Chocolate Shop Mulled Wine ...

Ingredients

1 bottle of ‘Chocolate Shop’ wine

 100g caster sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

 

5 star anise

8 cloves

2 small oranges (eg. clementines or satsumas)

 

A sprig of rosemary

 

Method

Pour the bottle of ‘Chocolate Shop’ into a saucepan with the sugar and spices and warm gently until the sugar has dissolved.

 

 Chop the un-peeled oranges in half and add them to the pan with the sprig of rosemary.

 

Continue to warm gently over a low heat for 5 – 10 mins to allow all of the flavours to infuse.

 

Serve warm. 

Guest Post Credits - Chocolate Shop wine

Strawberry Gin...

 Great gift - Unlike sloe gin, this strawberry version only needs 3 days to stand for the flavours to develop. Strain and decant into a pretty bottle or several smaller ones, then add a handmade label and ribbons for a personalised Christmas gift. Delicious served with ice and chilled tonic.

Makes 1 large bottle

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Standing time: 3 days

You will need

450g (1 lb) strawberries

150g (5oz) caster sugar

700ml bottle gin

Method

1 Very roughly crush the strawberries with a fork or potato masher then spoon into a wide necked glass bottle or le parfait style storage jar. Add the sugar then the gin, seal and give a gentle shake to mix.

2 Leave the jar at room temperature for 3 days, giving the container a gentle shake twice each day to make sure that the sugar dissolves.

3 Strain the mixture then decant into a clean, dry serving bottle. Seal well with a screw topped lid, cork or clip top. Decorate the bottle with a handwritten label tied on with ribbon or raffia. Serve in glasses with ice and tonic or add a splash to chilled sparkling white wine with a halved strawberry for a quick cocktail.

Guest Post Credits - Seasonal Berries

Strawberry And Toffee Smoothie : Creative Mondays Linky....

Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judyh-jsThoughts where you can link up all your creative post each week.... what have you all been up to this week?

 

Strawberryade....

Refreshingly simple and easy to make.

Makes 1 litre (13/4 pints)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: overnight

What you need

250 g (9 oz) strawberries, hulled

3 lemons, scrubbed

75 g (3 oz) caster sugar

750 ml (11/4 pints) boiling water

Method

Crush the strawberries roughly with a potato masher or handheld wand mixer in a bowl. Pare the rind thinly from half the lemons with a vegetable peeler making sure to leave as much white pith behind as possible or this will the make the strawberryade bitter. Halve and squeeze the juice from all the lemons then mix into the strawberries with the sugar.

Pour on the boiling water, stir well to mix then cover and leave to cool place. Transfer to the fridge overnight.

Next day, strain if liked, and pour into a bottle, seal and chill in the fridge until needed. Use within 2 days. Serve undiluted with ice or mixed half and half with sparkling water for children.

Credits : Seasonal Berries

Very Berry Pimms ...

Celebrate in style with seasonal berry version of Pimms, add two large handfuls of halved or sliced strawberries, depending on their size to a large jug with a large handful of fresh raspberries, a few sprigs of fresh mint and ¼ cucumber, sliced and cut into 4. Add Pimms No1 and fizzy lemonade or tonic in proportions specified on the bottle of Pimms then top up with lots of ice cubes.
Jazz up summery drinks by adding small halved strawberries, raspberries and mint leaves or tiny viola or herb flowers to sections of an ice cube tray. Top up with cold water, freeze until solid then press out of ice cube tray and serve in a small bowl or add straight to a glass of strawberryade, see below, bought elderflower cordial or a G & T.

Strawberryade

Refreshingly simple and easy to make.

Makes 1 litre (13/4 pints)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: overnight 

250 g (9 oz) strawberries, hulled

3 lemons, scrubbed

75 g (3 oz) caster sugar

750 ml (11/4 pints) boiling water

Crush the strawberries roughly with a potato masher or handheld wand mixer in a bowl. Pare the rind thinly from half the lemons with a vegetable peeler making sure to leave as much white pith behind as possible or this will the make the strawberryade bitter. Halve and squeeze the juice from all the lemons then mix into the strawberries with the sugar.

Pour on the boiling water, stir well to mix then cover and leave to cool place. Transfer to the fridge overnight.

