Posted on Dec 23, 2011 in Do | 2 comments

All finished! Our gingerbread house

All finished! Our gingerbread house
It wasn’t an easy project. There were early mornings making – and eating – the sweet, spicy dough, afternoons with the oven on full blast to bake the pieces and several tantrums (mine) closely averted with dollops of royal icing. But we got there in the end, Little Missy and I. Our first...
Read More
Posted on Dec 20, 2011 in Bake, Food for Friends | 0 comments

A few Christmas favourites

A few Christmas favourites
I was digging through the archives this week to find my recipes for Christmas Muffins and Mincemeat and Polenta Shortbread - much better ways of using up mincemeat than trying to make fiddly mince pies with my pair of squawkers both demanding attention – and I came across some Christmas-orientated...
Read More
Posted on Dec 14, 2011 in Bake, Brewing and beer, Demos | 2 comments

RDS cookery demo: Caramel Ale Sauce

RDS cookery demo: Caramel Ale Sauce
When I first developed the recipe for this sauce I was looking for a way to use the seasonal beers that appear in the run up to Christmas.  And then Eight Degrees Winter Ale, made with a specially fragrant spice blend from Green Saffron, turned out to be so popular that there wasn’t even a random...
Read More
Posted on Dec 9, 2011 in Bake, Brewing and beer, Demos, Work | 6 comments

RDS cookery demo: Chocolate and Knockmealdown Porter Brownies

RDS cookery demo: Chocolate and Knockmealdown Porter Brownies
Rich dark chocolate + full-flavoured malty porter = the most lusciously moist brownies. Enjoy! Chocolate and Knockmealdown Porter Brownies A dark, full-bodied beer is a good balance to the chocolate in these brownies. I use Knockmealdown Porter here but Dungarvan Black Rock Irish Stout, Porterhouse Plain or...
Read More
Posted on Dec 6, 2011 in Bake, Brewing and beer, Demos, Work | 9 comments

RDS cookery demo: Cheese and Herb Beer Bread

RDS cookery demo: Cheese and Herb Beer Bread
Last week I was up in Dublin for the National Crafts & Design Fair in the RDS, doing a couple of demonstrations on the Cooks Academy stage  in the Food Emporium. The title of my demo was Baking with Irish Craft Beer and I had a lot of fun using beers from Eight Degreesto develop recipes for Cheese and...
Read More