Blueberry Soup with Caramelised Nut Clusters

Aka: Blabarsoppa med karamelliserade notter!  Swedish, don't you know? :=)  Blueberry soup has me intrigued, as the influencers say.  Or as Cherry the English YouTuber often says - "Colour me intrigued!"  I've made an Israeli fruit soup many years ago which was pretty tasty: made with fresh cherries, which took me forever to de-pit with just a knife and fingers.  But blueberry soup is new to me, and possibly you.  And no need for a cherry and olive (de-)pitter gadget.  

This dish is from Rachel Khoo's The Little Swedish Kitchen.  You know that lovely English lass from the TV show (and book) The Little Paris Kitchen, who married a Swede and moved to Sweden.  Let's cut to the chase - I tried making another recipe from this book - a poached chicken breast with pickled strawberry salad.  My dears, it was not good!  The chicken is poached in milk and stock; sadly it turned out like old boots!  The crows ended up with that. The salad was just ... odd, and the flavours didn't go well together.  Abandon ship!

Phase 2: I made this soup!  Not quite sure if it's meant to be a dessert or a breakfast, or a starter to a meal, as the Israeli cherry soup was.  There were oddities in the recipe (bits left out), and I am feeling a bit antsy about Rachel's recipes now.  The nut clusters are not sweet (a good thing in my opinion), and the soup is very fruity, and for me, best served chilled.  But not sure I'd ever feel the need to make this one again, to be honest.  (But it's worth a try - honest!!)  With a bit more sweetener, and a bit of spice, this could be great for breakfast!

      

crunchy, a bit savoury, and very fruity!

Serves 4:

ingredients:

For the nut clusters:

100g./3.5 oz walnuts

100g./3.5 oz pecans

50g./1.8 oz almond or hazelnut meal (aka ground almonds, or hazelnuts)

50g./1.8 oz golden syrup     see Notes

a pinch of sea salt flakes

For the soup:

500g./18 oz frozen blueberries

1 banana, sliced

2 Tbs water

a pinch of sea salt

sugar or honey (optional)

4 heaped Tbs plain yoghurt, to serve -  Greek-style is great here!

yep, blueberries!

walnuts

one guess!  Yep, a bananaaa

Method:

On goes your oven to 200C/390F to get toasty, while you roughly chop your nuts, and toss with the nut meal, golden syrup and salt

Line a baking sheet with baking paper, and spread the nuts over

Bake for around 20 minutes till toasty and golden (or kinda dark in this case), stirring every so often

Now for the soup - the blueberries and sliced banana go into a saucepan with the water and salt

Whack on the saucepan lid, and let the fruit simmer on a medium heat for a few minutes, giving it a stir here and there

When the berries have softened (Rachel says melted), and it's starting to bubble, let it simmer for another 2 minutes

Cool for a few minutes, then zap in the food processor - you can add a bit of water if you want it a bit looser in consistency - I ended up adding 12 Tbs of water (12 x 15 mL=180 mL)!

And throw in a bit more sweetener, if you fancy (and maybe a tiny bit of cinnamon?)

Rachel says you can serve this warm or chilled, with a swirl of yoghurt and some nut clusters on the top of your bowl or mug

Notes:

I reckon you could use other berries or fruits of your choice, like the afore-mentioned cherries

Just FYI: 1 banana weighs on average 118g./4 oz; the ladyfinger I used weighed 170g., and after peeling was 90g.

If you don't have golden syrup, use honey or maple syrup - and I reckon you could add a wee bit more than 50g.!

I made this recipe for BKD Cookbook Club, hosted by Jo each month.  We are doing Scandi recipes this month, from a cookbook of your choosing.  I do actually have a massive tome of Nordic cooking, but grabbed Rachel's as it was close to hand.  

pecans

nutty clusters ingredients

and baked till golden (brown)

fruit ready for "melting"

mm, well, looking kinda weird but ...

blitzed in the food processor

spoon on the yoghurt and throw on your nuts! :=)

In My Kitchen - January 2026

Happy New Year, my friends!  This will be a quickie, as Mr P. and I are heading off down south on a roadtrip in a few days, and we have much to do beforehand.  It will be a bit of an art gallery tour, as we plan to visit 6 or 7 on our travels up and down the coast.  And we will visit a dear friend who lives in New South Wales, near Sydney.

Did I tell you about a fall I had recently?  I was walking in bushland near us, and managed to fall over (in a shallow hole that seemingly had been dug out and covered over) damaging my right foot and left knee rather badly.  My foot went black and my knee swelled up!  Thank goodness for arnica cream (our doctor told us that research shows it actually does help with bruises).      

