Berry Cordial

The choice is yours, whether to make blackberry, raspberry, strawberry or even tayberry or blueberry cordial! When I made this a while ago I plundered our home grown tayberries, but now the shift in seasons brings the possibility of autumnal fruit to enjoy. It would be the perfect time to throw the last of your blackberries into this sweetly sophisticated beverage.

 

 

Recipe

Inspired by one for plum cordial by Skye Gyngell in Waitrose magazine August 2012. For similar, see www.waitrose.com

 

 

300g fresh berries

250g caster sugar (or more, dependent on the sharpness of the fruit)

juice of 1 lemon (orange instead for blackberries or blueberries)

still or sparkling water, to serve

 

 

1. Put the berries, caster sugar and lemon juice into a blender and whizz until smooth. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar or citrus juice as needed.

Alternatively if you don't have a blender, heat the ingredients together in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring well.

 

2. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl, and stir again until it is smooth.

 

3. Pour the cordial into a sterilised bottle until needed.

 

4. To serve, dilute the cordial with sparkling or still water (about 1 part cordial to 4 parts water), and serve with ice cubes, mint sprigs and perhaps a slice of lemon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This cordial was idly concocted as I listened to the choral music of Hildegaard Von Bingen

Gluten Free Painted Brown Sugar Cupcakes

I heard someone on the radio the other day say "Idleness is only a coarse name for my endless capacity for living in the present". It rang so true to me. I've been so involved in the present lately, that I've not had time to look back and blog those delicious hand painted cupcakes from my mad tea party.

 

Better late than never, here they are now, with a special thank you to the very talented Natasha for showing me via her wonderful website Amelies House, (click here) how to paint on cake. It was my first try, and I loved the results.

for the cupcake bases:
125g unsalted butter
125g light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125g gluten free plain flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum, or gluten free baking powder such as Barkart



1. Turn the oven to 180C (160 fan) and place medium cupcake cases in a 12 muffin baking tray. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, until smooth and fluffy.

2. Throw in the eggs one at a time and beat well, adding a spoonful of flour after each one.

3. Next sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture, stirring gently until the batter is combined.

4. Spoon the batter into each cupcake case, until they are approximately two-thirds full (you want to leave enough room for the cakes to rise).

5. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. You'll know the cakes are done when a skewer comes out clean.

6. Take out of the oven and leave for a few minutes, before moving the cupcakes in their cases to a wire rack or plate to cool.

for the icing:
gluten free white ready rolled icing (I used Silver Spoon icing)
2 tablespoons raspberry or apricot jam
Sugarflair colour tint pastes, to decorate


7. Gently boil the jam over a low heat, then leave to cool. Once the cupcakes are also cool, brush the tops with a little of the boiled jam to glaze.


8. Roll out the ready made icing and cut out rounds, one for each cupcake, using a cookie cutter. The cutter I used was 58mm.


9. Place a cut round of icing on the top of each cupcake, and press down lightly to make it stick.

10. Using Sugarflair edible colour pastes, a small paintbrush, and a little water if necessary, paint faces or any other designs onto the icing. Leave to dry before serving.

 

 

 

These cupcakes were idly baked while listening to Grinderman's eponymous debut album

My Mother's Garden

My darling Mum has worked so hard building my parents' garden from scratch in the last year, and it's really paid off. The garden is turning into a riot of colour. The delicate jewels of blooms take my breath away.

Gluten-Free Iced Summer Fruit & Meringue Parfait

This iced dessert, adapted from a great recipe by Nigel Slater, is a multi faceted gem: fresh berries and apricots are mixed together with home made ice cream and meringue to create a gorgeous cake style parfait. On a hot day it really makes your taste buds pop. You could make the ice cream and meringues in advance - or use good quality shop bought ones of course - and just bung it all together as a parfait when you're ready.

The Blueberry Ice Cream

Recipe
My own

375ml double cream
200g blueberries
75g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon


1. Heat the lemon juice, blueberries and sugar together for a few minutes in a pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil so that berries soften and release their juices, then turn down to a simmer and stir gently until a syrupy consistency.

2. I chose to keep the berries intact in my icecream, giving an iced berry crunch to the end result. If you'd prefer a smoother consistency, mash and then strain the berry mixture, getting rid of any berry pips and skin.


