Tipples & Treats Archive

Tipples and Treats: Spring Entertaining Menu

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– March 30, 2012Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Happy Friday folks,

I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting my food posts a little recently, that’s because I have eaten out so much instead of cooking at home, which is of course fabulous but has also mean’t I haven’t been very focused on food of the homemade variety.

As Easter is just around the corner I am now beginning to think a little more about homecooked food and Spring menus, I am also really looking forward to entertaining friends and family at home over the coming weeks.

Nothing quite beats a Spring feast and for your delectation I thought I would put together my ultimate Spring menu….

To Begin

This so-delicious-looking-I-can-almost-taste-it Spring soup by Melangery. A great way to get your spring greens in. Find the recipe here.

And Then

Wake up the senses with this perfect spring dish of lamb chops and lemon with a crunchy salad. Find the recipe on Sweet Paul.

Go on treat yourself

The Meyer lemon pudding cake by Simply Scratch looks so soft and moist it is the perfect way to finish off your Spring feast. See here for recipe.

Fancy a tipple?

Of course no feast is complete without a delicious tipple (or three), this Ophelia cocktail combines the scent of Juniper berries in the gin with the herbaceous pine scent of rosemary in a simple syrup and then melds the aromatics with fresh lemon and club soda. A sophisticated and grown-up cocktail if ever I saw one. Find the recipe here on Creative Culinary.

So what’s your plans for Spring entertaining, any delicious recipes to share? Please do pop your comments and links in the box below.

Michelle xx

Tags: Entertaining, Gin Cocktail, Spring Cocktail, Spring Dining, Spring Feast, Spring Food, Spring Lamb, Spring Menu, Spring Party, Spring Soup, Tipples and Treats, Vegetable Soup

Tipples and Treats: The Pastel Edition

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– January 27, 2012Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

For this weeks Tipples and Treats, my weekly food and drink inspiration, I thought I would actually give you an overdose of sugary sweetness in the form of these Pastel Rice Krispie Treats, as quite frankly I just could not resist this idea.

Full of childhood nostalgia and oodles of fun, I am so in love with the quirky kitsch-ness, not to mention the pretty pastel-ness of these treats.

They are not only a great way of adding a little pastel colour to your proceedings, remember Monday’s pastel wedding mood board? But also a super-easy DIY idea you can try out at home, not to mention a rather economical way of making your own wedding favours.

Who doesn’t love a Rice Krispie Treat? And when they look as pretty as these ones you can be sure none will be left hanging around come your first dance. Using a classic recipe, just incorporate mini pastel marshmallows which you can find here at £6.59 for a 1kg bag.

These treats would look fab stacked atop gorgeous glass cake stands like these:

Eddingtons 3-Tier Traditional Glass Cake Stand or pink large glass cake stand

Why not wrap them in cellophane bags, (you will find them here 50x cellophane bags for £3.70) attach a cute litte label and tie with ribbon for an easy-peasy and budget-pleasing favour.

Let’s not forget the all important recipe (Thanks to Kellogs for this one)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Image credits: suchprettythings

Note

For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.
Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.
To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

So have I tempted you with to don a pinny and get those boxes of cereal out? Go on you’ll have so much fun making these.

Happy Friday

Michelle xx

Tags: cake plates, cake stands, Canape Ideas, Dessert Bars, Desserts, Event Food, nibbles, pastel cake plates, Pastel Food Ideas, pretty cake plates, Recipes, Tipples and Treats, Treats, wedding cake stands, Wedding Favours, Wedding Food

Tipple and Treats: Red Velvet Heart Cake & Truffle Cocktails

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– January 20, 2012Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Hello everyone,

It’s Friday afternoon, yippee. I am sure you are more than looking forward to your weekend beginning and as it’s Friday afternoon my thoughts as always are turning to food.

Earlier in the week I featured a red and ivory bridal inspiration board which was actually inspired by a certain Angelina Jolie in her beautiful ivory silk Atelier Versace dress, with it’s contemporary flash of red. Such a gorgeous dress and a gorgeous board, as I am after all having a love affair with red right now.

So rather predictably I wondered how you could translate this colour palette to food, specifically party food. And then I found this amazing Red Velvet Heart Cake and I wondered no longer.

