Persian Love Biscuits

 I came across these Persian Love Cookies just here at heneedsfood the other day and just adored the beautiful presentation! I don't bake a lot of biscuits but these looked so delicious and seemed so simple I decided to make them to celebrate spring.

Very easy to make- I halved the recipe the first time around.

Mine have come out tasting like extra delicious biscotti.

Ingredients:

140 grams of ground almonds

110 grams of sifted icing sugar

1/3 c of dried rose petals (yes, they're fine in the biscuits- I cut mine up)

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg- I grate nutmeg from whole nuts

A teeny pinch of salt

1 tsp rose water 

1 egg white

Mix until it all comes together in a ball

Roll in to balls & then in finely sliced pistachio nuts

Press each ball fairly flat- around 1 cm thick on to baking paper on an oven tray

Bake at 170 c for around 20 minutes

Keep a close eye on them towards the end of cooking- they need to be golden not dark brown!

When cold, ice with this icing:

Make a small amount of strong hibiscus (sabridiffa) tea in a small cup- cool

Strain and stir in to 1/2 cup of icing sugar until the icing is pourable 

Add a splash of rose water

Such a simple way to make glorious rose pink icing without artificial colourings

Decorate the biscuits and the plate and the table, if you like, with edible flowers

I've used lilac, double violets, heartsease, double pink hawthorn, flowering cherry blooms, white soul strawberries, Mme Cecile Brunner roses, granny bonnets and scented geranium flowers.

Dust the whole thing with icing sugar when you're done for a magical feel.

Katie X

Elephant Milk!

Last Christmas, there was an unexpected stall at our Farmers' market run by some parents from Napier Central School. They were selling a book called Neighbourhood Eats. It was so beautifully presented & entirely made by the parents & PTA as a fundraiser. It's a gorgeous book, so we bought a copy. We love to support local endeavours. So.. this Christmas we decided to make the Elephant Milk, from the desserts section.

The recipe was provided by Cameron Huckle- a family favourite from Granny in Zimbabwe.

 Elephant milk has in fact been known to me for quite some time. Only, 40 years ago we called it Lemon Crunch Pie. You can find that recipe just here. One of the easiest dessert recipes ever & almost certainly universally loved. The only difference between Lemon Crunch Pie & Elephant milk is two egg whites & a tweek on the method- so just go with whatever works best for you.

Simply pour a can of sweetened condensed milk in to a bowl, add 300mls of cream, half a cup of lemon juice (preferably a Lisbon type- better flavour & setting effect) & the finely grated zest of the lemon. You can skip the zest if you prefer.

Beat altogether until thick, like whipped cream.

Beat the two egg whites to soft peaks & then fold those through the lemony mixture.

 Now pour in to bowls, tea cups or a large bowl  if you prefer & pop in to the fridge to set, or freeze for a couple of hours or overnight to make ice-cream, or pour over a biscuit base & there you have Lemon Crunch Pie- the easiest cheesecake you will ever make. The mixture can also be layered with crushed biscuits, nuts & custard.

 Since I made this at Christmas I have served this ice-cream with lychees, fresh shredded coconut (that I recently discovered in the freezer at the local Asian shop) White Soul strawberries, a ripe Kawa kawa fruit pulled off the stem & finally a drizzle of Linden honey.

 It tastes absolutely amazing together! But as Felicia was want to say- "If you like that sort of thing!"

 These Linden flowers are from a Silver Linden tree & we found them flowering on Christmas day. Their scent is like nothing else on earth- heady Linden plus deep jasmine notes- steeped in a light honey (I used Tawari) for a day or so & you have a truly magical elixir.

So...either keep it simple, or let your imagination run wild. I did!

Katie X

Glorious Sweet Violet Jelly & Cheesecake

It may seem a bit odd- a whole lot of pictures of flowers in a food blog, but truly it is not. I've come to believe that the presence of violets in the landscape redeems winter beautifully, not to mention that they are the loveliest of medicines. I have posted here about making violet honey syrup- a resource we would now never be without. We have both been irritated by the abundant drenching of the whole province with pine pollen over the last month & heavily relied on the violet honey syrup to get us through the night. It is amazing for soothing a cough- instantly! 

