Tag: Food

Food

Homemade marshmallows

by s.a.b1 Comment on Homemade marshmallows

We once threw Little Monsieur a vintage airplane party, complete with mini suitcases as favour boxes, gorgeous rosettes made of old map paper etc. And of course, ever the theme perfectionist, I was hell-bound in giving out cloud-shaped marshmallows as part of the favours… I could picture them in my head, soft, fluffy, light blue. But after a few days of browsing the internet with no other options in the shaped marshmallows department beyond the ubiquitous squares and (sigh) hearts, I almost gave up. Just before I did though, a little thought came into my mind and just wouldn’t budge: “Hmm, how about I make some myself?”

Thankfully, I quickly found out that, when it comes to marshmallows, that’s perfectly achievable (unlike making a perfect birthday cake complete with piping and frosting and decorations, something I have never and will never attempt, I know my limits). I shaped them as clouds that day using cookie cutters, but you can use this basic recipe for any shape you want. This is super easy, and is a lot of fun to do with bored children during a rainy afternoon or, say, day 39 of lockdown.

Make sure you got all your ingredients lined up as you start, you don’t want to be scrambling for the gelatine when your syrup is ready…

First, line a deep-ish baking tray with a mix of icing sugar and corn flour. If you don’t have icing sugar, take granulated sugar, pour it into your blender, and pulse until you get the right powdery texture. Soak your gelatine in cold water for at least five minutes. Whilst it’s soaking, make a syrup using only the caster sugar, water and glucose (you can use golden syrup if you don’t have glucose), and only add the gelatine once your syrup is thick and sticky (the original recipe says to check your sugar thermometre, who has time for sugar thermometres?! I test by running my spatula on the bottom of the pan, if it leaves a trace it’s good to go). Word of caution number one: when you pour the gelatine into the syrup is basicallt the moment when everything might go horribly wrong, as the mixture bubbles up and can risk burning your hand if you aren’t careful! You need to stir to stabilise the now quite thick syrup down. After you stabilise the syrup, pour it into a metal jug and let it cool down quite a bit.

Next step, meringue. For this, make sure your egg whites are super cold (so keep them in the fridge whilst you’re making the syrup) and add a pinch of salt, for good luck… Make sure you whip them until stiff, and for that I can only recommend an electric whip, unless you’re trying to break your own arm off. Carry on whisking as you pour the syrup in slowly: you’ll see the mixture turn super shiny and white… If you fancy a bit of flavouring add a couple of drops of vanilla extract here, also this is the right time for a little food colouring. Ok almost done. Now all you have to do is whisk for a further 10-15 minutes, until you get a thick mixture which holds on to the whisk; and this is where I’ll give you the second warning: the mix does stick to the whisk, and in fact it might even want to climb up it making a grand old mess, but trust me if you stop whisking too soon your marshmallows won’t firm up and you’ll have to start again from scratch… (I should know!)

Once you’re happy with your mix, pour into the tray (which has a generous coating of icing sugar and corn flour, remember?), and leave for a bit. Once the mix is completely cool, dust with more icing sugar and corn flour mix, then leave to rest and firm up for a couple of hours at least. Check the texture by tapping lightly with your finger. If it doesn’t stick to your finger, it’s time to shape. You can use any cookie cutter you want if you fancy shapes, just make sure you dip your cutter in the icing sugar and corn flour mix first; for standard marshmallows, use scissors dipped in the icing mix and cut bands then squares. Store in an air-tight container for a couple of weeks maximum with a bit more of the icing mix. If you leave them in a bowl the outside will harden over a day, but I can tell you these are so delicious it’s unlikely they survive too long in a house with sugar lovers…

These homemade marshmallows are super fluffy and don’t have the sticky gummy texture of the shop bought ones, also you’re saving your kids a few additives in the process so give yourself a pat in the back.

With love, S.

Food, Uncategorized

Two overnight breakfasts for busy bees

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on Two overnight breakfasts for busy bees

Everyone has a favourite meal… some love dinner, some are obsessed with the 11AM chocolate break, for me it’s breakfast. I can give up all the other meals, breakfast is my thing. I love sitting down and indulging in a leisurely meal at the dining table, overseeing the garden, reading news or scrolling through my Insta feed, but most days that is not an option.

I have smoothies most weekdays, as it’s super convenient to take my Nutribullet everywhere (when I lived in London it would often come with me on the Eurostar when I had to go to Paris for the day), but sometimes I like something with a little more substance, and I found some pretty cool options that I think some of you similarly busy bees might like as well. Here are two that you can prepare overnight, and just grab and go on your way out.

The perfect chia seed parfait

Chia seeds pack 40% fiber and 14% protein, not to mention magnesium, manganese, anti-oxidants, more omega 3 than salmon, more calcium than most dairy (I checked, and found no croissant with this type of nutrient list). Ok, that’s it for the educational minute of the day… Now, how do they actually taste? 

Actually, they don’t taste of anything much, like most whole grains, so they make a perfect breakfast base. Yes, the texture is a bit gelatinous once soaked, a little like thick caviar, and it’s not for everyone… Putting together is child’s play, then all you have to do is add your favourite toppings: fruits, nuts, granola, cacao nibs, cinammon… My best option so far? Topped with a spirulina fruit blend, some blueberries and pecan nuts. You can make a bigger batch of the base and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days or to share with your family: Little Madame used to love this when she was a baby, although recently she’s more a porridge girl…

Overnight protein oats (a.k.a. muesli with a kick)

I have friends who skip breakfast and jump on the venti version of whatever their favourite barista mix is, usually a fat and sugar laden drink with very little caffeine in it, and yet would scream at the idea of ingesting any types of oats, on account of all the carbs. As you know I’m the black coffee type, but I adore oats, even though (or maybe because) they are carbs. By the way we all need a little bit of carbs in life, especially if we lead an active lifestyle or simply if we like wine (yes, carbs again), even rabbits, who eat theirs in the form of carrots and beets… Plus, oats are filled with complex fibres that help us keep a healthy heart, and given the number of jerks around, everyone needs a healthy, strong heart, right?

But, let me tell you, the reason I love overnight oats: they are the perfect busy bee breakfast, you can prepare them the night before, put it all in a jar and take it with you in the morning, and they are absolutely delicious; I usually add crushed nuts, some cinnamon, and either fruit or cacao powder if I’m feeling extra indulgent. I prefer mine made with real Greek yoghurt, the Fage type, alas in almost three years of living in Johannesburg I’ve not been able to find any, so instead I use regular yoghurt, but it’s not the same… Please, if you know where I can find proper Greek yoghurt in Jo’burg, can you let me know?

Do you have any infallible breakfast recipes that are good for you and still yummy? Please don’t try to convince me that a 90% kale smoothie with a bit of pineapple for sweetness is delicious, I know that to be a lie… but if you do have a favourite smoothie or omelette, do share!

With love, S.