Christmas lunch in hubby's office downstairs, in the air con!

In My Kitchen:

I love a cute melamine plate!  And I love Winnie the Pooh ...

I made mango chutney

I went to the Japanese store - look at those Pocky packets!

I have never seen Pocky packets with photos of (school)girls on them!  How bizarre!  These are my fave - almond crush.

I couldn't resist that sweet little fishy dish, and some Pepe Saya maple butter

I made lemon and lime cordial

I boiled up the chicken corpse from the freezer, and made stock

a dear friend gave me this mixing bowl (and implements) for Christmas

Yes hubby gave me this for Christmas!

gifts from the cuz

and gifts from eldest niece

more gifts from the cuz - she knows I love a whale shark!

and from our Tassie friend!

and the curveball! - a cute resin wombat by Pete Cromer

c. Sherry M.

Be a part of our friendly IMK community by adding your post here too - everybody welcome!  We'd love to have you visit.  Tell us about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month.  Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg. in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on.  And one curveball is welcome - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related.  

The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month, every month.

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Peppermint Ice Cream Loaf (Or should that be Ice-Cream Loaf?)

Here it is!  One quick, final post for the year.  I thought I'd throw together an ice-cream loaf as it is stinking hot today (as YouTuber Emmymade would say - hehehe).  And in fact, she inspired me with her recipe for mint Viennetta!  Sadly, Mr P. does not like mint-flavoured anything so I will have to eat this all by myself.  Oh the tragedy!! :=)  

Mr P. did finish off the plate for me when I was putting the loaf back into the freezer last night.  Very brave of him, indeed.  He said he only managed it because there were wafers :=)  Now to co-erce my neighbours into taking a big (huge) slice of this!  

I know I've mentioned this before, but as a child, my family lived behind a butcher's shop in the mountains.  The butcher owned a goat, which he tied up in our backyard.  The goat would sometimes get off its tether (how?) and chew up mum's laundry on the outdoor washing line.  

There were not one but two outdoor loos (dunnies/toilets/outhouses) in the yard.  Surrounded by much, much mint growing wild.  You can imagine what we imagined the mint was doing!  It almost put me off for many a year, and I have never been able to bring myself to eat mint sauce.  Anyways, what a ramble.  Merry festive season to you all, my virtual and IRL friends!  See you in 2026, with bells on!!

for the peppermint lovers!  Delicious!

Sherry's Recipe:

Serves (maybe) 10-12?  (depends on the size of your slice)

Ingredients:

1 Litre/34 oz good-quality vanilla bean ice cream

1 tsp vanilla paste

1/4 tsp green food colouring

1/2 tsp peppermint extract   see Notes

2 Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars

2 mint Aero bars

2 Flake bars

250g./9 oz dark chocolate  (I use 70% Lindt), melted

2 x 125g./4.4 oz packets of chocolate wafer biscuits   see Notes

Chantilly cream:

200 mL/7 oz whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 Tbs icing sugar mixture

Method:

Start this recipe early in the day, or even better, the day before you want to eat it

Firstly, bring out the ice cream tub so the ice cream can get soft enough to mix the good stuff thru' it

Grab a loaf tin (mine is 23 x12 x 6 cm), brush a small amount (1/2-1 tsp?) of a neutral oil around the inside, and line with freezer film or plastic wrap, leaving a large overhang to fold over the whole shebang when freezing

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes or so

Spoon the ice cream into a large mixing bowl, add the vanilla, food colouring and peppermint extract, and stir thru' till beautifully green

Bash the heck out of the 2 Peppermint Crisp bars and one of the Flake bars (I used my cocktail muddler), into beautiful shards and chunks, and yep - stir 'em all in

Now start layering - spread a thin layer of the melted chocolate over the base of the loaf tin, then add a layer of the wafer biscuits

Next is a thick layer of the delightful green ice cream mixture, then another layer of the melted chocolate

On goes another layer of wafers, and ice cream, then place into the freezer for about half an hour, till the ice cream has firmed up a bit

And then top with the rest of the melted chocolate (you will probably need to zap it in the microwave again for a few seconds) and place back into the freezer for several hours, but probably best overnight

The next day, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla, and smear all over your green loaf which you have turned out onto a serving plate (which can happily go into the freezer)

Top with the smashed-up Aero bars and the other Flake bar

Back into the freezer for a bit to firm up, then bring it out for about 10 minutes so you can slice it up!

minty goodness - just don't plant it out near an outside dunny (toilet) :=)

Notes:

Try a bit less of the peppermint extract if you're worried that it may be too strong for you (and more of the food colouring if you want it incredibly vibrant green!)

