Violet Honey Syrup

Violets are one of my most beloved flowers.

I adore their fragrance, their beauty & their capacity to heal.

I have learnt to make a magical potion this winter- violet honey syrup.

It tastes delicious & it is also very helpful for coughs & sore throats. 

Such simple little fragrant flowers that come in many colours & forms.

A basket-full of violets smells like heaven, to me.

I was very glad to come across the recipe for violet honey paste a month or so ago when Rob had a cough that woke him through the night. 

 I made the paste just as was described & have now made it again & again & each time tweeked the recipe a little more.

I have discovered that these delightful Parma violets are the easiest to pick & the most fragrant of all.

I got the best results by using my simple old "whizz stick".

Each batch has been a little different but in the end I have decided that simple is best:

1 cup of packed violets
1 cup of clover honey, or other light coloured honey. Raw & local is even better.
juice of a large lemon
Blend all together until smooth
Pour in to a clean jar & store in the freezer.
Enjoy a spoon full at a time for coughs & tickly throats or just because its delicious.

Yummy on porridge.

And amazing in this simple little violet honey & guava mousse.

After making some guava jelly in early winter I pushed the fruit through a sieve, sweetened the pulp & popped a bag or two in to the freezer. 

To make the mousse I added a tbsp or so of the violet honey in to the defrosted guava pulp,

stirred in some cream & thick, creamy Greek yoghurt, soaked 2 tsps of gelatine in a little water for 5 minutes, dissolved the gelatine over gentle heat- stirred it in to the guava mixture & popped it in the fridge to set. That simple!

You can also find the violet syrup & cheesecake recipe here.

And the violet jelly & other cheesecake here.

Katie xx

Best Cheese Scones

Well, thanks to my lovely friend & magnificent cook Suzanne we now make fabulous cheese scones in our house.

Here is our slightly adapted recipe:

Pre heat oven to 220 degrees celsius

2 cups organic spelt or wheat flour
2 tsps baking powder
Sift flour & baking powder together, then add:
1 1/2 cups grated vintage cheese
1/2 c grated butter
2 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

3/4 c slightly warmed full cream milk

Mix all the dry ingredients together then make a well in the centre- pour in the milk & work the whole lot together.

Knead a little in the bowl- to save mess, until you have a really nice smooth, cogent texture.
Tip out on to a very lightly floured baking paper lined baking sheet.

Cut in to 8 or so pieces & separate.
Sprinkle over extra cheese.

Bake for 10- 15 minutes until crisply golden brown.

Serve with loads of butter.

Original recipe came from The Ministry of Food Cafe in Wellington- you may prefer to make their version:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/69193940/recipe-ministry-of-food-cheese-scones