The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
Aachener Printen is a speciality gingerbread or Lebkuchen sold in the masses to the masses at Christmas. Recipes are closely guarded secrets but my German friend gave me this version. You’ll need 500g golden syrup 500g plain flour 50g candied peel 2tsp baking powder 2tsp ground star anise 2tbsp ground coriander seeds 2tsp ground cinnamon […]
These are wonderful little canapés. I demonstrated them at The London Chocolate Festival recently and they were a big hit! I’ve filled them with raspberries in the recipe below but you could use any soft berry or fruit. They are topped with an easy chocolate ganache. If you’re put off by ganache, give this version a […]
This is a mini canapé version of the Hazelnut and Coffee Biscotti recipe which I made at the London Chocolate Festival. It’s super simple so you can make it with the children. I serve this with a hot chocolate dipping sauce. Make the biscotti up in advance and the sauce takes minutes to make so it’s great […]
Praline is wonderfully simple to make and you can use it to decorate so many dishes – instead of a wafer on ice cream, crumbled onto a chocolate mousse…Or you can simply eat it on its own. I made these hearts for our little advent calender as an alternative to chocolate. You’ll need 150g caster […]
I made these simple macaroons for Vanessa Kimbell’s Let’s Make Christmas. They were taken home by Laura of Craftstorming. As it was Christmas I used a little edible glitter for some extra glitter but you could also drizzle on top some chocolate like on these Pistachio Macaroons or add some popping crystals like these Orange […]
Biscotti is know to have come from the Tuscan region of Italy but the word is derived from Latin. Biscotto derives from “bis,” Latin for twice, and “coctum” or baked (which became “cotto,” or cooked). The first bake is in a loaf, then sliced and toasted. This second trip to the oven draws off moisture, and leaves […]
This recipe is from Diana Henry’s Roast Figs Sugar Snow. It reminded me of the amazing pastries I ate in Austria once and indeed it’s based on on they use at Cafe Sperl in Vienna. If you like Danish Pastries then you’ll love these for breakfast and they are much, much quicker to make. […]
If you like Tart Au Citron you will love this and it’s much much easier to make. This is a fabulous ‘bung-it-all-the-in-the-processor’ recipe. Literally! I have made this in a pie dish and 25cm cake tin. Either works well. What you’ll end up with is a soft, thin pastry layer, a lemon flavoured tart filling […]
This is one of my favourite recipes from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I’ve made it so many times as a staple when we have a surprise guest come over for a meal. It’s quick, simple and bakes while you’re having dinner or lunch. We always have lemons in the house but it works just as […]
Making cake pops is a really good way of using up leftover cake or cake that maybe didn’t turn out to plan. I made a chocolate loaf using a different recipe than I usually do. It tasted amazing but really didn’t look too pretty. Usually I’d cut it up into square chunks, pipe swirls of […]
Loaf cake is so versatile and lasts really well. It’s a staple in our house and goes into packed lunches, school picnics or acts as a good pudding after weekday quick meals with ice cream, custard or a simple cuppa tea. I’ve given you three drizzle options below. Hibiscus Syrup for those of you […]
I’m warning you. These are decadent. I mean really, really decadent. I’ve added an extra layer of caramel to the version below because I made these for my girls as a ‘well-done-at-school-treat’. The caramel balances the bitterness of the chocolate really well. For an adult version leave the caramel out and serve with a dollop […]