FYI, I used one whole packet of the wafer biscuits, and about 2/3 of the second one

No idea if these chocolate bars exist in other countries, but just buy something with lots of peppermint flavour and chocolate - Peppermint Crisp has "green mint crystals", which are delightfully crunchy (and sometimes bloody!  I have cut the roof of my mouth more than once on them)

 

ingredients gathered

oil and line your loaf tin with freezer film or plastic wrap

spoon the ice cream into a large mixing bowl

stir in the colouring, extract and choc pieces

layer with the melted chocolate and wafers

spoon in the ice cream mixture and the melted chocolate

add another layer of ice cream

cover with the freezer film and place in the freezer

then add the final layer of chocolate

and smother with the Chantilly cream and shards of chocolate bars

not half-bad!

Caramelised Onion and Potato Stacks

I think many cooks (and cookbook lovers) would know of Donna Hay, the well-loved Aussie culinary icon.  (I'm hoping for her latest cookbook this Christmas, Mr P.!)  This recipe is from her Christmas cookbook Christmas Feasts and Treats.  I meant to make this side dish last Christmas, but there were other recipes calling my name.  Better late than never, my friends!

I want to wish everyone a wonderful festive season, however (and if) you celebrate!  This has been a challenging year for the Pickings family, and I feel that this has been the case for many.  So once again, I want to say thanks for being here, take care, and "see you" all in the New Year.  OMG: 2026!!  How is that even possible? :=)

smelling so delicious

Makes 8 (or more):

ingredients:

2 Tbs EV olive oil

4 brown onions, cut into 16 thick rounds

500g./1.1 lb starchy potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

160 mL/5.5 oz chicken or vegetable stock

80g./2.8 oz butter, melted

8 sprigs thyme

sea salt flakes, and freshly-ground black pepper

parsley or chives, for serving

brown onion

Method:

Turn on your oven to 180C/350F, to heat up

Grab a muffin tin, and line 8 of the holes with baking paper (or patty pan liners)    see Notes

Into your large (non-stick) frying pan, pour in the olive oil, and let it get nicely heated

And in go the onion slices, (in batches if need be); let 'em cook for 3 minutes or so, turning once, till golden  (let them cool for a few) then

Plop one onion slice into the bottom of each muffin hole

Divvy up the potato slices into the holes, and then throw on the rest of the onion slices into each muffin hole

Now the stock and butter gets divvied up into each hole, then you whack a thyme sprig on top of each one

Cover with aluminium foil, and roast away for 30 minutes

Now uncover and roast for another 30 minutes, till beautifully tender and golden

Plate them, and season well with the salt and pepper, and some parsley or chives if you like

Serve with a protein, or anything you fancy  (we had ours with a salad)

potatoes!

Notes:

Notes?  Notes?  Nah, no notes here :=)    Hang on, I do have a note (or 2) - I sprinkled some smoked sea salt flakes over the onion slices when frying them up!

I would strongly suggest using patty pan/muffin tin liners rather than baking paper.  Donna does not tell you how on earth you would manage to get baking paper into the holes, without it flying everywhere!!

And another:  try frying up the onion slices for a bit longer than 3 minutes per side - I did it for about 5 minutes before turning over, and frying for another 5!

I somehow ended up with a lot of onion and potato slices, so I ended up making 12 delightful stacks.  Well, you can't be sad about that, can you?

To be honest, this was a wee bit of faffing; but I reckon you could make these the day before (sans the melted butter and stock), let 'em sit in the fridge, then add the butter and stock, and bake till golden and scenting your kitchen with onion-y wafts.  And another thought - why melt the butter first?  Just throw on a big knob, on top of each one ...     

These are seriously delicious, my friends!  And no wonder, with all that oil and butter and salt ...  

and thyme

ingredients gathered  (am I Harry Potter? hehehehe)

fry up those onion slices in delicious EV olive oil

layer your onion and potato slices

throw on some thyme sprigs

ready for baking at 180C/350F for an hour

and ready for devouring

can't wait to eat this one!!

For those readers who asked about Mr P. - yes, he has had his preliminary procedure in hospital and is doing well.  Thanks for asking!

(Joining in with Jo from Brookford Kitchen Diaries, for the monthly link-up BKD Cookbook Club.  Happy Christmas to all!)