Irresistibly Easy, Chocolate Custard Cookies
These Chocolate Custard Cookies are so easy to make, which is a good job as they don’t last long when people start tucking in. They are great just served as a cookie adults and children both love them.
Tag: how-to
Easy to Make Thai Chicken and Prawn Soup.
This Thai Chicken and Prawn Soup for me sums up the joy of Thai cooking. Been both fresh and light yet with plenty of substance in the flavour department.
Make your own Exotic Flavoured Gin at Home.
Making your own Exotic Flavoured Gin at Home. If you are a lover of long cool drinks, then this is for you. They are easy to make and all you really need is some space to store the gin while it is steeping and the patience not to get stuck in too quickly. I always fill some 250ml bottles to use as Christmas presents, always welcome gifts. If you are interested in Scottish Gin production look up the Scottish Gin Distillers Map. or our local distillery Pixel Spirits in Ballachulish.
Trapping the flavour of summer.
This is another one of my late Summer /Autumn jobs to take advantage of the abundance of wild and cultivated fruit available. And don’t just stick to my suggestions, experiment by using different fruits and spices added to the spirit.
As for the gin itself, don’t use the very best as any subtle flavours will be masked by the fruit. But likewise, don’t use very cheap harsh gin, any middle of the road brand will do.
You will need.
- Suitable storage jars. I use Kilner jars.
- Bottles to store the finished gin.
- Scales.
- A very fine sieve.
- Muslin cloth or coffee filters.
- Chopping board and knife.
The Process.
Quite simply the aim is to extract the flavour and juices of the fruit and flavourings into the base gin. Where you are dealing with a skin on the fruit such as sloes it is necessary to pierce the skin to allow the flavours to escape the fruit into the spirit. Make sure all the bottles and jars you use are clean and sterile. If you’re not sure how to do this look up our information on Home Preserving, The golden rules.
Curing with sugar.
Sugar is normally added to sweeten the gin and counter any bitterness from the fruit. I like to use the sugar in some of my recipes to extract more flavour. By mixing the fruit with the sugar. Then leaving it to stand in the storage jar before adding the liquid natural curing will take place. The sugar will draw liquid from the fruit, and I believe produce more flavour.
The gin is now added to the fruit and sugar. Seal the jar and turn the jar back and forth three or four times to mix all the ingredients together. Don’t worry if all the sugar hasn’t dissolved it will in time. Every day for the next week, take the jar from the cupboard and turn it a couple of times to give it a mix. By the end of the week all the sugar should have disappeared. Don’t be tempted to mix the contents with a spoon as this will break up the fruit too much.
let time do its work.
Leave the jars in a cool dark place for at least five weeks, I like to give mine about 8-9 weeks.
When ready we need to strain off the gin. The best way to do this is to use a double thickness of muslin cloth supported in a sieve. Gently decant the contents of the jar into the sieve and let the liquid drip down into a clean bowl. A gentil shake of the cloth from time to time will assist the liquid in draining through.
How to use a Muslin Cloth
When recipes ask for muslin to be used to strain a liquid, they never explain how to use it. Well, here’s how. Always buy more muslin than you think you need and don’t cut it into small sections. Bear in mind that you may be using it doubled over and it has to line your container plus have plenty to work with as an overlap.
Now here’s the key. Don’t use the muslin from new. The weave of the cloth will be too coarse to be effective. Give the cloth a hot wash, followed by a tumble dry. This is the one instance in life where we want our cloth to shrink. This will not only clean the cloth but tighten up the weave giving better filtering of liquid passed through it.
When finished give the cloth a hot wash and dry completely before storing to use again.
Exotic Flavoured Gin recipes.
Bramble gin.
- 1lt gin
- 430g Brambles, (Blackberrys if you’re south of the border)
- 200g golden caster sugar.
Follow the process above, taking care to remove any mouldy fruit before you start. Leave the fruit and sugar to cure for 30 minutes then add the gin. I cheat a bit here and when straining the gin. I lightly press the fruit in the muslin. This gets very bit of fruit juice into the finished gin. Try this with Raspberries as well, great as a summer cooler.
Rhubarb and Ginger Gin.
- 1lt gin
- 390g rhubarb.
- 185 golden caster sugar
- 7 thin slices ginger root
Wash the rhubarb and thinly slice across the stalk. Add to a jar with the sliced ginger and sugar then add the gin. Then proceed as per the process above.
Plum and ginger gin.
1lt gin
10 Victoria plums- 165g golden caster sugar
5 thin slices of ginger root
Wash the fruit then with the point of a small knife stab though the skin all over. Cut each plum in half and remove the stone. Mix the fruit ginger and sugar in a jar and leave 30 minutes before adding the gin.
Greengage Gin.
A more complex slightly spiced gin.
- 16-18 greengages according to size
- 120g caster sugar
- 4 strips of orange zest from a medium orange
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 500ml gin
Wash the fruit and stab each one about 15 to 20 times with the point of a small sharp knife.
