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Wednesday 28 November 2012

Treacle Tarts from 'The British Larder' - A review

Mini Treacle Tarts


The British Larder, A Cookbook for all Seasons

By Madalene Bonvini-Hamel




When this weighty tome thumped through my letter box (actually, it wouldn’t go through my letterbox, the postie delivered it right into my hands) I was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size and weight of the book. 

I read a little about the author: “Professional chef Madalene has worked at some of the country’s finest restaurants, from Aubergine (as part of Gordon Ramsay’s brigade) and Claridges, and under Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche…” blimey, this is a serious chef, how on earth am I going to make anything from a book by such a high powered chef?

However, reading on I found that Madalene and her partner Ross Pike had created a website to show off their love of seasonal produce, this led to them opening their Award winning Pub, The British Larder in Suffolk.  This gave me a little courage to think that perhaps there might be some recipes which suited my home cooking style.

Contents
The book starts with information about The British Larder and the author.  There are then some pages of notes on suppliers, ingredients and some basic recipes. The book is then divided into chapters by month,  with each month starting with a practical and beautifully written  essay on the foods available in that month.  Read carefully as there are some little gems of recipes hidden amongst the prose.  The book is also generously illustrated with stunning photographs taken my Madalane herself (RESPECT!)

Here is a taster of some of the recipes from each month:

January
Pan Roasted Cod with Jerusalem Artichokes, Venison Burgers with Roasted Parsnip Straws and Beetroot and Red Onion Relish. Braised Beef Ribs with January King Cabbage and Carrot Crush, Poppy Seed and Blood Orange Loaf Cake
February
Mussels with Smoky Bacon, Cider and Horseradish, Cauliflower and Shallot Piccalilli, Rhubarb Melting Moments (I can’t begin to describe how fantastic these look!)
March
Buckler Leaf Sorrel and Spinach Soup, Slow Cooked Duck Legs with Pickled Rhubarb, My Famous Treacle Tart
April
Smoked Bacon, Binham Blue and Wild Garlic Breakfast Muffins, Crispy Quack Eggs with Radish Mayonnaise, Cardamom and Golden Sultana Hot Cross Buns
May
Homemade Elderflower Cordial, Pan Seared Wood pigeon with English Asparagus and Broad Bean and Wild Mint Hummus, Chocolate and Fresh Mint Parfaits
June
Roasted Aubergine Soup with Dry-Roasted Almonds, Garden Herb-marinated Half Roast Chicken with Kohlrabi, Fennel and Peanut Slaw, Chocolate Fudge Cakes with Cherries in Red Wine
July
Beetroot Tarte Tatins with Frozen Broad Bean Crème Fraiche, Courgette –Wrapped Chicken Skewers, Gooseberry Curd and Brown Sugar Meringue Mess with Garibaldi Biscuits
August
Borlotti Bean and Courgette Hummus, Mustard Seed-smoked Beef with Soft-boiled Duck Eggs and Toasted Cobnuts, Victoria Plum and Blackberry Frozen Ice Cream Slices
September
Oven Roasted Acorn Squash with Salt-baked Beetroots and Rosehip and Elderberry Vinaigrette, Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Crab Apple  Jelly and Caramelised Damsons, Hedgerow Fruit Pastilles (yes, pastilles as in ‘sweets’).
October
Red Wine-poached Quinces and Goats Cheese Open Filo Tarts with Salted Caramel Walnuts, Pot Roasted Mallard with Cider Apples and Celeriac Mash, Apple Snow  with Warm Honey Madeleines.
November
Pulled Pork and Pumpkin Pies, Pheasant Ravioli with Chestnut Sauce, Pear Parfait with Liquorice Jelly and Spice-poached Pears
December
Sage, Prune and Armagnac-stuffed Turkey Breast with Prune Sauce,  Beef and Oyster Pie, Chocolate and Cranberry Salami.