3. Add the cream and vanilla extract to the berry syrup, and mix well.


4. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the maker's instructions, then place in the freezer for a few hours.

5. Alternatively if you don't have an ice cream maker, then pour the mixture into a plastic container, cover with a lid and place in the coldest part of your freezer to set. After an hour, take out and churn with a fork every 40 minutes or so until the ice cream has frozen in a smooth, soft-set way.




The Meringues

Recipe
My own

1 and half large eggs, whites only, room temperature
75g caster sugar


1. Turn the oven to 150C (130C fan), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl for a couple of minutes until stiff. You'll need to use an electic whisk or mixer to beat the whites hard enough.

3. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating between each addition.  Beat until well combined and glossy and smooth. The mixture should be stiff enough that it stands up in stiff peaks.

4. Spoon the meringue in smallish circles onto the parchment paper. Leave enough room between them to allow the meringues to expand, I fitted 4 or 5 on a baking tray. If you want to turn them into nests just make a well in the centre of each.

5. As soon as the meringues go in the oven turn the heat down to 120C (100C fan) and bake for 2 hours.

6. When the time is up, turn off the oven and leave the meringues in it to cool for half an hour or so. After this time you can place them on a wire rack if they need to cool further.

The Parfait

Recipe
Adapted from the Iced Apricot & Blackcurrant Terrine recipe by Nigel Slater in his brilliant book Tender Volume II. Click here to buy the book on Amazon.



Taeberries and/or raspberries, 200g total
4 fresh apricots, washed
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
Blueberry icecream as above, 500ml
Meringues as above, 200g


1. First make a berry coulis, by heating the tayberries and/ or raspberries in a pan over a low heat with the sugar and water. Turn the heat up, and let the berries boil for a few minutes before taking off the heat. Leave to cool.


2. Slice the apricots into thin pieces. Line a 2lb metal or loaf tin, or a freezer box with cling film, leaving some overhang over the edges. Take the blueberry icecream out of freezer approximately 10/15 minutes before the coulis has cooled.


3. Once the coulis is cool, scoop the icecream into a large bowl, and stir in the apricots.


4. Crumble the meringues into small chunks, and add them to the icecream, giving another gentle stir.


5. Finally spoon the icecream parfait mixture into the lined loaf tin, before pouring the berry coulis over the top. Using a skewer swirl briefly through the parfait to mix it up.


 6. Cover the top of the parfait with cling film, and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.


7. Take out of the freezer 5 minutes before serving, and cut with a sharp knife.

This parfait was idly made to the sounds of Arcade Fire's album The Suburbs

White Rabbit, Rose & Lemon Marble Cake

Welcome to the recipe for White Rabbit, Rose & Lemon Marble Cake! There's no need to give this cake too much description, as the White Queen did such a good job of it in the Mad Tea Party post. Suffice to say it is a delicious and oh so pretty party cake, with a moist flavoursome crumb, and a psychedelic glamour all of its own.

Recipe
My own
Serves 10-12


For the white chocolate rabbits and roses:
approx 350g white chocolate, broken into pieces


1. Make the chocolate rabbits and roses in advance. Gently melt 250g of the chocolate over a bain mairie, a heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Stir the chocolate, and when melted, add the extra 100g, taking it off the heat but continuing to stir until melted.

2. When all the white chocolate has melted smoothly, carefully spoon it into the silicone moulds (I got roses one from Lakeland; the rabbit one from Baked & Delicious magazine). Place the filled moulds on a plate in the fridge for half an hour, before unmoulding. Don't touch them too much when unmoulding as the heat of your hands may soften them. When unmoulded, place the mice back in the fridge on a plate until ready to use.


for the marble cake:
250g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g caster sugar
250g self raising flour
4 eggs
1 large drop of rose water, for rose batter
1 large drop of lemon extract, for lemon batter
1 pin prick pink colour tint paste, for rose batter, I used Ruby by SugarFlair
1 pin prick yellow colour tint paste, for lemon batter, I used Primrose by SugarFlair


3.Turn the oven to 180C (160C fan oven). Grease a 20cm round baking tin and line the bottom with baking paper.

4. Cream butter and sugar together for at least 3 minutes in a large bowl until fluffy.

5. Add the first egg and a tablespoon of the flour, and beat well until smooth. Repeat the process with the other two eggs one after the other, adding a little flour with each and beating until smooth.

