If you really want to impress someone special why not try making some pretty pink rose sugared pistachios.
Here's what you need:
100g unsalted pistachios
100g caster sugar
20g water
red food colouring
2 drops rose essence
Place the sugar, food colouring, rose essence and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
When the syrup reaches 135 degrees celsius remove from the heat and add the pistachios. Stir with a chopstick and pour onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper to cool.
Tomorrow is mother's day and my little gorgeous girl has organised a picnic hamper with baguettes, lemon and chocolate ganache tarts, elderflower cordial, fruit, cheese, nuts and crackers and more.... Since she's done all the hard work I thought that I'd make her some little Fairy Floss marshmallows - perfect little powder puffs for a little lady.
Belvoir Elderflower Cordial
Little Lemon & Chocolate Tarts
GUIMAUVE BARBE à PAPA Ingredients for the Bloom 21g powdered gelatine fairy floss essence 75ml water
Ingredients for the Sugar Syrup 150ml of water 500g caster sugar 75g glucose syrup pink food colouring Ingredients for the Meringue 6 egg whites 25g extra caster sugar
Powder Puff Mix 1/4 cup confectioners sugar 1/4 cornflour 1. Line a non-stick lamington tray with parchment paper and lightly spray with canola oil. 2. To make the bloom, place the gelatine, fairy floss essence and 75ml of water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes then gently heat in a small saucepan to dissolve the gelatine. Alternatively, if you're in a bit of a hurry and don't want an extra saucepan to wash just add the gelatine mix as is in Step 7. 3. Place 150ml water, sugar, glucose and food colouring in a medium saucepan. 4. Bring the sugar syrup to the boil until it reaches 130 degrees celsius.
5. Start whisking your egg whites when the sugar syrup reaches 120 degrees celsius. Add the extra 25g caster sugar when the egg whites become white and frothy. Continue to whisk until well combined.
6. The meringue and the sugar syrup need to be ready at the same time. 7. When the sugar syrup is nearly ready add the gelatine mix and combine. Pour into the meringue in a slow steady stream. Whisk on medium-high for 7-10 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy and glossy.
8. Pour into the lamington tin and leave to set overnight.
9. Cut the marshmallow into squares with an oiled knife. 10. Combine the confectioners sugar and cornflour and use this powder puff mix to coat the marshmallows.
11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze them in little zip lock bags. 12. Perfect with a hot cup of tea or bubbly champagne. Recipe adapted from Laduree
We'll be eating our fairy floss marshmallows for afternoon tea with posh little cups filled with "T2 Rose by the Sea - a warming black tea blushing with floral blossoms of safflower, cornflower, lavender and red rose buds with citrusy freshness of orange. Just gorgeous with rose buds and pretty petals bobbing around for our affection".
This won't mean a lot to many of you and I don't expect you to understand but almost 4 years ago my world came crashing down and I found myself in wonderland - a place where everything is possible! My latest creation is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Absolom the Blue Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and both the Red & White Queens. I've made Blue Violet flavoured Mantou style buns.
The potion for these buns has lots of wishful thinking, some violet essence and a little bit of pork fat but none of the other stuff - lol! Mmmm, although, jasmine tea does look a bit like wee!
Lard is the secret ingredient chefs use to make the perfect pastry and cakes!
I need a pig here - I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet!
Little Blue Caterpillars
Blue Violet flavoured Mantou Style Buns Dough 450g plain flour 14g dried yeast 115g sugar 225ml warm water 1 egg white 1/2 tsp vinegar 3 Tbsp pork fat (lard) 2 drops violet essence 2 drops blue food colouring
Sift the flour onto a pastry board or kitchen bench. Make a well in the centre and add the water and the remaining ingredients with exception of the blue food colouring . Knead into an elastic, smooth dough. Divide into two portions and colour one portion blue. Place kneaded dough into two separate greased bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowls either in a warm spot or a warm water bath for one to one and a half hours or until the dough doubles in size. Knead both portions of dough into a square or rectangles of similar size.
Place the blue dough over the plain coloured dough. Roll up into a sausage shape and cut into 1 inch discs. Place each disc onto a small piece of parchment paper and put into a bamboo steamer. Allow to rise for 15 minutes then steam for 12 minutes. Serve hot with some jasmine tea.
Wing Woo grocery store was located in Wellington Street, Central and was one of the oldest stores in Hong Kong. Apparently, Mr Kwan the store owner started working here at the age of 14, when Wing Woo was run by his uncle and his uncle's friend. Later, Mr Kwan became the owner and managed the store with his wife for 60 years. Sadly, just before I left Hong Kong this quaint little store closed it's doors forever to give way to a new redevelopment. I loved visiting this little store.
This is my recollection of the store in photo's.
Hong Kong's version of the little corner shop!
The shop was so old it requires support to prevent it from collapsing
