The British Larder Inspirational recipe diary

Home Made Blackcurrant Cordial

For some strange reason I can’t drink neat water so I always need to flavour the water with something slightly sweet and tasty. After another trip to the local PYO …

How to make Culinary Foams, Air and Espumas

Espuma is the Spanish word for foam or froth and is the descriptive word for a technique developed by Ferran Adrià.

A culinary foam consists of natural flavours such as …

What To Do with a Glut of Tomatoes

I have been harping on all summer about my fantastic kitchen garden. We have taken full advantage of a small space and grown as many different fruits and vegetables that …

Rough Puff Pastry

Making puff pastry has always been one of those things that I just simply do not do. Purely because it takes for ever and then I have the fear that …

Ultimate Very Chocolaty Brownies

Chocolaty, gooey, deliciously rich is the only way to describe Catherine’s ultimate very chocolaty brownies. A few months ago the whole support team at work took part in a cooking …

Lemon Curd Tarts

This luxurious and velvety lemon curd recipe is very close to my heart. I have had this recipe for nearly 15 years and it’s been used in many of the …

How To Use Agar Agar

What is Agar agar?

Agar agar is a mixture of several different carbohydrates extracted from seaweed where as gelatine is a substance produced from animal protein.

The unusual and complex …

How To Use Gelatine

Following a conversation with Trish, a regular reader and user of the British Larder, about my usage of gelatine, I was prompted to write a page on the origins and …

Classic Beef Wellington

The classic Beef Wellington, what a stunner of a dish! It’s almost like a complete meal as you have the carbohydrate, protein, sauce and vegetable all in one, I think …

Elderflower Cordial

I have been on the elderflower watch for a few weeks and finally this week they were in full bloom. There were a few bushes by the road side with …

Farmhouse White Loaf

Baking bread is nothing new to me. My aunt lives on a farm and bakes bread everyday. As a child I loved visiting the farm, one of the very familiar …

The Doors Are Open

Wow! Well, after such a wealth of effort and a hectic few months, the doors are finally open to the British Larder, Suffolk! Reality has set in and impaled itself …

Makin’ Whoopee…Salted Peanut Whoopie Pies…

I have not been this excited about mastering a recipe in years! Reading the news paper and Delicious magazines predictions on what’s  ”hot” this year in the line of culinary …

Cinnamon Baked Plums

This recipe is one of the very first recipes that I specially produced for The British Larder.This website has been a dream in the making for a long time. The …

Sweet Short Crust Pastry

Following recipes word for word has been one of my weaknesses in life. However I love to add my own twist and take on recipes, I suppose it’s all part …

The British Larder’s Home Made Christmas Hamper

The British Larder wishes each and every reader a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I love to play and if it means I can play with food …

Banana and White Chocolate Cupcakes with Magical Glittering Cream Cheese Frosting

Four lonely bananas have been lying in the fruit bowl for two weeks now. I’m feeling way too guilty to throw them in the food bin so I  had better …

Chocolate Salami

It’s just a little bit of fun!

There is no raw meat and no baking involved. It’s a fairly simple recipe and I’m sure you would have tried something similar …

Plum Upside Down Cake

The plum season is about to start and it’s amazing how many different varieties of plums are available. I like each for different reasons, some are sweeter than others, some  …

My Signature Jam, Strawberry and Redcurrant

This might sound bizarre, most chefs have a signature dish, mine is a signature jam. This strawberry and redcurrant jam is my star recipe, and I’m proud of it.

The …

Old Fashioned Jam Tarts

This recipe gives me that lovely and overall warm feeling. It’s simple and easy to make but brings back priceless memories of my Grandmother.

We went to visit her during …

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb, Greek Style Salad and Warm Lamb Vinaigrette

Shoulder of lamb is level pegging with belly of pork when it comes to my favourite meat rankings. I simply love the flavour of the shoulder when cooked slowly for …

The Celebration of the Pigs Cheeks

Ever thought of eating pigs cheeks? If the thought ‘oh no not for me’  enters your mind then I advise you to think again. Once we cooked this dish, Ross’s …

Festive Ginger Christmas Cookies; Perfect for Christmas Tree Decorations

Wow…I had so much fun  making these perfectly pretty but rustic festive ginger Christmas cookies. The worst thing was that I was all on my own so it would have …

Apple Snowball

There is a serious chill in the air and if the weather carries on like this we might just have a snow flurry or two on Christmas day. This apple …

Baked Cherry and Almond Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

I have had a serious love affair with cherries since I was a little girl. I remember that the cherry season in South Africa is around Christmas time and how …

A Few Festive Treats with Homemade Sweet Mincemeat

I love making sweet mince pies, it’s the sign for me, that the festive season has arrived. I used to buy the sweet mincemeat from the supermarket until last year …

Banana and Date Loaf

Inhale a deep breath of air; the aroma of freshly baked Banana and Date Loaf caresses your nose and all your senses. My mouth starts to water and the memories …

The Ultimate Cottage Pie

The inspiration for this dish came from my very first couple of weeks working in contract catering. At first, the change  from restaurants to the contract catering world was fierce …

The Perfect Dunking Hazelnut Biscuits

They are crispy and crunchy and that’s exactly what makes these biscuits the prefect dunkers. It’s amazing the kind of topics that make an interesting conversation and those that turn …

Sous Vide Belly of Pork with Soy Bean and Udon Stir Fry

Thanks go to James who has kindly reminded me of this sous vide belly of pork dish that I’m always going on about. He called last week in search for …

Peanut Honeycomb Baked Mascarpone Cheesecake

Baked cheesecake is one on my weaknesses in life. When I was a catering college student, I learned ‘the magic’ of producing baked cheesecakes. I even told my mother, a  …

Cauliflower Soup with Morbier Air Profiteroles

I have always loved the combination of cauliflower and cheese. However I do have a rather sad memory of a cauliflower cheese incident. Dad was accustomed to having his food …

Exquisite Lamb Moussaka

Cooking is my life but it does not necessarily mean that I have to reinvent the wheel every time I get the pots and pans out. As part of my …

Chocolate Fudge Spread

Yum, yum I love this recipe!! It’s brilliant, no additives or preservatives. This chocolate fudge spread recipe takes pride of place amongst my recipe collection. Mum gave it to me, …

Spelt, Honey and Walnut Bread

One of my “new years resolutions” is to bake fresh bread more often. I find it therapeutic and it actually helps me to collect my thoughts and just simply calm …

Velvet Chocolate and Beetroot Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Spread

The rich chocolate with a hint of beetroot is enough to suppress the guilt of indulgence. The fibrous beetroot enhances the richness of the chocolate and makes this recipe truly …

My Treacle Tart Recipe

I’m not the best pastry cook around however I know a good tart when I see one. This treacle tart is simply one of those perfect recipes you know you …

The British Larder Waldorf Salad

Finally  summer has arrived. Out with stodgy hearty meals and in with light but punchy salads. I love classic recipes and this Waldorf salad is  a good old classic but …

Greengage Jam

Roy called this week saying that Dennis’s greengages and damsons were ready to be picked. We had finished our chores so we wasted no more time and we departed post …