Jane Lovett Cookbook Giveaway! - Festive Ginger Creams With Pistachio Brittle

With the festive season upon us and lots more mouths to feed, we are always on the lookout for quick, easy and delicious recipes that can feed an army. Jane Lovett is our go-to woman for this, and if you follow us on Instagram you may have noticed that we have been fans of hers for a while. Her book 'Make it Easy' has been like a bible for us on many a cooking job in Scotland, especially as she specialises in foolproof do-ahead recipes that always go down a treat. Jane has recently re-released her book, and has kindly sent us one to giveaway to YOU our readers! Either give it to a loved one as a Christmas gift, or use it yourself and impress friends and family with some delicious dishes over the festive period. To enter the giveaway head over to our Instagram page by clicking HERE and find all the details over there - GOOD LUCK!

Here is one of our favourite festive puddings from the book - Jane's Ginger Creams are ideal Christmas Party showstoppers as they are easy and can be made well in advance, yet look as impressive as a classic Crème Brûlée. The combination of fiery ginger, smooth cream and crunchy pistachio brittle is also heavenly...enjoy!

To make 8 you will need...

6 tbsp ginger preserve

6 egg yolks

450ml double cream

175g granulated sugar

3 tbsp water

100g roughly chopped pistachio nuts

Icing sugar

You will need to...

- Preheat the oven to 180C. Place 8 ramekins into a deep roasting tin and boil a kettle of water in preparation. 

- Whisk the ginger preserve and egg yolks together in a mixing bowl until pale. Bring the cream to just below boiling point and pour over the egg mixture, whisking all the time.

- Once the mixture has thickened slightly transfer into a jug and pour into the ramekins. Put the roasting tin with the filled ramekins into the oven and carefully pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. 

- Cook for 20-25 minutes or until just set with a slight wobble in the middle (custard continues to cook when removed from the oven!) Remove the ramekins from the water, allow to cool then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

- To make the brittle start by lightly oiling a baking sheet. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, giving the odd gentle stir, until the sugar has dissolved. 

- Turn up the heat and boil fast until the sugar caramelises into a deep golden colour. Quickly add the pistachios, stir, and tip out immediately onto the pre-prepared baking sheet. Spread the mixture out as thinly as possible and leave to cool.

- Serve the creams straight from the fridge dusted with icing sugar. Bash, snap, or break the brittle into random sized pieces, and scatter over the top with the occasional shard sticking out as you desire. 

Enjoy! C & Z x

Mince Pie Twists

With the festive season drawing to a close, my adaptation of Gizzi Erskine's Mince Pie Straws are a novel and delicious way to use up any leftover mincemeat. These flakey puff pastry twists would make great sweet canapés or a lovely festive pud when served alongside a little crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. With the inevitable 'New Year Detox' looming, this is your final excuse to indulge in some Christmassy baking - enjoy!

On another note - a massive thanks to those of you who voted for us as we have (miraculously) been shortlisted in the Food & Drink category for a UK Blog Award for the second year running! We're not quite sure how it happened as we totally forgot to promote it, so thank you to anyone reading for your ongoing support! 

Check out our competition here: http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/food-drink-shortlisted-finalists/

For 24 twists you will need…

2 tbsp caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Flour - to dust

1 packet of all-butter puff pastry

200g sweet mincemeat

1 egg yolk - beaten

Icing sugar to serve

You will need to...

- Preheat your oven to 200C.

- Mix together the sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon in a small bowl.

- Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface until it is the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut the pastry in half widthways. Spread the mincemeat over one half and place the other ontop, pressing/rolling together firmly.

- Trim the edges to create a neat rectangle, then brush the top with the egg yolk. Sprinkle over the lemony, cinammony sugar. Cut the pastry into 12 strips lengthways, then cut all across the middle to create 24 straws in total. 

- Twist each strip a couple of times and place on a lined baking tray - leaving plenty of room for expansion.

 - Bake at 200C until golden brown, puffed up and crisp - this could take anywhere between 15-30 minutes.

- Serve with a generous dusting of icing sugar. 

Enjoy! C x

Vietnamese Turkey & Rice Noodle Salad

The start of a new year calls for a fresh, cleansing recipe, and this salad is just the trick. In our house, we find this is the best way to use up the Christmas turkey, and your insides will thank you for the crunchy veg and zingy dressing after weeks of rich winter stodge. Although the turkey is long-gone, this dish would work just as well with chicken as part of the inevitable ‘New Year Detox’ as a vibrant lunch or delicious yet light supper.