I just adore this cake, it’s one of those that makes me want to lick the screen, I can almost taste the creamy buttery topping, no doubt you would end up with a little bit of a red tongue with all that colouring too, but heck when it looks this good, who cares?

Image credit: I Am Baker

This cake is not for the faint of heart as it does require some baking skills and a lot of patience. But if you are feeling confident then go on give it a go, I dare you. You’ll find the tutorial here on I Am Baker.

Image credit: Coconut Raita

To complement the naughty sweetness of the cake I have paired it with a rather gorgeous Raspberry Truffle Cocktail which has both a creamy texture as well as a delicious white chocolatey flavour, balanced by the tarty flavour of the raspberries. You can find the recipe here.

I am thinking this could be a good pairing for a certain little event coming up.

You know the one beginning with V.

I mean Valentines of course!!!!

Happy Friday peeps and do let me know your delicious recipes too.

Michelle xx

Tags: Canape Ideas, Cocktail, Dessert Bars, Desserts, Event Food, nibbles, Recipes, Rev Velvet cakes, Signature Cocktail, Tipples and Treats, Treats, Wedding Cocktail, Wedding Food

Tipples and Treats: The Orange Edition

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– January 6, 2012Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

You know I couldn’t let my Tango week end without Orange food right?

But it’s not exactly what you’re thinking, I’m not going strictly for orange food as that would just be weird, not to mention a little OTT, and know-one wants to be OTT on their wedding day, it’s all about subtle styling.

I’ve really enjoyed the Tangerine Tango inspiration week, as I have in the past been a little bit afraid of such bold colours. But I am hoping that I’ve shown you how, with the right design and styling, such a bold hue can look incredible.

So anyways, on with the food and drink, for what else are we all thinking about on a Friday afternoon? Oh and apologies in advance for those of you on a diet, this is merely inspiration for that wedding (or party) you may be planning.

Image credit: Pink Pistachio

I have chosen yummy, scrummy, delicious Carrot Cake Cupcakes as my treat. Having tested some of these for my very good friend Amy who runs her own Deli (yes quite frankly she is the BEST kind of friend there is, lovely and she feeds me often), I can honestly say they are like eating little drops of heaven. Serve these up to any guest and they will no doubt love you for all of eternity. Plus there is a subtle reference to your Orange colour-scheme. See I told you it was subtle.

The recipe can be found here on Pink Pistachio

Image credit: Verses From My Kitchen

Next up we need something to wash it down with of course. So I’ve gone for what can only be described as heaven in a glass (do you see a theme here?), rather than an orange based cocktail, this one is peach based, with vodka for the kick, a hint of tangy lime, and garnished with rosemary. The Shucks Deluxe, (how much do I love that name?) could potentially be the perfect summer drink.

The recipe can be found here on Verses From My Kitchen.

So what do you tink to this weeks Tipples and Treats selection, do you enjoy this regular party food series? I started Tipples and Treats to insire you with some different food and drink choices for your wedding or party. This is something I am so passionate about and love to feature amazing food ideas, of course if you’d like to submit any of your own suggestions I’d be more than happy to feature them. If you just have a recipe that’s fine I can find images to go along with the article. Drop me an email now at michelle{@}pocketfulofdeams.co.uk.

Have a fabulous and fruity (ooh er) weekend folks.

Michelle xx

Tags: Canape Ideas, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Dessert Bars, Desserts, Event Food, nibbles, Peach Cocktail, Recipes, Signature Cocktail, Tipples and Treats, Treats, Wedding Cocktail, Wedding Food

Tipples and Treats: The Christmas Edition {Sweet Treats}

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– December 16, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Hello all,

I’m here again with another foodie feast of inspiration for you, this is actually going to be a 3-post day, all full of yummy food and drink for no other reason than that is ALL that’s on my mind right now. Pop back this afternoon for those all important tipples, I have plenty of boozy inspiration for you coming right up.

This time we’re talking sweet treats, and I’ve found a few Christmas-themed treats for you to have a go at:

We have these insanely cute Santa-Hat Cake Pops, something that’s really big in the wedding world right now, they would make lovely little gifts too. They’re not for the faint-hearted, here’s the how-to on Bakerella, my favourite baking site.
Oh me, oh my ~ How utterly lip-smackingly delicious do these Mini Cranberry Caramel & Dark Chocolate Cookie Tarts look? The idea being there’s always room for a mini-dessert, or two, or three. Mmmm. Craving Chronicles will show you how.
Not strictly Christmas but these Pomegranate Green Tea Cupcakes look so Christmassy with their jewel-like topping, add crisp white or even green cupcake toppers and they’ll be perfect. The recipe can be found here on Cupcake Blog.

