The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
Now I have been desperate to bake this bread but have always been put off by the long process. I had a go at making a sourdough starter once and the resulting loaf was awful 🙁 So I have been shy to try again. However after reading Lea Harris’s blog post and receiving a starter […]
I think pavlova is one of those glorious desserts which gives a lot for such little effort. My girls like pink everything at the moment, so I made this pink version using powdered food colour. You also don’t have to top with compote as I have done – just plonk the cream and blackberries on top […]
I’m really lucky to live in London and yet be close to such wonderful countryside and farms such as Parkside Pick Your Own. We went in search of damsons this weekend but sadly had missed them all so I had to buy some for my Damson Polenta Cake. Instead we came back laden with blackberries. […]
This is the same basic muffin recipe as the Blueberry version. It’s so quick and perfect for freezing. I freeze the blackberries as soon as we’ve picked them too – if there are any left of course! This way they retain their shape really well in the baking process and you get a nice juicy […]
OK so I have to confess that I did not make the Damson jam. I started and then just ran out of patience! I did try it with some Damson compote but it was a bit too runny and gloopy. This combination of flavours is so autumnal and goes perfectly with a strong latte or espresso. […]
BIG NEWS! I am sooo excited to be featured in a new luxury online magazine for mums called Stylenest which launched just now! On the recipes pages you’ll find some great recipes and some of them are mine. There’s also an interview about my views on eating with children and getting them involved with meals. Hope you like […]
As a university student in Aix-En-Provence, I used to order profiteroles every time I went to one of the posh cafes on the Cours Mirabeau. I went back there a few summers ago with my daughters and ordered the same thing – they were hooked! I get a plea at least once a month to […]
I love the flavour of Rose. I think it’s the ultimate in feminine charm and so was a must make for the Naming Ceremony of my friend whose daughter’s name is India Rose. I’ve used a simple Rose flavoured buttercream in this recipe because I made some Rose Cupcakes on the same day but […]
This recipe uses ground pistachio nuts instead of almonds. It works just as well as long as you grind the nuts quite finely and remove any unground flakes. I’ve used a simple chocolate flavoured double cream filling but you could also use white or dark chocolate ganache, a buttercream or even Nutella. If you prefer […]
I love making macaroons. I did make one bad batch which put me off for a while. I got really frustrated until I retraced my steps and worked out that I had used too much liquid food colouring and disturbed the balance of liquid in this recipe. It’s really worth trying to find food colouring […]
As I am sure you’ll know by know I was one of the 12 contestants in Series 2 of the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off. I learned so much from the other bakers and of course the judges and have gained some great baking buddies. I also had such a great time during the […]
I made this quiche for Episode 2 of The Great British Bake Off. I hadn’t really made much quiche til I started recipe testing for the show because I’ve never been a huge fan. I am now a convert. Quiche is such an easy meal. Served cold or warm it’s filling and nutritious and there […]