Strawberry Mousse and Whipped Cream

In case you’re not familiar with the strange looking white gadget behind the strawberry mousse, it's a Cream Whipper. It makes delicious whipped cream, mousses, flavoured toppings, garnishes or foams in seconds. Perfect for topping cakes, coffees, milkshakes and desserts. You can create the lightest, fluffiest whipped cream in an instant – leave it plain or add flavourings, from simple vanilla to whatever else you fancy! You can even make a dairy-free, healthier alternative to whipped cream using coconut milk.

You can also use a cream whipper to infuse alcohol with all kinds of flavours and herbs – ideal for cocktails!


Strawberry Mousse
Serves 3-4 depending on the size of the glasses

400g strawberries
75g icing (powdered) sugar
150ml double cream

1. Hull the strawberries and set aside 6-8 to decorate the mousse.
2. Whizz the rest of the strawberries in a blender or use a stick blender until you have a liquid strawberry puree. Sieve the puree to remove the seeds.
3. Add the sieved icing sugar and whizz again to blend.
4. Add the cream and stir together gently (do not blend)
5. Pour the mixture into the Cream Whipper, closing the top firmly, screw on the nozzle of your choice, then apply the gas as per the instructions that come with the whipper. 
6. Shake the mixture gently and fill glasses or bowls with the mousse by compressing the lever.
7. Top with the remaining strawberries.

Labels: cream, Cream Whipper, Discount Cream, infuse, Mousse, strawberry, Strawberry Mousse

posted by Janice @ 20:00 7 Comments

Rhubarb and Ginger Trifles

This is a rhubarb recipe you can make with only two stalks of rhubarb and it will feed a family of four.  I usually have a pack of trifle sponges or some sponge fingers in my cupboard as I find that a trifle will stretch the most meagre of ingredients into a feast.

Rhubarb and Ginger Trifles
Serves 4

4 trifle sponges
2 tbsp Madeira, Sherry or orange juice
2 stalks of rhubarb
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp caster sugar
250g ready made custard
150 ml double or whipping cream
20 g flaked almonds

1. Chop the rhubarb into small pieces and place in a saucepan with the ginger and the sugar, heat gently until the juices run and the rhubarb is soft.  Put the rhubarb to one side to cool.
2. Place one trifle sponge in the base of each of the ramekins, pour 1/2 a tbsp of Madeira, Sherry or orange juice over each one. 
3. Divide the poached rhubarb between the ramkeins along with any of the remaining juices.
4. Cover the rhubarb with custard.
5. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, either pipe it on top or spoon it over the custard.
6. Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan until they start to turn golden, let them cool.  Just before serving sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the trifles.

Labels: cream, custard, Ginger, rhubarb, The Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up, trifle

posted by Janice @ 19:33 8 Comments

Easy Rhubarb Millefeuille for the Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up

The Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round Up Linky Party opened on Saturday and is proving very popular.  I'm not quite sure why we have such an affection for these acidic pink stems.  I can only imagine that it is because they are the first 'fruit' of the year and a harbinger of spring.


There is a local rhubarb connection here in the south west of Scotland as James Mounsey, a Scot who had been the doctor to Tsar Peter III, fled for his life back to Dumfriesshire when the Tsar was assassinated. He brought rhubarb seeds with him and from these he successfully grew fields of high quality rhubarb.  The house he fled to is only about half a mile from where I live, so it is perhaps, not so surprising that our rhubarb is prolific and that our plants must be nearly 50 years old.


I thought a lot about the recipe I would make for The Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up, I changed my mind several times. I wanted to make something impressive, that didn't need a huge amount of rhubarb and that was easy enough for anyone to make, here is what I came up with:


Easy Rhubarb Millefeuille
Serves 4

125g filo pastry (half a 250g pack)
50g butter, melted
125g caster sugar
6 to 8 slim stems of rhubarb
200ml thick and creamy vanilla custard (I got mine at M&S)
150ml double cream
tablespoon of icing sugar, sifted

1. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on to a baking sheet covered with baking paper, brush with melted butter and sprinkle over a little caster sugar.  Cover with another 3 sheets of filo, each brushed with butter and sprinkled with sugar, press down.
2. Cut into even rectangles, you will need 12 rectangles in total (3 for each portion)
3. Bake at 160C for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, leave on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling tray until cold.
4. Measure the length of the pastry rectangles, then cut your rhubarb into lengths to match.  You will need 24 lengths of rhubarb (6 for each portion). Place the rhubarb into a baking dish and sprinkle over the remaining sugar (75g), roast the rhubarb in the oven at 160C for around 12 minutes or until you can easily pierce the stalks with a knife but before the rhubarb starts to disintegrate. Remove and leave to cool. 
5. Whip the double cream and until very thick and stiff, fold in the custard and load the mixture into a piping bag with a large star nozzle (Wilton 1M).
6. Place the pastry rectangles onto the serving plates, pipe cream in three rows, place three stalks of rhubarb on top, then place another pastry on top and repeat the cream and rhubarb.  Top with the final pastry rectangle and dust with icing sugar.

I hope you will join me and Karen from Lavender and Lovage by sharing your rhubarb recipes and enjoying the inspiration of the great entries we have already received.

Labels: cream, custard, filo pastry, Lavender and Lovage, Millefeuille, rhubarb, The Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up

posted by Janice @ 19:53 17 Comments

Gnocchi with Spinach, Bacon and Mustard Cream Sauce and a Giveaway

I've always wanted to make gnocchi but there was one thing missing.  I didn't have a Potato Ricer and, while I could have spent hours mashing and pushing potatoes through a sieve - it never really appealed.

However, just before Christmas OXO Good Grips sent me a Potato Ricer to review and it is now one of my favourite kitchen tools. It makes the most fantastic smooth mashed potato, lumps are a thing of the past and that is why you need one to make good gnocchi.


I made my gnocchi using a recipe I found on Pinterest which was posted by Nicole at Cooking for Keeps: How to make Light as Air Gnocchi.  It was a very simple process, once the potatoes have been pushed through the ricer, you add eggs, flour and salt, then roll out the gnocchi, cut and press a fork into the cut edge.  The gnocchi is then boiled for 7 minutes before being served with sauce.

One of the joys of social media and the Foodie community is that you get some great advice about making the best of new recipes you are trying.  I had posted a photo of the uncooked gnocchi expressing my hope that it would taste as good as it looked once cooked.  Becca from Amuse Your Bouche replied to suggest that I sauted the gnocchi in butter after boiling in water to improve the flavour and texture.  You can read more about Becca's Sauted Gnocchi in Simple Garlic Butter Sauce  you don't need much more than this simple sauce when you saute your gnocchi.


The sauce I made had a few more ingredients wasn't too complicated. It's another recipe I found on Pinterest for Gnocchi in Mustard Cream from Maras Wonderland (it's a German blog, but if you scroll down Maras also has the recipe in English.  I added about 200g of spinach to the pan with the onion and let it wilt down before adding the other ingredients.

The most excellent news is that I have one OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer worth £30 to Giveaway to one lucky person, just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Labels: Amuse Your Bouche, bacon, cream, giveaway, Gnocchi, mustard, potato, Potato Ricer, spinach, win

posted by Janice @ 06:00 122 Comments

Chocolate Pots

Simple recipes require the very best of ingredients. Chocolate Pots is a simple recipe and deserves  good chocolate as the main ingredient. I used Hadleigh Maid Dark Chocolate Buttons for Baking, which are made with care by a small family business based in Suffolk whose expertise and passion as chocolatiers, since 1976, goes into making chocolate buttons which are easy to melt, perfect for baking and still smooth enough for snacking.


CHOCOLATE POTS (makes 4)

300ml single cream
125g Hadleigh Maid Dark Chocolate Baking Buttons
1 egg
2 egg yolks
15g caster sugar
A little whipped cream or creme fraiche to decorate

1. Put the cream and chocolate buttons into a saucepan and gently heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate has. melted, do not boil.

2. Mix together the sugar, egg yolks and whole egg, then stir in the chocolate cream. Strain the mixture into a jug then fill 4 small ramekins or small ovenproof cups.

3. Preheat the oven to 150C, place the ramekins in a roasting tin and fill around them with boiled water from the kettle up to about 1cm.

4. Bake for about an hour until lightly set, they should still wobble slightly.

5. Leave to cool, then chill for at least an hour. To serve, top with whipped cream or creme fraiche.

You can easily double or treble this recipe for a larger gathering and it makes a perfect dinner party dessert because you can make it before hand and leave chilling in the fridge.