These make for some nice alternatives this Christmas and I know I’ll be giving a few of them a whirl. When it comes to our actual Christmas day dessert we have the same two every year, a totally boozy sherry trifle and the classic Christmas pudding, I prefer the former, my Mum’s is simply THE best.

So do you have any sweet treats to share with us for trying out this Christmas party season?

Michelle xx

Tags: cake pops, Cakes, Christmas Food, Christmas Party, Cranberry, Cupcakes, New Year Party, nibbles, Party Food, Santa, Sweet treats, Tipples and Treats

Tipples and Treats: The Christmas Edition {Party Nibbles}

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– December 16, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Hello everyone,

It’s Friday, wahoo, do you have that Friday feeling?

I know I have, this week has been loooong but I am so excited about the weekend rolling around. This evening I’m meeting up with an old friend for a catch-up, we have about 10 years of catching up to do so we’re going to need a lot of wine, I can’t wait. Then tomorrow it’s Christmas house-party time with a bunch of other friends, there’ll be plenty of mulled wine, my friends lethal Champagne cocktails and lots of cheesy dancing. I’ll be in heaven.

As it’s Friday it’s time for me to share some ideas for party Tipples and Treats, and seeing as Christmas is all we can think about over her at POD I’m bringing you a bumper edition of Christmas-inspired Tipples and Treats throughout the day.

I do hope you will join me in the festive spirit and please do get sharing your favourite festive food ideas, you can add a comment in the box below, share links to your own blog posts or a recipe you’ve seen across the web. We love to share over here.

First up we have a few canape ideas, everyone needs a few fancy nibbles they can whip up for those unexpected visitors and here’s some of my favourites:

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Bruschetta ~ The deliciously creamy cheese base is perfect for the tangy smoked salmon, and so easy to whip up in minutes. See My Baking Addiction for the full recipe.
Pigs in blankets ~ These just scream Christmas to me, I think almost everyone loves them (veggies excluded of course!), we always have a big pan of these roasted up every year ready to dish up for whoever pops round, just hand the dish out and provide a few cocktail sticks, they’ll be gone in seconds. These ones are found on redonline.com and are just the classic chipolata wrapped in bacon. I also love the Nigella version of sticky cocktail sausages, cooked in sesame oil, soy sauce and honey ~ they are cocktail sausage heaven, trust me, amazing.
Sparkling Cranberry and Brie Bites ~ Oh these just look too pretty to eat, sugared cranberries, crackers and a chunk of brie. What could be simpler? Recipe on Yummy Mummy Kitchen.

So what have you got planned for this last weekend before Christmas? Don’t forget to share your party food essentials in the comments box below.

Michelle xx

Tags: Christmas Canapes, Cranberry and Brie, Party Food, Party Nibbles, Pigs in Blankets, Salmon and Goats Cheese, Tipples and Treats

Tipples and Treats: The Winter Edition ~ Hearty Minestrone Soup

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– December 9, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Hello one an all, it’s nearly the weekend, yippee.

It’s been one hell of a week weather-wise hasn’t it? These are the days when I’m so pleased to be working from home, no battling with the elements and getting blown away or drenched in rain, I can stay warm and toasty inside the house, dressed in my chunky knitwear and cosy slippers (Navajo print booties for those who want to know what adorns my feet!).

This change in the seasons has really impacted me in a big way this year, I’ve been struck down with the dreaded winter cold and confined to bed for many days this week feeling rather sorry for myself, thankfully I seem to be coming out the other side of that ~ thank goodness.

One thing I’ve also found since the weather changed is that I am totally craving delicious comfort foods, my usual meat and salad staple-diet just won’t cut it anymore.

So today I’ve been making myself a wholesome and hearty soup to see me through these cold days, something I often do in winter. You cannot beat a steaming hot bowl of soup, served up with warm buttery toast to make you feel good from the inside out. Making a large batch of this at a weekend will also set you up for the week and ensure you always have something tasty at hand, you can freeze portions (I use these clever ziplock bags especially for liquids) and if you’re lucky enough to have a microwave at work then it makes a nice alternative to the soggy sandwich.

