Hot Chocolate Mix

It's still Winter, at least for a bit longer, so I thought I'd make up a hot chocolate mix for Mr P., and me of course.  This is as simple as it gets, and not really even a recipe, but you get the gist, my friends.  So here it is.  Drink up, warm up, and wrap your hands around a mug of this one!

It has been the long, cold winter here - well, by Brisbane standards.  We start to freeze when it gets to 20C and below!  I actually bought myself two faux-fur jackets this year.  And I've been wearing them most days.  The pink one I have is ... kinda hairy.  It sheds everywhere, so you'd think we had a couple of hairy cats or dogs :=)  You should see the car seat! 

me in my hairy pink jacket!

Makes about 350g./12 oz:

ingredients:

150g./5.3 oz Lindt dark chocolate (70%)

150g./5.3 oz Lindt milk chocolate

2 (or 3) Flake (30g. each) chocolate bars

2 tsp sugar - if you must :=)

2-3 tsp chilli chocolate powder (optional) or a bit of cinnamon or a dash of regular chilli powder

Method:

Snap the chocolate bars into small pieces (Lindt chocolate is very easy to snap with your fingers), then throw them into your small food processor if you have one, or just keep snapping and chopping with a knife into lovely shards

Break up the Flake bars, and stir the pieces into the chocolate

Stir in the chilli chocolate powder if using - oops, and the sugar!

Be generous when making up your hot drink - add 5 (or even 6) heaped teaspoons of this mix into a mug, and add hot milk or water

Plop some cream on top if you are feeling decadent - go on, you know you want to!

Notes:

I strongly suggest using Lindt chocolate or similar (not sponsored) as it is so very easy to break up, and it melts really well

No Flake bars?  Mmm, maybe an Aero bar (orange or mint? Yum) or some similarly light and airy bar that will break up without too much effort

Chilli choc powder?  I bought mine online from Gewurzhaus, which is a marvellous place to buy herb and spice mixtures

grab yourself some chocolate!

and zap it up

tip into a mixing bowl

nice and chunky

spoon into jars

Oops! I drank it up before the photo :=)

c. Sherry M.

Plum Pudding Vodka - AKA Christmas Vodka

 As (cooking) YouTuber Barry Lewis would say: "This is stonking" - which is a good thing!  I've been wanting to make this for a while, and finally it's nearly Christmas so I have.  It is much better than I expected, to be honest.  Sweet, fruity, spicy and so warming.  And you end up with heaps of vodka-infused fruit that goes beautifully on top of vanilla ice cream!

This recipe is from a Delicious magazine, though I've seen similar on the Net, with varying amounts of the dried fruit etc.  I only changed one thing - I used craisins rather than raisins as I'm not a raisin fan.  Too squishy for me!  I just can't do 'squishy'.  I can only eat blueberries or grapes at peak level of firmness.  Once they're past a certain degree of squish, nope no can do.  Uuuurrrggghhh, that texture thing makes me shudder.  Am I weird? :=)

Merry merry festive season, everyone!!

Merry Christmas pudding to you!

Makes about 700 mL:

ingredients:

1 x 700 mL bottle of vodka

250g./9 oz dark brown sugar

250g./9 oz sultanas

150g./5.3 oz craisins or raisins

100g./3.5 oz mixed peel

1 orange - zest/rind and juice thereof

1 tsp almond essence

6 cloves (yes 6!!)

2 cinnamon sticks

2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped out - see Notes

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp mixed spice

Method:

Place everything except the vodka into a big jar or bowl - I used a tall, glass jar which holds about 1.5 Litres

Then pour the vodka over the lot, and give it a massive stir!  Make sure you get down to the bottom, so as to stir in all the sugar

Put it in a cool, dark place with a tea-towel over it; stir it once a day for a week

Strain it through a very fine sieve or a sieve with a piece of muslin lining it - into a large bowl or jug of course

Let it sit for an hour or two, giving it the occasional squeeze down - I got heaps of it off the bottom of the sieve!

Decant into bottles of your choosing - you can just pour it straight back into the vodka bottle or share some with friends via small bottles 

Serve on the rocks (can be kept in the fridge for up to 6 months)

None of the recipes I saw mentioned what to do with the plump, alcohol-ridden fruit that you now have left: "Buy some vanilla ice cream!", declaims Mr P.  And yes that's a darn good idea, Mr P.!

I put the fruit into jars with a bit of extra vodka, and whacked 'em into the fridge for later ice cream treats.  When I say later, I mean that night as Mr P. demanded we head to the grocery store and buy some ice cream tout de suite :=)

Notes:

I didn't bother doing much scraping of the vanilla beans to be honest!  I did scrape one a bit, then I just snipped up the other one into small pieces as it all ends up swilling around anyway in the jar

gather your ingredients

zest and juice that orange

split and scrape the vanilla beans

  

plonk everything into a large jar or bowl

looks a bit murky but turns out all right in the end :=)

stir once a day for a week

give it a good squish down

back into the vodka bottle

and you have jars of lovely plump fruit too

deliveries by Santa's Elves (me and Mr P.) to various local businesses

fruit on vanilla ice cream that night (I added some Flake bar)

Sherry M.

