Scottish Lavender Shortbread

I've been having haggis cravings lately.
No, it's not a sign that I'm pregnant with a Scottish baby.
(For that matter, The Man is not Scottish anyway)

So it might be a sign that I'm ready to celebrate a very early Burns Night or just wanting haggis season to start now.

Of course, there's no such thing as a "haggis season", but The Man has decided that it's too hot to eat haggis these days.

Nonsense. I'd like to take him to Savoie (in the French Alps) and we'll see if those Savoyards (people from Savoie) stop eating tartiflette and raclette (local delicacies based on melted cheese, potatoes, charcuterie and all things fat) in summer!
 Whatever (yes, I am a rebellious teenager)And I'm enjoying the anticipation almost just as much (Mainly I'm secretly hoping for a cold wave next weekend to justify a we're-having-haggis-for-dinner revolution).

Until then, I've managed to bring a little taste of Scotland to our tea breaks.

Lavender Scottish Shortbread

I fell in love with shortbread when I visited Scotland last year and tasted real artisan shortbread, which is very different from industrial shortbread.
You could flavour this shortbread with many different things (orange zest, dried cranberries, chocolate chunks, etc) but I love the delicate aromas the lavender brings to it, for a slightly posh version of this lovely traditional Scottish biscuit.
As it's a very buttery tasting biscuit, make sure you use good-quality butter, so you get the best results.
 
Ingredients

200g plain flour (+ extra for dusting)
125g cold unsalted butter, diced
25g caster Sugar
25g lavender sugar

Method to make lavender shortbread

1/ Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. 

2/ Mix the flour and sugars together in a mixing bowl. 

3/ Rub in the butter with your thumb and forefinger, squash, pat and push it into a dough. 

4/ Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (or onto a baking silicone mat), and without kneading it, pat it down flat until it's 1cm thick. 

5/ Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter (square, round, or finger-shaped. If it splits or tears, just press it back together). Try and work the dough as little as possible to ensure it will be a short as possible and make very crumbly shortbread.
If you like, score lines on the shortbread so that you can click the biscuits off into pieces later

6/ Sprinkle over some caster sugar, and bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until it's a light golden colour. Leave to cool completely before serving or storing in a tin.

 

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver

Homemade toffee popcorn

I've got a new passion. And it has a name: Elvis Presley.

It all started with The Man playing me records on Saturday mornings while I bake. 

Since his music repertoire is much wider than mine (I am limited to what airs on Magic 105.4fm), he constantly introduces me to lots of different bands and music genres, including approachable bands and more obscure stuff.

Before long, The King became my favourite Saturday morning baking session soundtrack.

Still, the image I had of Elvis tended to be of the overweight and drugged up 1974 version of him. Until one day, The Man came home with the 68 Come Back Concert DVD, and I fell in love with the "cool as hell" Elvis. 

From his story and his songs, to his movies and interviews, I became a little obsessed with everything touching Elvis, watched every youtube video about him, and to this day am completely fascinated.

So this week's recipe is dedicated to The King!

Homemade Toffee Popcorn

When I was a child, I loved going to the movies, mainly for the toffee popcorn from a brand called Baff that my mum would traditionally buy for us when she'd take us to the cinema
Since then, I've been dreaming of re-creating a toffee popcorn as nice as this one. I'm not sure this taste exactly the same, but there definitely goes down like a treat!

Ingredients (for 2 people)

50g popping corn
20g muscovado sugar
6 tbsp golden syrup
40butter

Prepare the toffee popcorn

1/ Warm the oven at 180deg C.

2/ In a medium pan with a lid, heat -on high heat- the corn without any oil or butter, shaking the pan regularly so the corn doesn't burn, until it starts popping. Reduce the heat and keep on shaking the pan regularly until you can't hear any popping sound anymore. Transfer the popped corn into a bowl.

3/ In a small pan, melt the butter, golden syrup, and cook on medium heat, mixing regularly, for about 3 to 4 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

4/ Slowly pour the toffee sauce on the popcorn, mixing continuously with a spatula (ideally silicone so the toffee sauce doesn't stick to it) until the popcorn ispretty much fully coated in toffee sauce. 

5/ Transfer the toffee popcorn onto a oven tray lined with baking parchment and cook in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes (we're not really cooking the popcorn but more setting the toffee coating on it)

6/ Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with a good DVD!

  And for a glimpse of Smoking Hot Elvis

Who's the little bear on the photos? It's Chocolat my travelling bear, of course! To follow his travels and adventures, check out Chocolat's facebook page.

Cornwall #2: a rambler's paradise

Cornwall is not only an enchanting foodie region, it's also a great place to do walks.
So if you wish to follow the South West Coast Path or do other short walks, there are plenty of choices wherever you are in Cornwall and whatever your level is.

