NICOLA GALLOWAY
Try something a little different, and quite special this Easter.
After the recent (many days of) rain, the late summer berries are plump and ready to eat. Rain followed by sun has sweetened up the thornless blackberries, along with an early but welcome second flush of raspberries. I wish I knew the name of my raspberry variety to recommend as I think they are quite the best. They fruit in spring and then again in autumn (although early this year), with the second harvest having the best flavour and yield. It began with a few raspberry canes from a local market stall, and with their nature to spread it has now become a sprawling and thriving berry patch.
Most of the fresh-picked berries are eaten fresh as is, not long after harvest, or are great in after-school smoothies. I had to be quick this time to get some into the baking tins. I will also squirrel some away into the freezer for the cool winter days when sun-kissed summer fruit is a real treat.
Berry and chocolate marshmallows
Nicola Galloway is an award-winning food writer, cookbook author and culinary tutor. homegrown-kitchen.co.nz
You can use any aggregate berries here such as raspberries, blackberries or boysenberries to make the berry syrup. They all have a similar moisture level to ensure the correct amount of liquid.
I source my gelatin powder (which I find more convenient than the leaves) from a local bulk food store. It can also be purchased in sachets and tubs from the supermarket – look in the baking section.
I have some Easter egg shaped cutters in my cookie cutter stash. Really, any shape can be used, or go free-form and use a sharp knife to cut out shapes. Using an oval cutter meant there was some waste that I cut into mini-mallows, tossed in a mixture of icing sugar and cornflour and kept in a sealed container for adding to hot chocolates.
You can make this without a thermometer, however, a thermometer does take out the guesswork. If not using one, cook the sugar syrup until it reaches ‘firm ball stage’ (find directions online). Kitchen thermometers are an economical and handy piece of equipment. I use the same one – a barbecue thermometer – to check internal meat temperature, dough temps, and as a candy thermometer.
PREP TIME 40 minutes // COOK TIME 30 minutes MAKES about 16-18 chocolate marshmallows
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1 cup (120g) raspberries or boysenberries
1/₃ cup (80ml) + ½ cup (125ml) water, separated
2 tbsp gelatine powder
1 1/₃ cups (270g) sugar
1/₃ cup (120g) golden syrup or maple syrup pinch of salt
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tsp coconut oil or butter + extra for greasing crushed freeze-dried berries for decorating (optional)
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Lightly rub a sheet of baking paper with butter or coconut oil (a solid at room temperature fat will prevent sticking). Use the paper to line a 20cm x 30cm dish.
Place the berries into a small saucepan with the first measure of water –
¹/₃ cup. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the berries soften, about 15 minutes. Tip the berries into a sieve set over a bowl and use the back of a spoon to press out the juice. (Combine the leftover pulp with a little sugar or honey and use it like jam). You will have about ½ cup berry juice. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Add the gelatine to the cooled berry juice and mix to combine. Set aside to bloom for 10 minutes.
Place the remaining ½ cup of water into a saucepan. Add the sugar, syrup, and salt. Heat over a medium low heat to dissolve the sugar then simmer for about 12-15 minutes until the mixture reaches 115°C (or firm ball stage – see notes). The sugar syrup is very hot so be careful.
Place the bloomed gelatine into the bowl of a stand mixer – or use a large bowl and handheld electric whisk. Start whisking at a medium speed while slowly pouring in the sugar syrup. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume. It will look like thick pink meringue. Tip into the lined dish and spread out evenly. The marshmallow will thicken fast so move quickly here. Cover with a tea towel – not touching the marshmallow – and set aside for 4-5 hours (or overnight) to set.
Once set, hold the paper and transfer the sheet of marshmallow onto a board. Lightly rub a cookie cutter or sharp knife with butter or coconut oil (to prevent sticking) and cut out shapes, using as much of the marshmallow as possible. See notes for what to do with any offcuts.
Melt the chocolate and oil/butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Dip or drizzle the marshmallows with the melted chocolate and place on a rack to set. Scatter with crushed freeze-dried berries (optional). Store the marshmallows in an airtight container in the fridge, separating layers with baking paper to prevent sticking. Consume within 7 days.
Chocolate hot cross bun and butter pudding
If you can possibly tire of toasted hot cross buns with butter, here is a solution. Make them into a bread and butter pudding. The smell of chocolate and spices while they are cooking is reason enough to make it. The best part is the crispy sweet bun edges combined with the soft custard.
