From the time I had my first cooking lesson at Intermediate School it became my job to keep the biscuit tins filled at home and I developed quite a repertoire of different recipes. A old favourite that I had completely forgotten about until recently was Flapjacks - basically oats stuck together with butter, sugar, golden syrup (often with a good amount of ginger). I was looking for things to make with the raspberries that I had in my freezer and stumbled across this Raspberry Flapjack Recipe. I … [Read more...]
Raspberry Gin Recipe
Raspberry Gin! A very simple recipe to make and looks amazing - perfect for gift giving. Wonderful for a deliciously different Christmas cocktail. I enjoyed drinking it with soda water over the summer. You can use frozen raspberries (good if you are clearing out your freezer as I was) and, once made, the raspberry gin keeps indefinitely (if you don't drink it that is). You can use any gin for the recipe; I used some of my homemade gin. 700 ml gin 250g raspberries 125g caster sugar Put … [Read more...]
Raspberry & Rosewater Jam
Raspberry & Rosewater Jam has a wonderful subtle floral flavour that adds a whole new dimension to traditional raspberry jam. Raspberry jam was already one of my favourites but the addition of rosewater takes it to a whole new level. Perfect with scones and cream, in a jam sponge, or even put a spoonful in some Greek yoghurt. 1kg raspberries (I used frozen) 1kg jam-setting sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp rosewater Heat frozen raspberries gently until they thaw and start to soften. … [Read more...]
The Birds and My Berries
I have a love-hate relationship with the birds in my garden and have written previously about feeding the birds and stopping the birds from eating all the plums. This year I have been fighting a losing battle between the birds and my berries, particularly my blueberries. There must be something special about blueberries or maybe it is that blackbirds really like a challenge. I'm tending towards the challenge explanation and have evidence that they keep learning new tricks to get to the netted … [Read more...]
Raspberry Cordial Recipe
Looking for a wow factor for your festive drinks? Then this raspberry cordial recipe is for you. It couldn't be simpler to make and "it tastes just like you are drinking fresh raspberries"! Add some sparkling wine and you've got a fabulous new year's eve starter. Or just add some sparkling mineral water, a sprig of mint and an umbrella for a treat for those not drinking alcohol. This is perfect if you have raspberries growing in your garden but store-bought frozen raspberries work just as … [Read more...]
Four Berry Jam Recipe
I grow as many different berries as I can in my garden because they are so easy to grow, freeze really well, and are great for cooking right throughout the year. Sometimes I end up with only a small amount of each of the different types of berries left in the freezer, not enough to make anything specific with any of them. This year I tried making a Four Berry Jam recipe with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. The amount of each doesn't really matter and the end result is … [Read more...]
Growing Raspberries
Raspberries are such divine fruit. As a child I got to eat them on rare special occasions. As an adult the exorbitant price for a tiny punnet meant that I got to eat them a slightly more frequent occasionally. We were always told we couldn't grow them in Auckland because they needed a good winter chill to do well. But a few years ago a new variety 'Aspiring' was released that thrives in the semi-tropical Auckland climate - and I bought a couple of plants. What a treat to be able to pick … [Read more...]
Homemade Rose & Raspberry Sorbet
I had been thinking for a while that making fruit sorbets would be a great use of fruit from my garden so when I found a Sunbeam Ice Cream Maker on super special it seemed like a sensible move to buy it and try it out. The recipe book is full of different recipes to try out: basic vanilla icecream and lots of variations, gelatos and sorbets. I also found 25 deliciously different recipes to try on Martha Stewart's website. A traditional creamy Ice Cream is made from a custard base using … [Read more...]