Next day, strain if liked, and pour into a bottle, seal and chill in the fridge until needed. Use within 2 days. Serve undiluted with ice or mixed half and half with sparkling water for children.

Guest post Credits-  Seasonal Berries



Beetroot Margarita...

Serves 1

Ingredients

50 ml (2oz) organic beetroot juice

25 ml (1oz) tequila

12 ml (½ oz.) orange liqueur

½ organic lime, juice only

Salt

Method

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and shake.

Strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with salt.


Guest Post Credits- Why I Love Organic

Valentines Recipes for Made with Love...

Rockerfeller oysters with bacon

Matt's Recipe For Made With Love…..

 Ingredients

12 oysters – shucked. Loosen the oyster in one shell and discard the other.

Lay then on a baking tray lined with rock salt

75g butter

1 small onion – finely chopped

150g fresh spinach – wilted and then chopped and drained of all water

5 rashers of streaky dry cured bacon – chopped and fried until crispy

25g grated parmesan cheese

50gm natural breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion – cook gently for 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and mix well. Season with some salt and pepper.

Divide this mixture amongst the oysters.

Top with the crispy bacon.

Mix the parmesan, breadcrumbs and the parsley together and then sprinkle this over the top.

Heat your grill to high and place the oysters underneath – and cook until bubbling and golden brown

Chocolate mess (recipe by Lotte Duncan)

This has been named Chocolate mess, perhaps because it’s not the prettiest of puddings. What it is though, is a tribute to store cupboard ingredients and the ability to make grown men weep with joy when they eat it!

As it’s so quick to make, you don’t really need to assemble it in advance but it will keep quite happily for a couple of hours if you want to be organised and make it ahead of time.

Serves 8

Ingredients

200g/7oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

200g/7oz milk chocolate, broken into pieces

1kg carton readymade (county next to Cornwall!) custard

250g bag amoretti biscuits, crushed

4 tablespoons dark rum, amaretto or Tia Maria (optional)

570ml/1 pint double cream

2 milk chocolate flakes, broken up

Method

Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl and melt it in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Warm the custard gently in a saucepan and stir in the melted chocolate and mix well.

Using individual serving bowls crumble a few amoretti biscuits in the bottom of each bowl.

Drizzle with a good dash alcohol.

 Add a layer of chocolate custard over the top.

Add another layer of crushed biscuits (reserving a few for the top), more rum and then the rest of the custard.

Lightly whip the cream to the same consistency as the custard.

 Using a large metal spoon, gently fold half the crushed chocolate flakes into the cream.

Spoon this over the custard.

Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate flakes and the remaining crushed amaretti biscuits.

Matt's Recipe For Made With Love

Hollywood’s Kiss and Tell Martini

Ingredients

3 parts Champers

2 parts vodka

1 part Pom pomegranate juice

Squeeze of lime.

Method

In a shaker mix ice, along with vodka, lime and Pom juice.

Shake vigorously so it froths.

Pour into martini glass.

 Top with a little champagne and garnish with a pomegranate seeds

Can be poured into a flute if you like the look of it instead.

Guest Post Credits- www.foodnetwork.co.uk

Belvoir Fruit Farms Cranberry Cupcakes And Raspberry Blush....

Belvoir Fruit Farms Cranberry Cupcakes...

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 20-25mins Makes 12

 Ingredients:

150g/5oz plain flour

100g/4oz caster sugar

7.5ml/1 1/2 tsp baking powder

100g/4oz soft butter

75ml/5tbsp Belvoir Cranberry cordial

2 large eggs

For the icing

225g/8oz icing sugar

75g/3oz soft butter

30ml/2tbsp cranberry cordial

pink sprinkles to decorate

 Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160oC/350oF/ Gas Mark 4. Line a 12 hole deep muffin tin with large paper cases and place the tin on a baking tray.

2 Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the butter, cordial and egg, then use an electric whisk on slow to blend the mixture together. Once it has come together whisk on top speed for 1 minute.

3 Divide the mixture between the cases, filling each two thirds full. Bake for 20-25mins or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

4 For the frosting: Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, add the butter and cranberry cordial and use the electric whisk on slow, to bring the ingredients together. Then increase the speed and whisk for 1 minute or until the mixture is fluffy.

