Gingerbread House - Santa's Home

My Cutter Set - years old but perfect.

A few years back I bought a cutter set for a gingerbread house as I always wanted to make my own little creation. Everytime I saw one at one of the many Christmas markets I went to in my life, I thought, I want to make that (it's a curse as I think that about a lot of things). Anyway, there I was with my set and no idea how to start. Gingerbread has a long tradition in Germany, especially at Christmas time where stalls at Christmas markets are bursting with hearts decorated beautifully with coloured icing and adored by beautiful sayings (most of the times, the hearts would have been made months beforehand and didn't taste that nice anymore but it was delicious if you got a fresh-ish one).

Adding the roof tiles carefully

My wise mum stated the obvious 'have you ever made gingerbread before?' - so I went off and tried all recipes out there until I found the one that not only tasted nice but also stood up to the task of becoming a house covered in icing. The recipe below has been tested over years and I have made many houses and have given classes in making your own gingerbread house and it worked everytime.

It is great to make with children (although you might not get a standing house) as they have fun putting all the sprinkles on (so much that you will still find them around Easter in your kitchen) and it's a great way of getting kids involved in baking and cake decoration. And if you are not confident to start with a house, try your hands on a gingerbread heart instead. 

Gingerbread 

250g unsalted butter

200g dark muscovado sugar

7 tbsp golden syrup

600g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 tsp ground ginger

Hardboil sweets (coloured) (optional) 
Sparkles, sugar decorations, mini marshmallows etc. 

Royal Icing

3 egg whites

450g icing sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Cake board to fit the house on (use a larger size to create a garden etc)

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. If it won’t quite come together, add a tiny splash of water.

Cut out a template (or buy cutters). Put a sheet of baking paper on your work surface and roll about one quarter of the dough to the thickness of about 0.5cm. Cut out one of the sections, and then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. You can cut out doors & windows. To create a 'glass window' crush some of the coloured (make sure they are the clear type sweets) and place it in the cutout of the window. It will melt during the baking process and creates a beautiful glass effect. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two sidewalls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut into Christmas trees, if you like.

Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. Leave to cool for a few mins to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.

I normally leave the gingerbread to dry overnight before I am starting to use it for building the house. 

When ready to start, prepare the royal icing. Beat all ingredients on high speed for 10 minutes. The icing will be thick and glossy. This icing hardens quickly, so leave the bowl covered with a damp cloth while working.

It is easier to decorate the  pieces before assembling the house, making sure that the roof tiles are not overloaded. Let your imagination run wild. 

Start with one wall piece and set it on icing

When the icing has dried on the gingerbread pieces, it is ready to be assembled. Start by spreading some of the icing on the cake board and gently press the first wall piece in it to stand up. Don't press too hard. Now, add the side wall to the first wall, again, pressing into the icing gently. Now, still while holding gently, pipe icing in the gap of the joining pieces. It should now stand on its own. Pressing it won't help, so let it be. If you think it is falling, pop something on the inside to hold it up. 

Continue with the other pieces until you have the foundation ready. Now comes the most frightening part, attaching the roof. Pipe a good measure of icing on the rim of the walls and attach the first roof tile, gently pressing it down. It should hold on its own - please don't press as you will move the tiles (trust me on this one). Wait until the icing sets before adding the last piece. 

In case you have used the hardboiled sweets and your door is wide enough, why not light a tea light and put it inside. The light from within will shine through the 'glass' windows. 

Please send me your photos if you are making your own gingerbread house - love to hear from you 

Creation at a class I gave in late November

Creation at a class I gave in late November

Pieces needed for a house with stained window effect

Have everything ready to go

Using an adapter helps if you like to use different nozzles for piping

Add the second wall

Pipe icing into the cap to join the 2 pieces

Adding finishing touches

Use different sprinkles and decorations

Gift Ideas for Food Lovers

It is so easy these days to find gifts for food lovers. Gone are the days (hopefully) where you got a selection of dried herbs (mostly out of date) in a dodgy little wonky rack or getting pasta & bean shapes piled up in beautiful jars (have you ever used the pasta or beans???).