The BanananaNuttO Smoothie

You may remember, dear regular readers, that bananas and I are not friends.  But hide them well in a loaf or a drink, and I'm your man - well, woman.  Mr P. and I often head south to Kingscliff, a little seaside town just over the border in New South Wales.  There we always drop in to our fave bookstore, buy a book and hug our fave bookstore lady Katrina.  And next-door is our fave coffee shop - Mockingbird café.  Well, they have in fact just moved from the esplanade to a wee side street.  Sadly, we haven't been there yet due to COVID-19!  But soon ...

Their menu has interesting meals using local ingredients, with lots of vego/vegan options.  Kingy (as it's known by the locals) is old hippie territory, remember - with a fair few anti-vaxxer, vegan and anti-Government types thrown in:-)  I always have a Go Nuts smoothie when I'm there, so I've been hanging out for one during social isolation.  Since I've been deprived for so long, I decided to make my own version.  And voilà, here it is!  (With just a teensy bit of modification of their recipe.)
  

a delicious, nutty drink to get you going

Serves 2:


ingredients:


1 dsp (2 tsp) coffee granules mixed with 1 Tbs (4 tsp) boiling water, then allowed to cool

1 ripe banana, sliced thinly (and preferably frozen)

half a dozen frozen coconut chunks (optional)

1 large Tbs peanut butter, or nut butter of your choice

1 large dsp honey (I used espresso honey)

a few dashes of ground cinnamon

1 cup (250 mL) almond milk or milk of your choice

2 scoops of vanilla ice cream (or yoghurt if you must)

a few ice cubes, and a few more if you have forgotten to freeze the banana slices beforehand


Method:


What could be easier?   Throw everything into the blender, and blitz till smooth and frothy

Pour into 2 glasses, grab a straw and ... suck lustily


Notes:

If you have been canny, you will have sliced the banana and chucked it into the freezer for a few hours - makes your drink colder and possibly frothier :-) 

I bought the frozen coconut chunks at my local supermarket; you could use a wee handful of dessicated coconut, or just leave it out

gather your ingredients - see, even my PB is local :-)

a fascinating shot of the inside of my blender:-)

and an amazing shot of my ice cream scoop - tee hee 

ready for slurping (and a bonus view of our neighbours' fence)

looking up at Mockingbird's eclectic lights

   artwork © Sherry's Pickings           

Peach, Mint and Cucumber Mocktail

Hands up those who've read any of Mark Kurlansky's books?  He is an American journalist and food historian, some of his bestsellers being Cod, Salt, and his forthcoming Salmon.  And he has also written a book called International Night, with his then-teenaged daughter Talia.  Once a week a globe was spun, a country was chosen, and they made meals from that country's cuisine together.

fruity mocktail

       
One of the countries they actually travelled to (to do a cooking class, no less!) was Morocco.  They stayed at La Maison Arabe (as you do), and drank delicious mocktails at the bar.  Hilariously, since I (accidentally) looked up this riad/hotel in search of a recipe for this drink, I have been bombarded with emails from Trip Advisor asking me how my planning is going for my trip to Marrakech!!  

fruity and refreshing

Rashid the bar tender there, made/makes a drink called Morojito, which consists of pineapple juice, mint syrup, lime, and ginger.  This is NOT that drink :-)  Mark and Talia mention how much she liked Rashid's mocktails, including one with peaches, cucumber, mint syrup and coconut cream.  They were the only clues I had to this drink, so here is my version of what it may taste like.  You're welcome, my friends.  (And maybe tip in a splash of vodka when nobody's looking.)


Original recipe: Sherry's Pickings

Serves 4-6


ingredients:


1/2 cup (125 mLs) water

1/2 cup (125g.) caster sugar

a small handful of fresh mint leaves

1/2 kilo (1.1 lb) peaches or nectarines, cut into large chunks

150g. (5.3 oz) Continental cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup (125 mLs) coconut cream

sparkling mineral water, to serve
  

Method:


First make the syrup by putting the water and sugar into a small saucepan on a medium-low heat.  Stir till the sugar dissolves, then let it simmer for a few minutes.  Throw in the mint leaves, and put aside to cool

Now take the peaches, and cut them into large chunks

Peel and chop the cucumber into big chunks, too

Tip the fruit (yes, cucumber is a fruit) into a large food processor or a really big, powerful blender - and whizz - a lot!  Keep whizzing and whizzing till you have a very smooth fruity purée

Now pour in 100 mLs (3.5 oz) of the mint syrup (which you have strained thru a sieve to get rid of the leaves), and all the coconut cream

Whizz again!  

Grab a large jug, pour the mixture into it, then place in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Serve by filling a glass with about 2/3 purée, and adding a really big splash (or several) of sparkling mineral water - it will fizz up most delightfully.  Lie back, and picture yourself by the pool in downtown Marrakech ...