PREP TIME
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25 minutes
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COOK TIME
30-35 minutes
4 hot cross buns
50g soft butter + extra for greasing About 3 tbsp apricot jam
1 cup (250ml) milk
½ cup (125ml) cream
3 free-range eggs
3 tbsp sugar or honey + extra for sprinkling ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice pinch of salt
60g roughly chopped dark chocolate
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SERVES
4+
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan bake 150°C). Generously grease a
20 x 25cm baking dish with butter.
Slice buns vertically into thick 1cm slices. Butter each slice and spread lightly with jam. Layer into the dish so the bun slices are overlapping. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and gently heat until foaming on the surface. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar/honey, spices and salt. Slowly add the hot milk while whisking to combine.
Scatter the chocolate over the bun slices then evenly pour over the custard. Leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Scatter with a little extra sugar and place in the oven.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the buns on the surface are lightly crispy and the custard is set – check in the middle as this will be the last to set. Cool for 10 minutes then serve with cream or pouring custard. Leftovers can be chilled and reheated to serve.
Buying the best versions you can afford of the basics you wear daily makes good sense. They might not be the clothes that make the most noise, but there are good reasons to buy well-made items that can be filed under the category of non-basic basics. Let’s start with the style savvy, who are already leaning in that direction. There’s been an influx of noticeably quiet clothes on the catwalks; white shirts and T-shirts, good-looking jeans, straightforward knits (crewnecks, polonecks) and wearable jackets. Theirs might be simplicity with a difference, made from luxury fabrics and cut to ensure that even such wardrobe workhorses are worth paying attention to, but let’s hope it’s an ethos that trickles down, because clothes that are put together properly not only last longer, but they (and you) feel good each time you put them on.
Slip on a Sunspel T-shirt and you’ll see what I mean. The British label that is sold here in New Zealand produces a T-shirt that puts others in the shade. The finish is immaculate, the cut is carefully considered and, magically, these tops seem to get better with wear. But it’s the feel of the thing that makes the biggest impact: It’s 100% cotton but feels as smooth as silk.
Creative director Dave Telfer says that’s partly down to their experience and expertise (they’ve been making T-shirts in their English factory for 87 years) but, “it is also thanks to an obsession with our supply chain. We fully trace our extra-long staple Supima Cotton fibre back to the farm in California which is the only way to truly guarantee the perfect quality we are looking for. It is the length of the extra-long staple fibre that gives the fine and silky feel of the fabric. We also oversee the process of spinning the yarn – we use a unique two-fold yarn for durability – and knitting the jersey. The specific weight of the fabric ensures it’s soft and lightweight but also durable. It will feel soft with every wear for years to come”. Unsurprisingly, Sunspel’s version costs more than the average T-shirt, but then it’s not your average T-shirt.
Is it worth the cost? There’s added value in things that are made to last. Value for the planet if we buy less because we want and need less (less clothes going to landfill and less energy used to make them) and value for your pocket (think about the cost per wear of things you wear weekly, versus the one party frock splurge that gets a couple of outings a year). Of course, value in quality is an ethos that extends beyond fashion. “The sentiment around buying good quality products is as relevant for the jewellery market as it is clothing. We believe in buying less but better,” says Claire Hammon of Auckland-based jewellers Meadowlark. “With highquality jewellery, you never throw it away – it can be made to fit, altered, repaired and refreshed.”
How things wear is not only down to the raw materials, but how things are made in the first place. “A lot of thought and testing goes into our garments, it makes the clothes fit and hang better,” says designer Olivia Cashmore, who has her own shop/workroom in Auckland.
“One of the main things fast-fashion does,” she says, “is skip a lot of steps in manufacturing, but together those steps apply to a properly-made garment.” Fast-fashion requires a quick turnaround and cheap production to fulfil its remit. ʤuality does cost: Even if you’re getting one well-made piece for the price of five fast-fashion items, that might well be a better deal if you want your clothes to last.
The design details intrinsic to well-made clothes exist for a reason: The lining that provides a protective barrier between you and the outer fabric on a pair of trousers makes them less likely to crease or seat; small stitches take longer to sew but they are less likely to snag and break. If a button is bound and anchored properly, it won’t fall off in the wash. There’s merit in good quality items that you’ll want to wear over and over. Wouldn’t it be good if that was a catwalk message that stuck?