The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
This is probably one the my favourite recipes from The Great British Bake Off. It got a a lot of airtime and the recipe below also got published on the BBC Food website! I’m really proud of that achievement! Honeycomb is brilliantly versatile. I use it to top these tarts but you can also dip […]
These bread rolls are a brilliant alternative to naan bread or chappattis when eaten with dhal based recipes. They are also great with one veg soups like tomato or broccoli. They also go well with hummus. I made these rolls in Episode 3 of the Great British Bake Off. Paul commented that you couldn’t taste the […]
These bread rolls are a brilliant alternative to naan bread or chappattis when eaten with dhal based recipes. They are also great with one veg soups like tomato or broccoli. I made these rolls in Episode 3 of the Great British Bake Off. Paul commented that you couldn’t taste the halloumi because of the chilli but […]
I love pepper. Day to day I do use a lot of black pepper and you could substitute the peppercorns in this recipe for crushed black pepper kernels as this works equally well. I have used green and pink peppercorns in this recipe though because they have a bit of a tangy taste which […]
I am a big fan of frangipane because it’s quick to make, keeps in the fridge for a few days and tastes great. This tart recipe is based on using frangipane and I made it for Episode 2 of The Great British Bake Off. One tip I got from the judge, Paul Hollywood, was to […]
These cupcakes are a great choice if you like citrusy flavours in cake. As you may have seen on Episode 1 of the Great British Bake Off I am not a huge fan of sugar flowers – well I am a fan but I’m just rubbish at making these tiny things! So I use fresh […]
Sakura is the Japanese name for a cherry blossom. These gorgeous pastel pink flowers are so abundant in Japan in the springtime that there is a festival dedicated to their viewing – Hanami. It’s a beautiful time of year where there are many parties and picnics held under the cherry trees and people even queue […]
This is a lovely creamy baked cheesecake which is based on an Indian rose flavoured drink called ‘Falooda’. It’s like a milkshake and knickerbocker glory rolled into one. Rose flavoured milk, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, jelly chunks and a sprinkling of nuts. I like a thick crumb crust but if you prefer a […]
This is a really great way of using up slightly over-ripe apricots. They are perfect for breakfast because it literally takes a maximum of 45 mins – even faster if you take a tip from my friend Jo who measure everything out the night before! 10 simple steps and you’ve got a delicious breakfast […]
I never made pastry until last year. It all seemed a bit of a faff with all the waiting around – while it’s resting in the fridge…while it’s blind baking…while it’s cooling…blah blah. I’ve learned now that it’s best to make when I go running. I’ll whizz the pastry up in the processor and then […]
I first had a taste of lavender when I lived in Aix en Provence. My weekly treat was a whole morning at the Saturday market. I would go from stall to stall practising my French with the traders and sampling their wonderful wares – yeah OK – I was a student so it was a […]
When I first took this in to work, most people gave me a funny look and said “Lavender?!” But it works and tastes really lovely with Earl Grey tea. If a whole cake is too rich for you, then just divide the mixture into 12 cupcakes. you’ll need For the sponge 120g plain flour 140g caster […]