Who is it for?
I got a copy of the Readers Digest Cookery Year when I was in my early twenties, I learned a lot about seasonal cooking and eating from that book.  It was also a great reference and source of techniques.  I think The British Larder could act in the same way for a cook who is keen to learn and would like to create ambitious dishes.  It is also good for those of us who would like a reminder and some fresh inspiration to cook seasonally.

I noticed there are quite a few ‘game’ recipes in this book.  Probably more than I have seen in a cookery book that is not devoted to game.  So if you like to cook and eat game you will find lots of inspiration and interesting recipes for venison, partridge, pheasant, woodcock and rabbit. 

Pros
The kind of cookbooks I really enjoy are the ones where the personality of the author comes through.  In The British Larder there is an introductory paragraph or two about every recipe, and it is here that Madalene really hooked me in.  Here is excerpt from one of the introductions:

“I find that a glass of wine, a chair, a chopping board and a sharp knife do the trick and, of course, if you have a friend to gossip with even better, the time passes quickly and before you know it, the beans are prepared and all that is left to do is the cooking” (Sweet and Sour Pickled Green Beans)

I loved the dessert recipes, although Madalene claims not to be much of a pastry chef, the flavour combinations would certainly suit my taste.  Preserves, cordials, pickles and chutneys also feature in many of the chapters with inspiring flavour combinations.

Cons
There are quite a few inspired vegetarian dishes, but they are heavily outweighed by meat/fish/poultry recipes, so I wouldn’t recommend The British Larder for vegetarian or vegan cooks.

Ease of use
The recipes are well written and comprehensive; many of them feature useful ‘Cooks Notes’ with substitutions or additional ideas relating to the recipe.

I would have liked to make one of the imaginative and ambitious dishes that I've described, but in the end I decided to choose a classic to show you just how detailed and well written these recipes are, to the extent that I felt very comfortable adapting the ingredients to make some mini tarts.


My Famous Treacle Tart

100g day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed (weight given is for crustless bread)
1 egg
125ml double cream
300g golden syrup
40g clear honey
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon
60g ground almonds
300g Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (see below)

The breadcrumb mixture is prepared then chilled overnight in the fridge, so you will need to start this recipe a day in advance (See Cook's Notes)
Whizz the sourdough bread in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs.  Set aside. Whisk the egg and cream together in a small saucepan, just enough to make them runnier and easier to mix.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk the warmed golden syrup and honey and lemon zest and juice into the egg mixture, then stir in the ground almonds and breadcrumbs.  Dover and leave the mixture to rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 2mm thickness and use it to line a (loose-bottomed, if you like) 35 x 10 x 2.5cm fluted oblong flan tin (leaving a slight overhang of pastry). Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.
Whisk the chilled breadcrumb mixture and pour it into the chilled pastry case.  Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until lightly set and golden - the tart will still have a  gentle wobble in the centre but his will firm up once cooled.

Remove from the oven to a wire rack and leave the tart to cool completely in the tin.  Once cold, trim the overhanging pastry from the top edges of the tart with a small serrated knife, then carefully remove the tart from the tin and cut it into slices.  Serve with whipped Chantilly cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Cooks Notes
I recommend using an oblong fluted flan tin instead of a round one for this recipe , so that the tart cooks more evenly and is easier to cut and handle.  

Use fresh bread that is a day old, cut the crusts off and the inside of the load only.  Can can use regular white bread for the recipe, but I prefer sourdough as it gives the tart that extra special taste. Do not use dried breadcrumbs.

Be patient when making this tart and follow the recipe - leave the breadcrumb mixture to rest overnight in the fridge, do not overcook the tart, and leave it to cool completely before cutting and eating.


Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (makes about 600g) I used half of this to make a dozen mini Treacle Tarts
175g unsalted butter, softened
75g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split in half length ways and seeds scraped out (optional)
a pinch of table salt
2 eggs, beaten
300g plain flour

Put the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, if using, and the salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat together until fluffy and pale in colour.  Slowly add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift the flour over the creamed mixture, then slowly mix in the flour until the pastry comes together, being careful not to over mix.  (If you prefer, the pastry can be made by hand without a mixer, using a wooden spoon to beat and combine the ingredients, as directed.)

