Gifts from the Kitchen

Page 1


Publication date: September 2010 Price: £16.99 hardback ISBN 978-1-85626-938-4

6 INTRODUCTION

Format: 240x210mm Extent: 176pp Photographs: 60 colour photographs Word count: 30,000 Rights: World, Kyle Cathie

10 SPRING

Text: copyright © Annie Rigg 2010 Design and photographs copyright © Kyle Cathie Ltd 2010 Uncorrected proofs Kyle Cathie Ltd 23 Howland Street London W1T 4AY Tel: 0207 692 7215 general.enquiries@kyle-cathie.com www.kylecathie.com Kyle Books Distributed by NBN Books 4501 Forbes Blvd, Suite 200 Lanham, MD 20706 (800) 462-6420 custserv@nbnbooks.com www.nbnbooks.com Dual measurements and terminology have been used in this blad, but there will be separate editions of the final book for the UK and US.

Nougat, macaroons, iced cookies, vin d’oranges . . .

24 SUMMER Tomato ketchup, cherry jam, pesto, passion fruit pastilles . . .

52 AUTUMN Salted caramels, grissini, pickled beets, chocolate and hazelnut spread . . .

72 WINTER Fig and almond biscotti, spiced cranberry sauce, Florentines, mango chutney . . .

104 CELEBRATIONS Mother’s Day, Chinese New Year, Chanukah, Christmas, new baby, housewarming . . .

170 INDEX

Contents


Summer Berry Vodka I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND SERVING THIS VODKA ICE COLD AS A COCKTAIL – THOUGH DON’T BE FOOLED BY ITS INNOCENT-LOOKING AND SWEET-TASTING PINKNESS! MAKES 1 LITRE (4 CUPS)

350g (12 ounces) raspberries 350g (12 ounces) strawberries, hulled and quartered pared zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 1 vanilla pod, halved 200g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 70cl (3 fl ounces) vodka

Lollipops

Place the raspberries, strawberries, lemon zest and sugar in a large bowl and lightly crush with the back of a wooden spoon or fork. Add the vanilla pod, mix well and leave to one side for about 2 hours until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit starts to become really juicy. Spoon the contents of the bowl into a large preserving or kilner jar and pour over the vodka. Mix well and chill for a week or until needed. Strain the vodka through a fine mesh sieve or muslin and decant into pretty bottles.

S U MMER

3


Easter Nest Cupcakes Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas mark 4. Line muffin tins (pans) with pretty paper cases. Break the chocolate into squares, tip into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave on a low setting. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time to incorporate the mixture evenly. Add the melted chocolate and mix again until smooth. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture with the soured (sour) cream and boiling water. Mix until smooth and then divide between the paper cases, filling each one two-thirds full. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and leave until completely cold before frosting. To make the buttercream, tip the sugar and egg whites into a medium-sized heatproof glass bowl and set over a pan of simmering water without allowing the bottom of the bowl to come into contact with the water. Whisk steadily until the mixture is thick, glossy, will hold a soft peak and reaches 150˚C/300˚F on a sugar (candy) thermometer. Remove from the heat and scoop into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk for 3–4 minutes until cool, thick and glossy. Gradually add the butter, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix again until smooth. Fit a large piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and fill with the buttercream. Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto the top of each cooled cupcake.

M A K E S A B O U T 12 – 16 C U P C A K E S

75g (3 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped 125g (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened 175g (6 ounces) caster (superfine) sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 175g (6 ounces) plain (all-purpose) flour

THESE LITTLE CAKES WOULD BE PERFECT TO TAKE ON AN EASTER EGG HUNT, PACKAGED INTO INDIVIDUAL BOXES AND TIED WITH NAME TAGS. LOOK OUT FOR PRETTY, PASTEL-COLOURED PAPER CUPCAKE CASES AND FANCY LITTLE CHOCOLATE EGGS TO SIT IN THE NESTS.

1 rounded tablespoon cocoa or malted chocolate powder (Ovaltine) ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) a pinch of salt 125g (½ cup) soured (sour) cream 75ml (1⁄3 cup) boiling water For the meringue buttercream 175g (3⁄4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar 3 large egg whites 225g (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 100g (1 cup) shredded wheat 150g (5 ounces) dark chocolate chocolate mini eggs

Melt the dark chocolate for the nests as described above. Break up the shredded wheat and tip into a bowl, add the chocolate and mix to thoroughly coat. Arrange on top of each cupcake and leave to set, then add 4 mini eggs to each ‘nest’.

4

FOOD GIFTS

C EL EBRATIO NS

5


Limoncello THIS TIPPLE IS LIKE A LITTLE RAY OF BOOZY, CITRUS SUNSHINE AT THE END OF A HEAVY MEAL AND SHOULD BE SERVED VERY COLD IN LITTLE SHOT GLASSES. IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND SOME LEMONS WITH STALKS AND LEAVES ATTACHED, THESE WOULD MAKE A VERY BEAUTIFUL LABEL OR GIFT TAG.

Love Heart Sugar Cubes

MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE (4 CUPS)

THESE ARE PERFECT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY, A GIRL’S NIGHT IN OR AS A WEDDING FAVOUR. YOU COULD TINT THE SUGAR ALMOST ANY COLOUR IMAGINABLE BUT PALE, PASTEL SHADES ARE MORE ELEGANT WHEN TEAMED WITH VINTAGE TEA CUPS. WHY STOP AT LOVE HEART SUGAR CUBES? LOOK OUT FOR SMALL STAR OR SIMPLE FLOWER-SHAPED CUTTERS TO EXPERIMENT WITH.

6 unwaxed lemons 250g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 70cl (3 fl ounces) vodka

MAKES ABOUT 30

300g (1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar 1–2 tablespoons cold water food colouring pastes – pink, lilac, yellow

Tip the caster (superfine) sugar into a bowl and add the cold water. Stir to combine thoroughly until the sugar takes on the texture of damp sand, the kind you’d use to make sand castles. Tip one quarter of the sugar out onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (paper) and press firmly to the thickness of around 1cm (1⁄2 inch). Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, carefully stamp out the shapes, one at a time. Using your finger, gently push the sugar heart out of the cutter and onto another parchment-covered baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all of the white sugar. To tint the remaining sugar, add a tiny amount of food colouring paste and, using a cocktail stick, mix until thoroughly combined. Stamp out more hearts in the same way. Leave the sugar cubes to dry for at least 24 hours.

Wash and dry the lemons and, using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in fine strips. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and set aside. Pour 100ml (1⁄2 cup) water into a small pan, add the zest strips and sugar and bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Wash, dry and sterilise a large preserving or kilner jar. Pour the vodka into the jar and add the lemony syrup. Secure the lid and give it all a good shake. Set aside in a cool, dry, dark place for a week, shaking the jar every day. Strain off the lemon peels and decant the limoncello into a pretty bottle.


Marinated Goat’s Cheese

8

FOOD GIFTS


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