15-minute make: garlic, rosemary and chilli almonds

With the bank holiday weekend approaching and drinks with friends (or if we’re lucky, a picnic) on the horizon, these spicy nibbles are perfect for today’s quick recipe. And yes, clock-watching readers – you’ll be well shy of 15 minutes on this one. Let’s just say I’ve given you five minutes to collect the rosemary from the garden!

{adapted from The Passionate Cook}

Garlic, rosemary and chilli almonds

1 teaspoon olive oil

200g almonds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 large sprigs of rosemary, leaves only

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or adjust to taste)

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

 

1) Gently heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan then add the almonds. Sizzle gently for 3-4 minutes until heated through and beginning to brown a little.

2) Add all the other ingredients, apart from the sea salt. Stir well to coat the almonds and heat for 1 minute more (take care not to burn the garlic, which can become bitter).

3) Line a bowl with kitchen paper and tip in the nuts. Shake around a little to soak up any excess oil then sprinkle with sea salt.

4) Pop into a serving dish and enjoy with a glass of bank holiday Pimms!

I hope you have something lovely planned for the next few days. I have a couple of little excursions on the cards so will be back on Tuesday to catch up!

Ne’er cast a clout ’til may be out

This was my first Saturday since I finished my mentoring that I’ve actually been able to relax and have some time to myself. I was determined to be as lazy as possible, so I got up decadently late then cooked a scrummy brunch in my pjs.

I went for a walk in Crystal Palace Park (which is right opposite my flat so took no effort whatsoever) to enjoy the lovely sunshine. The may has finally blossomed so I cast my jacket and socks. It felt good!

{all Decorator’s Notebook}

After a couple of hours exposing my ghostly skin to the sun, I headed homeward to search for a new WordPress theme for my blog – I can’t believe how hard it is to find one I like! I am looking for a clean, simple design with a traditional one column layout, a proper sidebar and room for a header image at the top. Not hard you’d think, but lots of the ones available now seem to look more like website than blogs with a static front page of thumbnails which click to open individual posts rather than a scrolling format.

Should I be considering them? Do you mind blogs with a fixed front page like that or do you still prefer more traditional blog designs?

I’d love to know what you’ve done if you use WordPress.com too…

NEW: photographic deliciousness from Good Company magazine

This such an interesting time to be working in magazines, as print and digital publications rise, fall and battle for supremacy. I think it’s too early to say how it’s going to end, but there’s no doubt that there have been some online launches recently that are every bit as inspirational as print mags. Good Company is the latest and serves up visually delectable food content centred around three core themes: people, tools and ingredients.

{all Good Company}

As well as mouthwatering recipes, interesting interviews and gorgeous pictures, I love how Good Company is designed too. Rather than dressing up the pages with whizzy embedded videos and clickable everything, there’s a cheeky nod to paper with watercolour patterned pages and photographed book pages to separate each section. I like that.

Read Good Company online here.

15-minute make: homemade honeycomb

When I was doing my A-levels I had a Saturday job as a waitress in a local hotel. On my way back and forth to the pot wash I’d stop by the pastry kitchen to watch and scrounge. It was there I discovered the alchemy that is homemade honeycomb (cinder toffee).

I think it’s one of the easiest yet most impressive sweet treats you can possibly make, so it’s perfect when you need a little present to take to a dinner party… or pop it into a pretty box or jar and surprise your Mum for Mother’s Day on Sunday.

Homemade Honeycomb

100g caster sugar

4 tablespoons golden syrup

1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Silicone mat or baking parchment

Optional extras: nuts, seeds, coconut shavings, melted dark chocolate

1) Put the sugar and syrup into a large non-stick saucepan, mix together then put on a medium heat. Resist the temptation to stir the mixture once it’s on the heat. Just watch it carefully as it melts, then turns into a golden brown goo. This will take about three minutes

2) Take the pan off the heat then whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and watch the magic happen! The mixture will transform into a foaming golden cloud – tip it immediately onto the silicone sheet / baking parchment. Sprinkle over the nuts, seeds and coconut if using.

3) Leave the honeycomb to set and cool then break into shards. Dip or drizzle with melted dark chocolate if you like, although I think it’s absolutely scrummy just as it is.

{Photographs At Down Under / Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson}

I urge you to try this – it’s so easy and so much fun to make. And it tastes like funfairs!