Turn the pastry on to a lightly floured work surface, but do not knead the pastry, just push it together.  This recipe makes about 600g pastry and you can either use it all or freeze some to use at a later date.  It's unwise to make this recipe in a smaller quantity and you can easily freeze half of it (or as much as you have leftover) to use another time

Wrap the pastry in cling film (either wrap it as one piece, or divide it into tow pieces and wrap each piece separately) and then leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out. (I like to shape the pastry into flat even square (s) so that they fit comfortably into my fridge or freezer.) Freeze the pastry you are not using an use within 3 months.  Defrost overnight in the fridge before use.

For the dozen mini treacle tarts,  I used about 300g of pastry, 50g breadcrumbs, half an egg, 60g double cream, 15og golden syrup, 1/2 a lemon and 30g of ground almonds. 

Recipe Review:  Lots of people seem not to like dried fruit, so I made these as an alternative to mince pies and they worked very well.  I was a little disappointed with the vanilla seeds in the pastry as I didn't feel that there was a real hit of vanilla, so would boost it with vanilla sugar. Great idea though.  The pastry is very soft even after a night in the fridge and not particularly easy to work with, I think I prefer my standard recipe but might try adding vanilla.  The Treacle Tart mixture is a real triumph, easy to make and tastes very good indeed.

The Verdict
This is an expensive book, even with on line discount prices, but I think it is good value for money and likely to become a new classic for British cooks, chefs and foodies.


Absolute Press (An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing)
RRP £30
Online Price £19.20

I was provided with a copy of The British Larder by Absolute Press/Bloomsbury Publishing, I was not required to write a positive review and my opinions are my own.

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Tuesday 27 November 2012

Chicken Broth for 'Soups and Stews'

Linzi is running The Season of Soups and Stews challenge on her blog, Lancashire Food. 
Sunday is my day for making soup, it does us for lunch (no big roasts for us!) and there is usually enough left over for me to take some to work to heat up for a couple of days.

With the kind of freezing weather we had yesterday, and the wind and rain before that, soups and stews are very welcome. to warm and fill you up.

Chicken and Pearl Barley Broth


1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
6 med carrots, peeled and diced
1 tbsp sunflower oil
150g pearl barley, soaked overnight
2 litres of chicken stock
1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp chopped parsley (if you have any)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil and cook the onion over a medium heat until starting to soften.
2. Add the carrots, barley and chicken stock.
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Bring the broth to a boil, then simmer for about 45mins to 1 hour until the pearl barley is soft
5. Add the thyme and parsley (I didn't have any but it does add a lovely freshness to the soup) and check the seasoning.
6. If you have any pieces of chicken which you can add to the broth, it can easily be your main meal with some crusty bread.




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Monday 26 November 2012

Roasted Broccoli for Random Recipes #22

It's Random Recipe time again and this month Dom at Belleau Kitchen has challenged us  as follows:  "refer to your birthday date as the number you should use to randomly pick your book... for example, my birthday is the 24th September and so I have randomly chosen the 24th book on my bookshelf counting from right to left...  it doesn't really get more tenuous or random than this does it but it's nice to have a little theming every month don't you think?"


 
I'm not giving anything away about my birthday, you'll just have to believe me when I tell you that I followed the instructions and, while Dom picked out Nigella, I got Delia!  Isn't it interesting that these two iconic women cooks are known by their first names.  You would never just refer to Nigel (Slater) or Hugh (Fearnley-Whittingstall), maybe Jamie comes close but he is still Jamie Oliver, anyway I digress, on with the challenge.