5 Use a round bladed knife to spread, or piping bag fitted with a star shaped to pipe each cupcake with the icing and decorate with sprinkles or your choice of toppings.

Belvoir Fruit Farms Raspberry Blush

Ingredients:

50ml Hendricks Gin

5 Raspberries

3 Lime Wedges

15ml Raspberry & Rose Cordial

75ml Lychee Juice

Method

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with plenty of ice, strain into a hiball glass over fresh cubed ice and garnish with a lychee and raspberry on a stick.

 Guest Post Credits- Belvoir Fruit Farms

Antioxidant-Packed Winter Drinks Recipes...

AOk Winter Warmer Recipe

Ingredients

One 250ml bottle of AOk per person

Clementines cut into slices (2 slices per drink)

Cinnamon stick

Method 

Gently warm the AOk juice in a saucepan, with slices of Clementine and a cinnamon stick, but do not allow it to reach boiling point.

Serve in a tall glass with a slice of Clementine on the side for decoration.

AOk Alcohol-Free Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

2 x 250ml bottles of AOk

150ml fresh orange juice

75ml fresh lime juice

Mint leaves to garnish

Method

Mix all of the ingredients together in a jug and add ice cubes if desired.

 Festive AOk Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

150ml Amaretto

3 or 4 x 250ml of AOk juice depending on personal taste

Handful of cranberries

Method

Put the Amaretto, AOk juice, cranberries and ice cubes into a jug and stir well. Serve immediately.

AOk Winter Fizz Recipe

Ingredients

One chilled 250ml bottle of AOk will make five glasses of AOk Winter Fizz

1 tsp campari per glass

1 chilled bottle of Cava / Prosecco / Champagne

Method

Pour 50ml of AOk into a Champagne glass.

Add 1 tsp campari.

Top with sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

Guest Post Credit - AOk Drinks

Provamel Lime and Lemon Balm Yogurt Smoothie with Lavender and Goji Berries...

Preparation Time: Less than 5 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients


300ml Provamel Lime and Lemon Balm Yogurt

4 frozen strawberries

1 tbsp Goji berries

1 tsp lavender syrup or ¼ tsp lavender flowers

1 tsp Manuka honey

Method


 Add the Provamel Lime and Lemon Balm Yogurt to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blitz until smooth.

 Pour into a glass and enjoy for its relaxing qualities and powerful nutritional ingredients.

Guest Post Credits-  Provamel

Cocoa And Vanilla Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves 1

Ingredients

200ml semi-skimmed milk

200g vanilla yogurt

2 whole wheat cereal biscuits

1 tsp cocoa

Method


 Place all the ingredients in a liquidiser or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with a dusting of cocoa.

Nutritional information

Per serving

354kcals
22g protein
7g fat of which 4g saturates
55g carbohydrate of which 26g sugars
4g dietary fibre
0.85g salt


Guest Post Credits-  HGCA

Linwoods Beauty Boosting Strawberry Smoothie...

Serves 4

Ingredients


30g Milled Organic Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds

1 banana

1 cup of low fat milk

1 cup ice

¾ cup non fat yogurt

5-7 strawberries

Method


Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend for 45 seconds, or until you reach your desired consistency. It’s that simple!

 Guest Post Credits-  Linwoods

Linwoods’ unique range is packed full of essential vitamins and minerals that will make you feel GREAT on the inside and leave you GLOWING on the outside.

It’s really easy to incorporate the blends into your diet. Just two dessert spoonfuls, added to any meal each day, is enough to keep your body looking and feeling its best.

Creative Mondays Week 1 : Blackberries Smoothie....

Hello and welcome to Creative Mondays hosted by Clairejustineoxox and Judy-H-JS Thought where you can link up all your creative post each week.
Trying to be healthier now I made some Blackberries smoothies...

Blackberries Smoothie

Serves 2

Ingredients

150g Blackberries

1 ripe banana

50g grapes

125g Pot of raspberry Yogurt

125g Pot of natural yogurt

125 ml milk

1 tsp honey

Method

1.) Place all ingredients into a blender or smoothie maker and mix for around 30 seconds and 30 seconds on smooth (for smoothie maker).

2.) Sieve into a jug ,pour into glasses and serve straight away.

 Want to link up?

 

 Little requests...

