Category Sweet Treats

Nectarine, Almond and Rosemary Tart

August 17, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

adore the savoury taste of rosemary in desserts which should not be knocked before tried. Whether with apricots (see here) or honeyed pine nuts (see here) it adds a lovely warming flavour if added with a disciplined hand…don’t get to carried away or you’ll be expecting roasted lamb to appear in your ice cream! With an abundance of fresh juicy ripe nectarines in season at the moment, I combined them with the sugary flavours of this frangipane tart and the subtle spike of rosemary. Although sweet, this dessert can handle the sharp honeyed flavours of a lovely Sauterens with acts as the perfect accompaniment to this dish. Washed down with a dainty glass (at my encouragement) was a perfect end to a summer BBQ with friends. Serve with creamy vanilla flecked ice cream, luxurious clotted cream or tart creme fraiche.

Serves 12

Pastry

250g plain flour
125g cold cubed butter
Zest 1 lemon

Filling

2 ripe nectarines, halved and sliced into wedges
1 1/2/ tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
200g ground almonds
200g cubed butter
100g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
Vanilla extract
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Start with the pastry. Combine the flour, butter and zest in a food processor until the mixture starts to come together. Slowly add up to 2 tbsp cold water until the pastry forms a soft ball of dough.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 15 minutes or so.
Preheat the oven to 180. Grease and line a large tart tin with a loose bottom. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to the thickness of about £1 coin and line the tart tin. Prick the base with a fork all over.
Line with parchment and baking beans and bake blind for about 20 minutes. Once beginning to just colour straw brown, remove the beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or so until the base is lightly borne and cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Make the filling. Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor. Once combined, add the eggs one by one and a splash of vanilla. Add the 1tbsp of chopped rosemary
Finally, fold in the ground almonds until thoroughly combined.
Fill the baked tart shell with the frangipane mixture and spread out evenly.
Top with the wedges of nectarine, allowing about 1 slice per portion or there abouts.
Scatter with the crunchy demerara sugar and bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked.
Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and serving on a large plate. Scatter with the remaining 1/2 tsp rosemary and a little dusting of icing sugar. Serve with creme fraiche and a delicious glass of Sautnernes.

Chocolate Mint Tart with Sugared Pistachios

June 14, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

y recent adventure to the colourful delights of Morocco has naturally fuelled my blogging obsession once again. I have, for this week at least, exhausted the classic tagine and now have only sweet treats on the mind. Green & Blacks recent emphasis on colour in our taste and perception can not only be reflected in their packaging but I couldn’t help but see this mirrored in Morocco which is a country that is summed up by colour and flavour. A feast for the eyes. With teasing fresh mint tea available in Morocco at any opportunity (whether requested or not) I stole this flavour inspiration using Green & Blacks new ‘Mint Crisp’ bar.

If you’re a chocolate connoisseur you’ll already have noticed Green & Blacks new bars – ‘Thins’ – so this won’t come as surprising news. Long ago I spotted the ‘Mint Crisp’ flavour and stocked up. I love this new format or bite-sized slices of flavoursome chocolate. Ironically here I’ve used the new ‘Thins’ bar in this recipe….which won’t make you that. But hey, the mint brings back the buzz of the Medina’s and Riads.

This tart is rich and dense. If you’re not a mint fan then feel free to make this soley dark or try using G&B’s salted caramel thins in stead. The crunchy topping adds a lovely texture but again can be substituted with pecans, walnuts, or almonds (which would go particularly well with the salted caramel bar). Devour with some clean simple ice cream or fruit.

Pastry

1 x quantity of shortcrust pastry (see here for recipe) made with additional small handful of desiccated coconut.

