Amaretti

Anything almond flavoured is a bit of an obsession of mine. My favourite drink is an amaretto sours and I absolutely adore soft, squidgy almond macaroons - just like these 'amaretti morbidi'.

In the past I have had to learn to curb my enthusiasm for treats such as these, for two reasons. Firstly, I have found it rare for shops to stock the truly 'soft' amaretti that I prefer. Secondly, when I have chanced to happen upon them, my delight has usually been dampened by the expensive price. 

So, when a friend made  some of these for me as a Christmas gift last year, I begged her to give me the recipe, in order to put an end to my amaretti embargo. You will need the following:

* 180g ground almonds

*120g caster sugar

* Grated zest of one lemon

*1/2 tsp natural almond extract

* 1 pinch of salt

* 2 egg whites

* 1 tbsp honey

* Flaked almonds for rolling

* Icing sugar for rolling

Firstly, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Grate the zest of one lemon and mix this together with the ground almonds, caster sugar, salt and almond extract. Rub the mixture together with your finger tips.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites and honey and whisk until soft peaks form, like so...

You will now need to combine both your wet and dry mixtures. Fold the wet into the dry with a large metal spoon until you get a paste.

Roll the paste into small round balls of about 20grams in weight. Roll each ball on a plate of flaked almonds and then a plate of icing sugar.

Place the amaretti on the tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 12-16 minutes in the oven.

When you remove the amaretti from the oven they should be a light golden colour and still be chewy on the inside. This may take a bit of experimentation to perfect - my first attempt were browned on the base, although still tasted delicious.

Enjoy!

Lemon Thyme Shortbread

As promised in yesterday's post, here is a biscuit recipe using Lemon Thyme. This buttery shortbread is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the thyme adds a wonderful surprise flavour. 

You will need:

55 grams caster sugar.

2 tsp lemon thyme leaves, finely chopped.

115 grams unsalted butter, softened.

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons.

170 grams plain flour.

Extra caster sugar to dust.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C.

Set aside a lightly buttered, non-stick baking sheet. 

Beat together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and thyme until creamy. 

Beat in the flour to form a soft dough. 

Place the dough onto a sheet of cling film or baking paper. Cover with a second sheet and roll out thinly.

Using a cutter, cut out your biscuits. Lift carefully onto the baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes until the edges turn a pale golden brown colour. 

Take out of the oven, sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to cool on a wire rack. 

Mmmmmm

Thyme

This often-overlooked little herb is fast becoming one of my favourites. Its culinary benefits are undoubted; it is a staple of Mediterranean dishes and accompanies meat particularly well. I use it in soups and casseroles, for making stock, in pasta and - most recently - even in biscuits! More to come on that tomorrow!

Thyme is a pungent herb that really packs a punch for one so little. (Perhaps that's why I like it!) It is pretty hardy and loves a sunny spot, growing in most soils and on rockeries well. However, it won't forgive you for over-watering so do be careful.

At this time of year it is really blooming and the leaves taste best through June and July so it is an excellent time to pick and use fresh, or begin to dry for later in the year. There are many varieties, including the silver-edged 'Argenteus' (above) which grows particularly well in containers. Also to be found is the beautifully scented 'Citridorus' or 'lemon' thyme (below) which works fantastically well in recipes that require a citrus flavour: this is one type of thyme that goes particularly deliciously with fish.

In medieval times, Thyme was considered to impart courage upon those who ate it and, therefore, came to symbolise vigour and heroism. It was reputedly added to beer and drank by those who needed to overcome nerves. The ancient Romans also considered it a remedy for melancholy. Today, its health benefits are largely related to its essential oil which contains large quantities of thymol - a powerful antiseptic and antibacterial. Applied directly to cuts and scrapes, crushed thyme leaves act as an instant garden remedy to cleanse. 

Thyme also possesses antispasmodic and expectorant properties, making it particularly useful in the treatment of chest infections such as bronchitis. A tea may be concocted, using a teaspoon of crushed thyme leaves, added to boiling water. Allow the herbs to steep for 10 minutes before straining and sweetening with honey. This tea should be drunk 3 to 4 times daily for the treatment of persistent coughs. 