To serve 4-6 you will need…

Dressing

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

2 red chillies  (deseeded and finely diced)

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

4 tbsp nam pla fish sauce

A couple of drops of rice wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 tbsp water

2 tbsp caster sugar

Salad

250g cooked and cooled turkey/chicken cut into strips

175g rice/glass noodles (in the pictures I used the thick rice noodles but I think the thinner ones work better)

125g sugar-snap peas

125g bean sprouts

3 spring onions thinly sliced

2 tsp rapeseed oil

1 tsp sesame oil

A small bunch of coriander/cilantro finely chopped

You will need to…

-       Make the dressing by mixing together all the ingredients. Store in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to a week – if you have any left over it makes a great dressing to jazz up any old salad.

-       Marinate the turkey in 125ml of the dressing.

-       While the turkey is marinating, soak the noodles in freshly boiled water, and once rehydrated refresh them in cold water then drain. (or follow instructions on noodle packet)

  - Put the sugar snaps and beansprouts into a colander and pour over a kettle of freshly boiled water. Rinse them in cold water and drain well.

-       In a large bowl, mix the marinated turkey with the drained noodles, veg and spring onions.

-       Dress with the oils and two tablespoons more of the dressing, though do taste and feel free to add more if you think it needs it.

-       Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and toss everything together before arranging onto a large plate to serve.

Enjoy! C x

Chocolate Salami

This Italian-inspired chocolate salami is certainly different, although the rich chocolate, amaretti and nuts combined with the sweet bursts of cranberry mean it is undoubtedly Christmassy. This makes a sophisticated alternative to a chocolate yule log or a currant/raisin-free Christmas cake replacement. As quite an eye-catching and unique dish, it would also make a good centre-piece for any party held over the festive period. This recipe is an adaptation of Nigella Lawson's 'Chocolate Salame', but feel free to personalise it with your own preferred combination of fruit and nuts. Delicious served with a cup of tea or glass of something stronger, chocolate salami is a Christmas indulgence with a difference. Ensure you make it the day before to make sure it is nicely firmed up.

For 20 generous slices you will need...

250g dark chocolate

250g crunchy amaretti biscuits

100g soft butter

150g caster sugar

3 large eggs

2 tbsp amaretto liqueur

2 tbsp cocoa powder

75g whole blanched almonds (roughly chopped)

75g dried cranberries (roughly chopped)

50g whole shelled pistachio nuts (roughly chopped)

Icing sugar to decorate

You Will Need To...

- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water then set aside to cool. Place the biscuits into a bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they resemble rubble.

- Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and soft, then beat in the eggs one by one. Stir in the amaretto liqueur. 

- Sift the cocoa powder into the cooled melted chocolate, stir until combined then add this mixture to the egg mixture. When you have a smooth chocolatey mixture fold in the crushed biscuits, chopped nuts and cranberries.

- Put this mixture in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour. 

 - Place 2 large, overlapping pieces of clingfilm on your work surface, and tip the chilled mixture onto this. Mould it into a long log about 30cm long - this can be quite messy - you have been warned!

 - Cover the log with the clingfilm and roll it until it is a smooth round cylinder. Twist the ends by holding both ends and rolling the log towards you.

- Place the log in the fridge to chill overnight - this will ensure it is firm and slices well.

- Once it is set, sprinkle icing sugar onto a large piece of greaseproof paper and roll the log into it. This makes it look like an authentic salami. To add more authenticity, use some string to tie it up (see pics).

- Serve cold in generous slices.

Enjoy! C x

Spiced Chestnut Ice Cream

Apologies for a consecutive ice-cream recipe, but consider this the 'Christmas edition'. I am not the greatest chestnut fan, but in this festive ice cream the subtle chestnutty taste is delicious - paired with a touch of cinnamon and booze it really is Christmas in a mouthful. The recipe is outrageously quick and easy, so you may find the most difficult part is actually sourcing the chestnut puree. I brought mine back from France this summer, and although less common, it can also be found in some UK supermarkets. This is a fantastically simple dessert on its own, or makes a decadent accompaniment to mince pies, Christmas pud, or whatever else you fancy at this time of year.

For roughly 1.5 litres of ice cream you will need...

450g sweetened chestnut puree (from jar or can)

4 tbsp dark rum

1 tsp ground cinnamon

600ml double cream

100g icing sugar

You will need to...

- Mix together the chestnut puree and rum. 

- In a large bowl whip the cream to soft peaks, then sprinkle over the icing sugar and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.

- Pour the chestnut and rum mixture onto the cream and mix until all is smooth and combined.

- Spoon into ice cream tubs or tupperwares and cover with an airtight lid. Freeze for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight, and serve on its own, or alongside a festive treat of your choice.

Enjoy! C x