Pack the fruit and flavourings into sterile preserving jar and add the sugar.
Give the jar a shake and leave to stand a couple of hours.
Add the gin, seal the lid then shake again to dissolve the sugar.
Sloe gin.
A real classic
- 700g sloe berries
- 380g caster sugar (or to taste)
- 1lt gin
This is one to make in front of the television. Wash the sloes then using a needle prick each fruit at least five times. Add the fruit to a jar with the sugar and shake well.
Leave the jar to stand for at least two hours before adding the gin then follow the standard procedure shown above.
Serving.
Serve the gin with your favourite mixer, I tend to go for ether Tonic water or lemonade. Both the Sloe and Bramble gins are great served neat as a winter warning tipple. Although watch out, they are stronger than you think !!
Do I have to use fresh fruits?
No not at all, in fact freezing the fruit breaks down the cell structure releasing the flavours. You may find the gin has some sediment from the fruit, but this is easily filtered out before bottling.
How long will fruit gin keep?
As we have added fruit juices to the spirit. I like to look at a year as a maximum storage time. So, I’m making my gin now to drink next year. Kept longer than that you may find some change in colour, but is should still be drinkable. If you see and fermentation (bubbles) in the gin, don’t drink it!
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Astonishing Salt, How and Why we use it
Astonishing salt, no other ingredient I know has had a greater effect on cooking and the kitchen. We need it to live, but an excess is bad for us and may even kill us!
So why do we have a love affair with it? And what does it actually do? Read on and I’ll do my best to explain.
Want to be Baking your own Bread? Your Questions Answered.
Baking your own Bread at home can be a puzzle, let us help you answer your questions. All you need to know to bake great bread at home is here.
8, Easy Summertime Fruit Drinks for all the family
8 Easy Summertime Fruit Drinks for all the family. If you are having a barbeque or just lying back enjoying the summer sun, there is nothing better than having a long cool drink on hand. Perhaps that’s going to be a glass or wine or cold beer. But that’s not suitable for the whole family (or the designated driver) So here is a selection of cooling drinks suitable for everybody. Of course, there is nothing to stop you adding a bit of the hard stuff….
These coolers are always popular with the children. They are also a great way of sneaking fresh fruit into their diet without a struggle.
Have a look below and choose for favourite flavour, or of course just try all of them
Options.
The only piece of special equipment you need is a blender. For the Mango, Peach, and Watermelon a hand blender will be enough. For the Raspberry and Pineapple versions a tabletop jug blender will be needed.
And what if you don’t own ether type? Try ether the Iced Fruit Tea, Elderflower, Apple and Mint Fizz, or Lemon Barley Water recipes.
Rather than add crystal sugar into the recipes I prefer to use a syrup base to provide the sweetness. Different flavours can be used in making the syrup. And many a Cocktail maker will have a more intense version on hand under the bar.
Stock syrup.
This is a staple ingredient of the pastry kitchen which can be made in different strengths according to needs. The basic syrup will keep for a couple of weeks, covered in a refrigerator. The lemon juice in the recipe adds a little flavour and prevents crystallization.
Fills a 0.5lt preserving jar.
- 150g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- 1tsp lemon juice
Pour the water into a saucepan and add the lemon juice. Bring to the simmer and as the water heats up stir in the sugar making sure it completely dissolves. Lift off any scum that forms on the surface of the syrup then transfer it into a suitable container and refrigerate as soon as cool enough.
The syrup can be made in different strengths according to use. However, a 50/50 blend is the best to work with.
Now I have wetted your appetite Have a look below and choose your favourite summer cooldown drink.
8 Easy Summertime Fruit Drinks
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
How to Make, Elderflower, Apple and Mint Fizz.
This Elderflower, Apple, and Mint Fizz is the easiest of all our summertime drink recipes. No special equipment needed and only takes a couple of minutes to make. So, it’s a great standby if friends turn up unexpectedly and need a quick cooling drink.
How to Make, Classic Fruity Iced Tea.
Classic Fruity Iced Tea, the flavour of tea with a hint of citrus to cool you down. The infusion is made the day before, then allowed to chill overnight.
How to Make, Coconut And Pineapple Cooler, Quick, And Refreshing.
This Coconut and Pineapple Cooler works in a similar way to our Creamy Mango Milkshake. The sharpness of the Pineapple and lime is offset with the richness of the coconut milk and sweetness of the syrup.
We are using rich (full fat) coconut milk, so this is not exactly a diet option. But look on the bright side and focus on all that fresh fruit you are having……
Don’t try the recipe with the low fat (light) coconut milk, it will be disappointingly thin and sharp.
And don’t forget to look up our home page on Easy Summertime Coolers for more summertime drinks.
You will need.
- Chopping board and knife.
