Fruit & Flower Infused Alcohol ~ Now is the Time to Start!

In my last post I mentioned an alcohol tasting session that spontaneously broke out at my sister’s house when someone brought along a bottle of blackberry gin which, of course we all politely tasted.

Naturally this prompted the opening of some delicious Damson Vodka my nieces had made a year or two back, followed by 12 year old Sloe Gin made by my late father, which was beautiful.

Next came some Limoncello and then, in keeping with the fruity scheme, Calvados. As this was less sweet than the others we all felt the Calvados should have been first so probably need to have another go soon and do the thing properly.  It’s OK, by the way, we used tiny little glasses!

Anyhoo this pleasant evening got me thinking that I really should give fruit (and flower) infused beverages a mention as it’s time to get started on some of these.

Firstly then, as the time really is Now to start on this ...

Elderflower Cordial or Champagne

Elderflowers are flowering even as I type so on a lovely sunny day (you want the flowers to be dry and fragrant) go and pick some and make cordial or champagne. 

For the cordial ...

20-25 large dry elderflower heads
(some open flowers, some still in bud, not much stalk, shaken to remove insects)
1 ltr water
900g white sugar – granulated or caster
4 lemons (or 3 lemons and a lime or 2 lemons and an orange)

~   Bring the water to the boil.
~   Put the sugar into a large bowl and pour over the boiling water, stir to dissolve.
~   Grate the zest (brightly coloured outer skin only) from the citrus fruits and add to the syrup.
~   Slice the fruits and add those too.
~   Leave to cool.
~   Add the thoroughly examined and picked over elderflower heads.
~   Cover and set aside for 48 hours.
~   Strain carefully and gently through a nylon sieve lined with clean muslin down through a funnel  into clean, sterilised bottles.
~   Keep in a cool dark place for 6 weeks or freeze in ice cubes for several months.

Elderflower Champagne is a little more complicated so I think I will direct you to an expert in this field  where you will also read about a usual technique known as “forking off”! Alternatively just dilute your homemade cordial with sparkling wine.

Moving on, the next item that needs your consideration as soon as possible is ...

Rumpot/Rumtopf 

I have written about this gorgeous rum concoction before - here. 

This is made from a variety of summer fruits as they come into season which some are doing right now.

Cherry Bounce 

This is a delicious variation on Rumpot using cherries – did you guess?

In September you can get on with all sorts of delicious drinks based on the following simple recipe ...

Blackberry/Damson/Sloe Gin/Vodka

500g fruit (sloes, blackberries or damsons)

250g sugar
1 ltr gin or vodka – but 2 empty bottles!

~   Sloes and damsons will benefit from either being pricked with a darning needle (if such things still exist!) or frozen and thawed so that they split – either way helps release their juices into the booze.

~   Divide the fruits and sugar between the two bottles and top up with the gin or vodka.
~   Seal tightly.
~   Put the bottles in a cool, dark place and give it a good shake every day or so until you are sure that the sugar has completely dissolved.
~   After about 3 months carefully strain the liquid from the fruit (through a scaled muslin) and decant into clean and sterile bottles.
~   Leave it alone for as long as you can – a few months at least but, as our experience with Daddy’s 12 year old sloe gin proves, several years is a good idea.

  

Limoncello 

Make Limoncello any time you like - the recipe is here.

Calvados 

This probably better bought in but here's recipe for Blackberry and Apple Vodka.

An Easy Way to Sterilise Bottles

An hour or so before making or decanting your drink wash and rinse the bottles and put them on their sides in the oven.  Turn the oven on to 160ºC/325°F/140ºC fan/gas 3 for 10 minutes then turn it off and leave the bottles in there till cool. Metal lids can be boiled.

In Other News ...

We went for a glorious walk along the coastal path from Caerhays the other day – it’s a part of the coast I’ve never explored and was very, very lovely.

10 Gorgeous Ideas for the Blackberries you just Picked!

These delicious ideas for blackberries work just as well, of course, if you bought the berries from the supermarket but it is so satisfying (and free) to forage for them yourself!