Filling

150g Green & Blacks ‘Mint Crisp Chocolate’
100g Green & Blacks dark 70-80% chocolate
100ml single cream
250ml whole milk
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

50g pistachios
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 large lime, zest only

Start by making the pastry case according to the link above and using a deep 20cm wide pastry case. Add a handful of coconut to the flour if you like.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Set aside your blind baked pastry case while you make the filling.
Mix the cream and milk together in a saucepan and heat until just about to come to the boil.
Remove from the heat and break in the chocolate in small pieces. After a few minutes mix together until the chocolate is smooth and fully melted into the cream. Use a whisk to throughly combine the cream and melted chocolate.
Leave to cool until lukewarm.
When lukewarm, beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Place the tart case on a baking tray and fill ¾ full with the chocolate filling.
Place the tray on the oven shelf and once its stable, fill the tart to full with the remaining mixture (or as much as will fit int your tin! I had a little left over)
Bake for about 20 minutes until just set and shiny.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the topping. Crush the nuts in a pestle and mortar until finely crushed but with a few chunks here and there.
Toast the coconut in a dry hot frying pan until just beginning to colour golden and then add to the nuts. Stir in the lime zest and the sugar and combine.
Once the tart has cooled, use this mixture to scatter over the top of the tart.

Amaretto Almond Brownies

June 14, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

hen my recent package of Green & Blacks experimentation chocolate arrived at my desk word soon transfused around the office that there was chocolate around. That said, with a weekend of chocolate haven on the cards, it wasn’t long before the first brownie request was publiszesd. Chocoaltes a perfect match for many wine ‘don’t you know’. All the more reason to open a bottle of something vintage then…?

Working within the wine industry my brownies naturally had to contain some form of alcohol! Amaretto and crunchy almonds to the rescue.

(Adapted from Brandt’s recipe)

Makes about 15 large brownies

185g unsalted butter
100g Green & Blacks ‘Butterscotch’ bar
100g Green & Blacks Dark chocolate
3 large eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
260g caster sugar
65g ground almonds
40g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
50g toasted flaked almonds
8-10 amaretti biscuits, roughly crumbled

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a brownie tin or tray (around 20cm x 20cm)
Melt the butter in a saucepan and then snap in the chocolate in small pieces and stir. Once the chocolate has thoroughly melted, whisk to combine. Leave to cool to room temperature
Combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on high speed for a minute or so until pale, fluffy and aerated.
Sieve together the flour, cocoa and almonds.
When the chocolate has cooled whisk it into the sugar and eggs.
Finally fold in the flour mixture until well combined
Stir in the flaked almonds and all but a handful of the crumbled amaretti biscuits which you can save for the topping.
Pour into the prepared baking tin and scatter over the remaining biscuits.
bake int he centre of the oven. Timings are now a bit up to you. I baked mine for about 25-30 minutes (as I’m always scared of having a really raw brownie!) But these are a particualry gooey sort so won’t suffer too much from a few minutes longer and end up ‘cakey’ at the edges. Bake for 20-25 for a soft centre.
Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting. Ideally (I know this could come as a shock) leave for a few hours or in the fridge overnight to firm up a little to make them easier to cut.
Devour with a rich strong coffee or amaretto shot. I’d suggest the former if its a Monday back at work in the office.

Coffee and Walnut Brownies

May 3, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Leftover Easter eggs. Still you cry! Yes, as a dark chocolate lover you don’t need much hence why I have a vat of the stuff still sitting patiently in the pantry. Brownies anyone?

Without doubt the best, most trusty brownie recipe and one I’ve always gone back to time after time. My only concern each time I make it is the sugar content. But we are talking about brownies here which come with a certain set of health flaws anyway. Courtesy of Green & Blacks but highly adapted here to reflect one of my favourite cakes, walnuts for crunch and coffee beans for surprise.

Makes about 20

200g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate (70%) Green & Blacks
350g dark brown soft sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self raising flour
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
Pinch salt
100g chopped walnuts
2 tbsp coffee beans, ground into chunks in a pestle and mortar

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 28cm x 18cm brownie tin with parchment (or a similar size)
Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Stir in the sugar and instant coffee granules until combined.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla well in a bowl and then whisk these continuously into the chocolate mixture until well combined and glossy.
Gently fold in the flour and salt.
Finely, stir in the chopped nuts and crushed coffee beans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy on top but still soft inside. The edges may cook quicker leaving the middle pieces gooey and dense.
Leave to cool completely (yes I know…amuse yourself here) until cold. Then cut into enormous pieces. Serve with some cool creamy ice cream.