15-minute make: mulled wine syrup

Here’s an odd quirk of mine – I really dislike wine (red, white, rose, sparkling – everything) but I love mulled wine. I’m not sure what that says about my taste buds, but it makes perfect sense to me! So, today’s 15-minute make is a gently-spiced mulled wine recipe that just tastes like Christmas… and makes your house smell like it too. There’s a little more to it than the regular teabag-in-a-pan method, but you end up with a lovely syrup base that can be bottled and used on another occasion. A bottle of this mulled wine syrup would make a nice last-minute homemade Christmas present too.

Mulled Wine Syrup 

Makes 12 servings

1 orange
1 lemon, peel only
150g golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods, gently bashed

5 cloves
Pinch grated nutmeg

Splash of red wine

 

Add to…
2 bottles of fruity red wine
150ml ginger wine

Orange slices to garnish

 

1) Squeeze the juice from the orange and place in a large pan together with the orange shells, lemon peel, sugar and spices. Add a small glug of wine (just enough to cover the sugar) and heat gently  until the sugar has dissolved, stirring every now and again. Bring to the boil and bubble for 5-8 minutes until you have a thick syrup. At this stage you can leave the syrup to cool slightly then pour into a sterilised bottle. If you’re thirsty now, carry on…

2) Turn the heat down and add the red wine and ginger wine to the saucepan. Warm through gently, giving it a stir occasionally Have a taste and add a touch of sugar or lemon juice if you need it. Serve in heatproof glasses garnished with orange slices.

{Photographs Hannah Queen / Recipe adapted from Felicity Cloake}

Weekday baking

I always take a wholesome loaf cake up to the Lake District with me so we can enjoy a slice with a cup of tea after a long day of walking on the fells. This year, I’ll try this Spiced Ginger Cake recipe via the ever mouthwatering Roost.

{Roost}

Time and transport (four hours courtesy of National Rail) don’t allow for beautiful packaging like this unfortunately but I love the idea of putting together a little gift pack to spread some autumn cheer. The accompanying recipe for Rosemary Apple Butter sounds scrummy too. What do you like to have with your tea at this time of year?

Decorate Easter eggs with natural dyes

My Mum always boils eggs wrapped in onion skins to give them a pretty colour for Easter breakfast. This idea takes it one step further…

{US Country Living}

In a nutshell (or should that be eggshell) all you do is secure a flower or leaf to each egg using material cut from a pair of thin tights. Then make your chosen natural dye using either onion skins, cranberries or red cabbage and splash of vinegar before boiling your eggs as usual (ask Delia) in the dye. Click here for full instructions. I think these looks so pretty and actually sound quite straightforward so I’d love to know if you try it.

I’d do it myself of course, but I’ll be spending the weekend under canvas in the Cotswolds so fear it might be a bit ambitious on a camping stove!

Happy St David’s Day

{Eat Little Bird / Chelsea Fuss}

I’m only a quarter Welsh but it’s a little part I hold dear. It was actually light when I left the office at 5.30 this evening so spring has most definitely sprung. And not a moment too soon!

Ps – I don’t eat my Welsh Cakes with jam as in this photo. Instead, I think they’re best gobbled up as fresh as possible spread with real butter. Make your own using this recipe (although my Great Nanny Bessie’s recipe uses currants rather than sultanas. She’s the Mum in this lovely black and white photo from our family archive). If you haven’t tried them before you must – they’re delish!

Cute Christmas baking

For me, interiors blogs and food blogs go hand in hand – I find I’m equally inspired by beautifully styled dishes as beautifully styled tables. Air Kiss is my latest culinary discovery, and has all the ingredients needed to become a firm favourite: airy photography, pretty food styling and a focus on seasonal produce.

These gingerbread cupcakes are just too cute to resist and would make lovely last-minute Christmas presents for friends.

{all Lara Sheleheda / Air Kiss}

Lara used a recipe from Martha’s book for her cupcakes but you could try this one instead (it has metric quantities) and top with mini gingerbread men adapted from this one.

Head over to Air Kiss to discover more tempting ideas!

Friday, I’m in love…

{A Beautiful Mess}

… with mulling stuff. Wine. Cider. Apple juice. Everything.

… with this adorable idea for sweet canapes

… with the wonderous (or should that be odorous?) stench of the most Christmassy shop in all of London town

… with vintage labels for my homemade sloe gin

… with eating, drinking and being merry from now until January!

Bon weekend!