Christmas tree marshmallows for minted hot chocolate

Last year I made my first marshmallows - they were vanilla-flavoured and rolled in shredded coconut and cut in cubic shapes to mimic igloo blocks. That was for my son's Pingu themed birthday party last summer.
The marshmallows was quite a success and for me - relatively easy and straightforward to make. So they have been on my to cook list for quite a while.
Last Christmas I was thinking of a drink gift for the teachers and came up with the idea of mint-flavoured hot chocolate with marshmallows. Then the image of a hot cup of warm chocolate with floating green Christmas-tree marshmallows inside just popped into my mind and I knew what I was going to make.
Besides mint and chocolates are one of my top flavours for chocolate.
So here we go - I got the mini-Christmas tree cookie cutter I've got (I've got lots of cookies cutters) out of the cookie cutter storing box, prepared the gelatine, sugar and the mint essence, put the mixer on stand by and rolled up my sleeves.

The time needed until leaving the marshmallow mixture to dry is about 15-20 minutes. Setting time might take between 6 hours to overnight.
Well, cutting the actual shape of the marshmallows is a bit fiddly as they are stubbornly sticky and I had to wash the cutter every 5-6 cut shapes. So the final time would vary.

Recipe

Covers one 30x40 cm raised-edge oven tray - the thickness of the marshmallows is about 0.5 cm. If you need them thicker - use a smaller and deeper dish.

114 g powdered gelatin

90 ml water

1/2 tbsp mint extract

1 cups sugar

75 ml water

100 g golden syrup

1/4 tsp salt

green food colouring

rice four 

confectioner's sugar

Method

Sprinkle the gelatin in the cold water and leave to soak and absorb the water - 10 minutes. Then heat the mixture for a very short period - 1-2 minutes in bain marie or twice for 5 seconds in a microwave oven until it liquefies. Set aside.

In the meantime - the 10 minutes - combine the sugar, water, golden syrup and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil until it reaches the soft ball stage - 115 degrees C. 

Remove from heat and transfer to a bigger bowl. Add the liquefied gelatin and start mixing with a hand mixer at high speed for some 8 minutes. The mixture will expand absorbing air and change colour to opaque white and consistency to light and fluffy. At that stage add the mint extract and the colouring.

Line a the biscuit tray with parchment paper and spray with oil.

Transfer the mixture to the tray and leave for between 6 hours to overnight.

On the next day using oiled cookie cutter cut the desired shapes and roll into mixed rice flour and icing sugar.

Store in airtight container and sprinkle some over your hot chocolate, coffee, or even tea! :)

Strawberry Lemonade

It's mid June already and the British summer is still difficult to spot. It's breezy, quite cool, rainy and sunshine is scarce and sporadic. And so the piles of suncream tubes and bottles in the stores look a bit out of proportion.

But the summer is somewhere out there - you can sense it by the people wearing sleeveless tops, cropped pants and shorts, flip flops and sandals, picnic rugs and of course by the smell of British strawberries which are finally in season.

It's finally that time of the year when the strawberries have conquered the stores piled in their neat little punnets and bursting with fragrance, colour and flavour. It's even more astonishing when compared to the rest of the *seasonal* fruit which, let's face it, are like made of plastic - no taste, no fragrance.

But strawberries are different - they are real and at their best at the moment - they just have to be enjoyed.
And why not try a all natural summery refreshing drink with a hope to attract the summer? I am talking about strawberry lemonade.



It can be served over ice and sweetened with brown sugar or honey to taste with a slice of lime for its exotic warming aroma which always reminds me of a hint of cinnamon.

Do give it a go!

Strawberry Lemonade

Products:

(serves 6-8)

300 g fresh strawberries

the freshly squeezed juice of 6 medium lemons (or 4 large) 

1/2 cup light golden sugar

1.250 l water

fresh mint leaves 

1-2 limes to garnish 

Method:

Squeeze the lemons and blend the strawberries in a blender. Dissolve the sugar in the water.

Combine the lemon juice, water and strawberries in a bowl and stir until homogeneous.

Decorate with the mint leaves and limes.

Serve over ice or with pieces of fresh strawberries. 

Enjoy!

Masala chai - India's best kept secret - Масала чай

Scroll down for the recipe in English

Масала чай, гарам чай, чай лате - все имена на една и съща напитка - подправен чай с мляко. Този чай вероятно е най-добре пазената тайна на Индия, но не защото хората не знаят за него, а понеже едва ли биха били особено ентусиазирани да го опитат. А истината е, че напитката ужасно много си заслужава. Откакто спрях да пия кафе преди три години ми липсваше богатия вкус на капучиното, но не можех да си представя чай с мляко... просто не ми звучеше логично и заслужаващо доверие, какво да говорим за нещо повече - примерно подправки.
Но добре, че вкусовете, нагласите и предразсъдъците се менят, та в едно кафе случайно попаднах на чай лате - невероятно ми хареса. Рецептата, която използвам е на Арти от SoulCurry, която беше така любезна да я сподели. Пропорциите са нагласени за моят вкус, и естествено подлежат на донагласяне.

Cooled Green Tea with a hint of Roses - Студен зелен чай с аромат на рози

Рецептата на български по-надолу:


I have always wanted to make some special home-blended fancy drinks but there's never been time for this, up until now.
I still have that bottle of rosewater that I used in the Rosewater Muffins recipe and I thought how good it will be to add a couple of drops of it to a refreshing green tea drink? Mmm. A really lovely result, well at least if you fancy rosewater.
I love using rosewater, might it be because of its aroma so different from the fragrant vanilla that is so popular in baking, or be it for its sweet flower scent and delicate perfume. Or who knows what other reason.

The boost for me to actually make the drink was the Potluck meeting of London food bloggers, where we had to bring a home-made dish and a drink and where I met so many wonderful people!

To do the drink, I used:

1.75 litres cold water
4 tbsp dried leaves organic green tea
3 full tbsp honey, but actually if should be to taste (I do not like it too sweet)
2 cupfuls of rosewater or around 8-10 ml

optional - twist of lemon

Method:

In a jug place the tea leaves, cover with the cold water and leave for 5-6 hours. Cold water will make the tea less strong.
When the tea is ready, dissolve the honey in it and finish with the rose water.
Then pour and enjoy!

Add ice cubes if needed :)

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Имам си аз още онази бутилчица розова вода, която използвах в рецептата за мъфини с розова вода и още търся по какъв начин да я употребя изцяло.
От друга страна, винаги съм искала да направя някакви специални домашно приготвени напитки с интересни съставки, но досега не мис е удаваше възможност. Обаче наличието на зелен чай на листенца и бутилката с розова вода ми даде идеята.
А причината да я осъществя най-накрая беше една среща на лондонските фуд блогъри, на която ходих и където се запознах с толкова много приятни хора.

Поради някаква причина ми харесва да използвам розова вода, може би е заради различния й мистичен аромат, заради това, че ухае на цветя; че е толкова различна от другите аромати, на които сме свикнали в сладкарството, като например ванилия; или кой знае по каква друга причина.

За студения чай използвах:

1.75 л студена вода
4 супени лъжици зелен чай на листенца
3 големи лъжици мед
2 капачки розова вода - около 8-10 мл

по желание - няколко капки лимон


В кана се слагат листенцата чай и се заливат със студената вода. Оставя се да престои около 5 часа. Студената вода няма да направи чая толкова силен, колкото ако се използва топла.
Когато напитката е готова, се разтваря меда и се завършва с розовата вода.
По желание може да се добавят кубчета лед :)

Summer night beach cocktails