Wednesday 25 May 2011

Madeleine's the girl for me......

Firstly, let me say I don't really have what you might call a 'sweet tooth' - give me a plate of sausage rolls or prawn dumplings any day.....but...sometimes, there are those moments when only cake will do....you know, when you just want something sweet with a cup of coffee but don't want to go overboard so you feel like you have to starve for the rest of the day as penance for your lack of willpower?

I was having one of THOSE moments the other day as I flicked through Harry Eastwood's 'Skinny French Kitchen' - the result of yet another late night foray into the delightful world of online shopping......I came across these and knew I had to make them.....immediately.......you may have to be slightly more patient if you don't happen to have a madeleine tin to hand (but really the hardest part of the whole process is skipping to your nearest kitchen equipment supplier to pick one up).....














The delightful thing about these particular little French fancies is that the clever Ms Eastwood has reduced the calorie content of a typical madeleine to a mere 87 calories! Oh joy...guilt free coffee and cake!
If you would like to join me in indulging, here's the recipe:








1tbsp oil, for brushing tin


4 medium free range eggs


Quarter tsp salt


100g caster sugar


100g plain flour, sifted


1 tsp baking powder


80g ground almonds


Half tsp vanilla extract


Half tsp almond extract


50g melted butter









  1. Preheat oven to 210C, 410F, gas mark 6 & brush madeleine mould with a little oil.





  2. Whisk together the eggs, salt and sugar until frothy - add the remaining ingredients and mix with a balloon whisk.





  3. Spoon into the moulds, filling them three quarters of the way up.





  4. Put the filled tin into the freezer for 10 minutes and refrigerate the mixture ready for the next batch. (Ms Eastwood tells us it's important to do this to get the characteristic little bump on the bottom - who am I to argue?)





  5. Once chilled, put in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes exactly - repeat the process once cooked with the remaining mixture but make sure you wash out the pan and grease again before continuing as the cakes may stick if you don't.





  6. Store in an airtight tin for 3 days or......brilliantly......freeze....and bring out when you want to impress with your delicious French cake baking (for only 87 calories, remember)!








Thank you Ms Eastwood....now......apple tart anyone?..............s









Monday 9 May 2011

Bluebells.....

When we lived in Australia, one of my treasured memories of being a small girl in England was the bluebell wood in Spring....I could almost smell the faint hyacinth scent and feel the wet sappy stems in my fingers if I wished hard enough....






Now I'm all grown up, I realise that pulling up these woodland beauties is not only illegal but guaranteed disappointment! There's no sadder sight than an armful of bluebells thrown down, wilted and withered, by someone who didn't realise they wouldn't even survive until they got home....They are meant to be enjoyed like this, growing under the beech trees, sunlight dancing on their blue bell flowers, filtered through the bright green soft new leaves above. Now we are living here again, I insist on an annual pilgrimage to a bluebell wood, to breath in the scent and marvel at the blue carpet before me, as far as the eye can see, in every direction.......







Truly an experience for every sense............this would have to be in my personal
'Must Do Whilst On This Planet' list.....hmmm, now there's an idea..........Happy week...........s

Saturday 7 May 2011

Saturday Snapshots.....

This weekend - on my kitchen windowsill........









Wisteria looking wonderful - smelling wonderful too.....









And this......majestically gliding on the brook at the bottom of the garden......









What more could you want?...........Happy weekend.............s


Monday 2 May 2011

Happy for Wills.....

All the superlatives have been used up....we now know every incy wincy detail about the dress (the seamstresses had to wash their hands every 30 minutes and use new needles every three hours to keep the lace clean).....we know what they ate (cornish crab, Castle of Mey lamb and Highgrove vegetables).....how many tiers the cake had (8).......





We've pored over the column inches, admired the best dressed for their style and sophistication in their choice of outfit, smiled with a small degree of satisfaction that for some, no amount of money can make them chic (you know who you are - lady with the pretzel on her head and the two who got the fabric for their ensembles from sofa.com) - just proving what our mothers used to tell us - that it's not about how much you spend, it's about how creative you are with what you've got.....and talking of mothers, for me as the mother of a son the same age as William, the overriding joy of the day was seeing this devastated little boy who had just lost his beloved mum.....













emerge from the doors of Westminster Abbey with this gorgeous girl on his arm and the prospect of his own warm, loving and close knit family.........















Just what Mum would have wanted........Good Luck Wills & Kate - may your life together be blessed with laughter, fun, health and happiness...........s