We are now lucky enough to have great produce available that will make every food lover smile and dance. Below are some ideas that might inspire you (and please feel free to send any of the below my way lol)

For Coffee Addicts

Badger & Dodo have a great approach to coffee - only the best is good enough. They have now introduced a subscription of monthly coffees send to your door. Monthly subscriptions are roasted on the first Tuesday of each month, couriered Wednesday to arrive Thursday. The only exception to this is in January where it is roasted on the second Tuesday as couriers aren’t operating so early in the new year. Only the 1kg and 2.5kg bags are available for this service and costs from €265 - you can choose from whole beans and different grinds. Email info@badgeranddodo.ie  or call 087 0532660 for more details. You can also find them weekly at the Douglas Farmer's Market

For Kitchen Gardeners

Get ready in time for your kitchen garden with a hamper from Brown Envelope Seeds - their seeds are Irish grown and Madeline McKeever has creative ways of creating gift sets like the Heritage Hamper, Baby's first meal and the Purple Veg Box. She also runs courses on seedsaving and vouchers are available at their online shop. Make sure to read their story when online.

Staying in the kitchen garden - Irish Seed Savers have done amazing work in keeping heritage seeds alive and storing and archiving them. Through cuts in funding, they are in a bit of a bother and need lots of support. You can give a membership this year as a present that includes several packets of seeds & potatoes, discount on sales and workshops, free access and a bumper newsletter. A year's membership costs €50 and it ensures that Irish Seed Savers can continue their very important work.



Cookery Classes

We are very lucky in Ireland, especially in Cork to have some amazing cookery schools. If the 3 month course in Ballymaloe is a bit out of reach, fret not, we have something for everyone.

The Firehouse Bakery is run by Patrick Ryan and Laura Moore and they are running breadmaking courses in their home bakery on Heir Island. Patrick is the creator of the Real Bread Revolution - so join him in his quest and learn how to make amazing breads in a beautiful setting. I am a big fan of Patrick & Laura and can only recommend their courses highly to anyone who always wanted to make their own 'real' bread. Courses run throughout the year and cost €110 incl. fee for ferry, lunch and you get to take bread home with you. Alone the lunch is worth half the money as Laura is a fantastic cook. You will be made welcome and time will pass so quickly that you want to do it all over again. Classes are booking out quickly, so don't wait too long. Email info@thefirehouse.ieor call 085 1561984for more details.

The wonderful Christine Girault of La Spoon Patisserie is offering courses on French Patisserie throughout the year. Join her in her home kitchen where she will show you how to make macaroons, petit fours and anything you like to learn. The courses are tailored to all skill levels but Christine also gives one-on-one classes if needed. I have attended one of her classes and can only recommend her as one of the best teachers I have come across. Her style is relaxed and informative but best of all, it's hands on. Email laspoon.ie@gmail.com for more details.

If your 'thing' is more Indian Cuisine, than Annam is one to watch. Banu & Ruth are giving classes on traditional authentic Indian cooking with recipes handed down from generation to generation. But they not only offer classes but their Indian Supper Clubs are to die for. Hands on, everyone chips in with the preparations and cooking and afterwards everyone sits around a big table and tucks in nicely. This is a great ways of learning new cooking techniques and cuisines. Banu & Ruth are also planning to do 'house parties' where they bring the supper club to you. Gift vouchers are available.  Email annamkitchencork@gmail.com for more details.

Knockdrinna Cheese

And for cheese lovers - why not give the gift of cheesemaking to the foodie in your life. Knockdrinna Cheesemakers in Stoneyford in Kilkenny are offering courses throughout the year. I have attended the December course and have learned so much. Helen Finnegan is generous in sharing her knowledge and expertise and it is a great day out in a beautiful area of County Kilkenny. The course is €80 and includes lunch. Contact (056) 772 8446 for more details. They have also an online shop where the courses can be booked. If you don't want the to attend the cheese course, why not buy the cheese lover in your life a beautiful hamper instead.   




For the Traveling Foodie

Good Food Ireland has come up with a wonderful idea - the Good Food Ireland Prepaid MasterCard is a unique multifunctional card that can be purchased as a Gift Card or Food Travel Passport. More details via info@goodfoodireland.com. The GFI online shop has also hampers with Irish produce on offer.           

Hampers for Food Lovers

The wonderful people at Flemings Country House & Restaurant have been busy making lots of delicious goodies for their famous hampers. For inquiries, please call 021/4821621.