I found that the Hadleigh Maid Dark Chocolate Buttons melted smoothly and quickly in the cream. The flavour of the chocolate is rich but not bitter and  it retained it's character after baking into the little pots of chocolate dessert  which were rich and creamy but not over sweet or cloying.

Hadleigh Maid Baking Buttons come in 350g bags, in three varieties: white, milk and dark chocolate. I tried all three and they were all easy to use, high quality, honestly made and crafted with integrity. They also come in a handy bag which is easy to fold down and reseal.

If you would like to try these buttons yourself, I can thoroughly recommend them, and although currently not stocked all over the UK (stockists),  the good news is that from mid November you can buy them online direct from Hadleigh Maid RRP £3.50 for 350g bag.

There are lots more chocolate options on the website including boxes, slabs and walnut whirls. Hadleigh Maid are also about to launch a personalisation tool, meaning users will be able to upload an image which will be printed on a bar or box of chocolates. Great for corporate gifts or wedding favours.


With Halloween and half-term upon us, why don't you get involved?  Upload your creations to the Hadleigh Maid Facebook page to inspire others and also the chance to win prizes


I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I may have been paid expenses, and have been supplied with a product sample for this review, but retain all editorial control. All my Netmums Reviews will display the Netmums logo within the post


This is a Netmum's sponsored review.To find out more click the button:

Labels: chocolate, Chocolate buttons, cream, dessert, Hadleigh Maid, treat

posted by Janice @ 13:34 11 Comments

Kale, Pumpkin and Smoked Cheese Tart

The new spreadable product is the latest, exciting new product from Applewood to join the existing range. This versatile new spreadable is an ideal cheese for today’s modern lifestyle – you can spread some over bread, stir into a variety of recipes and share with friends by dunking into various snacks.



Kale and Pumpkin Tart with Applewood Spreadable

1 28cm/11in shortcrust pastry flan case, baked blind
1 small pumpkin, seeds and peel removed
3 tbsp oil
2 small onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

30g butter
1 tbsp oil
150ml double cream
4 eggs
100g Applewood Spreadable
100g grated cheese (I used cheddar but if you have Applewood Smoked, that would be even better!)


1. Make the flan case according to the instructions on the Frequently Used Recipes page.


2. Cut the pumpkin into even sized chunks add, mix with 3 tbsp oil and roast for about 30-40 minutes until tinged with brown and tender, leave to cool.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 30g butter, gently fry the onions and garlic until soft and translucent, add the kale and stir for 3-4 minutes until it starts to soften, set aside to cool.




5. Mix together the Applewood Spreadable with a little cream to slacken it off, then add the rest of the cream.  Add the the eggs and beat into the cream mixture, season to taste and pour over the kale and pumpkin.  Top with the grated cheese.

6. Bake at 160C for 40 minutes until the egg is set and the cheese is golden and crispy.
Serve with leeks and peas cooked gently in butter and a little stock.

The soft sweet pumpkin went well with the texture of the kale and the smoky cheese flavour of the the Applewood Spreadable was the perfect compliment to both of them.  Although most of the ingredients in this tart are vegetarian, the Applewood Spreadable is NOT, so I would suggest that if you don't eat animal products, you choose to use Applewood Smoked Cheddar to get the smoky flavour in the tart.

I received samples of Applewood Spreadable Cheese and a hamper of food products to use in the competition, I have not been paid for this post and all opinions are my own.

Labels: Applewood Smoked Spreadable, cream, eggs, flan, Kale, Leeks, peas, pumpkin, tart

posted by Janice @ 20:43 5 Comments

Chocolate Lime Ice Cream

I used this excellent Trigger Ice Cream Scoop from Oxo Good Grips to serve up my ice cream.  I have three ice cream scoops, none of which have ever been terribly satisfactory, but this one scoops like a dream and the trigger action deposits the ice cream into your dish in a neat ball, it also goes in the dish washer which is a real bonus.
 The Chocolate Lime Curd ice cream was very creamy but the sharp lime flavour cut through the richness and the little nuggets of dark chocolate really did make it taste like those Chocolate Lime sweets from my childhood.


I'm adding this post to the Fab First Fridays linky at London Unattached, a blog event to share your favourite post of the month. 


Many thanks to Claire for the Mackays Lime Curd and to Cherelle and Oxo Good Grips for providing the Trigger Ice Cream Scoop for review.  I was not paid for this review and my opinions are my own.

