The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
If you’re a fan of easy desserts like me then you’ll love this tart adapted from Alain Ducasse’s book called Nature. Life is too short to make puff pastry on a regular basis so this recipe uses a good ready made one. You’ll need 1 pack of ready made puff pastry 600g rhubarb stalks 200g […]
I always have a pack of puff pastry in the fridge or freezer and these are brilliant and super quick for breakfast if you’ve got some lovely rhubarb compote sitting in the fridge – or any other compote for that matter! Equally great for individual puddings with custard. This recipe makes four turnovers. You’ll need […]
If you received a beautiful bunch of roses for Valentine’s Day, they should still be going strong. If they are starting to wilt, re-cut the stems on a diagonal and then pop them back into a squeaky clean vase with freshwater. You only need about 2 inches worth of water. Any more than this will […]
This is a really easy Austrian cheesecake recipe that a friend of mine gave me at University. There is no biscuit base like the American style cheesecakes. If you can try to get Quark cheese as it has a sour taste which gives a nice flavour to the cake. I’ve used apricots in this recipe […]
I was invited on to BBC 3 Counties Radio on Saturday to be a guest on Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen. (Click on that or Nick’s picture below to listen to the show). I also met the lovely Producer Emma, Neil Irvine from No. 2 Pound Street Deli and Mummy Blogger Sandy Calico of Baby Baby. I […]
A lot of people get so nervous about Swiss Roll but it’s really not too hard to do. I’ve filled this one with some simple Clementine Marmalade I made with leftover clementines. You can use your favourite brand of marmalade or even some orange curd. You’ll need 125g plain flour 125g caster sugar 4 medium […]
“Mummy there’s a funny smell in your car” said my eldest last week. Now this is a very strange comment because I keep the inside of my car very, very clean. No sweet wrappers, chocolates, sandwiches or crisps are eaten and left in MY car. EVER. I had to admit that she was right though. […]
Just like the Chocolate Loaf Cake, this is a super easy and quick recipe. It just takes a while baking in the oven so a good one to make the night before you need it, or in the morning as you potter about the kitchen doing other stuff, or just before you go for an […]
Bananas always get too ripe too quickly in our house because we have a very warm and sunny kitchen. So my daughter uses them for Banana and Chocolate Loaf Cake. If you don’t have time for an hour in the oven though, try these easy all-in-one-method-cupcakes. They are great for children and adults alike because […]
These loaves are perfect for breakfast or lunch boxes. The bananas are super healthy and adding the oats means these have an extra GI boost too. You’ll need 140g soft unsalted butter 270g soft brown sugar 280g plain flour 150g rolled oats 2 eggs 3 medium sized ripe bananas (around 200g) 1 tsp baking powder […]
Cranberries are in season for only a short time in the UK which is such a shame because they are soooo good for you. This tiny little fruit packs a massive punch in the antioxidant department meaning that it helps keep your heart healthy and is also good for your liver. On top of that cranberries […]
I know that Bakewell Tarts traditionally have a jam filling but I think they work really well with compotes and curds too. This tart is a great one to make at Christmas time as cranberries are so readily available in the supermarkets. I’ve used a simple compote for the one below but you can also […]