Gingerbread Latte Ice Cream, Salted Pistachio Brittle

April 10, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Its Easter, a foodie occasion so I cannot forgo a dessert menu without this icey sweet delight. Coffee is such a crowd pleasing and moresih dessert flavour (if you’re a caffeine lover) as it naturally tops off a dinner and satisfies those bitter fans and the sweet toothed. From tiramisu to coffee cake I love it. But in ice cream….well need I say more. With the subtleyly of the ginger and cinnamon it makes for a ironically warming flavour in this cooling ice cream. Acoompanied with a warm lava centred chocolate fondant it was the perfect finale to Easter lunch.

Ice Cream (Serves 6 modestly)

300ml single cream
1 can condensed milk
2 tbsp coffee granules
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the cream until just coming up to the boil. Add the coffee and spices and whisk until all combined off the heat.
Leave to cool.
Whisk in the condensed milk until thoroughly combined and transfer to a container or tupperware to store int he freezer.
Freeze until set! You can remove it from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving to make it easier to serve.

Salted Pistachio Brittle

Very general measurements and method here! If in doubt use a sugar thermometer.

200g caster sugar
160g roughly of golden syrup
3 tbsp water
60g pisatchios, crushed
1 tsp malden salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Line a baking tray with non stick parchment (grease with oil if you want)
Crush the nuts and mix with the salt and set aside.
Mix the sugar, syrup and water in a pan. Heat on a medium high heat but do not be tempted to stir. Allow it to melt and begin to caramelise and bubble. Leave for 5-10 minutes or so bubbling away until the syrup beings to turn golden. Watch very closely here as you don’t want it to catch and burn or turn too dark. When a golden brown colour add the butter and remove from the heat and quickly pour onto the baking tray.
Immediately scatter over the salty nuts evenly and leave to set. It will harden quickly, within 10 minutes! Once poured out and still soft though you can move the tray around to make it thinner if required by tilting.
Once set, peel from the parchment and break carefully into shards for each guest

Amaretto Pannacotta, Rose Rhubarb, Pistachio Shortbread

March 16, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

A beautiful, delicious, creamy, soothing, sweet and flavoursome dessert to top off a wonderful Mother’s Day supper. My mother personified in a pleasing dessert. Elegant, beautiful and who doesn’t love a creamy vanilla speckled pannacotta? Obviously with a splash of booze as it was only fitting and with the simplest quirky touch of rose for added originality. And as one of my mums favourite puddings it was always on the menu. With shortbread of course. I think I’d have been hung and gutted if I hadn’t made any if I’m honest. Even if we were having pancakes! You can totally adapt this recipe too adding different liquors and roasting different fruits. Adding different nuts and flavours to your biscuits too. Try frangelico pannacotta, hazelnut shortbread and cinnamon honey roasted figs.

Serves 6

Amaretto Pannacotta

500ml double cream
125ml milk
40g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod
2 tbsp amaretto liqueur (or another if preferred, e.g. Frangelico?)
3 leaves/sheets gelatine

Find yourself either 6 pannacotta moulds (This is if you want to turn these out onto a plate to eat. It is up to you. I prefer the less hassle and neater presentation approach to serving these in glasses) or 6 glasses of choice to serve you pannacotta in and place on tray.
Heat the double cream, milk, sugar and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar and infuse the cinnamon.
Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and whisk into the heating cream. Add the pod too and bring to just under a simmer.
Remove from the what and leave to infuse for 20 minutes or so.
Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water meanwhile.
Sieve or pick out the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod and discard. Bring the pan back onto the heat and warm through.
Squeeze out the gelatine leaves and then whisk into the warm cream.
Transfer the mixture to a good reliable pouring jug and divide the mixture between the glasses. (TIP: Measure the mixture first and then divide this by 6 so that you end up with 6 even glasses. It is also worth whisking the mixture between pouring so you don’t end up with all the tasty black and precious vanilla seeds at the bottom of the jug!)
Carefully place the tray in the fridge and leave to set. Ideally make these in the morning for use for dinner.
Bring to room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. Turn out any that are in pannacotta moulds. Serve with the warm rhubarb compote on top.

