Celebration Trifle

This was my solution to our Christmas Lunch dessert dilemma, easy to transport and make in advance.  I 'poshed' it up in a number of ways with what turned out to be great success, it really is delicious!

For the 'champagne' jelly:

300mls of pink cava or prosecco
4 leaves gelatine
100 mls water
1 tbsp caster sugar

10/12 cherries, halved
4  rectangular almond sponge fingers or biscuits

• Soak the gelatine leaves in the cava/prosecco
• Slowly bring the 100mls water to boil in a small pot with the caster sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar before it boils, simmer for 5 mins to make a slightly syrupy liquid.
• Remove the gelatine leaves, squeeze out any liquid then add to the pot and whisk into the syrupy liquid to dissolve.
• Add contents of the pot into the cava/prosecco and mix together.  Pour into the bowl you are using for the trifle, cool and place in the fridge to set.
• After a half hour and when just starting to set take a punnet of 250/300g cherries and drop some halved cherries into the jelly, they should not sink to the bottom but be suspended in the jelly.  Push the almond sponges or biscuits into the jelly in the shape of a star.  Return to fridge to set fully.

As it sets prepare the rest of the cherries:

• Half the rest of the cherries and place in a shallow pot or frying pan with 2 tbsp caster sugar
• Over a low heat warm the cherries and melt the sugar
• When slightly softened turn up the heat and tip the pan over the gas flame (or use a gas lighter if you dont have a gas hob) and add a tbsp of amaretto - it should catch fire, the alcohol will burn off and flambe the cherries.  Remove from the heat and cool.

With the jelly in the fridge and the boozy cherries cooling you can make the custard and the amaretti crumble:

• In a bowl blend together  3 egg yolks, 1 tbsp caster sugar and a tsp cornflour
• Scrape seeds from one vanilla pod
• Gently heat 10 fl oz of double cream in a pot until just before boiling point
• Pour the cream over the egg mixture, whisking as you go until all combined.
• Return the mixture to the pot and gently heat until it starts to thicken, whisking.
• Add the vanilla seeds.
• A thick consistency is needed, then remove from heat and cool quickly, stirring now and then to ensure lumps dont form.
• As it cools crush 6/8 amaretti biscuits to a fine crumb and set aside.

When the jelly is totally set and the cherries and custard cool you can begin to assemble it:

layer the custard over the jelly

spoon over the boozy cherries

cover with the amaretti biscuit crumb

Return to the fridge to keep cool.  The prep the double cream topping:

• 10fl oz double cream - whisked to medium consistency.
• 3/4 of the cream is smoothed over the trifle in a single layer and the remainder is piped decoratively around the outside of the trifle.

To finish:

• Spun sugar -  to make spun sugar take a shallow frying pan or pot and add around 150g of caster sugar
• Heat very gently, do not stir!
• As the sugar melts and begins to turn into a golden brown caramel the pan can be tipped or shaken to incorporate any unmelted sugar
• When golden brown remove from heat
• Place a large sheet of baking parchment in front of you
• You will also need a knife sharpening steel or the handle of a long wooden spoon, plus an ordinary spoon
• Dip the small spoon into the caramel and flick it backwards and forwards over the steel or spoon handle (held up at shoulder height over the parchment) until strands form
• Gently gather the strands and shape as desired
• Alternatively pour the caramel onto the parchment in a large pool and once set break it into shards to decorate



a fine dessert and delicious to eat

• Fine grated  dark chocolate would also be a good alternative to spun sugar ;-))

councilflat Christmas!

28th Dec.  Wet.  Windy.  Post festive slump well underway.  New year resolution is to update this blog at least three times a month...I spent most of Dec too busy actually doing the cooking to blog about the cooking!

Here is a wee taste of what I was up to...

First task was to get my christmas cake underway, its a looooong recipe so I won't post it here but happy to send on to anyone who wants it - its a lighter cake with hints of honey, saffron and amaretto instead of brandy...

my variation of an old bbc good food mag recipe and doesnt require a month of feeding, just as well as I made two of these babies on the 14th Dec!

pretty traditional approach, lots of thick marzipan underneath

not too shabby, if I say so myself!

Next job was to get festive on all my jars of chutneys, jams and jellies, ready for christmas hampers and gifts for family and friends...



only another 80 jars to go....





Moving swiftly on my daughter decided to get in on the act and at the last possible moment wanted to give home made gifts....a quick but effective solution were these pretty peppermint creams, deceptively simple and given a sophisticated edge by dipping in dark chocolate and sprinkled with gold stars.  She quickly had enough to fill 5 of these pretty little boxes which we lined with tissue and florists celophane and then decorated in a simple but quite classy way...voila!  The total cost for ingredients and the boxes to make 40 peppermint creams was easily less than a fiver...



By now it was the final week of Dec and one of my last tasks was to make something for our staff Xmas lunch....what could be more festive than a yule log?  This was to be my first attempt at a swiss roll sponge so decided to play it safe and followed the Paul Hollywood recipe from the Dec Good Food mag.  All went to plan and although the sponge did crack I just used extra buttercream to even it out.  I used a jar of morello cherries in syrup from Lidl instead of raspberries for the filling and added a touch of amaretto to the cream.  The result was pretty spectacular if I say so myself....although a LOT of work went into it...

With the end in sight I put together christmas hampers for family members, choc full of chutneys, jams, home made christmas cake and other foody goodies picked up along the way...