- Jug blender
- Fine microplane grater
Coconut and Pineapple Cooler.
Makes 700ml.
- 330g fresh peeled pineapple chunks (roughly ½ a large Pineapple)
- 1tin rich coconut milk
- 4tbs maple syrup
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- 12 Ice cubes
Choosing a ripe Pineapple.
Firstly, make sure you have a ripe pineapple. if you are not sure if the pineapple on offer is ripe, give it a stiff. If you don’t get that sweet rich pineapple smell, it’s not ripe. However, you may not want to be seen sniffing a pineapple in the shop. No Problem, try pulling out one of the smaller leaves in the crown of the fruit. If it comes out easily it’s probably ok. Keep these leaves to garnish the glasses later.
Blending the fruit.
Peel the pineapple, keeping back some slices to garnish the glasses. Cut the rest of the fruit into small chunks and place into the blender. Add the ice cubes then grate the zest of the limes over the top and squeeze out the juice.
Pour the coconut milk and syrup on top of the fruit and pop on the lid. Before you start the machine, it’s a good idea to place a tea towel and your hand on the lid.
Apply a little downward pressure as you start the machine. This will prevent the lid flying off and you wearing, rather than drinking the cooler.
Blend for a minute or two when you should have a thickened slush. Don’t worry if there are some small pieces of pineapple still showing.
Sieving the Pineapple.
It’s a a good idea to pass the blended cooler through a fine sieve. The fibre of the fruit will still be intact spoiling the smoothness of the drink. Use the back of a small ladle to rub the liquid through the sieve. This is the best way to get as much of the smooth liquid through the sieve as possible.
Serving the Pineapple and Coconut Cooler.
Pour into glasses and garnish with some thin slices of pineapple, one or two leaves from the crown and a sprig of mint.
Enjoy Life !
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
How to make Chilled Watermelon Lemonade.
Drinking Chilled Watermelon Lemonade brings back memories of sitting back in the sun, eating chilled watermelon slices.
As with most of these cooler recipes the base can be made in advance and finished later. We are adding soda water and stock syrup to the watermelon juice to add sweetness and fizz. If that’s not to your liking try using a good quality lemonade to mix with the watermelon juice.
Cooldown, with an Easy Creamy Mango Milkshake.
This Easy Creamy Mango Milkshake is a guaranteed hit with the kids, and who doesn’t like a milkshake?
How to Make, Lemon Barley Water, a Summertime Classic
This easy Lemon Barley Water is a British classic and a must for any outdoor event.
This is not difficult to make but takes a little time to infuse and chill. Make it the day before to let it get as cold as possible before use. Once you have tasted the real thing, you will never go back to shop-bought cordial again.
And don’t forget to look up our home page on Easy Summertime Coolers for more summertime drinks.
You will need.
- Saucepan
- Fine vegetable peeler or fine grater
- Measuring spoons
- Suitable jug or bowl to store the lemon Barley Water
Lemon Barley Water.
Makes 1200ml, enough for about 4 people.
- 4tbspns pearl barley
- 5tbspns golden granulated sugar
- 4 unwaxed lemons
- 1lt water
First wash the Barley.
Put the barley into a bowl and cover with cold water. Swirl the barley around with your fingers and you will see the water become cloudy with the starch from the barley.
Strain the contents of the bowl through a fine sieve, discarding the water. Repeat this once more then tip the strained barley into a saucepan large enough to take all the ingredients.
The Lemons.
Give the lemons a quick wash then using a sharp vegetable peeler remove the zest of the lemons as thinly as possible. It’s important the only remove the zest of the fruit and not take the white pith of the fruit. If the pith is added to the mix, it will make the finished drink become quite bitter.
Cooking the barley.
If your peeler is not quite up to it use a fine grater to remove the zest instead. Add 1lt of cold water to the pan, pop on the lid and bring the pan up to the simmer, stirring from time to time. The pan should just simmer slowly for 15minutes to infuse the flavours of the barley and lemon into the water.
While the pan is simmering squeeze the juice from the lemons and keep it handy for later.
Straining the Lemon Barley Water.
After 15 minutes of gentil simmering stir in the sugar until dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 15minutes to extract as much flavour as possible. Stain the contents of the pan through a wine sieve into a jug or bowl. Strain the lemon juice into the liquid and mix well. Cool the liquid as quicky as possible then refrigerate until very cold.
Serve in chilled glasses with sliced citrus fruit, ice, and a sprig of mint.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
How to Make, A Family Citrus Peach Cooler.
This Easy, Family Citrus Peach Cooler takes just a few minutes to make using ingredients you may already have in the house.
Make Your Own Pork and Duck Rillettes at Home
Rillettes are a type of coarse French potted meat. The meats are cooked long and slow then broken down, almost like pulled pork. Don’t expect a nice smooth pateˊ this is a meat eaters paradise. Served with toasted sourdough bread and ideal taken on a picnic.