Rose Roasted Rhubarb

500g pink forced Spring Rhubarb
1 tbsp runny honey
¾ tsp rosewater
1 tbsp rose petals
Handful pistachio nuts, crushed

Preheat the oven to about 160°C.
Cut your rhubarb into 2inch chunks on the diagonal.
Place in a baking dish and drizzle with the honey. Add the rosewater and mix.
Cover with foil and roast for about 30 minutes until its soft. remove the foil and return to the oven for about 10 more minutes or so.
Serve warm on top of the chilled pannacotta, scattered with a few rose petals and some crushed pistachio nuts.

Pistachio Shortbread

125g cold, cubed butter
175g plain flour
60g caster sugar
40g pistachios

Preheat the oven to 180 and line a baking tray with parchment
In a food processor, combine the butter, flour and 50g of sugar and blend until it begins to clump and form a dough
Next in a pestle and mortar pound the nuts coarsely until you form small pieces.
Add half to the dough and pulse again briefly in the processor to diffuse.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to bring to a ball of dough.
Halve the dough to make it easier to work with as you can now deal with it in two batches. Roll to the thickness of a pound coin and then use a cutter of choice to make your shortbread before placing on the baking tray.
Combine the remaining pounded nuts with the 10g of sugar and scatter liberally over the biscuits.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until just beginning to turn a light golden brown.
Leave to cool before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

To serve: Serve the pannacotta slightly chilled (remove from the fridge for about 5 minute before serving) topped with the warm rhubarb and a side order of buttery shortbread

Banana and Blueberry Bread

March 7, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

How on earth we are already in March I don’t know?! I began the year with a triumphant new years ambition to develop my humble blog, challenge my culinary skills and pepper it with new recipes. However due to a number of unexpected hurdles over the past months this hasn’t been actioned as much as I’d like! With a very busy and eventful week at work under my belt and a browning bowl of bananas sitting provocatively on the kitchen table I thought of nothing better than to create the comforting, warming and homely delights of a banana bread loaf to scoff with tea. Studded with crunchy pecans and soft sharp blueberries it is delicious eaten alone or toasted with ice cream. I love the use of muscovado sugar in this recipe which was a deviation from my usual (and reliable) recipe using a more refined caster sugar. But its treacle like flavour and depth adds a decadent dimension to this classic.

Makes 1 loaf or 4 mini loaves

250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
125g softened butter
235g muscovado sugar
400g ripe bananas (about 4 )
1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
100g blueberries
50g chopped pecans
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 1 x 400g loaf tin or 4 small loaf tins
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and muscovado sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs, bit by bit.
Mash the bananas with a fork in another bowl and add the vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly with the butter and sugar mixture.
Sieve the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold in to combine.
Gently fold in the blueberries and pecans until evenly distributed
Spoon the mixture into the lined tins.
Scatter the top with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon and then top with the crunchy demerara sugar to create a nice crust.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes for the small tins and around 50 minutes for a large loaf tin. Check after 30 minutes regardless and remove from the oven when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in their tins and then remove.
Slice and serve layered with cinnamon mascarpone, yoghurt or warm with ice cream.

Chocolate Fondant with Frangelico Mascapone

February 17, 2015 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

I’ve always been in awe of the chocolate making process after watching an enlightening series featuring the modern day Willy Wonker, Willie Harcourt-Cooze. An enthusiastic middle class chocolate dreamer, he set about to live his dream of authentic chocolate making. To me, England feels like a country of chocolate addicts, or more likely, sugar addicts disgusing themselves as cacoa enthusiasts!? Without sounding like a chocolate snob, many of the milk chocolate bars that litter the countries newagents shelves have such a low cacao/‘chocolate’ content that in some countries it would be illegal to title this chocolate!

I’m an adorer of the dark stuff. The darker the better. I’ve always been amazed at how a 100% bar is created? With no sugar to bind it together its a pure cacao lovers heaven. Its painful sharing my 90% bar of goodness, when I just know that the majority will screw up thier faces in fright as they force down the ‘bitter soap’ they’ve just eaten as they compare to the likes of our dairy milk. But my chocolate interest has promted me to sample styles made from a variety of beans from all over the world and to really appreciate the differences in flavours. refining my love of the pure taste and the lower sugar content.

So when a work collegaue refreshingly and surprisingly bought in some tasty samples of his families homemade chocolate from their humble little Cotswold business – Doble & Bignall – I was keen to devour a piece and was taken by the first bite. Like beer, cheese and wine, chocolate varies in flavour substantially. Not just with the percentage but with the beans and country. Doble & Bignal have a small range of bars using beans from the likes of Panama and Venezuelan. The chocolate is smooth, tasty and distinctive. Perfect for a cheeky recipe. I kept the fonadant simple (I know…me not messing with a recipe!? Shocker) Firsty because shamefully this was the first fondant I’d attempted ever to make and the goo-cented, molten chocolate lava that should sterotypicaly weep from the middle like a happy sobbing child was far too much pressure to meddle with at this stage. So instead, go crazy on accompaniment. Frangelico mascapone, vanilla and orange ice cream or just heavily doused in a thick wall spporting, cement-like spatula of whippped double cream.

Serves 6

Fondant

85g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate (E.g. Doble & Bignal’s bar)
3 whole free range eggs
3 whole eggs yolks
1 tbsp plain flour
Soft butter and cocoa powder to line the moulds

Start by greasing 6 small dariole moulds with butter. Dust with cocoa powder and shake of any excess. Set aside on a baking try.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a heatproof bowl combine the sugar, butter and chocolate and melt over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow to melt fully then set aside to cool slightly.
When it is luke warm, whisk in the eggs continuously. The mixture will begin to thicken but keep whisking (don’t be tempted to add the eggs while the chocolate is still too warm of the eggs will scramble…yuck). Then fold in the flour.
Pour the mixture evenly into the moulds and then chill for at least 25 minutes.
Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Take out of the oven, run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a plate. Serve with a dollop of your chosen cream and watch and enjoy in awe as (hopefully) your gooey fondant melts all over your plate…!

NOTE: I took my first test fondant out of the oven after 10 minutes and it still felt a little squishly in the middle to the touch. With the risk of having an overocoked fondant I took it out anyway. Shamefully on turning out it collapsed all over the plate….hence the additional mintues. However, oven will vary so perhaps cook for less time and do a touch test before remving the whole batch if the pressure is on…!

Frangelico Mascarpone

Please note – I did this by taste so the below measurements are a total guide. Start with less and keep adding more sugar and liquer until it is to your taste.

250g mascarpone
About 4 tbsp sieved icing sugar (or as much as you like just to sweeten)
1-2 tbsp frangelico liquer (to taste)

Whisk the frangelico and icing sugar into the mascarpone, tasting as you go along to sweeten as you like.

Gingerbread Ice Cream, Lemon Apple Tart

December 26, 2014 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Gingerbread! Not only is it a festive crowd and stomach pleaser but its also an adored treat in the Wardlaw household! So what could be better than gingerbread and ice cream combined for a festive spicy Christmas lunch dessert this year. I think I’ve gotten a little carried away with the gingerbread theme recenty (see here for gingerbread latte macaroons and here for gingerbread scotch pancakes). And those that know me know that ice cream is my achilles heel (see here for some inventive creations).

We’re probably in the minority in terms of food ethos on Christmas day. While many people might not think twice about their pudding choice I like to choose something that leads on from the indulgent main event that leaves people feeling happy and not sick and queezy. Don’t get me wrong, we’re a family with healthy appetite but a modest one. So, I always create something fresh and clean to cleanse the greasy remains of the turkey lunch so this zesty fresh tart is perfect.

This is a really old and long used tart recipe which could not be more simple to knock out! If you’re not making your own pastry it can be ready to go in under an hour!

Serves 6

Gingerbread Ice Cream

Although you could just flavour the ice cream base with gingerbread spices, I thought some added crumbled gingerbread would be a nice addition. Gingerbread is characteristcally mosit so I dried and crisped mine up beforehand to provide some texture to the final snowball scoop.

1 can condensed milk
300ml single cream
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cinnamon
200g gingercake (I used Jamacian ginger loaf)

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Crumble the ginger cake onto a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or so, keeping an eye on it, until it begins to crisp a bit or loose some of its moisture. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Don’t worry – once its cooled it will crisp up more.
Mix the condensed milk and cream together thoroughly in a jug then add the spices and mix.
Churn in an ice cream maker until thick but not too set. Alternatively you can pour it into a tupperware box and leave to set in the freezer until thicker and no longer sloppy.
Once the ice cream is the right consistency and the cake crumbs have cooled, stir them into the ice cream so it is distributed evenly and then freeze until hard.

Lemon and Apple Tart

Shortcrust Pastry (enough for 2 tart cases)

125g unsalted butter
250g plain flour
Zest of 1 lemon

Filling

1 large cooking apple
2 large eggs, whisked
1 lemon, zest and juice
100g caster sugar
50g melted butter

Start with the pastry. I like to use plain shortcrust as the ice cream and filling are sweet enough. Mix together the butter and flour in a food processer until it forms a breadcrumb like texture and then grate in the lemon zest and mix.
Keep adding a few tbsps of cold water bit by bit and mix until you form a soft smooth dough.
Form gently into a dough and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and line and grease a 20cm loose bottomed tart tin.
Once rested, roll the pastry thinly on a floured surface and line the tart tin pushing the pastry into the edges neatly. Use a fork to prick 4-5 wholes across the base to stop it puffing up while cooking. Line with a sheet of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake the tart case blind for about 15-20 minutes until it has a light straw colour and is mostly cooked.
Remove the beans and parchment and return the case to the oven to cook the base for about more 5 minutes. Finally brush with a little beaten egg to cover the wholes and seal the pastry.
Leave the case to cool while you make the filling.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a bowl.
Melt the butter and add to the mixture, whisking as you go.
Grate the apple into the eggs too.
Fill the tart case with the mixture and bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until just set and golden on top.

Serve the tart dusted with icing sugar and with a snowball of gingerbread ice cream!

Gingerbread Latte Macaroons

November 17, 2014 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

Its official. The John Lewis advert has graced our televisions and Starbucks have out their red cups so Christmas is fast approaching! Yay! For those who know me will know I’m a Christmas fan through and thorough…however I can’t have celebrations too early. No songs before December 1st and no tree until at least the first week! So festive flavours are a tasty and subtle introduction to the festive season. After a couple of delicious novelty Christmas coffees shared on a chilly Sunday evening after a lovely weekend last week I was inspired to make these. Its been a whle since I’ve knocked out a batch of macarons but these were dying to be made.

Makes about 15

Macarons

90g eggs whites (about 3)
30g golden caster sugar
100g icing sugar
200g ground almonds
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg

Buttercream

1 heaped tsp coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
80g butter, unsalted and softened
40g sieved icing sugar

Line a baking tray with parchment and preheat the oven to 140°C.
Whisk the eggs whites until soft peaks. Add the sugar bit by bit whisking until glossy stiff peaks form
Blend the almonds, icing sugar and spices in a food processor until fine.
Fold 1/3 into the eggs whites (you can be more heavy handed with the first 1/3)
After this fold in the rest, being careful to retain as much air as possible.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe consistent macarons onto the baking tray. mine were fairly large. The size doesn’t matter as long as they are all the same!
Leave to rest and form a ‘skin’ (delightful!) for about 20-30 minutes
Bak for about 15-20 minutes depending on their size.
Leave to cook before lifting from the parchment.
Blend the butter cream ingredients together until blended. Spoon into another piping bag and pipe onto one macaroon half. Sandwich together with another empty shell and repeat with the rest.
Eat with a warm coffee or store in an airtight container!