The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
I like making little treats. You can have one and feel totally sated rather than denying yourself completely. Good strategy huh? That’s how these little chocolate mousse meringue cups came about. I was craving something fancy and chocolatey. But I had a full medical assessment recently and was also hearing the words of the […]
Hasn’t Christmas come around so quickly this year? I know all the advertising kicks off as soon as the summer sales have finished but I cannot believe we have just this weekend left to buy gifts. Our list always includes edibles – some shop bought and some home made. Here is some inspiration if you’re […]
I came to this country (that is to say the United Kingdom for those of you who may be reading this blog elsewhere) in 1976. I was very little and spoke barely any English. I had been privileged enough to attend an English speaking Kindergarten in my birth country of Tanzania but it wasn’t enough […]
I must admit I get rather cross with all the Christmas hype on the high street and how it all seems to get earlier every year. In our house, we cannot, I mean we are not allowed to, get excited about Christmas until after my birthday which is on the 11th December. Having grown up with […]
I am not a huge fan of Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake. I don’t like fruit cakes as a whole. Teacakes would be the only exception to that. So I’ve experimented with a traditional recipe using a range of dried fruits that I like – mainly cranberries as it is Christmas! You’ll need 175g dried […]
“Do you think Santa watches Bake Off Mummy?” said my youngest the other day. I wasn’t really sure how to answer that so I obliged with “Of course he does. Someone has to bring Paul a present don’t they?” She laughed but pressed on. “So do you think like Mary and Paul Santa gets a bit […]
Christmas doesn’t officially start in our house til after my birthday on December 11th. No cards. No decorations. No tree. This year we’ve been so busy with after work events, weekends away, school concerts and the general madness of working families that we only just put our tree up yesterday evening. With this come a […]
If you’re a bit sick of mince pies and stodgy pastry at Christmas, this is a nice light version is super easy to rustle up for unexpected guests. You’ll need About 8 sheets of filo pastry 100g mincemeat/mince pie filling 1 apple – grated Zest of 1 orange 50g melted butter Icing sugar for dusting […]
I’m not a big fan of Christmas Pudding. But I am a big fan of traditions. Whether it’s keeping them going or starting a new like we did with advent last year, I think it’s important to remember the past as we step into the new. So this year we visited Grandma Sue to make […]
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 love cranberries but the season is so short. I wanted to literally “bottle” the flavour for a bit longer. This curd is so simple and I used the egg whites left over for macaroons. It’s also lovely as the base of a Bakewell Tart instead of jam. The measures below make enough for a […]
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 […]