Labels: chocolate, cream, ice cream, lime, Mackays, OXO Good Grips, Trigger Ice Cream Scoop, We should Cocoa

posted by Janice @ 20:37 17 Comments

The Cheltenham Five: Part 1 where we eat CAKE!

The best cake plate is an empty one!

The internet is a wonderful place to meet like-minded people and even within the food blogging community you find yourself drawn towards certain people's blogs and certain conversations on Twitter. Some of those conversations were verging on the smutty and so our hashtag #smuts was born.

There are eight of food bloggers who make up the #smuts, Karen of Lavender and Lovage, Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes, Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog, Fiona from London Unattached, Ros of The more than occasional baker, Sue from Heaven on a Plate, Dom from Belleau Kitchen and me!  After many false start discussions and meetings of two or three at various events, we felt it was time we all met together.  As we are flung to the far corners of the UK and France,  we settled on Cheltenham as a reasonable place that was easily accessible by rail.

Early on in our planning we lost one #smut,  as Jac was off to the sun for a well earned holiday.  Then more unavoidable events meant that Dom and Sue both had to call off almost at the last minute. And then there were five...not of all of those present will be featured in this post, Karen and I don't give a damn so you will see a lot of the two of us!  Fiona also features as long as her hair is okay ;-)

Fiona and Karen came up from London on the train together and I met them at Cheltenham Spa station.    After checking into our hotel, we had a bit of a scout around the sales in Cheltenham including Cath Kidston, Radley and Toast. 

We then headed for our rendez-vous with Choclette and Ros at the Well Walk Tea Room,
It's located in  one of Cheltenham's oldest shops and is a real delight, in terms of decor, customer service and the tea itself.



We couldn't resist some scones with jam and cream as they were straight out of the oven!

Bloggers do it with pictures!

Labels: afternoon tea, cake, Cheltenham, cream, jam, Scones, tea, vintage china, Well Walk Tea Room

posted by Janice @ 20:11 9 Comments

Turkey, Bacon and Brie Tart

It's always a pleasure to make new dishes from food left over from other meals.  Christmas is the greatest opportunity to be creative with leftovers and I am drawn to the tart, flan or quiche as a vehicle to use up those bits and pieces of delicious food.

Turkey, Bacon and Brie Tart

Serves 6 

1 quantity of shortcrust pastry, baked blind in a flan tin.
1 small onion, finely chopped
100g streaky bacon, chopped
Approx. 200-300g cold cooked turkey
250ml double cream
3 large eggs
100g ripe Brie
25g Parmesan, grated
zest of half a lemon
salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat the oven to 170C

1. Gently saute the onion in a little butter, add the bacon pieces and cook until golden, leave to cool.
2. Spread the onion and bacon in the base of the flan, chop the turkey into generously sized pieces and scatter over the onion and bacon.
3. Break off pieces of Brie and distribute evenly across the flan base.
4. Whisk the eggs, add the cream, lemon zest, seasoning and grated Parmesan, pour into the flan case.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is golden brown and just set in the centre.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

This is a very rich tart and only needs a green vegetable or salad to make a meal. 

What did you do with your leftovers?

Labels: bacon, Brie, cream, flan, leftovers, quiche, shortcrust pastry, tart, Turkey

posted by Janice @ 08:00 8 Comments

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Cake

I've had a birthday recently, yes another one, they definitely come round quicker every year.  Quite often I end up with a bought cake from M&S but as I was on holiday at home, I decided to make my own cake. 

I chose this White Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Cake from the Great British Bake Off book from 2011, the recipe is widely available on the web so I've linked to one which is a reliable source.

The cake was relatively easy to make although it did stick to my tins a little bit, so make sure you grease them very well or use cake release spray.  I probably slightly overbaked my sponges too as they seemed to still be wobbly in the middle. However, it didn't affect the taste or moistness of the sponge they are just a little darker than I would have liked.  Putting the cake together is 'a piece of cake' and the 'value' strawberries I used were ideal, being smaller but packed with flavour rather than water. 


As most of you know I like to enter cooking/baking challenges and was rather perplexed because this didn't fit any of them.  Then I remembered Bookmarked Recipes  run by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes  and founded by Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

I'm hoping that I can just sneak in as this is the last Saturday of the month and the round up is due.

Labels: birthday cake, Bookmarked Recipes, cake, cream, Great British Bake Off, strawberries, Tinned Tomatoes, white chocolate

posted by Janice @ 14:25 11 Comments