6. Then divide the batter evenly into two bowls. To one half of the batter add the lemon flavouring and the yellow colouring, and mix together gently with a metal spoon.

7. To the second bowl of batter, add the rose flavouring and the pink colouring, mixing until combined as before.

8. Dollop spoonfuls of each batter, one after the other, into the prepared baking tin. When all the mixture has been used up, swirl once around the spoonfuls of batter with a skewer.


9. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. You'll know it's done when a skewer comes out clean.

10. Remove from the oven and leave the cake in its tin for 20 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack or a plate to cool.


for the icing (this makes more than enough, so there'll be spoonfuls of leftovers for licking!):
500g icing sugar
160g unsalted butter, room temperature
50ml whole milk
2 drops vanilla extract

11. Once the cake is cool, you can make the icing. Slowly beat the icing sugar and butter together using a food mixer or a handheld electric whisk until they are well combined.


12. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and vanilla together.

13. Add a couple of spoonfuls at a time of the vanilla milk to the icing, mixing well.

14. When all the vanilla milk has been added, beat the mixture quickly, and continue beating for a minimum of 6 minutes, until the icing is fluffy and light.

15. When you're happy with the consistency of the icing, spread it over the top and sides of the cake with a spatula or palette knife.

16. Before the icing starts to harden, quickly place the white chocolate rabbits and roses into the icing, pressing them in firmly so that they stay put. Place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes, then take out at least 5 minutes before serving at room temperature.

This cake was idly baked while listening to Edith Sitwell sing William Walton's Facade

A Mad Tea Party in Idle Wonderland

Once upon a time there was a dear small kitten called Nico, whose amber eyes and sweet smile won her many friends. She lived with her human mother Emalina, in a big old country cottage on a high hill overlooking a valley surrounded by greenery and roses.

One day, as Emalina sat in the garden picking wild strawberries, she heard a strange sound in the air. A lovely voice resounded through the valley, a soft and lilting song in deep dulcet tones she knew well.
"Quick!" cried Emalina, rushing indoors where Nico was snoozing languorously on the rocking chair, "Nico, it's time to go! Our friend Vanessa Valencia calls to us! The time has finally come, the time to visit her Mad Tea Party!" 

Nico smiled her sweet smile, for she had been looking forward to a tea party all year long (or at least since lunchtime). Together they packed up what they would need. Nico found her sun hat, and her pretty pinny for serving tea.
She sat very still as Emalina dressed her in her favourite red collar, the one with bells that tinkled like a stream as she walked. Last but not least were her coloured ribbons for country dancing, which Nico thoughtfully nudged into Emalina's pink straw basket as they closed the cottage door and set out to find Wonderland.

Nico and Emalina set off on their journey. After a while they came to a field full of buttercups. Nico sniffed the clean fresh air, and the gentle breeze dancing in the trees wiggled her long white whiskers, for it was a beautiful day.

Soon they came to a clearing where there stood a wooden cabin. At first Nico was too scared to step in, but Emalina reassurred her that it was the cabin into Wonderland and all were welcome there. As they entered the cabin they gulped in the gorgeous smell of lamb roasting in the wood oven. Nico's belly rumbled.

"Look, dear Nico" said Emalina, "there it is, the looking glass that will take us into Wonderland."

On the cabin wall hung a gilt gold mirror, carved and twisted, that reflected a dazzling light into their eyes.

"It's time to be brave, my darling" said Emalina, "for we must step into this mirror and into the unknown to reach our destination".

Now Nico was used to being brave to catch mice and shrew (and once a baby rabbit too), but she shook her head at her human mother.
 "I can only be brave if I know there'll be food for my belly in the unknown" she said.

 "Why then be not afeared little Nico, for beyond this mirror there will be cakes and sweets and who knows what delights", responded Emalina in a reassuring tone. "I will make sure that you don't go hungry".

And so little Nico and big Emalina stepped into the Wonderland mirror, and out the other side into a bright new world. As she opened her eyes, Nico was surprised to find she was rolling in roses, petals pink and purple, yellow, white and red covering them with their fragrant scent.