Nettle Soup

Using some of the nettles I gathered during yesterday's foraging expedition, I made this mineral-rich soup.

You only need a handful of simple ingredients, as follows:

1/2 a carrier bag of collected nettles (tops and young leaves only)
2 tbsp olive oil (alternatively use 50g butter or margerine)
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped or crushed)
1 medium potato (chopped into small cubes)
1 1/2 pints vegetable stock
2 tbsp cream or creme fraiche (alternatively use a cupful of milk)
Salt and black pepper.

*  Wash the nettles thoroughly and discard any thick stems.
*  Heat the oil (or butter) in a large pan and sweat the onions and garlic until soft, but do not allow to brown.
*  Pile in the nettles and stir thoroughly. Leave to sweat for 2 minutes.
*  Add the potatoes and cover with stock.
*  Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until tender.
*  Season with salt and black pepper.
*  Blend the soup thoroughly and stir through cream, creme fraiche or milk.
*  Return to the heat but do not allow to boil.
*  Check seasoning and serve with a swirl of cream.

Enjoy - safe in the knowledge that those stinging hairs have miraculously disappeared!

A Taste of Elizabethan England

This fantastic recipe has supposedly been passed down from the fifteenth century and is the simplest of sweet-treats to make. To me, these honey-roasted almonds taste of Christmas markets in Prague, the warmth of the hearth and traditional sweet shops, all rolled into one deliciously sticky, nutty package.

You will need:
450g whole almonds (with the skin left on)
50g sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Water
2 tsp almond oil
½ tsp salt

Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking tray and place in a cold oven.
Bake at 180°C (Gas mark 4) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are light brown in colour.
Set aside the roasted almonds.
Thoroughly mix the sugar and salt in a bowl.
In a saucepan, mix the honey, water and oil and bring to the boil over a medium heat.
Add the roast almonds to the honey mixture and stir constantly on the heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed. This should take about five minutes.
Transfer the almonds to a medium-size bowl into which some sugar mixture has been sprinkled.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the almonds and toss until they are evenly coated.
Spread the almonds out onto baking paper to absorb any excess moisture.
When cool, store at room temperature, in an air-tight container.

These honey-roasted nuts should keep for up to two weeks but I can guarantee, if your friends and families are anything like mine, they won’t last that long!

"In this house we have chocolate cake for breakfast" (Practical Magic)

And why on Earth not?! I thought I would share with you my recipe for triple chocolate brownies. These are absolutely delicious but come with a health warning: always make sure you have plenty of people around to share them with!

Ingredients:

275g plain chocolate

275g unsalted butter

325g unrefined caster sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

85g milk chocolate chunks

85g white chocolate chunks

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170˚c and find a baking tin that is around 4cm deep and roughly 25cm by 30cm. Line the baking tin with greaseproof paper and grease lightly with margarine or butter.

Melt the butter and plain chocolate together in a bowl (I usually do this over a pan of boiling water).  When they are melted, add the sugar and mix well. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with the vanilla essence. Add this to the chocolate mixture and stir. Add the flour and baking powder to the mixture and fold in thoroughly. Stir in the milk and white chocolate chunks. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and bake for around 25-30 minutes.

When you take the brownies out of the oven, check with a knife that the middle is still sticky but not molten. It can take some experimenting but you are aiming for brownies that are still gooey in the middle, rather than cake-like. Leave to cool before removing from the tray and cut into small squares.  Well, you can cut into large squares if you like, but somehow eating them in smaller pieces seems to make it feel less naughty. Enjoy for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea and supper. *Wink*

Going bananas!

I thought I would post a simple recipe for banana cake: the perfect way to use up overripe bananas that you wouldn’t otherwise eat. This quick and easy recipe makes a deliciously moist cake with next to no effort.

You will need the following ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas

4 oz butter or margarine

6 oz sugar (most sugars will do, I use unrefined caster sugar)

8 oz self-raising flour

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp honey

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚c (gas mark 4)

Grease a 2lb loaf tin.

Mash the banana in a bowl and keep to one side.

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Break the eggs and beat into the mix.

Add the vanilla essence, cinnamon, honey and mashed banana.

Fold in the flour gently.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Enjoy with a cup of cinnamon tea or a mug of hot chocolate. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon!