Green Tea keeps popping up as a healthy tea to drink for many reasons with the latest saying that it keeps you sprightly as you get older. They say that consuming at least five cups of green tea per day ‘may’ reduce the risk of age related functional disabilities like osteoporosis and strokes. According to Neal’s Yards Remedies, they say that researchers the Tohoki University Graduate School of Medicine, came up with the research details. The research was analysed from the frequency of green, oolong and black tea intake, as well as coffee. They say that for people who consume…
Author: Treeca
Ingredients (makes 12) 200g porridge oats 3 tbsp mixed seeds 3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts 100g chopped roasted hazelnuts 100g chopped dried apricots 60g sultanas 60g dried cranberries 90g butter or margarine 2 tbsp brown sugar Method Dry fry the oats in a pan for 4 minutes stirring occasionally Set aside in a bowl for later Fry the mixed seeds for a few seconds, then mix with the oats and nuts Put the fruit in a food processor and whiz for a few seconds Add the oat mixture and blitz to combine Melt the butter with the sugar in a pan…
Yet again we are reading how good chocolate is for you. A recent study published by the ‘Journal of Physiology’, showed that you can boost your workout with chocolate. It revealed that ‘epicatechin’, an antioxidant compound found in cocoa, can reduce muscle fatigue, increase your endurance and therefore help your train for longer. It can also help your muscles use oxygen more efficiently, keeping you fitter from the inside out. Is there ‘nothing’ chocolate can’t help us with ? It’s just such a shame it puts weight on 🙂
Bake your cake immediately once mixed as the baking powder begins to act as soon as its combined with liquid.
Ingredients 12 digestive biscuits (crushed) 75g butter, cut into small pieces 1 tbsp honey 500g Philadelphia soft cheese 115g Caster Sugar 1 Lemon 150ml double cream A few raspberries to decorate top of cake Method Melt the butter with the honey in a saucepan Mix in the crushed biscuits Press the mixture over the bottom of a lightly greased 20cm spring form or loose bottomed cake tin Pop into the fridge to cool Put the cream cheese into a bowl with the sugar and grated zest of the lemon Add the juice from the lemon Whip the cream until stiff…
Join ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ culinary institute in London for chocolate workshops and demonstrations. A master chef will show you how to create a fabulous chocolate show-piece decoration, as well as truffles and festive chocolate decorations. For more information go to ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ website, www.lcblondon.com
Whittards of Chelsea have two new tea flavours, both which sound delicious. Strawberry and Vanilla, which is an infusion of fresh ripe strawberry and rich creamy vanilla. Lychee and Mango, which is an infusion of lychee and juicy mango. To give them a try go to their website www.whittard.co.uk/
NOW, is the time to pick your elder flowers before it’s to late. They call it the ‘free harvest of the year’. The hedgerows are bursting with blossoms at the moment and the elder flowers will soon be at their best when the sun shines, but their picking time is limited. A classic recipe for Elderflower Cordial is Ingredients 900g/2lbs granulated sugar 50g/2oz citric acid 2 lemons, sliced 25 (around) large elderflower heads Method Place sugar into a large mixing bowl and pour over 3 litres of boiling water Stir to dissolve the sugar and leave to cool Add the…
For a really moist fruit cake, use marmalade instead of candid peel. Â Always soak your dried fruit overnight and for extra flavour soak the fruit in apple or orange juice or marinate in your favourite liqueur (brandy) for three days, stirring it every 12 hours. Â For an extra rich, tasty fruit cake, use cold coffee instead of milk. Â For a moist fruit cake with extra flavour, grate a cooking apple into the mixture. Â For a moister fruit cake in electric ovens or Agars, place a dish of water on the floor of the oven when baking.…
A TEA READER, LIVING LIFE ONE CUP AT A TIME by Katrina Avila Munichiello, BOOK REVIEW… The book is written in five sections which are appropriately listed as First Steep, Second Steep…. However, its not like other books written about tea but more about the memories tea inspires and is based on Katrina’s time spent blogging about tea, interviewing those who sell it, write about it and talking to people about tea. Anyone who has a passion for tea would enjoy this book . There are so many stories to enjoy that you will sit down with a cup of…
Flour in baking, a high gluten flour would be used for bread and a low gluten flour for cakes So use flours with high protein content such as strong and durum, for breads and pasta. Use plain flour which has a low protein content for baking cakes, pastries and biscuits and also for thickening sauces.
My favourite biscuit makers are keeping track of the Olympic field events, and all the others, by selling their selection of decorated biscuits with sporting designs. You can find out more details about the colour tin , which is brilliant for the kids (and the grown ups) on their website www.biscuiteers.com
Matcha is derived from an ancient process of grinding the highest quality whole tea leaves into a fine powder. Matcha has been used for centuries by the Zen Buddhists to help keep them alert and focused during meditation. When you drink Cho-Yung’s exclusive Miracle Matcha you benefit from ALL the health giving properties of the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants, found naturally in tea leaves. Cho-Yung’s exclusive Miracle Matcha, made from 100% high grade pure white tea matcha powder, is sourced from high altitudes above the fertile Rift Valley in Kenya, and has some of the highest recorded levels of the…
CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE RECIPE.. Ingredients 225g dark chocolate 2 tbsp raisins 2 large eggs 2 tsp caster sugar 225g butter or margarine ½ tsp vanilla extract 225g plain biscuits (broken) 25g walnuts (chopped) Method Line a loaf tin with non-PVC clingfilm Roughly chop the chocolate and melt it in a heatproof bowl over a bowl of hot water Soak the raisins in boiling water Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy Melt the butter and while it is still hot whisk it into the egg and sugar mixture Stir in the melted chocolate, drained raisins and vanilla…