She looked around to see Emalina shaking the petals off her skirts with a grin.
 "We're here Nico!" she exclaimed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Nico was inclined to reserve judgement until she had something in her belly,but she followed Emalina down the yellowing path of an old orchard. They turned the bend to find a most remarkable sight. The White Queen of Wonderland had spread out a picnic beneath the trees and was raising her tea cup to them in eager anticipation.

"How nice to meet you, Your Highness", Emalina gasped, "we beg your pardon at trespassing onto your land".

"Why this feast is for you dear Nico and Emalina, for Alice and I have been waiting to take tea with you. Vanessa Valencia, who has her own party to attend, sends her fanciful regards" said the White Queen graciously.

"Oooh cupcakes!" squealed Nico, "My favourite kind of cake!".

The White Queen spread her arms out in welcome, "These are no ordinary cupcakes little Nico", she said, "for hand painted onto each cupcake here is a different portrait of all the lords and ladies of Wonderland kingdom.
I will let you eat as many as you wish, kitty", she continued, with a wink to Emalina " for I can hear your stomach is rumbling." 

As Nico got to work eating her fill, Emalina looked around at the wonderful feast spread out before them. Meringues and rose petals, a white rabbit cake, marshmallows and cupcakes, tea ready to be poured, she had never seen such abundant delights.

"We have laid out some fruit and some fans" said the White Queen, "for those of us who need to keep our pale complexions".
"How thoughtful of you, your Highness" Emalina replied, "at home we only eat Whiskas for Nico, and green beans for me. That is why we're so thin you see."

"Then you must fatten yourselves up with some liquorice and marshmallows, Emalina, we are here to eat and be convivial. I can recommend the tayberry lemonade, made by our gardener from the berries this morning. It goes perfectly with a lavender meringue."

Nico, meanwhile, had finished her cupcake and was wandering about the picnic with her tail held high. "Would you mind awfully if I had this cup of tea?" she asked "I do so fancy a hot drink."
The White Queen nodded her approval, and Nico took her first lap of tea.

"What is this?" she exclaimed, "I have never tasted such a drink!"
"It is my Chocolate Mint tea" answered the Queen "I only bring it out for special occasions, infused as it is with magical powers."

"Yes, have you tried it?", spoke up Alice the doll suddenly, looking straight at Nico, "isn't it divine?"

"But you're a doll, Alice, how can you speak?" asked Nico, startled.

 "Fear not my dear, you have drunk my magic Chocolate Mint tea, that is why you can hear Alice speak" answered the White Queen.

"I speak all the time, thank you very much" countered Alice, "but it's only those with ears tuned to the right frequency who can hear me. Go on, have another sip of tea and a slice of cake, we're all friends here little cat." 

As Nico popped her head into the berries, Emalina took a peek at the book of fairy tales lying open beside her. "These are delightful illustrations Your Highness" she said "look at those birds in the picture Nico!"

"My wish is to surround myself with everything I love" said the Queen, laughing softly, "for it brings me such pleasure. There you see an illustration by Edmund Dulac from the story of Bluebeard."

"And come look at my boudoir", she beckoned to Emalina, "here you can find a portrait of my late grandmother, she was a great beauty. Many princes travelled from all over the land for a chance to woo her. 

Many fought battles in her name and wrote poems for her love, before she chose my late grandfather, the man who painted this."

"The dress" she went on to say, "is another family heirloom. It is belonged to my great grandmother on the other side of the family."

"But what are those strange green sparkly things?" piped up Nico.

"Let me tell you a secret", said the White Queen as she drew them close to her. "These green sparkly things are real beetle wings sewn onto gauze. My couturier tells me this dress was made in India more than a hundred years ago. It is a piece of history and so delicate that I have only worn it a handful of times, only ever to stand in. The beetle wings are sharp and they cut into me if I sit down."

"Gosh" said Emalina, "we are lucky to be taking tea with the Queen, aren't we Nico?"

"We are", agreed Nico, "and have you met Alice yet, Mummy? She's just over here. She talks you know, like I do."

At that moment the air grew thick with sound. Wood nymphs appeared from behind each tree in the orchard singing their praises to the White Queen. 

As the nymphs sang their hypnotic chant, Nico noticed the strangest things start to happen. All around her, objects began to move, to dance to the nymphs' song.

The dresses and paintings at the White Queen's boudoir swayed in time to the music, as if possessed!