It was the Winter Collection which came up as my Random Recipe book, which was helpful, it being winter!  I opened the book randomly as instructed and had a choice of Sauteed Carmelised Fennel or Oven Roasted Cauliflower an Broccoli with Garlic and Coriander, I didn't have any Fennel or Cauliflower, but I did have a head of Broccoli.


The delightful Delia, has kindly posted the recipe on her website, so you can click through the link if you would like to make Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Garlic and Coriander

I can't say I was terribly impressed by this recipe.  The coriander and garlic flavour was really good, but the broccoli was still a bit too hard, if I'd left it in the oven any longer it would have burnt.  I think if I made it again I would blanch the broccoli for a few minutes before roasting.

I served the broccoli with a homemade turkey and ham pie.

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Sunday 25 November 2012

Christmas Pudding for Stir Up Sunday?

It's Stir Up Sunday today. The last Sunday before Advent and the day when, traditionally, you are supposed to make your Christmas Pudding to allow it to mature for Christmas.
  
Too posh? Not enough time? Don't know how? Can't be bothered?  Well, I have good news for you... you don't have to make your own as there are some lovely Christmas puds out there that you can heat up easily, serve and enjoy!

And where better to get your Christmas Pudding than from  Harrods, dahling!  I wouldn't dream of getting mine anywhere else ;-)  For a start, it arrives in this gorgeous box, with Father Christmas on his sleigh, pulled by reindeer, flying over the rooftops of Harrods.

I'm going to have to find another use for the box as I really love it, I'm sure it can be repurposed to hold some Christmas decorations or something equally festive.


When you open the box, you see that, not only do you have a Harrods Classic Christmas Pudding with Brandy, but also a bumper jar of Harrods Brandy Butter!  The pudding has been '6 months matured for Christmas Day' and is bursting with juicy Mediterranean fruits, Vositizza currants, cherries, almonds and walnuts blended with Thatchers Cider, one year old Brandy, Spanish Sherry and Rum!  It only needs some gentle reheating, an hour of steaming or a 3 minute blast in the microwave.  The Brandy Butter is 8% Courvoisier VS Cognac.

The pudding tastes just as good as homemade, it's rich and fruity with nice sized chunks of nuts.  It  isn't heavy at all and you could get six small portions or four generous portions from this 454g pudding.  The Brandy Butter is soft and delicious, melting gloriously over the warm pudding without overpowering it with too much spirit.

The Harrods Christmas Classic Hamper containing a 454g pudding and 210g jar of brandy butter costs £25 and I think it would make a great gift.  There are lots of other Christmas Hampers and Food Hampers to choose from at Harrods, there is bound to be something for everyone.

I received the Harrods Christmas Classic Hamper to review, I was not required to write a positive review and I was not paid to write this review.

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Saturday 24 November 2012

More Chocolate Porridge for Breakfast Club

I found this great blog post about food photography this morning via Twitter and the Snapseed app was recommended for iphone, so I thought I'd try it out, it has more functionality than Instagram and you can transfer your photos via Instagram, or email and most of the other popular photo hosts as well as sharing via social media.



Anyway back to the Breakfast Club which is being hosted this month at The Chocolate Log Blog by the lovely Choclette.   It was no surprise that Choclette chose 'chocolate' for the Breakfast Club theme.  Now I don't normally eat chocolate for breakfast, but remembered that I had a little chocolate sauce left over from a dessert, it had solidified in the bottom of  a ramekin in the fridge and there really wasn't enough for more than one person.

Choclette featured Chocolate Porridge as her breakfast recipe, but took a different approach.  I used the lovely Flahavan's Irish Steel Cut Oats again and made my porridge with milk but no sugar, then softened the sauce in the microwave for 20 seconds, spooned some into the porridge and swirled it around.  It took me right back to my childhood when I used to love to put a spoonful of black treacle into my Farley's rice, anyone remember that?

I have to say that I probably put too much chocolate sauce in the porridge, but it was VERY good!