Image Credit: Insidethekaganoffkitchen

Here’s my go to Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. olive oil
1 pack diced pancetta
2 onions ~ chopped
4 garlic cloves ~ minced
2 carrots ~ diced
2 sticks celery ~ diced
Selection of seasonal vegetables (I used fennel, courgette and green cabbage)
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1.5L chicken stock
8 oz. pasta (Whatever type you prefer, I use wholemeal spaghetti and brak it up into small pieces)
100g grated parmesan
Finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large casserole pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat
Add the pancetta and brown for about 5 minutes
Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until soft but not browned, takes about 5-8 minutes
Add the other vegetables and cook for a few minutes until softened slightly, they will soften more with cooking
Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a further 1 minute
Add chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, chicken stock and tomato puree. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes
Add the uncooked pasta, this can be either spaghetti broken up into small pieces, or a chunkier pasta like penne or fusili. I always use wholewheat pasta as it’s more robust and doesn’t go so mushy in a soup. It’s important to only cook the soup until the pasta is al-dente otherwise you’ll end up with a thick gooey mess.
I also add a big handful of parmesan cheese into the soup along at the same time as the pasta, to give it a thick consistency and lovely flavour
Season to taste
I then serve the soup with torn basil leaves, a milling of freshly ground black pepper and a handful of parmesan cheese.
Oh and if you’re feeling really hungry don’t forget the buttery toast.

Have a fabulous weekend all, I get my Christmas tree tomorrow, yey. If you’d like an early sneak preview of my tree then follow me on twitter as I’ll no doubt be posting a few instagram piccies.

Michelle xx

Tags: Minestrone Soup, Recipes, Seasonal Food, Soup Recipe, Tipples and Treats, Wholesome Food, Winter Food

Tipples and Treats: Fade to Grey Cake and Dessert Table inspiration

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– November 18, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

I’m bringing a slight change to this week’s Tipples and Treats as I do like to mix things up every now and then. Normally I would seduce you with the most luscious food imagery, providing ideas and recipes for food and drink to spoil and delight your guests with, be it for an intimate dinner party or a lavish event.

Well today I’m not doing that, instead I’m focusing on the good stuff. CAKE! Who doesn’t love a bit of cake?

And the wedding cake nowadays can be so creative, by incorporating design influences from your styling and colour scheme or the type of event you’re having being it rustic romance or modern glamour .

Here I have provided a round-up of cakes and dessert tables that would be perfect for my Fade to Grey wedding style which has featured all this week on Pocketful of Dreams.

1 & 2: How gorgeous is this ruffley cake? I love how the delicate ruffles of the gathered tablecloth and the pom-poms hanging overhead are mirrored in the cake design. This is one way of making sure subtle design elements within the surroundings are carried through your design concept. Oh and the ombre colouring (shaded from light to dark) is just pure genius. For more ombre inspiration see these posts pinks, purples, blues. Image from The Knotty Bride.
3: A simple round, two-tier cake adorned with grey pearls. Image from Flour Fancies.
4: This cake is another with a fabric-like, tactile texture to it. The contrast of the square design and round lace-doily like pattern looks fantastic. Image from Sweet and Saucy Shop.
5: A stylish cake with grey ribbon like detailing wrapping around the cake from top to bottom. Image from Project Wedding.
6: Finally this grey and white round cake which looks like it adorned with hundreds of tiny pearl beads is another great example of how a simple style can look so incredibly effective. With a little splash of colour from the sugar flower sat atop the cake. Image credit.

1 & 5: This dessert table is just gorgeous and was created for a wintery styled photoshoot. The cakes have been created to look really tactile, textured and fabric-like. Featuring pattern and detailing such as the sugar flowers which look like they are actually made from silk and buttons. The yarn style cake balls are another touch of genius and I love how the accompanying sweets sit well within the colour scheme by having only those in a neutral colouring. Of course being sat atop the most gorgeously fluffy arran blanket only adds to the warm and cosy feel. Images from Style Me Pretty.
2 & 3: Another visually effective dessert table featuring a range of cake styles as well as little cupcakes, sweets and macarons. I love how these have been styled using delicate vintage glass bowls and jars, the addition of the little wooden chests, which I feel are jewellery boxes, gives this table a real romantic feel. Images from The Trendy Girl.
4: This stunning yellow and grey vintage-inspired dessert table features so many pretty accents. From the visually effective backdrop made from 50 paper rosettes, all of different sizes, to the delicate crystals hanging from the cake stands and the delicate doily patterns. Again all tied together by keeping a simple palette of grey, white and yellows of varying shades. Images from Hostess Blog.

