Marmalade & Meringues

Hello...Happy Wednesday! It's the middle of the week already, and as I write the moon is bright and full in the clear sky. We woke to frost this morning and it's been  gorgeous sunny day...I think that the temperature will plunge again overnight but when it's gorgeous like this I don't mind a bit. My mother told me that she had to go out into the fields at the farm at 2am this morning to release a sheep that had got it's fleece trapped in the bramble hedge. I was worried for her, out in the dark & cold, but she said that she'd felt 'privileged to be outside in all that beauty'...which was a lovely thing to hear. I knew just what she meant.

First, today, I wanted to show you my new teatowel...that's it in the picture above - gorgeous, no? I love teatowels and collect them from wherever I visit (I have several kind friends who add to my collection too!) This is my new favourite...

So, it's marmalade season....bitter Seville oranges are one of the very few truly seasonal fruits - they are available for a very short time from mid-January here. Reading my friend Cherry Menlove's beautiful blog reminded me to buy them & MAKE MARMALADE!! So I prepared jars, labels...and scrubbed the gorgeous fruit (I also added in some limes & lemons for extra interest...)

this is the cooling period after boiling to soften the skins...then the chopping, which I love! Boiling with sugar until just right and potting into the warm jars...

and then labelling, leaving to cool - and that satisfying feeling of a job well done and the cupboard stocked! For us, for friends and family..for enjoying a little taste of bittersweet sunniness whenever and remembering the dark, rainy January day when I made...

That was for home. For The Coffee Tree today, I decided to use the egg whites left over from yesterday's Lemon Passionfruit Bars to make meringues. I love meringues - eating and making.

I made them last night and left them in the oven to dry out and crisp up. These were made with brown sugar for a caramel flavour and a touch of espresso coffee powder too..still a little chewy & toffee-like inside.

This morning, I mixed some sweetened chestnut puree with pure vanilla seeds and mascarpone to make a thick, luscious cream...

which I used to sandwich the pairs of meringue together. Chestnut puree has an amazing texture and flavour...it tastes so deep and complex, it's almost alcoholic!

I think these looked so pretty, resting on their little paper cases - another individual delight!
They don't keep well, but hopefully they won't have to...a good dessert for a special dinner perhaps?

I hope you've had a beautiful day...and that you can see the moon, wherever you are!

xo

Citrus Celebration

In this, the coldest season of the year, it's fairly hard to find inexpensive and plentiful fruit. Bananas. Pineapples. Actually, anything tropical is good. And the citrus fruits are at their peak now...just what's required for a zingy, zesty tang to cut through the murk & gloom of January!

That's why these were perfect for today. Lemon Passionfruit Bars.

The base was a biscuit one (crushed graham crackers) with added coconut....then I made a thick, buttery, voluptuous fresh lemon & lime curd and added the ripe pulp from 3 passionfruit...a quick blast in a low oven just to set the filling to a gentle wobble...

a sprinkle of sweet, flaked coconut and then a night in the fridge to set and mingle the flavours.
This morning, I cut them into 16 bars. I kept 2, cut into miniatures....to keep in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for when we need a quick hit of sunshine!
But the rest I delivered to The Coffee Tree. Fairly simple to make, sparkling fresh. Tastes like Spring is on the way...and with the beautiful, clear sunny day we had, it feels like it too!

Happy Tuesday xoxo

One of those nights...

Last night, I went to bed at a reasonable hour. My body was tired, but my brain was still buzzing....I'm writing a lot at the moment and I find it so hard to switch off the flow of ideas and words. As the church clock struck midnight, I gave up & came downstairs for a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. Still no luck. So I decided to be productive and bake The Coffee Tree's morning order while I waited!

It was time well spent, as it meant that I could do something a little more involved than the recipe I'd originally planned, as there was plenty of time for it to cool and settle down (I find that everything except muffins, scones & other breakfast breads needs a 'settling' period!)

Even at 2.30am, this White Coconut Cake with Fresh Lime Coconut Cream Frosting smelt very good....it's a close textured and very (hated word) moist cake that keeps well as long as it's well wrapped or stored in an airtight tin.

I kept a small slice back (they only request 9 portions of everything - I gave them 11, so I figured it was ok!) and have just eaten it after a long, cold, blustery walk across the hills with Alice...it was, though I say so myself, totally delicious!
But tonight, I think I'll sleep instead and save the baking for the morning! I was thankful to my sweet Twitter friend, Rosinda, for keeping me company last night while I waited for the cake to cook...it can feel very lonely & dark in the wee small hours, but I had her cheerful words for company & knowing she was out there really helped!

Wishing you a wonderful Monday....and a very good and restful night's sleep! xo

A New Year

Welcome to 2011! It seems as though the Christmas holidays went on forever...and while I really enjoyed the break (despite the snow scuppering our festive trip to Martha's Vineyard & Boston....gggrrrr!) it's very good to get back to normal!

My New Year Resolution for this blog, is to (try) and post everything I bake for our local coffeeshop. I deliver to them 6 days a week, something different each day except Sunday - so it's quite interesting. They are a wonderful customer, not least because they give me no order! I have supplied them for so long (over 6 years) that I know them and their regular customers really well and know what they like. So I get to try out lots of new recipes on some willing but critical guinea pigs! This has been invaluable while writing my cookbook, because it means that I can test many different recipes and get honest feedback - as opposed to that from family & friends who are naturally biased. These are members of the paying public, and they make it very clear if they don't like something ,or if they feel it could be improved - or if they love it! Wonderful feedback.

I've just returned from today's delivery (the first time they've been open since 24th December as they close over the holiday) So, being served at The Coffee Tree today:

Lemon Drizzle Cake (excuse the Christmas cake board - it was left over! And it's not Twelfth Night just yet...)

Fresh Blueberry & Lime Muffins. I wanted something zesty today, to counteract all that heavy, marzipanny, dried fruity indulgence that most people will have indulged in over the holidays. These are beautiful muffins and always work perfectly...

Makes 9 large muffins

Preheat oven to 200c & line 9 holes of a deep muffin pan with paper liners

300g self raising flour
150g caster sugar + 2 tbsp
200ml whole milk (preferably organic - I use Rachel's (naturally....!)
100ml sunflower oil (or you could use melted butter)
2 medium free-range eggs
150g fresh blueberries
zest & juice of 1 lime

Sift flour and sugar into a roomy bowl...add blueberries (I reserve 9 for decoration) and lime zest and mix with a fork to combine. Measure milk & oil into a mixing jug, break in the eggs and mix vigorously with a fork until the eggs are well beaten into the liquids. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and use the fork to combine them roughly...do not overmix or the muffins will be tough. The mixture should be lumpy & a few pockets of flour are fine.Spoon into the prepared pan and top each with a reserved blueberry if you like (I just like the way they 'pop' and the purple juice runs down the sides...but that's just me!)
Bake for 20 minutes (I rotate the pan after 10 minutes for even baking) They will be risen and brown on top when ready. Leave for a few minutes before removing from the tin and placing on a wire cooling rack - I put a sheet of foil underneath to catch the syrup drips from the finishing touches! In a small cup, combine a tbsp caster sugar with the lime juice and microwave on 'full' for 30 secs to dissolve. Brush each hot muffin with the syrup, which will be quickly absorbed. Sprinkle each with a little of the remaining tbsp sugar and eat while still a little warm if possible. Delicious!

Enjoy - as I hope the coffee shop customers are. Have a great day xo