We recently discovered a lovely footpath not far from our home with all sorts of interesting old waterwheels and other abandoned buildings hidden away amongst the somewhat industrial landscape of clay country, where we live.


We’ve been back several times just to walk and explore but particularly now while the blackberries are ready for picking, all clean and undisturbed being far from the road. I have really stocked up.  Now what shall I do with them? 

Blackberry and Apple Thing
obviously!

Could be a crumble, a pie, a cobbler or, as we had just now a sponge pudding.  For 4 people put 750g fruit (in this case sliced apples with stemmed and washed blackberries) in an ovenproof dish.  Add the appropriate topping and bake.

Crumble Recipe

240g plain flour

160g cold butter or margarine

120g sugar

~   Preheat oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.

~   Rub in the flour and butter till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

~   Stir in the sugar.

~   Put peeled and sliced apples and some blackberries in a pie dish.

~   Sprinkle over the crumble mix.

~   Bake till the fruit is hot (and cooked, if using raw) and the crumble is golden.

Cobbler  Recipe

So called, apparently, because the scone dough resembles a cobbled street!

225g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
60g cold butter or margarine
25g caster sugar
100ml milk

~   Stir together the flour, salt and baking powder.
~   Add the butter or margarine and “rub in” with your fingers until a breadcrumb texture is achieved.
~   Stir in the sugar once you have finished rubbing in; if you add it earlier it’s uncomfortable on the hands although, of course, it does exfoliate.
~   Add the milk and mix in, by hand is easiest, add a little more milk if too dry or a little more flour if too wet – work just enough to form a soft dough.
~   Either form into rough dollops or on a floured surface press or roll the dough out to about ½” thick and cut into rounds.

~   Lay the pieces of dough on top of the fruit and bake till risen and golden and wonderful.

This picture shows an apple and raspberry cobbler I made whilst wiring The Secret Life of Scones which gives an amazing range of delicious things that can be made with this dough.

Blackberry Pie

Just stick some pastry on top and bake it!

Sponge Recipe

75g soft butter

100g caster sugar

100g self-raising flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten with ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp boiling water

~   Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~   Cream together the butter and sugar till light in both senses; pale and fluffy.
~   Briskly stir in the egg mixture plus 1 tbsp of the flour (this helps prevent curdling).
~   Fold in the rest of the flour and then the boiling water at the last minute.
~   Spread lightly on top of the fruit and bake till it is risen and golden and bounces back when (if) you poke it – about 40 minutes.

Serve all these darlings hot with custard or cold with cream, clotted cream or ice cream.

Blackberry Pancakes

See here for how to make pancakes without even having to buy the mix!

  

When cooking them sprinkle blackberries onto surface of the pancake just after pouring and then drizzle over a little more batter. This protects the fruit from the harsh heat of the pan.

Blackberry Mess

I mean this in a nice way, a great autumnal variation on the Eton variety. Simply fold crushed meringues and blackberries into whipped cream plus an optional drip of vanilla extract.

Blackberry Coulis

It is said that the word “coulis” either referred to ‘the juices that flow from meat when cooking’ or that it came from the Latin verb to strain. These days, however, it is just a posh word for fruit purée. 

fresh blackberries (de-stalked and washed)
sugar (approximately half the weight of the fruit)

~   Put the prepared blackberries in a small saucepan.
~   Add the sugar.
~   Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat giving the berries a helpful squash now and then.
~   When the fruit is soft and collapsed strain through a fine nylon sieve pushing on the debris to extract as much coulis as poss.
~   Cool, cover and chill till needed.

Drizzle on ice cream, top with fizzy water for an different sort of cordial ...

... or make ice cream.

Blackberry and Clotted Cream Ripple

I use the clotted cream ice cream recipe from my ice cream book because these being Cornish blackberries, it felt appropriate.  See Luscious Ice Cream without a Machine for 100+ ices based on this one simple recipe.

250ml clotted cream
250ml single cream
200g condensed milk

150ml blackberry coulis

~   Slowly whisk together the two creams till merged and then up the speed and whisk till thick.
~   Fold in the condensed milk.

