Of Macarons & My New Toy

On Friday of last week, I found out that I passed my final medical school exams. It was such a huge relief, though I'm not sure that it has entirely sunken in yet. I still have six more weeks of shadowing to do and I have to graduate in July, but I am pretty much done, which feels amazing. As you can probably imagine, I'm feeling a little bit pleased with myself and so I decided that I deserve a treat. I have been dreaming of and saving up for a better camera for years, thinking that the end of university would be a good milestone at which to buy one. I am very excited to say that I have done it - I have bought myself a Canon 60D and a fancy lens. I was like a child in a sweetshop, whilst buying it; uttering little outbursts of glee every few seconds. The magnitude of my excitement, however, was only realised about fifteen minutes later when I stopped in my tracks and burst into tears; much to the amusement of the ginge, who is quite used to my tearful explosions of emotion. We both stood and laughed; me with tears included, the Ginge without, until I regained sensibility and we went off to celebrate with a warm cup of tea. The next day, it poured with rain, so I didn't manage to get out and take any photos. I did however have my first successful attempt at making macarons and I managed to take a few snaps of them. I was really pleased with how straightforward the recipe was, even the italian meringue buttercream, which is completely delicious. I made vanilla cases filled with either raspberry, chocolate or coffee buttercream. They are all delicious, but the chocolate is particularly good. I would thoroughly recommend this recipe (thank you so much to Tori for the recommendation). Here are a few photos of my exploits, taken with my new baby. Can't wait to take and show you more - hooray! 

Homemade Christmas Hamper: Fig & Almond Biscotti

Homemade Christmas Hamper: Spiced Fig & Cranberry Chutney

Homemade Christmas Hamper: Pickled Red Cabbage

This year, the Ginge and I are giving our families hampers full of homemade treats and local produce. I thought that it might be nice if I posted my recipes for you to use for your own Christmas enjoyment. Look out for 'Homemade Christmas Hamper' posts over the next few days. I'd love to hear if any of you are doing something similar, or if you try any of the recipes yourself. 

Pickled Red Cabbage.

This recipe is so simple, but the result is a deliciously tangy and crunchy pickle with a stunning jewel-like colour. It would make a lovely present and would taste great with leftover turkey on Boxing Day. The pickle is ready in a week and best before 12 months, as it loses its crunch over time. 

Pottering About

This weekend has been a bit of a slow one (or a 'sloe' one as I'm sure the Ginge would say). Unfortunately, I haven't been very well and the Ginge has been working nights, so I have just been bumbling around the house on my own for most of the time. I must say that I really hate it when he is on nights as I get so lonely and dislike being limited to seeing him for a rushed two hours per day. It is quite a good opportunity to get things done though. I have made sloe gin, cooked some tasty suppers and comforted myself by baking my mum's dropped scones. I didn't manage to get to any fireworks, but I poked my head out of the skylight and watched the multiple, distant displays exploding all over the city. Did you have more success with bonfire night? 

My First Recipe Post: Pea, Mint and Parmesan Risotto

In the Treacle-Ginge household, we believe that there is no better comfort food than risotto. I have been perfecting this recipe for the past couple of years and this is the version that we enjoy the most. It is really summery and refreshing, perhaps two words you wouldn't initially associate with a dish made entirely of rice. It is creamy and silky thanks to the parmesan, with just enough bite from the rice and sweetness from the peas, whilst the wine and the mint lift the flavour, making it less rich and completely addictive.           

Ingredients:

• 1 pint / 560ml good quality chicken / vegetable stock
• 50g peas (I use frozen because I can't grow my own yet, but fresh would be even lovelier I am sure)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Butter
• Olive oil
• 6oz / 170g arborio rice
• A good glug of white wine
• A good sized handful of parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
• A handful of fresh mint (from the garden, if you have it)
• Black pepper

Prep:

• Prepare your stock - either buy fresh liquid stock and heat in a pan until warm, or add to boiling water if you are using stock pots or stock cubes. 
• Melt a small amount of butter in a small frying pan and gently soften the spring onion, so that it is white and green and translucent. 
• Place the peas in a small bowl, pour in enough boiling water to just cover them and leave them to one side.

The Main Event:  

• Melt butter in a large saucepan, with a drizzle of olive oil to stop it burning. 
• Add onion and stir to coat each tiny piece with butter and allow to soften on a low heat. 
• Using the flat side of a large knife, drag the finely chopped garlic backwards and forwards on a chopping board, pressing hard to create a puree. 
• Once onions look translucent, but not brown, add the garlic puree and stir until combined. 
• Add rice to the buttery onions and stir for two minutes, to allow the grains to soak up the flavour.  
• Add a small amount of stock and stir until the rice has absorbed (this shouldn't take very long)
• Add about 1/3 of the remaining stock and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until all of the stock has been absorbed. 
• Repeat this process until you have used all of the stock and it has all been absorbed. 
• Pour in a good glug of white wine and allow to absorb. The texture should be loose and creamy and the rice should have a bit of a bite in the middle. 

Final Touches:

• Gently stir in peas and spring onions
• Add grated parmesan and stir until well combined. This should make the risotto super creamy.
• Add the finely chopped mint and stir very gently.
• Serve in a big bowl with extra parmesan and a few flecks of black pepper and a cool glass of crisp white wine.

Yuuummmm!