Not actual hamper - presentation only

Bradley's in North Main Street are the place to go when you are looking for a wonderful selection of craft beers and of course their amazing hampers. They are delivering nationwide and don't have a minimum requirement for orders online. For latest offers please call 021/4270845

Nash19 has long been a strong supporter of local produce - even before it became fashionable and their hampers are legendary.  Download their Christmas brochure from their website and you'll be sorted in time for Christmas.

Urru is located in Bandon and is a treasure chest for foodies and it has just won the Good Food Ireland Retail Shop of the Year award. Hampers, equipment, cookery books and so much more can be purchased at Urru just in time for Christmas.

I am stopping here but there is so much more to be had for food lovers - keep watching this space for more updates. You might say, why doesn't she include cookery books - because that is a complete post in itself as there are soooooo many out there.... coming up soon

     

Sweet Chilli Sauce - Homemade is the Way

Our poly tunnel is bursting with chillies at the moment and I am trying to find ways of using them up before they go wonky. Yes, I could dry them but I still have lots of dried chillies that I got from friends in Sardinia. I made Harissa (amazing) and I made a wonderful chilli oil but there is only so much you can do. And then it hit me - why not make sweet chilli sauce - an article in the Irish Examiner from my wonderful talented friend Kitty gave me the idea but I wanted to get my own hang on things, so I ignored her delicious recipe - one reason was that I didn't have rice wine vinegar at home and was way too lazy to go out for shopping. So after a few thoughts and reading the label of a shop bought bottle of chilli sauce, I came up with this. Quantities are depending if you like it more hot than sweet and if you like it more liquid running or sticky. I personally like the sauce more thickly (great to brush it over meat & fish) but I was a bit too conservative with the heat - next batch will be a bit stronger :-) One tip tho - make sure you wear rubber gloves and don't touch your yes, nose or mouth as long as you are handling the little red beauties. The sauce will keep unopened for a few months but once opened needs to be used up quite quickly and needs to be stored in the fridge. If you are using nice decorative bottles, this sauce will make a wonderful Christmas present (just make sure they do like hot sauces).

Sweet Chilli Sauce

• 
  
• 500g red chillies
• 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 300 - 700ml white vinegar
• 600g caster sugar

Homemade sweet chilli sauce

Top and tail the chillies and set 2 third (up to half if you like it hot) aside. Chop the one third (or half) and place in the bowl of a food processor. De-seed the rest of the chillies, chop coarsely and add to the food processor. Add the crushed garlic and pulse until the chillies become a paste. Add about 100ml of vinegar and blitz again to combine (it makes it easier to mix the rest of the vinegar in). Place the chilli paste in a large saucepan and heat up just before adding rest of the vinegar and the sugar. Here it is up to you how much vinegar you are adding. The sauce will thicken towards the end of the cooking process and more when it is cooling down. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer until the rawness of the chillies has cooked off and the sauce starts to thickens nicely. I cooked it about 40 mins, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Pour into sterilized bottles and close.

Bon Appetit

Rose Petal Jam - Floral beauty in a jar

When I moved into the cottage almost 14 years ago, I found a few rose plants in the front of the house and was happy to see that these roses were full of fragrance. When my mum moved in with me, she loved the roses so much that we called them 'mums roses' and that what they are up to this day. One of my neighbours stopped by the other day and said 'your mum's roses smell beautiful again this year and what a pity that we can't preserve the fragrance'...... that got me thinking, how is rosewater being made..... and then, why not make jelly from it. Browsing through all my cookbooks I came across some ideas on how to make jelly from almost anything - so I simply used the method that I use for my lemon verbena jelly and it worked a treat.

One problem you have to look out for when making jelly is the pectin content of the fruit/flower/herb you are using and rose petals don't have any pectin. So adding a high pectin fruit is essential as well as using jam sugar rather than granulated or caster sugar. Some recipes will tell you to use granulated sugar - it won't set unless you add pectin to it. You can buy pectin in liquid form but also in powder form. It is not widely available (at least not in Cork) - the Organic Shop in the English Market has the powdered pectin while I got the liquid pectin from the Quay Coop shop in Cork.

When using extra pectin, follow the instructions. Some have to be added before the sugar while others are being added towards the end of the process. I am giving you here the powdered pectin version.