~   Decant the mixture in a shallow container and drizzle over cold blackberry coulis in a figure of 8 or any other enthusiastic swirly shape.

~   Stir it through just once or twice making sure to do a large expansive sort of stir down to the bottom and out to the sides of the ice cream. 

~   Freeze.

This is a little hard when it comes out of the freezer but quickly softens. When the ice cream is served the cutting, scooping and spooning will cause it to ripple further.

Blackberry Sorbet

Blackberry sorbet recipe here and here's details of my sorbet & granita ebook which gives lots of sorbet recipes. 

Blackberry and Apple Vodka

This is an experiment. I really don’t like gin except when it is sloe gin so I have made plenty of that over the years.  Last year I also made a batch of blackberry gin and it too is delectable. This year I am going to make blackberry and apple vodka – it should work. This is what I am doing ...

300g blackberries

1 peeled, cored and coarsely chopped apple

300g sugar

1 ltr vodka

~   Put all the fruit into a large sterilised jar – a Kilner or similar.

~   Add the sugar and the gin.

~   Seal tightly.

~   Put in a cool, dark place and give it a viddy sherrek (Cornish for good shake) every day until you can discern that the sugar has completely dissolved.

~   Leave it alone for as long as you can – a few months at least, but apparently the longer it sits the better it is and we are talking years here.

This is the blackberry gin that I made last year – if you look carefully you will see I took the trouble to store it in a bottle with blackberries on it!

If you can’t decide what to do or, like me, have loads of blackberries you’ll be pleased to know they freeze very well. One nice idea is to freeze some in ice cubes for pretty drinkipoos later.

Alternatively just drop frozen blackberries into your drink to chill and flavour it.

If you do have a lot of apples there is loads of info here.

More ideas for blackberries, apples and for 450 or so other possible gluts or leftovers in my book, Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.

P.S.  I think I might make blackberry brandy too!

(Accidental) Toffee Apple Ice Cream

A few days ago I wrote about making windfall apple sauce and then baking with it and I mentioned that I’d made a ”terrible mistake” whilst preparing the batter. 

What I did wrong was mis-read 37.5g of apple sauce as 375g of apple sauce which I had mixed with 90g of soft dark brown sugar and 50g of golden syrup before I noticed my mistake. The result looked like this …

… and tasted far too good to throw away. As a consequence of this I’d had “a good idea”.

My cunning plan was to make Toffee Apple Ice Cream based on the easy peasy recipe in my book Luscious Ice Cream without a Machine. Now, it is going to be tricky to give a recipe seeing as it was something I made by accident, and it also includes a surprise ingredient, but bear with me.

Accidental Toffee Apple Ice Cream!

500g double cream

30ml Todka - optional

200g condensed milk - the dulce de leche variety would be ideal

200ml apple sauce (if homemade use brown sugar)

~   Whisk the cream till thick together with the optional Todka.

~   Fold in the rest of the ingredients.

~   Freeze.

You will have noticed the surprise ingredient; Todka - a Cornish Toffee Vodka drink from Newquay of which I have a few miniatures. It is delicious on its own or over ice but this seemed an ideal vehicle for it.  

Homemade ice cream can really benefit from a tad of alcohol; explanation, details, quantities and suggestions in my aforementioned book together with lots of other into and ideas which will help you make up all sorts of ice creams with leftovers and accidents.

For lunch pudding today I had a piece of the Applesauce Cake I made a few days ago filled with the ice cream and topped with a few pieces of crunchy dried apple skin(!) which was not my idea – I got it from Not Derby Pie. It is an excellent way to not only use up peelings but help stop food waste, save the planet and eat something yummy, all very important to me.

I didn’t have any ideas for the leftover toffee apple sauce stuff so I froze it with some idea of making sorbet or granite with it.  No need – it’s just perfect eaten from frozen, just as it is!

Hopefully that is all I have to say about windfall apples, at least for this year (although I think I've just had another idea!)