 1.) Please link up as many creative post each week as you like...

 2.) Please try and visit a few post and leave comments...

 3.) Please link back to one of us at Creative Mondays or grab our button so we can make this party bigger.

 So one question left.....Whats got you creative this week?

Chilean Wisdom And Blue Rose Cocktails....

Blue Rose Cocktail

                                    How to make the Blue Rose Cocktail on Youtube...

Ingredients

50ml gin

12 Chilean blueberries

1 inch carrot freshly grated

20ml lemon

15ml rose scented sugar syrup (2:1 sugar syrup with 5ml rose water/ litre & 5ml Ardbeg / litre)

2 dashes orange bitters

Dash sparkling water

Ice


Method

Shake all ingredients

Double strain into a coupette (strainer)

Top up with sparkling water

Chilean Wisdom

                             How to make the Chilean Wisdom on Youtube...

Chilean Wisdom

Ingredients


12-15 Chilean blueberries

10ml Crème de Cacao

50ml Gin,

15ml Sugar syrup

20ml Lemon juice

pinch fennel seeds

2 grinds black pepper

Dash of egg white

Ice

Method


Muddle blueberries and fennel seeds in bottom of shaker.

Add other ingredients, shake hard

Add ice, shake hard

Double strain into a martini glass

Garnish with 3 Chilean blueberries on a cocktail stick

Guest Post Credits -Seasonal Berries

Christmas Eggnog....

Prep time:10 mins

Cooking time:20 mins

Refrigeration time: 3hours minimum

Serves: 6-8 glasses

Ingredients

1 pt Milk

5 Egg yolks

50gCaster sugar

1  Vanilla pod

300g TOTAL 2% Greek Yoghurt

50ml Brandy

Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Method

In a medium saucepan heat the milk with the seeds of the vanilla pod.

In separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy.

Add the boiled milk to the egg mixture and return to a moderate heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

Heat and stir until the mixture thickens slightly (just enough to coat the back of a spoon).

Remove from the heat and place into a new bowl. Allow to cool before covering the bowl and refrigerating until the eggnog has cooled.

2 min prior to serving, mix in the yoghurt and brandy, and ladle the mixture into glasses.

Garnish each glass with a sprinkling of ground nutmeg.[Soft Break]

Chef’s Tip

To lower the fat content of this recipe, you can use skimmed milk and TOTAL 0% Greek Yoghurt. Whisky also works well in this recipe as an alternative to brandy.

Guest Post Credits - Total Greek Yoghurt

House Chai...



NAUGHTY CHOCOLATE CHAI

BOMBAY WINTER PIMM’S

HOUSE CHAI 

Glassware Large Chai Glass

Served Hot

Ingredients


Blend of 40% Darjeeling tea (fruity, spicy, light) and 60% Assam tea (more robust and giving the tea its dark colour) - 30 gm

Fresh Ginger -5 gm

Green Cardamom - 4 no

Clove -3 no

Cinnamon- half inch piece

Black pepper corn - 5 no

Water - 1.5 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - as per taste.

Method

Add all the ingredients in water and let it brew for 10 minutes

Add milk and let it boil for 10 more minutes

Strain and serve

NAUGHTY CHOCOLATE CHAI 


 Garnish Chocolate flakes

Glassware Large Chai Glass

Served Hot

Ingredients

House Chai 125ml

Wild turkey Bourbon 25ml

Chocolate syrup 25ml

Milk Foam

Method

Build all in a large chai glass, stir all ingredients together then layer with milk foam.  

BAILEY’S CHAI 

 Name Bailey’s Chai

Garnish 3x coffee beans

Glassware Chai glass

Served Hot or cold

Ingredients


50ml Bailey's

125ml House Chai

50ml cream

Method


Build drink in large chai glass, add cream to a shaker and shake hard then use a bar spoon to layer the cream on the top of the drink

Garnish with a coffee bean

BOMBAY WINTER PIMM’S 


 Name Bombay Winter Pimm’s

Garnish Pomegranate seeds and orange peel

Glassware Large chai glass

Served Hot

Ingredients


Cloves2

Cinnamon 3

Pomegranate juices 10ml

Ginger1 slice

Orange rind

Apple juice 150ml

Winter Pimm's 25ml

Method


Heat all ingredients slowly with steam arm (or warm gently in a pan - do not allow to boil), leave to stand for 2mins, strain and garnish

 Guest Post Credits - Dishoom

Fruit Juice Cocktails....

