Peppermint Marshmallows

The snow has started falling up here in Newcastle and that means one thing, steaming mugs of cocoa topped off with delicious homemade marshmallows.  Homemade marshmallows really are leagues apart from their supermarket counterparts, the texture and delicate flavour are so perfect and fluffy you could be chewing on a peppermint cloud.  The method may seem a little scary, boiling sugar is never something that should be taken lightly, but as long as you're careful it really couldn't be any simpler.  

I've added peppermint extract to these marshmallows but feel free to flavour them however you wish.  Vanilla, rose or even coffee would work wonders, just change the colours to match your tastes.

Peppermint Marshmallows

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

450g cups sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

4 packages gelatin

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons red food coloring

Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, golden syrup, and 175ml water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 175ml cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

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Sweet Cherry Pie

When asked about my favorite dessert people are always shocked when I express my dislike for cake.  Being the owner of a cake shop I guess its expected that I spend my days chomping on cupcakes while excitedly rubbing my ever growing tummy.  Thankfully, cake just doesn't rock my world in the treat department.  Pies are much more my thing, hence them rarely appearing on the menu at Pet Lamb.  We were recently contacted by a client asking if we could supply sweet cherry pies to his establishment (which just so happens to be my favorite bar in Newcastle, uh oh).  After a bit of soul searching, asking myself if I can handle letting pies leave the shop without me sampling them we decided to give it a go.  

Firstly, cherries are expensive and boy do you need a lot of them, 1kg to be exact.  If, like me, you cant be hassled with stoning 1kg of cherries, buy them ready frozen from your local supermarket.  This will save you a lot of time, a lot of effort and frankly, a lot of mess.  Once you've gotten over the sheer amount of cherries needed you can really appreciate this beautiful pie.  Sweet with just the right amount of tartness, I can only imagine the kind of heaven of this pie served warm with a scoop of amaretto ice cream.

Sweet Cherry Pie

(Makes one 9" pie)

Ingredients:

1 batch of sweet pie crust - I like this one

1kg frozen cherries

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1tsp cinnamon

1tbsp cornflour

1 medium free range egg, lightly whisked

1tbsp granulated sugar

Method:

Roll your pastry to 5mm thick and use to line your pie dish.  Place in the fridge while you make your filling.

Put the cherries into a large saucepan and cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes until they are starting to break down and become juicy.  Once juicy combine the lemon juice with the cornflour and add to the cherries along with the lemon zest and cinnamon.  Continue to cook for about 1 minute until the mixture has thickened.  Set aside until completely cool.

Once cool pour the cherry filling into the prepared pie crust and decorate the top in your chosen method.  I went with a lattice but just go with your heart.  Brush the top of your pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar.   Bake in a preheated oven (175C) for 40 minutes, serve warm.

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Apricot and Almond Brownies

The nights are getting darker, the days are getting shorter and the air isn't half getting colder.  Autumn is the season for comfort food, say no to salads, sushi and diets in favour of mince and dumplings, macaroni cheese and brownies.  Talking of brownies, these are a winner.  They tick all of the deep, dark comforting boxes with the addition of being sweetly studded with beautiful apricots, shining like jewels.  You can almost be forgiven for eating the entire tray and passing it off as one of your five a day... almost.

Apricot and Almond Brownies

Ingredients:

250g good quality dark chocolate

250g unsalted butter

350g light brown sugar

150g plain flour

4 large free range eggs

Tin of apricots in natural juice, each apricot quartered

Handful of slivered almonds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a 9x13" tin with baking parchment.

Melt the butter and sugar together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not coming into contact with the water.  In the meantime whisk and eggs and sugar together in a jug and add to the melted butter and chocolate, mixing to combine.  

Add the flour to the brownie batter and fold it in until just combined taking care not to over mix.  Pour the batter into the prepared tin and place the apricot quarters in rows onto the mixture.  Sprinkle over a handful of almonds and bake for 35 - 40 minutes until just set.

Cool completely before slicing. 

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Gingerbread Pancakes

Pancakes really are the breakfast of champions. When it's cold outside and your bed is just too darn cosy to leave sometimes pancakes are the only thing to lure you out and into the world.  This gingerbread variation is just perfect for those crisp autumnal mornings, so brew up a fresh cup of your favorite coffee and enjoy.  Bacon, of course, is optional but highly recommended!

Gingerbread Pancakes

(from Lorraine Pascale - Fresh & Easy Food)

Ingredients:

225g self raising flour

3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

pinch salt

 ½ tsp vanilla extract

300ml milk

1 medium free-range egg

4 tbsp sunflower oil

8 rashers of bacon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 110C (this will be to keep the pancakes warm as they are cooked in batches).

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl, give them a quick mix and make a well in the centre. Add the vanilla extract to the milk then gradually pour it in bit by bit, stirring all the time to give a smooth mixture. Then beat the egg in well and set aside.

Put a drizzle of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the bacon on each side until nice and crisp. Then remove with tongs and drain on kitchen paper. Keep the ham warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Leave the pan on the heat, but reduce the heat to low and add a little bit more oil if need be. Then spoon in four dollops of the pancake mix. Leave to cook for about 1-2 minutes until golden, then flip them over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Slide them onto a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Then, repeat with the remaining mix to make about 12

Once you have made all of the pancakes, divide them between four plates. Top with crispy bacon and then drizzle with maple syrup

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Holidays are coming

I was recently contacted by Dotcomgiftshop asking to detail the best or worst Christmas gift I've ever received.  Normally I don't bother with posts like this, preferring to focus on food, but I'd like to take this opportunity to shame my naughty mother.

Since moving out of my mothers home seven years ago the thing I miss the most (other than freshly washed and ironed clothes) is Christmas morning.  Every morning I'd get up, pop my special Christmas morning PJs on, grab my stocking and shuffle into my little brothers room.  There I'd plop myself on the floor where myself and the boys would munch our way though our sweetie filled stockings while watching early morning Christmas cartoons until it was appropriate to descend upon the present filled living room.  Since moving out, my lovely family have kept this tradition going. I still drive over at 7am in my PJs, help myself to a stocking hung on my old bedroom door and awaken the boys for Robbie the Reindeer. You'd never believe I'm in my late (cough) twenties, would you..

One year everything happened as usual and we all descended the stairs quickly before launching into our gift wrapped wonderland.  As I was attacking my way through my presents I happened upon a large heavy package, I wonder what this could be I pondered.  I tore away the brightly coloured wrapping revealing the Desperate Housewives board game.  Now, I have never watched this show before in my life and my mother could not be further from a Desperate Housewives fan.  Confused I turned to her and held up the game with a raised eyebrow.  My mothers face went bright red as she tried to stifle her giggles.  After she calmed down and wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes she confessed she received the game from her secret santa at work and thought she could pass it off as an extra gift. 

Desperate Housewives is still a bit of a running joke in our home at Christmas.  I may even wrap up a copy of the DVD for an extra special mammy this year ;)

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