Last minute treats and luxury cooking

Having time to potter around the kitchen, leisurely stirring or chopping is what I call ‘luxury cooking’. This is best done in a timely fashion on a rainy afternoon and is far more enjoyable than the daily rush to get vaguely nutritious meals on the table. Florentines are so easy to make and best of all they only require one pan to wash up ! You could add any kind of chopped nut or dried fruit to the sticky mixture but I find glace cherries and orange rind pleasingly festive.

Ingredients

• 50g salted butter

• 50g brown sugar

• 50g golden syrup

• 50g plain flour

• 50g glacé cherries

  chopped

• 75g flaked almonds

• 50g pistachios

  chopped

• 2 oranges

  zested

• 125g dark chocolate

Method

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
  Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small pan over a low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour then add the cherries, flaked almonds, pistachios and orange zest.

• Scoop approximately 15 teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving room for them to spread.. Bake for 12 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 2 mins until firm enough to lift onto a cooling rack.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water. Turn the florentines over on the wire rack. Using a pastry brush spread chocolate onto the base of each florentine. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 weeks.

These are easy and taste delicious. I managed to find some biodegradable card sleeves on a last minute dash around Trago Mills (if you know you know). Trussed up with a ribbon from the stash and I am feeling Mary Berry Christmas Special Smug, 

i hope you find some time for something non-essential over the next couple of weeks and have a little festive moment for yourself.

Sophie

Large Linen Tablecloth and Napkin in Rose Gingham

Twelfth Night and Continuning the sparkle

It seems a dreadful shame that all the sparkly Christmas fun has to stop on January 1st. i know that this month can be particularly gloomy for many and. I am constantly on the look out for signs of spring. (I cannot tell you how overjoyed i am that my early bulbs have decided to flourish).

For me, the best thing about Christmas is company, conversation and community and there is absolutely no reason that this has to stop in boring January. For this reason, I am planning some winter warmers with dear friends, kicking off with Twelfth Night on Jan 6th.

The French celebrate Twelfth Night with the Galette Des Rois (Cake of Kings). Hidden within this gorgeous french frangipane tart is a little bean. Traditionally, as the Galette is being served, the youngest member of the party sits under the table and decides who will have the next slice. If you are lucky enough to have the bean or charm in your slice the you are crowned King. Recordings of the celebration of the Galette des Rois date back to the 14th Century, so lets keep it going!

Below I have put a simple recipe. I must say that my Galette des Rois looks nothing like the picture and probably considered a total disrespect of the French tradition (bouff!) I plan to serve a huge cheesboard alongside the Galette and so we can call it early supper. In my experience simple is always best.

Bonne 12ieme Nuit

Sophie xxxx

Ruffle Tablecloth in ‘Florence’.

Napkins in Rose Gingham and Florence.

Available with or without lace trimming.

Recipe for Galette Des Rois (adapted from BBC Food)

Ingredients

400g Ready Puff Pastry

2 tbsp Apricot Jam

100g Softened Butter

100g Caster Sugar

1 lightly beaten egg

100g Ground Almonds

2tbsp brandy

Method

1. Heat the Oven to 200° C

2. Roll out your puff pastry. Cut out two 25 cm rounds of pastry (I used a saucepan lid)

3. Spread the apricot jam onto the circle of pastry leaving a 2 cm gap around the edges.

4. Beat together the softened butter and sugar and then add the egg, almonds and brandy.

5. Spoon the almond mixture over the jam evenly. Then add your little charm or bean.

6. Cover with the second round of pastry sealing it carefully with water around the edges.

7. Egg wash your tart and add a pretty pattern with a sharp knife.

8. Bake for 25- 39 cm until crisp and brown ….. VOILA!