Ingredients

4 blackberries

4 raspberries

118 ml Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (we like Welch’s Purple Grape Juice)

14 ml soda water

1 berry skewer (1 blackberry, 1 raspberry and 1 blueberry), optional

Method

In a cocktail shaker, mix blackberries and raspberries. Add Grape Juice, soda water and ice. Shake well and strain into a glass. Garnish with a berry skewer.

To make this into a slushie, combine all ingredients in a blender until blended and serve immediately in a chilled glass or refrigerate.

Ingredients

1/3 kiwi

89 ml Grape Juice (we like Welch’s Purple Grape Juice)

14 ml lychee juice or 22 ml lychee purée

1 kiwi wheel, optional

Method

In a cocktail shaker, mix kiwi, Grape Juice, lychee juice and ice. Shake well; strain into a glass. Garnish with a kiwi wheel.

Ingredients

89 ml Welch’s 100% Grape Juice

15 ml passion fruit juice

44ml ginger beer, non-alcoholic

1 fresh mint sprig, optional

Method

Mix the Grape Juice, passion fruit juice and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well; strain into a glass. Stir in ginger beer and garnish with a fresh mint sprig. Alternatively, add 44 ml of vodka with the juices and follow the same preparation.

 Guest Post Credits -Welchs Juice

Warmed Eggnog Or A Hot Buttered Rum?....

Tom Jolly, Head Barman at The Montcalm Hotel

Warmed Eggnog

Warmed Eggnog

Ingredients (for one)

1 Egg Yolk (25ml pasteurised egg yolk)

½ a vanilla pod

2 tea spoons of white sugar

40ml of Bombay sapphire

150ml Steamed milk

Grated nutmeg

1 Grind of salt

Directions

Steam milk as you would for a latte

To steamed milk and egg yolk, grind of salt (to break down egg), white sugar and ½ a split vanilla pod.

 Then Whisk with a fork thoroughly.

Into a Latte Glass/Toddy glass pour your gin then top with Eggnog mix

Garnish with grated nutmeg and Xmas Wishes

Hot Buttered Rum 

Hot Buttered Rum

2 Table Spoons of butter

2 Table Spoons of brown sugar

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

40 ml Bacardi 8 or Bacardi oro Rum

Almost boiling water

Method

Mix butter, sugar, and spices (optional and can use which ever you like) until you have a paste

Into a suitable cup or mug add the Rum and Butter mix.

Top with hot water

Stir and serve

 Guest Post Credits- Tom Jolly, Head Barman at The Montcalm Hotel –

www.montcalm.co.uk

Fancy A Martini?

Ginger-
bread
Martini

Candy
Cane
Martini

Trifle Martini


50ml Absolut Raspberry Vodka

50ml Baileys

25ml Chambord

Black Forest Martini


30ml Absolut Vodka

20ml Chambord

20ml Crème de Fraise

Cream

Gingerbread Martini


30ml Buffalo Trace

15ml Butterscotch Schnapps

15ml Stone’s Original Ginger Wine

50ml Pressed Apple Juice

Candy Cane Martini


35ml Absolut Vanilla

15ml Peppermint Schnapps

50ml Club Soda

Candy Cane Garnish

Snowball Martini


10ml Bacardi White Rum

10ml Butterscotch Schnapps

10ml Amaretto

10ml Kalua

10ml Baileys

 Guest Post Credits-  Dirty martin

Mulled Wine...

Serves 8-10 


 Ingredients


1 large orange

125g/4 ½ oz caster sugar

6 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways

2 bottles red wine

50ml/2floz brandy

200g/7oz mixed berries

Method

Pare the zest off the orange in thin strips and squeeze the juice.

 Place the orange zest and juice in a large saucepan with the sugar, spices and vanilla pod.

Add just enough red wine to cover the ingredients.

 Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.

 Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the wine has reduced and become syrupy.

 Add the rest of the wine, brandy and the mixed berries.

Gently simmer for 2 minutes, do not boil. Serve in heatproof glasses.

 Guest Post Credits-Seasonal Berries