The white rabbits on the Queen's cake began to hop, and play, amongst the white chocolate roses! 

The faces on the cupcakes began to move, too, and they smudged themselves as they did so.

Even the cupids on the White Queen's books began to prance and dance.

Before long the whole of Wonderland was swaying and dancing to the wood nymphs' song. Only the White Queen sat still in her chair, with a smile as she watched the revellery.

Nico felt the voices of the nymphs stroke her body with their tune, they were playing with her whiskers and caressing her tail. Finally, she could contain herself no longer, and let out a mad little jumping dance, as Emalina twirled her long skirts around her.

The music stopped as abruptly as it had started, and all of Wonderland stood still again. Nico, so exhausted by her dancing, found a shady spot under the White Queen's skirts to catch her breath, whilst Emalina took to a nearby hammock to recover.

"This really is the life!" exclaimed Emalina, as she reached for another meringue.

"It is, it is Mummy!" cried Nico, from beneath the Queen's shady skirts.

But being a fidgety little kitten, she couldn't stay still for long and she soon started to hunt for something else to eat.

Something like the liquorice...

"Don't eat too much of that," warned the White Queen, "it is time for us to cut the White Rabbit cake! You shall wish to leave some room to taste the cake!"

"Nico and I love cake, Your Highness", said Emalina, "what flavour is it may I ask?"

"Rose and lemon to taste, my dear girl, in different colours and different parts; for beneath the hand made white chocolate rabbits and roses, and the sky blue buttercream, there lies a moist soft marble cake of such magnificence that we must all eat at least one slice."

The Queen was right, it was a magnificent cake, and within no time at all they had had two slices each.

Finally, the White Queen brought out a strange looking case...

"Open it, dear Nico and Emalina", and they did as they were told.

Inside were all manner of things, pretty pictures and hand written notes hidden amongst the flowers and cupcakes.

"Here is my Case of Inspiration" said the Queen. "Look through it as you please".

No sooner had Emalina started to look in the case than a note appeared addressed to her.

Opening it, Emalina and Nico saw a fantastic message. "Man is condemned to be free?" asked Nico, "what does this Sartre fellow mean by such a thing?"

"Ah Nico, it is simple my darling. Sartre reminds us that we always have a choice in how we respond to situations in our lives. Even when we deliberately try not to choose, the act of not choosing is in itself a choice. With choice comes freedom, and with freedom comes responsibility, and a life lived in awareness and self reflection".

Nico was still thinking about what her human mother had said when Emalina spied another note, this one addressed to her.

"This is less of a riddle," exclaimed Nico, "oh I know how to do this, Mummy! I'm moving forward right this minute, towards that delicious cake!

As Nico ate some more, Emalina reflected on their notes from the case. What did Kierkegaard mean when he wrote that life must be lived forwards? Perhaps that by facing the everyday difficulties and contradictions of living - as opposed to trying ignore or dismiss them -  we could move forward in our lives, and grow as cats and as people?

She was still pondering this notion when she heard a rustle and the tap tap tap of some sharp high heels on the yellowing path.

There stood the Red Queen, with her hand on her hip.

"Oh has she come to join the party?" asked Nico, hopefully.

"WHO DARES TO EAT THE CAKES OF MY WONDERLAND?" roared the Red Queen. "Quick, guards, off with their heads!"

"We must run for our lives, Nico!" screamed Emalina, and threw Nico onto her shoulder before hotfooting it out of Wonderland, the Red Queen and her guards the nettles chasing behind them waving their stinging spears. 

Thankfully they escaped the gates of Wonderland unharmed, and found a small sailing boat in the mist, sent by the White Queen to take them home.

By the time they had reached their country cottage on the top of the hill, Nico was sleeping like a baby in her human mother's arms.

"What a day it has been" whispered Emalina, as she placed Nico on her fur cushions. "Sleep well sweet darling".

The Red Queen closed the gates of Wonderland for another year, and Nico slept curled up on her cushions, chasing white chocolate rabbits in her dreams.

THE END

P.S. Animal lovers will be pleased to read that Nico the kitten was not

 actually allowed to eat any cake or sweets during the shooting of this post.

P.P.S. All recipes for the above idle bakes will be blogged in forthcoming posts.



This special blog post was idly hatched as I listened to the music of Ella Fitzgerald's Songbook