So, at last!  Christmas lunch at my mums was a chance to relax and enjoy the fabulous top end turkey with all the trimmings that she prepares so well.  I supplied starter and dessert, a simple beetroot and grilled goats cheese salad and my posh version of a trifle which was deeelicious...the recipe for which I will post later.

So, happy New Year, happy eating and good health to everyone, Cheers!

Big Apple Foodie Bites!

Just returned from a five day trip to the city that never sleeps (and always eats!).  Unsurprisingly I spent most of my trip thinking about, if not actually consuming food, and what great food it was!

Day one and drinks in the gloriously art deco salon/bar of our hotel at Washington Square were quickly followed by beer and pizza from John's - a Greenwich village institution.  This particularly fine example had sausage, peppers and extra anchovies...

Day two and we headed to Brooklyn, coffee from one of the many cute cafes in Park Slope warmed us as we wandered through Prospect Park and down to Brooklyn Heights, catching Jason Bateman filming scenes for a new movie as we passed through!  Had a great steak sandwich and salad at a warehouse bar/restaurant called Superfine, one of the first to move into the area now known as DUMBO.  Dinner plans involved trying to score a table at one of those 'word of mouth' places that is apparently a nightmare to get into (no reservations) but a dream once you are in...and sure enough Bianca's in NOHO was full to bursting when we arrived at 7pm.  The manager quickly despatched us next door to a hip bar called Von where we waited until he showed up 40 mins later with a table for us.  The atmosphere was buzzing and staff were efficient but very friendly.  A huge portion of Frito Misto, shrimp, squid, octopus and courgette fried in a light batter was delicious if not the best looking dish...

Meanwhile my lasagna was filled with a rich ragu and LOTS of top quality parmigiana cheese...

Bianca's was not fine dining, it was top quality italian home cooking and it deserves the attention it gets at home and from visitors.  Magic.  Finished off the night (literally) by meeting an old college friend at her bar on the lower east side, a cool rock bar-come cafe-come gig venue...many vodka, lemon and ginger cocktails were consumed...

Day three and feeling slightly delicate we headed out for a late brunch, not straying too far from the Village.  The resulting effort was disappointing, a soul food cafe/bar called the Pink Teacup was underwhelming in every sense - a tiny portion of (not very nice) crab cakes and coleslaw from a budget supermarket tub.  Just as well we didnt eat too much as our evening plans involved a table, booked in advance, at the French Culinary Institute, a premier training ground for the next Iron Chef or michelin star wannabe.  The food is cooked and also served by the students and at $47 for a four course fine dining experience is possibly New Yorks best kept secret.  Matching wines at $30 were expertly chosen.  The portions were on the large side, my starter of butternut quash soup with confit quail was enourmous, as was my fish dish of poached halibut with oysters and watercress...

A main of pork loin stuffed with olives and walnuts in a huckleberry jus was delicious but just too much.  Full to bursting I managed a few mouthfuls of my banana cream pie only to be suprised by a trio of mini desserts presented to me at the table with a birthday candle (how did they know?)...I had a nibble of each and all were delicious, epecially the little pot of custard with the shortbread spoon, a cute touch.

Day four and off we waddled uptown , a stone heavier, to the Bouchon Bakery for a delicious almond and raspberry croissant and a peak at all those macarons lined up like soldiers, not to mention a sneaky look upstairs at Per Se, one of the top restaurants and top prices too, a squint at the lunch menu revealed a $295 price tag per person, ouch!!!   Then for some shopping and something I was looking forward to, lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station only to find it was closed (it was Sunday d'oh!).  Deflated, another poor lunch effort was had at one of the stalls in the dining concourse of the station, only made better by a coconut cream cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery stand next door.  That night we were uptown to see NYC Ballet's The Nutcracker so we returned to a BBQ place we had been to before, tried and tested and rather spookily they led us to the exact table as our last visit!

Day five and I was depressed at the thought of heading home.  A really great lunch was needed.  For months I had fantasised about David Changs buns...but didnt think we had a chance of getting into one of his Momofuku establishments, being as they are THE place to eat in New York.  But my college friend suggested Monday lunch would be our best chance so we wandered over to the Noodle Bar on 1st Ave and although busy we were quickly accomodated, sitting up at the counter as the kitchen and waiting staff whizzed around in front of us.  The Noodle Bar has the most informal vibe of all his restaurants, with options ranging from snacks at the counter to full meals.  The pork buns were quickly delivered and all I can say is that they were one of the best things I've eaten in recent years, the pork was meltingly soft with a subtle sweetness that I couldnt put my finger on...a large bowl of Momofuku ramen followed, the broth rich from the pork belly and shoulder with kimchi, spring onions and a wobbly poached egg.  Outstanding.  Greedy for more we also shared a special from the board, fried oysters and brisket hash on a bed of grilled potato salad with pickled cucumber.  This dish looked like a work of art and was more delicate in flavour than the ramen, but again the brisket melted in the mouth leaving its pleasantly fatty, sweet flavour behind.

Momofuku Ramen

Pork Buns

Fried Oysters and Brisket

This was undoubtedly the highlight for me, fine dining is all well and good but this is simply the kind of food and style of eating that we are crying out for here in the UK, in my opinion.  Someone should get onto that...

A final foodie highlight, birthday dollars were only ever going to be spent on one thing, oh KitchenAid, oh KitchenAid, how lovely are your pricetags...$299!!!  ok, so I need a voltage adaptor and they are ugly but I don't care...