The result is simply beautiful - adding the lemon juice will intensify the colour and if using dark pink roses, the colour will be beautiful. A word about the roses - don't by the supermarket flowers, they are to 99% treated and can be nasty. If you have roses in your garden and you haven't sprayed them, use these. Otherwise ask your rose growing friends for some petals. Also, make sure that they are very fragrant - if they are not, the jelly will just be sweet and no flavour whatsoever will develop. I have made rosewater beforehand and used a few drops towards the end but if you don't have any, don't worry, the flavour will still be wonderful. Freshly baked scones go best with this jelly.


The recipe below makes about 1 jar of 250g

Rose Petal Jelly

• 6-8 heads of roses
• 300ml boiling water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 pack of powdered pectin
• 300-400g jam sugar

Remove the petals from the heads, snipping of the white/yellowish part of the petals. Place them in a bowl and pour the boiling water over and leave to stand for 30 mins. 

Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing the petals to get as much of the oil out as possible. You still should have about 300ml. Pour the liquid into a pan and add the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and sprinkle over the powdered pectin. Stir until dissolved. Add the jam sugar and stir until also dissolved. Bring back to the boil and boil rapidly for 1-2 mins. If using rosewater, add it now. 

Pour into sterilised jars and seal. 

Mr T called this elkelicious :-)

Herb Salt - A great Standby

Fresh Herbs

My herbal bed has exploded since the sun came out and I am busy trying to use the glut of herbs.... there is only so much you can use in cooking so I am looking for other ways of preserving these wonderful rich herbs.

My sage has overtaken one of the beds almost completely (the other bed is dominated by lemon balm and I am making lots of jelly and cordials).... so what better way to use savoury herbs than in making your own herbal salt.... so easy and if you keep the jar in the fridge - lasting forever with the salt preserving the freshness of the herbs beautifully.

I am not giving measurements here as it all depends on the herbs you have available - there is no strict rules but keep in mind that the mix of herbs will determent the flavour of the salt. Also keep in mind that 'wet' herbs as chives are not well suited for this salt. In my last batch of herb salt, I used mostly sage and rosemary which will go well in Italian cooking but feel free to use your own judgement.

Herb Salt

Herb Salt

• Sage
• Rosemary
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Garlic, chopped
• Dried Chillies, crumbled
• Zest of one lemon
• Sea Salt - fine grind (the finer the grind the more uses for the salt) about 350 - 500g

 Method

Rinse the herbs well and let to dry overnight on a flat surface. 

Minced Herb Mix

The next day, put all ingredients - apart from the salt - into a food processor and pulse until all herbs are finely minced. In a large container, pour in the salt and add the minced herbs. Close and shake well. Divide between jars and leave in fridge. Decorate the jars nicely and you have a great gift.

Wild Food - Free Food - Delicious Food

Kitty Scully and I are currently running a series of garden workshops to help people creating their own kitchen garden. Kitty is covering the gardening side while I prepare the food for the workshops with seasonal ingredients. Of course, there is almost nothing left in a garden at this time of year and considering the cold spell we are experiencing these days, it will take a bit more time but there is still wild food readily available. Wild garlic and nettles are in full season now and Kitty went foraging for us and came with 2 bags of wild garlic and a bowl of nettles...

Yuk, nettles you might say, but don't disregard them - with a little of of TLC, you end up with a delicious soup. And it is much easier than you think. Wild garlic is the rage at the moment - and rightfully so, the taste of a freshly made pesto is just too delicious - and again, much easier to make than most people think.

When foraging, the best for beginners is to join an experienced guide - it is too easy to mistake wild herbs. Also, make sure to forage responsibly - don't rip out roots, just cut of the tops, when collecting elderflowers, make sure to leave some of the flowers on to ensure that the berries can come afterwards. Sustainability is just as important in foraging as it is with all kind of farming. And as a rule - if in doubt, don't take or eat it. When collecting wild garlic keep in mind that you don't need much to make 3 jars. Don't be tempted to make more - the pesto will last 3 weeks tops. So better to go out twice to make sure you get the best.

In late April/early May, we will have a foraging day, where we will be collecting wild food and prepare it afterwards for lunch/dinner. Final details will be published soon - register your interest by emailing us on biasasta@hotmail.com

The recipe below for the pesto is only a guideline. It all depends on how much wild garlic you have. Just keep adding the oil, cheese and pinenuts until you have the consistency you want. Keep in mind that Parmesan cheese is quite salty - so keep tasting the mix before adding more cheese. The traditional way of the Italian Pesto would be to pound the ingredients in a pestle and mortar but I am using a kitchen machine - life sometimes is too short.... but it depends on your preference really - if you got the muscle - do it.

