The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
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 […]
It’s been a long, looooong wait but the first episode of the Great British Bake Off hits UK TV screens this evening on BBC2 at 8pm. I am one of the 12 lucky bakers who will be on this year’s series. I don’t want to give anything away or spoil your viewing but here’s a clip […]
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 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 […]