If you're a wildlife lover, there are so many bird species to look out for, such as the famous Cornish choughs. And you might even get a glimpse of sea lions too.

As you walk, you'll regularly find tea rooms or pubs to stop at for a drink. You'll also have a chance to pick up fresh produce from "honesty box" displays. 
I had never encountered "honesty boxes" before visiting Cornwall and I really loved the whole idea behind them. Locals display, unattended at the entrance of their properties, trays of produce that they grow in their gardens (vegetables, fruits), make themselves (jams, etc), or farm (eggs, etc). Items are often priced, but not always. Next to the trays there is an unlocked money box or jam jar called the "honesty box", where ramblers pay in cash for whatever they take away with them, offering the price they think is fair for those un-priced items. 
Of course, in the paradise that is Cornwall, no one seems to cheat or steal. It made me feel like I was walking in some kind of a magic world, so far from our busy capital city. I loved it!

Last but not least, as you walk you'll get to see incredible views, a sea as blue as you can imagine, beautiful light houses, quirky old mining chimneys, plenty of thatched cottages and lovely villages.

Jamaica Inn, the real one!

St Michael's Mount

Mousehole

 

 

St Ives

 

Hugh Fearnley Witthingstall's Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies

Why on earth would you add beetroots to your brownies?
Well, for many good reasons really: 

- If you're on a diet, you should know that they bulk your brownies up without adding anything bad for you, which makes each portion a little less rich. (oui, oui!)

- If you love trying new things without compromising on taste, you should give a shot to this not-so-usual pairing, which doesn't make your brownies taste strange in any way.

- If your main goal is to bake cakes as moist as possible, then beets (like carrots and courgettes) should be your friends.

- If you just want to experience the joy of seeing the faces of your friends, family members and colleagues loving your brownies, and being so surprised when you tell them that there are beetroots in them: go for it, it's worth it!

Hugh Fearnley Witthingstall's 

Beetroot and chocolate brownies

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

250g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

3 medium eggs

250g caster sugar

A pinch of salt

150g self-raising flour (wholemeal ideally but white works well too)

250g beetroot, boiled until tender, cooled, peeled and grated (I used sous-vide Sainsbury's beetroots, and drained the water)

100g chocolate, of any colour, for the decoration

How to make the beetroot and chocolate brownies 

1/ Grease a shallow baking tin, approximately 20 x 25cm, and line the base with baking parchment

2/ Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and put the bowl in it for a few minutes until the chocolate and butter start to melt. Stir, then put back in to the oven for a few more minutes to melt completely. Of course, you could melt them together in the traditional way, over a pan of hot water, but you might as well make the most of the warming oven

3/ Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until combined then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth. Combine the salt with the flour, sift them over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in with a large metal spoon. Fold in the grated beetroot – be careful not to over-mix or it will make the brownies tough

4/ Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes; when the brownies are done, a knife or skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don’t be tempted to overcook them or they will be dry

5/ Remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool before cutting in to squares.

Recipe adapted from River Cottage

Tomato, olive and mozzarella pizza buns (savoury Chelsea buns)

Ask French expats what they miss the most about France and you'll probably hear in length about camembert, baguette and saucisson (cured sausage). 

I do share their sorrow (I go on a smelly cheese-baguette therapy every time I go back to France), but what makes me miss France even more in my London life is the lack of proper blinds on windows.

After all these years, I still don't understand how British people can sleep without blinds to block the light, even more when you take into account that it's day light at 4.30am these days.
Why, oh why don't your houses have blinds?

"Light makes you strong" tells me The Man.
Yeah yeah, call me a tree fern.

Until I can buy a place of my own and build proper blinds to my windows, I'll go back to bed with my mask on. Good night!

Tomato, olive and mozzarella pizza buns

Like most breads, these buns take a bit of time to make (because of the two rising stages), but there are very easy to make, and are well worth the time.

Adapted from their famous sweet equivalent, the Chelsea Buns (which recipe you'll find on my blog here), they are as delicious as they look impressive (and you can change the filling with pretty much whatever you like), and will make the perfect accompaniment to a very simple soup for dessert, or an impressive addition to a picnic or a dinner party.

Ingredients 

500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 

50g/2oz caster sugar 
10g/¼oz salt 
40g/1½oz unsalted butter cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the tin 
2 free-range eggs 
2 x 7g sachets fast-acting dried yeast 
150ml/5fl oz lukewarm milk 

90ml/6 tbsp lukewarm water
3/4 of a pot olive and sundried tomato pesto (or any other pesto) 
1 ball of mozzarella, very finely sliced

a handful of lovely black olives in water, sliced

some parmesan, grated (optional)

Method to make the pizza buns: 

1/ Place the flour, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter, eggs, yeast, milk and warm water.