Makes about 800 mLs/27 fl oz of purée

simmer the minty syrup for a few minutes

chop up your peaches or nectarines 

and the cucumber

whizz and whizz... till smooth and airy

all ready for the sparkling mineral water 

and drink - oops! forgot the mineral water

You probably know that peaches and nectarines are the same fruit (Prunus Persica) - except for one recessive gene which makes nectarines smooth rather than hairy.  So either fruit is good for this recipe.  Mm, perhaps a bald fruit would be better - tee hee:-)  You can keep the extra syrup in the fridge for several days, or just add it to the mineral water for a minty beverage. 

artwork © Sherry's Pickings

Riad Leila - Wikimedia Commons public domain Author Stephen Johnston

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

As a winter treat, I sometimes buy a mm mm somewhat crazy-expensive hot chocolate mix online.  Mr P. is going through it like a bull in a china shop, so I thought I'd better come up with another way to get a hold of this delicious drink.  I checked the ingredients, which are very simple, and while still not cheap, I will be able to get more bang for my buck putting it together myself.

hot chocolate - warm, dark and delicious

The cacao bean is a thing of beauty and mystery to me.  How on earth did someone think that there was a marvellous drink (or chocolate bar) waiting for them inside that big 'ol bean thingy?  Thank you to the Mayans (and Aztecs) back in 450 BC!  We love you for thinking of it:-) 


Original recipe by Sherry's Pickings:


ingredients:


90g. Valrhona or other good quality dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)

100g. Lindt 70% chocolate block - or any good quality dark chocolate

4 x 30g. Flake chocolate bars or 120g. milk chocolate block

1/4 tsp chilli powder or cinnamon or cardamom (optional)


Method:

Place the cocoa powder into a medium mixing bowl

Shave or grate the chocolate blocks, and tip the shards into the bowl with the cocoa powder and spice.  The Flake bars can be crumbled by hand or smashed gleefully with a mallet or muddler :-)

Give it a really good stir with a very dry spoon

Place in a glass jar or tin that you seal tightly; the mix will last for ages in a dark place

On those cold nights, grab yourself a mug, place 2-3 heaped teaspoonfuls of the luscious mix inside, and add boiling water and maybe a spoonful of cream or ice cream on top.  You may want to add a wee bit of sugar to your mug, but Mr P. and myself like it dark, rich and sophisticated :-)  (Remind you of anybody?  Tee hee.)  


Notes:

You can zap the chocolate by chopping into chunks and throwing into a food processor.  Just don't blitz it too hard; you want lovely shards of chocolate.  I blitzed some of the chocolate in the processor till very small, and got Mr P. to chop the rest into lovely slivers

Add whatever spice you like to the mix; maybe even black pepper, or nutmeg or dried lavender

If you like your hot chocolate a little sweeter or lighter, vary the amounts of dark and milk chocolate, or use a lesser % dark chocolate

If you happen to have one in your pantry (thanks Tiffin Fiona), you can give your mug a big twiddle with a molinillo/frother

glorious chocolate

pebbly chocolate bits

Get Mr P. to chop your chocolate :-)

cocoa powder and chocolate shards

ready for storing - and drinking

got my mug ready already :-)

molinillo/Mexican hot chocolate frother

This homemade version is less than half the cost of the bought one, so I'll be making it myself from now on.  Mr P. is very happy!

artwork © Sherry's Pickings 

Home-Made Lime And Ginger Cordial

It may seem like an odd time of year (i.e. deepest Winter) to make lime cordial, but we love it all year round.  And how lucky are we to have friends with a lime tree that has been fruiting abundantly of late?!  Yes, very!  Organic of course - probably 'cos they don't have the time or inclination to do anything to it, anyway:=)  I have posted a similar cordial before, but this is the Winter version with the added ginger to stave off colds and 'flu.  

getting ready to juice those luscious limes

Makes about 1 Litre (4 cups) of cordial:


ingredients:


500 mLs (2 cups) cold water

420g. (2 cups) white sugar

50-60g. of glacé ginger, chopped or about a 5cm. piece of fresh ginger root, chopped or coarsely grated 

500 mLs (2 cups) lime juice - you will need 8-10 limes 

and the zest of 2-3 of them



Method:


Place the water and sugar in a medium saucepan

Keep stirring it over a medium-low heat till the sugar is dissolved

Stop stirring!  And now bring it to the boil

Once it's boiling, add the ginger

Turn it down and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes - don't stir at this point!  It should be looking slightly thick and syrupy

Take it off the heat and allow it to cool completely

Strain off the ginger, add the lime juice and zest

Chill it in the fridge

Use as a cordial with sparkling water


Notes:

Use the glacé ginger AND some fresh ginger for extra zing, or just heaps of the fresh stuff

this is the ginger I used for the cordial  (not an ad.)

I'm not sure what you call it really.  It's not sticky on the outside like glacé ginger, and it's very firm on the inside.  Delicious anyway.

sunny ingredients gathered

fascinating shot of water boiling:=)

another fascinating shot of syrup being strained 

adding the juice and zest

This is where I should have an enticing shot of this refreshing cordial in a glass with a straw and an umbrella - but I don't :=)  So just picture it in your heads, my friends.  

  limey artwork by sherryspickings