too, but they're really not!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

 

Butterscotch Pudding.

Every now and again, I get a hankering for something sweet and luscious for dessert.  We're not usually dessert eaters in this house, but when I get a hankering for something dessert-like, the results can be somewhat sporadic.  It might end up being something like cookies.  Or a custard.  Or cream teas.  Or it might be a butterscotch Pudding.

I haven't had butterscotch pudding since I was a little girl, but I always remembered the taste of it.  Oddly enough, we only ever seemed to have it for Dessert in Primary School.  My mom certainly never made it!  So when I came across a recipe for it, I knew I had to try it.

My hubby wasn't looking forward to this.  He knew I had my eye on something when I asked him for $30.  (I needed Ramekins)  However, he gave in gracefully, and I happily went and shopped for what I needed.  The actual making of the butterscotch pudding is easy.  The hard part is waiting for it to chill.  I ended up chilling mine for 24 hours, and every time I opened the fridge door, it sat there poking it's tongue out at me as if to say 'You know you want me - but you can't have me!'  Torture I tell ya!!

I have to say, the wait is worth it!  This was a luscious smooth dessert, with a sweet but not overpowering taste.  The first mouthful actually made me moan out loud.  Yes, it is THAT good!  And it's so simple to make!

Ingredients.

• 4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2½ cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons whiskey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the dark brown sugar and salt, then stir until the sugar is well-moistened. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth (there should be no visible bits of cornstarch), then whisk in the eggs.

Gradually pour the remaining milk into the melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture as well.

Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for one minute, whisking non-stop, until the pudding thickens to the consistency of hot fudge sauce.

Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey and vanilla. If slightly-curdled looking, blend in a blender or food processor till smooth.  Take care though, hot liquids splash easily!

Pour into 4-6 serving glasses or custard cups and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving.

Notes:   If you don't like a skin on your puddings, place a piece of Cling Wrap on the surface of your pudding before chilling them.  That will prevent a skin from forming.  This pudding is a new favourite of mine.  Simple, but delicious!  Go try it people!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Spiral Cookies.

These cookies caught my eye as I was browsing for something to make yesterday.  I didn't want to 'cook' as such, but I wanted to 'make' something, if that makes sense.  I thought these would be difficult to make, because, lord knows, I'm shocking when it comes to making pastry or dough, but they were pretty simple.  To boot, they look very pretty, and taste FABULOUS!!  So, onwards ...

Ingredients.


For the Vanilla Dough:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• Splash of milk, if necessary

For the Chocolate Dough:   

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Splash of milk, if necessary

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until soft and creamy. Add the vanilla, egg, and flour into the creamed mixture and stir until it forms a soft dough. In a separate bowl, make the chocolate dough in the same way. If either dough seems too dry, add a little bit of milk slowly until it comes together.       

Knead each dough separately until smooth, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out both pieces of dough to 10 x 7 inch rectangles. Brush a little milk on the vanilla dough and lay the chocolate dough on top. Press down gently. Roll up from the short side to make a spiral log. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the roll into about ¾ inch slices, arrange 1½ inches apart on parchment-lined cookies sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should spring back when touched lightly with a finger.

My Notes - Although I was impressed with how these cookies looked and tasted, I did find it a little bit too much, just in terms of how much time it takes when you consider that an hour is spent sitting around waiting for the dough to chill.  I do understand though that the dough does need to chill, and I found that it can be a little sticky in places when rolling it out, so care does need to be taken.

However, all being said, they smelled lovely when they were cooking, and looked GREAT when they came out of the Oven.    My Official Taste Tester (Andy) tried them and said they rocked, and both myself and the hubby were very impressed too.  Two thumbs up for these cookies!

Till next time, keep on cookin'! 

Cream Teas

This evening, we had Cream Teas for Dessert.  I've been drooling since I first started thinking about them when a friend mentioned clotted cream a week or so ago.

For those who don't know, a Cream Tea is basically warm scones, with Jam, usually Strawberry or Raspberry, but your own personal preferences will dictate that, and clotted cream, served with a cup of your favourite tea.  Many people serve Earl Grey Tea with Cream Teas, but my own personal preference is a good old cup of PG Tips.

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I made my own Strawberry Jam yesterday, and although it was a roaring success all by itself, it really made the cream teas something else!  The soft bites of fruit and smooth Jelly mingled delightfully with the thick clotted cream, and the soft crunch of the scones, filling the mouth with an explosion of exciting flavours and pleasing textures.  The scones were made this afternoon for freshness, and the recipe for those can be found right here.

Do be warned people, these cream teas are deliciously unhealthy, but so so good.  It's a good job they're filling too, because they're also VERY moreish!

So, here we go.

Ingredients

• Scones
• Jam (Any flavour you like)
• Clotted Cream (Also known as Devonshire Cream)

Method

Split open a scone (warm or cold, it's your choice)

Using a spoon or knife, spread a generous dollop of your favourite jam onto both halves of the scone.

