These pear and custard tarts came from a memory really. We had lots of beautiful organic D’Anjou pears to use up, and I wanted to make something special with them. Most of the pear tarts you see involve chocolate or frangipane, and they all seem a bit heavy for the delicate pear. Continue Reading…
The third series of Downton Abbey started last week in the states, and it’s become an absolute hit over here. I am feeling slightly smug as I have already watched series three back in Ireland. There is something really comforting about settling down for an episode of Downton Abbey. The minute I see that Labrador in the opening credits, I instantly feel happy and relaxed. Continue Reading…
Myself and the OH travelled home for Christmas and it has been such a treat for us to be with our families again. The journey from Seattle to Ireland, was anything but a treat however. Noisy planes, packed airports and bad food! There is nothing worse than nasty plastic tasting plane food. Thankfully I made some delicious gooey chocolate brownies just before we flew which made it half way across the Atlantic. Continue Reading…
Having just moved to America, I’m learning new things every day! Ground almonds are called almond meal, chick peas are called garbanzo beans, and Americans look horrified when I offer them a mince pie. I now realise mince pies are just not that popular over this side of the pond. Just to clarify – not all mince pies contain meat. Continue Reading…
Greetings from a greyish Seattle! I’m slowly beginning to get into the holiday spirit, and have just started to think about Christmas recipes. I decided to make some mincemeat first, as it takes about a week to mature and for all the lovely flavours to mingle. Just in case you are unfamiliar with mincemeat, it doesn’t contain any actual meat. The original recipe from centuries ago contained suet and shredded meat, but these days most mincemeat recipes are meat free. Continue Reading…
Clementines are at their very best right now, and once I start eating them I find it really hard to stop. I managed to keep some back this week to make this scrumptious Clementine and Almond cake. This cake is packed full of almonds and citrusy zest and is the perfect guilt free treat. The edges of this cake have a delicious caramelised orange flavour and the centre is beautifully moist and nutty. I love the fact that this cake is not too sweet. It is rather healthy in fact, as it contains no butter or flour.
