Creamy Parsnip Soup and a visit to the Harry Potter studios

Have you ever wondered what Butterbeer tastes like? OK, so you have to be a diehard Harry Potter fan to be asking this question in the first place. During the school half term holidays, we took the children to The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Whilst there we sampled the popular drink consumed by witches and wizards at drinking establishments such as the Leaky Cauldron, the Three Broomsticks and the Hog’s Head. Well, all I’m going to say is that it tastes remarkably like cream soda! It’s an experience not to be missed for Potter fans and I’d highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for Butterbeer but I do have a wholesome recipe for Creamy Parsnip Soup. I tend to associate parsnips with Christmas as that’s really the only time I buy them but I had three largish parsnips in my organic veg box recently that needed to be used. Inspired by the success of my Celeriac Soup, I made this deliciously creamy soup. I think you’ll enjoy it too.

Creamy Parsnip Soup

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

450g parsnips (peeled and chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
1 stick of celery (finely chopped)
½ tablespoon olive oil
600ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
100ml milk
salt and pepper
half fat creme fraiche (optional)

Method

1. In a lidded casserole pan heat the olive oil.

2. Sauté the onion and celery for until soft. Then, add the parsnips and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the hot chicken or vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes until the parsnips are tender.

4. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, return the soup to the pan and stir through the milk on the heat.

5. Then serve with spoonful of creme fraiche and extra black pepper. Enjoy!

Until next time.

Julie
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Celeriac Soup

As vegetables go celeriac is a pretty ugly vegetable, knobbly and gnarly looking it is not that appealing. Celeriac is not a vegetable that I’d normally buy but it so happened to be one of the substituted items in my new weekly organic veg box delivery. However, I’m now completely won over by this overlooked vegetable and its subtle celery taste. I’ve added some milk to this celeriac soup recipe to help bring out the natural creaminess of the vegetable. It really is a delicious soup and is a great way of introducing yourself to this root vegetable, go on give it a go.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1hr
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

650g celeriac (peeled and diced weight)
1 medium white onion (finely diced)
1 stick of celery (finely diced)
½ tablespoon olive oil
600ml hot vegetable stock
100ml milk
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large lidded casserole pan heat the olive oil.

2. Dice the onion and celery, then sauté in the pan until soft.

3. Add the diced celeriac to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 35 minutes, until the celeriac is tender.

5. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, return to the pan and stir in the milk on the heat.

6. Serve in bowls with a scattering of seeds on top. Enjoy with crusty seeded rolls.

Does anyone else have a weekly veg box delivery? If so, do you use a nationwide distributor like Abel & Cole and Riverford or do you have a local provider instead? What do you think about the quality, quantity and selection of vegetables you receive? I’m a little undecided at the moment whether it’s for me, so I’m going to continue for another couple of weeks before I make up my mind.

Until next time.

Julie
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Giveaway: Win The Caravan Trail Teapot and Mug Giftset

The Caravan Trail Fowey Teapot

The Caravan Trail Riviera Mug Giftset

Just in time for Mother’s Day I have an absolutely fantastic giveaway prize, that I think any mum would be thrilled to receive. The generous people at The Caravan Trail are kindly providing one lucky reader the chance to win the Fowey teapot and the Riviera mug giftset from their delightful Riviera collection. The Riviera collection features rich tones and colourful prints inspired by the beautiful Cornish Riviera, an area that I love to visit.

The Caravan Trail Riviera Mug Giftset

The Caravan Trail Fowey Teapot

To be in with a chance of winning The Caravan Trail Fowey teapot and Riviera mug giftset you will need to complete the Rafflecopter entry form and provide an answer to the giveaway question as a blog comment. (Leaving a blog comment is mandatory, so please ensure you follow this requirement to ensure your entry is valid). Once, you have done that there are further chances to win.

Click here to enter the giveaway

The giveaway will close at 00:00 on 9 March 2015 and is open to UK entrants only.

I wish you all the very best of luck.

Julie
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Terms and Conditions:
This giveaway will close at 00:00 on 9 March 2015. Leaving a blog post comment is a mandatory entry option. This prize is offered by The Caravan Trail and I am hosting it on behalf of them. Please note, I am not responsible for posting the prize out or providing it. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received by the Rafflecopter widget. The winner will be notified within 7 days of the closing date. The Caravan Trail will send out the prize within 14 days of the winner providing me with their name and address. The prize is as stated, The Caravan Trail Fowey teapot and Riviera mug giftset, no cash alternatives are available. This giveaway is open to UK entrants only.

