The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
If you’ve had a good look round this blog, you’ll notice lots of little food. I’m a big fan. This is such a brilliant recipe. You can have it in the pastry cases as I’ve described below or simply as a little salad inside a leaf of gem lettuce or on top of some parchment […]
As some of your know my camera’s SD card died earlier this week so I’ve been struggling to get access to the last few weeks pictures. I am delighted to say that I have prevailed over technology (for now!) and can share with you my favourite images from the Chocolate Festival on the Southbank a […]
I demonstrated these simple cups at the London Chocolate Festival and they were a real hit. You can make the cups from pastry or shortbread. I’ve given you both options below. They can then be filled with caramel and topped with the simple mascarpone ganache like the one below or filled with curd and topped […]
I have fond memories of my year at University in Cologne, Germany. It was a wonderful year of new experiences. Kolsch beer, seeded breads, stinky cheeses, all night parties at the ‘Bunker’ bar, learning how to play pool, getting my first DJ slot….an endless list. What I remember most of all though is Germany at […]
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 […]
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 […]
The great thing about having young children is that they ask you a lot of questions. Usually these can be explained easily or even answered by themselves with a little return questioning from me. Lately though my girls have been asking questions that need a little research or even an “I don’t know”. Let’s take advent calendars […]
A whole 3 days dedicated to tea and coffee? How fabulous I thought and indeed it was! Tucked away on London’s Southbank was a maze of boutique coffee and tea companies all with their stories to tell. First off, the gorgeous light, nutty coffee from The Ethiopian Coffee Company which I used in my Hazelnut and Coffee Biscotti. (Sssssh don’t tell […]
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 […]