Top the jam with a dollop of clotted cream.

Take a bite, close your eyes and await the chorus of Angelic voices raised in exultant song.

You don't need a lot of cream, it's very thick, like butter, and very rich.  I sat across the table from Andy tonight, and watched his face as he took a bite.  He almost went cross-eyed as the flavours hit his tastebuds.  It was a pleasure to watch!

Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Strawberry Jam - My Experience and Recipe.

  Strawberry Jam ... conjures up images of summer, sitting on the sun drenched patio, with a bowl of sliced strawberries and Ice cream.  At least that's the memory from MY childhood anyway.  Strawberries are such a summer kind of fruit.

  So following on from my previous post, where I'd been googling how to make strawberry jam, and realizing how easy it seemed, I dutifully went out in the rain yesterday to buy canning jars.  Once home, I took out the three quarts of strawberries we'd bought and set about hulling and chopping them.  For the Jam, the strawberries need to be crushed, and the recipe suggested using a potato masher.  People, let me put this simply.  Use a bucket and crush the damn things with your feet!  Only joking, but it would be much easier that way.  Mashing strawberries with a potato masher just isn't easy!

  Anyway, moving on ... I placed the crushed strawberries in the biggest pot I own, along with the sachet of powdered fruit pectin, mixed it well, then turned the heat right up to full.  Once they were boiling and bubbling away, I added the sugar and began to stir in earnest.  The recipe warned that the pectin would cause the mix to foam, and that you should skim it off as it forms.  All went well at first, then it began to foam, and foam, and foam, right over the top of my pan, and onto the stove top.  Cue panic from me!  

   I removed the pan from the heat, and skimmed off as much foam as I could, then set about filling the sterilized Jars, taking care to leave the recommended half inch space at the top of each.  After placing the seals and lids on, they were placed in a water bath for 5 minutes, then pulled out, and I waited to hear the little 'pop' which would indicate that the jars had sealed properly.  When I started hearing them, I giggled.  Out of sheer joy.  Or maybe idiocy.  Or hysterics.  By this time I was pretty frazzled lol.

  After they had cooled sufficiently, they were placed in the fridge, simply a case of nowhere better to put them.  Today came the taste test.  I was a little worried about this, in case I'd forgotten to do something essential yesterday, or maybe there was some doubt in my mind that I was physically capable of making Jam.  I needn't have worried.  After struggling with the seal, which really did not want to give up it's luscious contents, I stuck a knife into the jar, mixed everything up, then carefully measuring out a little bit of a teaspoon, placed the spoon in my mouth and closed my eyes.

   There were flashes of light, an angelic chorus, and an orchestra .... okay, so maybe not, but the flavor of the strawberries exploded in my mouth, soft bites of strawberries, and a smooth jelly made this an unforgettable experience. There was none of that too sweet taste you get from store-bought jams.  It was pure strawberry flavored ecstasy. I kid you not when I say it was like a mouth orgasm!  A double one!!  Complete with aftershocks!!!

  I am SO pleased that this experience was a (mostly) good one, though I did learn that I need bigger pans.  I'm even more pleased that the taste is so good, much better than I imagined it would be.  I know that Andy, and his mom, who are both reaping some of the rewards of this, will enjoy it as well.  As I've been typing this, I had scones in the oven.  They have been pulled out and are now cooling down.  But they will be gently warmed through later tonight, as we have our cream teas for dessert whilst watching Hockey on TV.

  Now for the recipe.

Ingredients.

• 5 ½ cups crushed strawberries
• 1 sachet powdered fruit pectin
• 8 cups sugar.

Method.

Measure berries into a large pan. Add the pectin and stir well. 

Bring quickly to a full boil, stirring constantly. 

Add sugar; continue stirring; bring to a full boil, and boil hard for I minute. Remove from heat; skim. 

Ladle into clean, hot, sterilized containers. Cap with 2-piece canning lids and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. 

Makes 9 half-pints. 

  Try it people.  Just try it.  You will never again use store-bought jam.

 Till next time, keep on cookin'!

Next Step - Jam ... more precisely, Strawberry Jam!

So, after the fiasco that was the shopping trip for Clotted Cream (which I WAS able to get!) I figured that to make Scones, and use Clotted Cream AND store bought Jam was just wrong.  On so many levels.

So, the next step seemed to be to google strawberry jam recipes.  I mean, how hard could it be right?  To be honest, I was expecting the worst.  Yanno the kind of thing - stand over the stove, stir, add this, do that, turn cartwheels etc.

But, it seems as simple as ... well it seems simple okay?  So, to test the theory, I went shopping today for everything I'd need, except I forgot to get the freaking jars!  'Cuz I'm an idiot.  Or something.  However, I'm going to get the jars.  And I'm going to make Strawberry Jam.  And wow my friends who get to taste it. 'Cuz I'm just nice like that.

Till tomorrow, keep on cookin'!