There are several places that we know we can gather wild violets locally: Ellis Wallace road, Keirunga valley- under the oaks & at the top of the Karituwhenua walkway off Te Mata road in Havelock North 

 If you are picking for making violet syrup it's quicker to pull the flowers rather making a bunch of them.

 Every part of the gathering process is a joy- the heady fragrance,

 the visit to the land & the blessing that the plants offer as we gather them with so much respect & gratitude.

And of course, you may find other treasures along the way.

 Violets come in so many pretty hues- all are valuable.

 As long as you have a good proportion of purple the colour comes out much the same.

The syrup, once made, is best stored in small jars in the freezer, but since Rob still had a particularly niggly cough I thought that little jellies might be useful. Useful- they are amazing! 

 I simply set the syrup with a good amount of gelatine. Left uncovered in a little dish in the fridge it lasts for ages or until it disappears!

 After making the violet jelly I wondered what a little cheesecake might be like.
I decided to use a simple base of soft dates & nuts- a mix of flaked almonds, cashews & home shelled walnuts. Didn't take long to come together in my little food processor. I used quite a few dates so I didn't need to add any other sweetening. I added the juice of half a lemon & a tbsp of melted coconut oil & it set to a lovely texture.

 I used a 400ml jar of Raglan blackcurrant & vanilla coconut yoghurt as the middle layer, set with a large dsp of gelatine dissolved in a little juice or water. It's a good idea to mix in some yoghurt  to the gelatine before adding to the rest. Mine started to set too quickly in the cold yoghurt.

The violet honey syrup was also set with a lovely organic gelatine in the same way.

The flavours are just delicious together.

It's amazing how many edible winter flowers that there are- violets, grape hyacinths, forget-me-nots, jasmine & sweet alyssum look lovely with the violet cheesecake.

The other winter flower that is just delicious & works nicely with violets & lemon (or lime) to make an amazing natural fizzy drink is magnolia. You can find how to make Fee just here. 

Love Katie xx

Elderflowers- Jelly & Fizz

Every October I start looking out for the first elderflowers.

 I just adore the sweetly scented bridal flowers.

They are also lovely medicinal plants- both the flowers & the berries being good medicine.

I am often drawn to posts with recipes for using the fragrant flowers, but when I look further I realise that they are really quite impractical- fritters & sugary cordials don't particularly work for me as useful food.

However, healing jellies & elderflower fizz certainly do!

So here is our simple little recipe for making both, in small batches, using 1 litre Agee or Mason jars.

As soon as the elders begin to flower we keep our eyes peeled for accessible bushes.

And gather just what we need- a little at a time.

This way we can make a dozen batches over the flowering season.

So- to a large Agee jar add 6-8 flower heads (no leaves & no washing- just shake the flowers out a little to dislodge any insects) & the juice of a lemon.

Add some lemon slices too, if you like.

Then pour boiling water over the flowers to fill the jar- once it's cooled a little, add a large tablespoon of honey. I'm sure you can use sugar if you like- dissolve it in to the hot liquid.

Pop the lid on & leave to sit for 24- 48 hours.

Strain through a sieve & using a funnel fill a small grolsch (or similar) bottle.

Clip down the lid & leave for 3-7 days.

You can check on the fizz from time to time if you like- it'll re-carbonate itself.

Take care when you take the lid off as it can froth everywhere.

The fizz is created by the action of the natural yeasts & pollens in the flowers.

Adjust the amount of honey to taste.

Chill well before serving.

The other half of the strained liquid is what we use to make elderflower jellies.

The quantity left will fill two small (225ml) Agee or jam jars perfectly.

How to make the jelly:

In a small pot soak 2 level tsps of powdered gelatine in half a cup of the elderflower liquid.

Stir together & then leave to soak a few minutes.

Set over gentle heat & stir to dissolve the gelatine.

Cool, then and in the rest of the liquid.

Taste & add more lemon juice or more honey to taste.

Pour in to the two jars, pop on the lids & in to the fridge they go.

 Perfectly portable, great for picnics & travelling. Lovely with roasted strawberries & yoghurt.
Makes a delicious breakfast or dessert. And best of all, is wonderfully healing & nourishing for the digestive system.

Katie

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