Disclosure:
The Caravan Trail are kindly offering the prize to one lucky reader. I have not been sponsored or paid to host this giveaway, although The Caravan Trail have offered to send me the mug gift set. All opinions are honest and my own.

Valentine’s Day Shortbread Biscuits

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us and sometimes it can be tricky to find that perfect gift for your loved one. These Valentine’s Day Shortbread Biscuit recipes from my blog archives are ideal if you want to spoil them with a home baked gift. Buttery and light these shortbread biscuits are sure to melt anyones heart.

Cherry Shortbread Hearts

Chocolate Drizzle Shortbread Hearts

Happy baking and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Julie
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Coconut and Raspberry Jam Loaf Cake

Sometimes only tea and cake will do, you know when it’s been one of those days when things haven’t quite gone your way. This delightful Coconut and Raspberry Jam Loaf Cake is the perfect antidote with a pot of tea. Whilst being big on flavours with a moist coconut sponge with a jammy coconut topping, it really is very simple to make. So pull up a chair and enjoy some tea and cake.

The cake is made using the all in one method, so it really is just a case of throwing it all in the mixing bowl and beating it for a minute or two. Then to make life even easier, which I always do is to use a non stick loaf tin liner from Lakeland. That way there’s no faffing with greasing the tin and cutting out baking parchment.

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 1hr 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Cake
225g self raising flour
175g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
75g dried sweetened coconut*
3 large eggs

Topping
4 tablespoons raspberry conserve or jam
40g dried sweetened coconut*

*I used Sweet & Tender Coconut by Sainsbury’s found in the baking aisle

Method

1. Pre heat your oven to 160c Fan.

2. Line a 2lb loaf tin with a cake tin liner or grease and line with baking parchment.

3. Place all the cake ingredients in a mixer and mix until well combined (about 2 minutes).

4. Spoon the mixture in the lined tin and bake for 1 hour. Check to see if it’s done, if not cover with foil and bake for a further 15 minutes.

5. Once baked allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

6. When the cake is cold spread the raspberry conserve on the top then scatter over the dried sweetened coconut. Enjoy with a cup of tea!

I’d love to know if you try out the recipe. If you do, you can tweet me a picture at @Juliemcpher or alternatively leave me a comment below.

Happy baking.

Julie
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Annabelle Jane Cake School Review

I’ve always wanted to develop my cake decorating skills and learn the art of sugarcraft. My girls birthdays are coming up soon so it was the perfect time for me to enrol in a class ahead of making their special birthday cakes. I booked myself on the Introduction to People Modelling class at the Annabelle Jane Cake School in Maidstone, Kent. The course is designed to teach you how to make a cute baby wrapped in a blanket and an adult sat in an armchair using modelling paste.

I arrived about 15 minutes before the class and was welcomed immediately by Barbara the course tutor. I used that time to have a good look around the amazing shop. I’m hoping my photos do it justice. The shop stocks the most comprehensive range of cake decorating equipment and edible products I’ve ever seen. There is an impressive display of decorated cakes and for those really keen to take their cake decorating more seriously there is a cake club you can join.

I’ve had a go at making cake decorations using ready made fondant icing in the past, some were successful and others not so much. I quickly found out that you need to combine a magic product called CMC or Sugarcel to regular sugarpaste/fondant so that it becomes modelling paste. Now I know this, hopefully my sugar models will retain their shape.

During the class we were given the option to either use a mould or model the faces of our sugar characters ourselves. I decided to have a go at the modelling myself and was pretty pleased that I was able to form a face out of modelling paste.

As the day progressed our models took shape. By far the hardest aspect was painting on the eyes, I could feel myself tensing up because I was concentrating so hard. Painting the features is definitely a skill that requires practice and a lot of patience. Overall, I’m very happy with the models, they aren’t perfect but I had so much fun making them and hope to get better with practice.

I really felt as though I had learnt a lot in one day, I certainly feel more confident about making my own sugar models in the future. If you are looking to learn more about cake decorating and live in the South East of England I highly recommend you check out the Annabelle Jane Cake School.

I want to say a huge thank you to Barbara who was a delightful and knowledgeable tutor, plus thank you to Annabelle who gave me permission to publish the photos of her shop.

Until next time.

Julie
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Disclosure: I paid for the Introduction to People Modelling course myself. I’ve written this review because I wanted to share with my readers my experience. I have not been paid or sponsored in any way for my review by the Annabelle Jane Cake School.