To take part, make a breakfast which includes chocolate in some way, shape or form and post it.
  • Mention Breakfast Club and use the logo.
  • Link to the Breakfast Club page and to Chocolate Log Blog.
  • You are welcome to send in old recipes, but please add the information above and republish.
  • Entries can be sent to other events, but please respect their rules.
  • If you tweet please use #blogbreakfastclub.
  • If you do not have a blog, send a photo and details to  - choclette8 AT gmail.com
  • All breakfast clubs are also blog hops, so do feel free to grab the code and add to your page.
  • Entries to be in by midnight on 25th November please.


Join in the Blog Hop by grabbing the code below

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Thursday 22 November 2012

Instant Mincemeat and Mini Mince Pies

I started my Christmas baking early because I was having an early family get together last weekend.  As part of my baking I made some 'Instant Chocolate Mincemeat' and baked it into some teeny mince pies using the brilliant Great British Bakeware from George Wilkinson.

George Wilkinson Great British Bakeware is made in Lancashire and this premium range has an innovative & exclusive long life coating.  GlideX is bonded directly onto your ovenware to ensure it keeps performing like new every time. It is scratch resistant, flake-resistant and virtually indestructible. Tested rigorously by Wilkinsons, GlideX outperforms all other non-stick brands.

 The tart cups are nice and deep so you can get plenty of filling into your mini pies.


I have found that mince pies can be difficult to get out of the tin, especially if some of the mincemeat oozes out the side and bakes on, sticking the pastry to the tin.  This is especially tricky when they are mini pies and they can break as you try to lever them out.  I'm pleased to say that this wasn't a problem at all with the George Wilkinson Great British Bakeware mini tart tin.

 
The pies slid out without any problem at all and the tin was easy to clean with soapy water.


Instant Chocolate Mincemeat 

This is mincemeat that you can mix up quickly using any mixture of dried fruits and nuts you have in your cupboard, the addition of some chopped chocolate, adds a lovely richness to the fruit mixture. Makes approximately 1 medium jar.

Zest of a lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1 Cox's Orange Pippin apple
1/4 cup sultanas
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup prunes, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable suet
1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp pistaschio nuts chopped

1. Put the zest and lemon juice in a bowl, grate the apple including the skin, into the juice.
2. Add all the other ingredients and stir.
3. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge until ready to use.


Mini- Mince Pies

For 1 dozen mini mince pies
1/2 jar of Instant Mincemeat or other Mincemeat
1/2 quantity of sweet shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Lightly grease the tart tin.
3. Using a medium pastry cutter, cut out 12 rounds and place them into the tin.
4. Add a teaspoon of mincemeat to each tart.
5. Using a small pastry cutter, cut out 12 tops.
6. Brush the edge of the bases with egg wash and add the lids pressing down firmly around the edges.
7. Brush the tops of the tarts with egg wash (optional)
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
9. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then remove to a cooling tray.
10. Dust with icing sugar to serve.





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Tuesday 20 November 2012

Who says Vanilla isn't sexy? Pure Vanilla - A review



 

Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever with photographs by Leigh Beisch


It says something that  a whole book can be devoted to one flavouring ingredient .  Vanilla is the world’s most universally loved flavour and for good reason.  No flavour is more widely recognised, used and enjoyed across the globe.

This book aims to show the versatility of vanilla and tell the story of vanilla from its start as a green pod nestled inside a tropical flower to its transformation into the fragrant beans we all recognise and love.



The comprehensive Introduction starts with a  brief history of vanilla tracing the history of vanilla from 1519 up to the present day.  The history is told in a very accessible way in short ‘bites’ of readable story.
In From Orchid to Extract, Shauna explains how Vanilla is produced and why it is so expensive.
There is also information about vanilla in all its forms.  An exploration of the different forms of vanilla you can use in your cooking and baking.
I had no idea there were different varieties of vanilla with different subtle tastes, but all is explained in the section: Vanilla origins, Varieties and Tasting notes . The introduction concludes with ‘Vanilla FAQs’ to answer any remaining questions. 


Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies 

 


Makes 3 dozen cookies (I reduced the ingredients by a 1/3 to make 1 dozen)

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/14 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
 8oz white chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp Vanilla Fleur de Sel (make it like vanilla sugar, but with flaky sea salt) for sprinkling

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, flour, baking soda, and slat to blend well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and vanilla extract on medium high speed until blended and creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. I don't have a stand mixer so used an electric hand mixer.

Beat in the eggs 1 at a time.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add oat mixture, then white chocolate.

Scoop batter, 2 tbsp at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, about 8 cookies to a sheet, Sprinkle a bit of vanilla fleur de sel onto each cookie.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges but still a bit soft in a centres, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom half way through baking. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm not a huge fan of salted with sweet, so didn't bother with the Vanilla Fleur de Sel, the cookies went down well with my visitors and were the first to be chosen.  They have a nice texture, slightly soft and chewy.  I realise I have chosen two recipes with oats in as well as vanilla, not deliberate just what appealed to me!  There are lots more recipes with different ingredients, I've given you a taster of some of the titles below.

The Recipes

There are 80 recipes in the book divided into the following chapters:

Breakfasts including Vanilla Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon, Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal* and Buttery Baked Vanilla Bean French Toast.

Cakes and Pies Including Vanilla Cloud Cake, Twinkie Bundt Cake and Vanilla Cream Pie

Cookies and Bars including Vanilla Latte Cookies, Mini Vanilla Eclairs and Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies*

Candies and Confections including Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, Golden Pear-Vanilla Jam and Vanilla Lollipops

Custards and Creams including Warm Vanilla-Rum Rice Pudding, Australian Vanilla Slice and Favourite Vanilla Ice Cream

Drinks including Vanilla Mojito, Fruity Vanilla Iced Tea and Melted White Hot Chocolate

Resources
Unfortunately, as this is an American book, the speciality stores are all in the US. 

Conversion Chart
I was pleased to see there was a conversion chart in the back of the book and I used it to reduce the ingredients for the Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies


Who is it for?
This book is for anyone who loves vanilla. The recipes are all cakes and desserts, but the two that I tried were not over-sweet, with much of the sweetness coming from the vanilla itself.  There are a number of interesting and different recipes, the drinks chapter was a bit of a revelation and there are lots of interesting new ideas to try in the Candies and Confections chapter.

Pros and Cons
If you read all the information in the introduction you will be much better informed about vanilla and how to use it to full advantage. The quantities for some of the recipes are huge, I don't usually make 3 dozen cookies at a time.

Ease of use
The recipes are varied, some very simple and others more challenging.  The recipes are well laid out and I found them easy to follow.

Slow Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal

 

 Serves 4


 1 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 vanilla bean , split length ways
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional) plus more for serving
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
single or double cream for serving

 Coat the sleeve of a 5 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place sleeve in slow cooker and combine all ingredients in it; add 3 1/2 cups water and stir to blend.  Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Remove vanilla bean and scrape any remaining caviar into oatmeal.  Stir well and serve with brown sugar to taste and a drizzle of cream.

I don't have a slow cooker, but wanted to try this, so this is what I did:
I only used half the quantity and cooked the oatmeal with the water in the microwave for 1 minute until hot, add the other ingredients,except the cream, and pour into a wide mouthed vacuum flask Leave overnight and serve with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

 It worked brilliantly, the oatmeal could have been a little warmer but had absorbed all the vanilla and spice flavours and had a lovely texture.  I would definitely make this again.

Worth buying?
It’s a surprising book, with so many different ways to use vanilla.  However, I am not sure that I would buy a book that focused on one flavour, but if you really love vanilla then I’m sure you would have a lot of fun making these recipes.

Published by Quirk Books
Available at On line bookshop from £10.71

I received  a copy of Pure Vanilla to review, I was not paid to review this book and all opinions are my own.

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