Vibrant Wild Garlic Pesto

Wild Garlic Pesto

• Wild Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Pinenuts
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Clean the garlic leaves to make sure no grit, sand or bugs are present. Place the leaves in a kitchen machine with a metal blade and start mincing the leaves. With the motor running, add slowly the oil. When you have reached a pesto like consistency, add the pinenuts and give the mix a blitz again to crush the nuts.  Now add the Parmesan cheese - you will see that the consistency has changed again so you might need to add more oil. 

When you have reached the consistency you like, store the pesto in cleaned and sterilised jars - top up with oil to make sure that the pesto is covered. This will keep now in the fridge for about 3 weeks - always making sure that the pesto is covered in oil. 

Bon Appetit

Chocoholic cookies

Mr T defending HIS cookies

 Cookies are a great standby for when you are feeling peckish, one of your nieces/nephews/kid's friends etc are calling over or if you have like me a Mr T living with you who is always asking 'do I smell chocolate?'... 

These cookies are dead easy to make, need a bit of chilling time and you can even invite any of the above to help you. Kids will love rolling the dough in the icing sugar and will love the look when they come out with their crackled top. A word of warning tho - these cookies are addictive to any chocoholic and have to be hidden..... Mr T even counted them in the tin so that I couldn't give any away. 40 cookies lasted not even 2 days. So you have been warned :-) These cookies taste great when they are still slightly warm, they will be soft and almost gooey but will harden to a nice crunch when cooled.

 Chocolate cookies

• 200g plain chocolate
• 90g Unsalted butter
• 115g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 215g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 25 g grated plain chocolate
• Icing sugar for rolling

Melt the chocolate and butter over a low heat in a saucepan. Keep stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs - one by one - stirring well between each egg. Add the vanilla essence.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the finely grated chocolate. Gradually add the melted chocolate mixture, in batches until well combined.

Cover the bowl with cling film and chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 160c

Cover 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Put the icing sugar into a bowl. Using a spoon, scoop out walnut size pieces of dough a roll into a ball. Toss in the icing sugar, tap off excess icing sugar and place on a baking sheet. Space apart as the cookies will spread. Continue with the rest and bake  for about 15 mins until the top of the cookies is slightly set but still soft.

Remove carefully onto wired rack and leave to cool.

Makes about 40

It's cookie time

These long and dark weekend afternoons in winter can be spent cosy in front of the fire, feet in woolly socks, a good book and a plate of cookies. The easiest cookie I could think of last weekend was shortbread biscuits. But I was in the mood for something a bit different and after looking through my larder, thought that lime was a great idea - vitamin C and all - very healthy indeed. These cookies are easy to make and keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days (they get a bit soggy after that). This is a white chocolate topping with lime zest sprinkled on top - you can use also orange or lemon for a change.

 

Lime shortbread

• 125g caster sugar
• 225g softened Unsalted butter
• 300g plain flour
• 50g rice flour
• Zest of one lime

Topping

• 200g white chocolate
• Zest of one lime

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, making sure that all butter and sugar has been combined. The colour will change into a pale yellow. Sieve the flour and rice flour into the butter mix and, using a wooden spoon, combine the flour with the butter until all the flour is incorporated. It should resemble breadcrumbs. Add the  zest of one lime

Now bring the mixture together with your hands until the dough is smooth. Roll into 2 sausage shapes of about 20cm long ( shorter if you like bigger cookies - I personally like them smallish). Wrap the rolls tightly in cling film and leave in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 160c and cover 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Using a sharp big knife, slice the dough rolls into 8mm thick slices and place them on the baking sheets, leaving gaps in between (if the oven is hot enough, the cookies shouldn't spread). Bake the cookies for about 12 mins or until just slightly darkened (you don't want browned biscuits).

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before moving the cookies onto a wired rack.

Over a Bain Marie, melt the white chocolate until smooth. Dip the cooled biscuits halfway into the chocolate and return to the wired rack. While the chocolate hasn't set, sprinkle each cookie with the zest of the second lime and leave to set.