I hope these ideas inspire you to get a little bit creative with your cake design and don’t forget if you need more advice on choosing your wedding cake you can see this post I featured a little while back.

Styled dessert tables are just one of the services I offer so please do get in touch if you need a helping hand coming up with a design, or someone to style the whole thing for you.

Michelle xx

Tags: Cake Design, canapes, cocktails, Dessert Bar, Food and Drink, Ideas, nibbles, Recipes, Styling Inspiration, Sweet Table, Tipples and Treats, Wedding Cake, Wedding Inspiration

Tipples and Treats: Winter Berry and Plum

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– November 11, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

Rounding off this Berry and Plum themed week on Pocketful of Dreams are two mouthwateringly delicious recipes. They are so perfect for the wintery season that just looking at them is giving me visions of log fires, soft twinkly candlelight and thick arran knitwear. This vision is of course only complete if you can lounge the night away in THIS living room. Mmmmm cosy.

First up we have this rustic and ragged Plum Crostata. Just look at all that golden crust and oozing plum goodness, this is down and dirty food at it’s best. No heirs or graces just heartwarming and wholesome.

If you don’t know what a Crostata is then let me enlighten you. It is simply a ‘tart’, although you bake it freeform on the grill tray and not in a tart pan. You just roll out the buttery pastry, fill it with a tart fruit of choice, then fold the edges up and over your filling partway to create a type of edging, it doesn’t have to be neat, in fact the more raggidy the better.

And what could be any more delicious to wash this down with than a Mulled Berry Punch. Oh my. Mulled wine has to be my favourite tipple for the winter season, and I don’t care that I end up with red-stained-sugar-coated teeth by the end of it. It’s totally worth it. The addition of winter berries gives an added fruity kick to this winter-time classic.

Plum Crostata with Lemon Thyme

What you need:

130g / 1 cup of plain flour
40 g / one-third cup of wholewheat flour
100 g / half cup of sugar
2g / half teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
Double cream
85g / 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups of sliced and pitted ripe sugar plums or mix of other plums (about 1 1/2 pounds before pitting)
22g / 1 and a half tablespoons cornflour
1 small bunch lemon thyme

How-To:

In a food processor whiz up the two types of flour, 1 tbsp sugar and half teaspoon salt until blended.
Lightly beat the egg and add to a cup, top up with just enough cream to get to 1/3 cup. Lightly whisk the egg and cream together.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse to break up the butter. Do not over-process. Drizzle the egg mixture over the dough and pulse until it just starts to come together but is still mostly large crumbs.
Put the dough on the counter and knead to make one uniform piece. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch round (it can be ragged, the more ragged the more rustic it’ll look). Transfer to a trimmed baking sheet and chill while preparing the filling.
Toss together the plums, all but a tablespoon of the remaining sugar, a pinch of salt and the cornflour. Pile fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Gently fold the pastry over the fruit, pleating to hold it in (sloppy is fine). Brush pastry with cream. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top, with the thyme.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Remove the thyme branches (some leaves will cling; you want this). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8

Credit: Adapted from recipe by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Image credit: The good wine guru

Mulled Berry Punch

What you need:

2 bottles good red wine ~ I like to use Chianti
50ml of brandy
200g caster sugar
1 large orange
6 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways
200g mixed berries

How-To:

Pull the peel off the orange and break up into chunks then squeeze out all the juice
Place the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat and pour over the orange juice adding the peel
Add the cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg vanilla to the pan then stir in enough wine to just cover the sugar. This is the part where we’re making the basenote of the drink so don’t use all the wine at this stage.
Let this simmer away until the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil for a few minutes until you have a thick syrup mixture, this should take around 5 minutes max.
Now turn the heat right down and add the rest of the wine, brandy and mixed berries, let it all gently heat through and ladle into heatproof glasses or big mugs.

