Cook Blogs

Have you ever asked yourself “How can I get my daily caloric intake with just one decadent treat?”  Have I got the answer for you:  Millionaire’s Shortbread.  This is a common treat found in deli’s and supermarkets throughout the UK.  It is one of my favorite treats but I have sadly discovered that it’s incredibly easy to make.  If it’s that easy to make then I’m going to be putting on a lot of weight soon.

Ingredients:
225 g / 2 Cups plain flour
75 g / 3/8 Cup caster sugar
375 g / 3 1/3 sticks unsalted butter
397 g / 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 Tbsp golden syrup
325 g chocolate (Dark or Milk - your preference)
1x 23 cm / 9 inch square brownie tin or similar, greased bottom and lined

Preheat oven to 170^o C / 340^o F
Put the flour and sugar in a bowl and run in 175g (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, clumping the dough together to form a ball. Don’t bother using a spoon or blender - your hands are the best tool for the job! Press the mixture into the tin and smooth it either with your hands or a spatula. Prick it with a fork and cook for 5 mins. Then lower the oven to 150^o C (300^o F) and cook for a further 30-40 mins until it is pale, golden and no longer doughy. Let it cool in the tin.

Melt the remaining butter in the microwave in a large, glass (we’re going to reuse this bowl later) bowl for 2-3 mins.  Add the condensed milk, golden syrup and melted butter into a pan. Whisk the mixture until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Heat on a medium/high heat until it is just at a boil, stirring regularly. Watch that it doesn’t burn. It’s ready when its thickened and a light golden brown. Pour this mixture over the cooled shortbread and leave it to set.

Bring a pot of water up to a boil.  Break the chocolate into pieces. Place the pieces in the glass bowl from earlier and melt.  Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled caramel and leave to set overnight.  Cut, eat, enjoy!

A native species to the UK is the wild garlic - and it’s delicious!  Wild garlic is a springtime favourite in my house and - if you can get it - I’ll show you how to make it a favourite in yours.

Wild Garlic in full bloom

The first part of the fun is the thrill of the hunt.  Wild garlic grows in shady areas and woodlands.  It is usually very easy to spot by it’s distinctive leaves and small white flowers.  It’s mid-April now and, to date, I have not found any wild garlic in bloom so it’s only the leaves that is my visual beacon.  However, if it’s a warm, sunny spring afternoon, it will be another sense that sniffs out this culinary treat.  Be careful as you pick this as the leaves look very similiar to lily of the valley which is poisonous.  As you do pick it, you don’t need to worry about which bits are edible - they all are.  The leaves are the most commonly consumed part of the plant, but the buds, flowers and bulb are all delicious.

Cooking Ideas

Wild Garlic Pesto
Serves about 4
100g Wild Garlic Leaves
3 tbl spoons Pine Nuts
1 tsp Salt
2 tbl spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbl spoon Parmesan Cheese

Blanch the wild garlic in boiling water for about 15 seconds and immediate immerse in a sink of cold/ice water.  Place pine nuts in a frying pan and place over a high heat.  Keep moving the pine nuts and turn occasionally until toasted to a golden brown colour.  Combine all ingredients into a blender until smooth.

Wild Garlic Fish

Choose your favourite fish (I prefer a whitefish with this recipe) and rub with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with a light coating of salt.  Wrap the fish in two or three layers of the wild garlic leaves and bake at 180^oC / 350^oF for about 12-15 minutes (depending on how large the fish is). Garnish with wild garlic flowers.