2/ Mix the ingredients with your hands until a rough dough is formed. 

3/ Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead well for ten minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

4/ Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for one hour in a warm place (or in front of an heating over)

5/ Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 50x28cm. Turn the dough so that the longer edge is closest to you and “tack” the dough to the work surface by pressing it down firmly with your finger.

6/ Spread the pesto onto the surface of the dough with the back of a spoon. Spread the mozzarella slices and olive slices on top of the pesto (it doesn't matter if the whole surface is not covered). Grate a little parmesan on top, if desired. 

7/ Roll the long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, forming a spiral inside. When rolled up, release the tacked edge and place it onto a floured part of the surface. With a sharp knife cut the sausage shape into 5cm rounds.

8/ Place all spiral rounds, swirly side up, into a large, deep roasting tin or baking tray (I used a round cake tin with removable botton) greased thoroughly with butter, leaving a 1cm space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that they will bake with their sides touching.

9/ Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for an hour. They should have expanded and be touching each other.

10/ Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

11/ After removing the buns from the oven, let them cool slightly before removing them from the tin and placing on a cooling rack, before pulling them apart.

Recipe inspired by Paul Hollywood's savoury chelsea buns
The olives I used in the recipe are Spanish olives kindly offered by Olive it!

Cornwall #1: A little guide to Cornish food specialities

Most people prepare their holidays by setting up a list of the places they want to see and the things they want to do for their holidays. 
The main list that I prepare before any holidays is my "To Eat List".
When the average Jane would be upset to have visited NYC and missed the Empire State Building, Ze Pauline would be devastated to have not tried a culinary speciality the places she visits
Yes, I am that obsessed with food. 

My holidays in Cornwall being no exception, I had done my research and I had a plan. 
I am proud to declare that I ticked most of the items on my Cornish To Eat List, and God, what a satisfying experience that was.

Cornish food is amazing. 
Full stop.

If you share my obsession (or if you're just interested in knowing a bit more about Cornish food specialities) here are a few things you should try and eat if you ever visit Cornwall: 

- Saffron buns
You'll find them in most bakeries. 
Whereas good artisan bakeries are getting scarce in London these days, you'll find a bakery for every 2 inhabitants throughout Cornwall (call it Pauline Wonderland).
I'll try and make saffron buns myself soon. I'll share the recipe!

- Cornish Pasties. 
Traditionally made with beef, swede and potato, I've tried several vegetarian alternatives (vegetables and cheese, onions chive and cheese) to the traditional Cornish pasty during our trip and all were absolutely succulent.
I love Cornish pasties, and you can find the recipe on my blog here. 
In St Ives, the best are at Pengenna Pasties.
In every town, you'll find at least one bakery making Cornish Pasties. I would advise you stick to artisan pasties rather than chain-made pasties, and I doubt you will ever be disappointed.

Vegetable and Cheese Pasty

Traditional beef Cornish pasty from Pengenna Pasties in St Ives

- Cornish Clotted Cream
Savour clotted cream on a scone for a traditional Cornish Cream Tea, or in the shape of a Cornish ice-cream. 
One of the most famous local brands of clotted cream is Roddas, which also makes a lovely Cornish butter (although a bit too salty to my taste).
For absolutely fabulous scones and a delicious, yet very affordable cream tea, head for The Tea Room in St Ives. 
For delicious ice-creams, go to any shop that sells homemade clotted-cream ice-creams, like Jessie's Dairy in Mousehole.

Blueberry and clotted cream ice-Cream from Jessie's Dairy in Mousehole

The Cream Tea from The Tea Room in St Ives

- Cornish Yarg 
A lovely slightly crumbly semi-hard cheese wrapped in nettle leaves. 
And of course Cornish Blue, and Cornish brie. Available in all good supermarkets and cheese shops.

- Cornish crab, fish, lobster, mussels 
And all seafood for that matter. Extra fresh, seafood is on all good pub and restaurant menus and locals certainly know how to cook it to perfection in traditional as well as unsual ways. 
For the best crab cakes in the universe and delicious mussels and fish pies, don't miss The Ship Inn in Portheleven.
For a delicious Fish and Chips in Falmouth, go to The Harbour Lights and for yummy fish and crab soup, try the Seafood Bar.
 

Porthleven

- Stargazy pie
A pastry crusted fish pie. (That's the one thing I didn't get to try though, for lack of time)

- Local fruits and vegetables.


- Cornish cider: in all good pubs!

+ the little bonus: if you are in Falmouth at tea time, take a break in the beautiful old styled  De Wynns Tea and Coffee Shop and savour a slice of their sublime bread and butter pudding, which recipe is said to be more than 100 years old!