Ah Christmas in a glass. I am now so hungry I want to eat my desk, or my arm, or my lamp. Erm I think I better go get some food.

I hope you’ve enjoyed another delicious Tipples and Treats feature, you’ll find lot’s more of them here, don’t forget if you have a recipe to share, an idea for a special treat or just amazing food photography then please do send them along to me as I’d love to feature you. You can email me here michelle{@}pocketfulofdreams.co.uk with your recipes, pictures and interesting soundbites. Or should that be foodbites?! Nom, Nom, Nom.

Michelle xx

Tags: Berry Mulled Wine, canapes, cocktail recipe, cocktails, dessert, Food and Drink, Ideas, nibbles, Plum and Berry, Plum Crostata, pudding, Recipes, Tipple and Treats, Tipples and Treats, Wedding Food, Wedding Inspiration, wintery food

Tipples and Treats: The Gold Edition

michelle@pocketfulofdreams.co.uk

– October 28, 2011Posted in: Tipples & Treats, Weddings & Parties

I really hope you have enjoyed this week’s golden theme, if you missed it I featured a gilt-filled inspiration board, an exclusive Golden Eyes beauty tutorial and a round-up of golden DIY ideas to make your party pop with a little gold-flavoured shimmer and sparkle.

Today we’re talking food and did you know? ~ Gold does not have to be confined to the decor, you can eat it too!

Edible gold leaf is a natural food additive that has no flavour and is feather light so can be used to garnish both food and drinks.

Here I have two ideas to share, firstly a Tarte Chocolat, garnished with gold leaf, and to accompany this sumptuous and decadent dessert we have an equally mouthwatering cocktail, the Golden Snowball. Mmmmm. Perfect for a winter wedding and also a perfect excuse for a little indulgence at home too.

Image credits: Un Dejeuner de Soleil

Tarte Chocolat Recipe

Described as light, non-greasy, with creamy chocolate and a crunchy base. This recipe has been adapted from the blog Un Dejeuner de Soleil.

Sweet Tart Chocolate (serves 6)

Sweet dough (Hermes)
- 150 g butter
- 30 g ground almonds (or hazelnuts)
- 90 g icing sugar
- The flesh of half a vanilla pod
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2 g of sea salt
- 250 g flour

Chocolate Ganache (Conticini)
- 170 g dark chocolate (ideally cover and 70% cocoa)
- 30 g of milk chocolate (ideally cover and 40% cocoa)
- 150 g semi-skimmed milk
- 150 g cream
- 1 whole egg (50 g)

1. The day before, prepare the sweet pastry: work the butter to make it smooth, then add ingredients one by one in sequence to form a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
2. The next day, roll out the dough to 5mm thick and place in a buttered pan or buttered Tart dish having much dough to adhere to the walls. Refrigerate at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 170 ° C and bake the dough white, covered with baking paper and baking beads (or dried legumes: chickpeas …) about 15 minutes (12-13 minutes if it is tartellettes). Brown and cool.
3. Prepare the ganache. Combine the two chocolates, chop and place in container. Boil the milk and cream. Pour in two of the chocolates and turn to melt. Then incorporate the egg and mix again. The ganache will make semi-liquid. Pour the ganache into the bottom of baked dough (a few millimeters from the edge). Bake at 150°C for twenty minutes (even less). The cream should freeze but still remain shaky. Let cool and serve warm.

Image Credit: NNI Group

Golden Snowball Cocktail Recipe

By Master Mixologist Francesco Lafranconi of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, courtesy of NNI Group.

1 1/2 oz. Absolut Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Marie Brizard White Creme de Cocoa
3/4 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream
Edible Gold Petals/Flakes

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish: 23K Gold Petals and shaved white chocolate.

Enjoy and do tell me if you try these recipes out, or even better send me an invite, I’ll be round like a shot.

Michelle xx

Tags: canapes, chocolate recipe, Chocolate Tarte, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Food and Drink, Golden Snowball, Ideas, nibbles, Recipes, Tipples and Treats, Wedding Inspiration

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Tipples & Treats Archive

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Fancy a tipple?

Let’s not forget the all important recipe (Thanks to Kellogs for this one)

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

Note

INGREDIENTS

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Plum Crostata with Lemon Thyme

What you need:

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Tarte Chocolat Recipe

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