Mulled Wine | Brambly Hedge

Mr Apple and Dusty Dogwood headed the procession, lanterns held high.
‘Roast the chestnuts, heat the wine,
‘Pass the cups along the line,
‘Gather round, the log burns bright,
‘It’s warm as toast inside tonight,’
‘Sang the mice as the log came into view.’
The Secret Staircase (Brambly Hedge)
Jill Barklem

My childhood was spent mainly in middle of the bush in country Victoria. The house I grew up in was surrounded by towering gum trees, with paths throughout them clotted with ferns, wattle trees and numerous rabbit, potoroo and bush mice holes that were waiting to trip someone up.

A childhood pastime was to construct tiny houses outside, beneath the overhanging moss on a garden path or within the hollow of a tree that I’d stumbled over. I still enjoy seeing such houses tucked away throughout Melbourne, where I now live. Neighbours whose children have created little faerie or gnome doors built into the sides of trees or bottle tops hanging from branches (so faeries can swing on them - as a young girl solemnly told me when she saw me admiring them).

Brambly Hedge was a children’s book that let my childhood imagine run wild with theories of how all the animals I saw were living when I wasn’t looking. And how apparently they were all incredible cooks. Rose jam? Oat cakes with rowanberry jam? Syllabub and three tiered wedding cakes? Yes please.

I was gifted a copy of The Complete Brambly Hedge for Christmas this year and with my recent page flick through it - my eyes landed very solidly on song above. More specifically - heat the wine. It’s winter in Melbourne, and it seems to just be rapidly getting colder with icy and biting mornings and nights abound. One speciality that Melbourne seems to do particularly well is mulled wine. Every bar appears cosy and inviting with the scent of cinnamon, oranges and various spices drifting out of the doorway. Promising warmth, comfort and a drink that, honestly, feels like a hug.

On the days when my wallet is low and it’s far too hard to put clothes on that aren’t pyjamas I’ve taken to perfecting my own mulled wine recipe. A lot of the stuff in it is quite interchangeable and it’s super fun to play around with the recipe and get a flavour that you really enjoy.

*Note: A fruity wine is best - but honestly, anything is going to taste pretty great when you cook ti with fruit and spices for ages. 

Mulled Wine
Serves approx. 12 cups
Ingredients
2 x bottle of red wine *see note
2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
10 star anise
2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1 apple, chopped into largish chunks
1 orange
1/2 cup brandy *optional

1. Using a sharp knife, very carefully cut away the zest of the orange until you have around 4-5 strips. The remainder of the orange can be sliced up thinly to be used in the wine later.

2. Place all the spices, the strips of orange zest and the apple juice into a large saucepan and heat on medium until lightly simmering.

3. Add in the chunks of apple, orange slices and both bottles of wine.

4. Leave it to remain on a medium heat - you don’t want it to burn. When the wine begins to simmer and the scent of the spices being to drift from the saucepan you’ll know its ready.

5. If you decide to pop some brandy in - do it around this point, and leave it to heat in the wine for another few minutes.

6. You can either strain all the wine into a new saucepan if you’re planning to have it all at once - or simply strain it off glass by glass (it doesn’t do it any harm with the spices remaining in it). Enjoy hot!

Apple Pie | On the Road

I went to sit in the bus station and think this over. I ate another apple pie and ice cream; that’s practically all I ate all the way across the country, I knew it was nutritious and it was delicious, of course.
On the Road,
Jack Kerouac

On the Road was one of those books that I picked up, as I’m sure many do, because I felt as though it had to be read. I would hear or see it referenced in conversation regarding something pretentious and inwardly curl in on myself in shame that I claimed to be an avid reader - but yet I had not read an apparent great American novel. So I read it. And, honestly, meh. I don’t dislike it - I understand the appeal, I understand the draw of Kerouac’s words and the story he tells. But I never thought it would be one that I would talk up in conversations years to come.

One thing that did stick with me however, is the love of apple pie within On the Road. It is a nutritious staple that screams all-American - and I desperately wanted to capture that in this recipe.

Was it delicious? Yes. Did it capture On the Road? Probably not. I think I would have to be eating slices while hitching my way through the various states of America and chain smoking to really bring about the ideals and emotions that are held within the slices of apple pie in On the Road.

*Note: They don’t have to be Granny Smith - I just always find a tart-y type of apple tastes better in pie.

Apple Pie
Pastry
550g plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
220g butter
185ml ice water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk - for wash
1 tsp melted butter - for wash
Filling
6 large Granny Smith apples *see note
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Pastry

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2. Break the butter into small pieces and sub into the flour mix until it is all combined with no lumps throughout.

3. Make a well in the centre and add in the ice water.

4. Mix well until the pastry comes together with no lumps.

5. Wrap in cling wrap and chill for around thirty minutes before using.

Filling

1. Peel and core apples. Dice the remaining into small cubes around 5cm wide and thick and place into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the apple pieces are all well covered.

Assembling

1. Use oil or butter to grease a 9” pie pan and preheat your oven to 200C.

2. Break your pie pastry into two parts, one slightly bigger portion than the other.

3. Take the bigger portion and on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a circle around 5cm thick and big enough so it will fit into a 9” pie pan (You want it to be thin - but not so thin that it breaks apart when you try to move it).

4. Layer the rolled out pastry onto the bottom of the pie pan, pressing it into the corners so it’s flat against the pan. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the side for the moment.

5. Grab your apple mix and fill the pastry crust - enough so that it reaches the top but doesn’t overflow.

6. Roll out the remaining portion of pastry - this part if up to you. You can either create a lattice top or cover the whole of the pie.

7. Once you’ve done whatever pie top you like, press the edges together, using either your fingers or a fork to firm seal around the edge of the pan. You don’t want this part to seperate as it cooks.

8. Trim the excess pastry from around the edge of the pie pan.

9. Combine the melted butter and milk and brush over the top of the crust liberally.

10. Pop it in the oven and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. Or 50 minutes if your oven is as terrible as mine.

11. Remove then the top is a nice golden brown - enjoy piping hot with ice-cream or cream.

Victoria Sandwich | The Flatshare

'Hi Leon, I don't know - I've not really thought about it like that, actually. My knee-jerk reaction is yeah, he's good for me. But then, I don't know. We were very up and down, one of those couples everyone's always talking about (we've broken up and got back together a few times before). It's easy to remember the happy times - and there were tons of them, and they were awesome - But  guess since we broke up I've only remembered those. So I know that being with him was fun. But was it good for me? Ugh, I don't know.
Hence the Victoria sandwich with homemade jam.
Tiffy xx'
The Flatshare
Beth O'Leary

I think that everybody can appreciate what it’s like to have housemates. Coming home to a house that may already be full of people, the smell of dinner beginning to waft from the kitchen and the scattering of shoes that have to be kicked away from the front door. It’s always a delight when you manage to find housemates that you get along with, whether that be mutual ignorance of each other or a tentative friendship that can grow.

In Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare, main characters, Leon and Tiffy, have a seemingly ideal arrangement. Tiffy works days and has the flat and bed at nights. Leon works nights and has the flat and bed during the days. A somewhat ideal arrangement for a city as expensive as London. The Flatshare is a quirky and charming look into the lives of Leon and Tiffy, through the narration of both their personal lives and the multitude of notes they leave scattered about for each other.

One aspect of The Flatshare that I instantly connected with was Tiffy’s coping mechanisms of baking. Who doesn’t deal with any life issues that way? Had a bad day, bake a cake. It is possibly the best way to deal with any stressful situation. While Leon and Tiffy do tend to favour tiffin (a dessert I had never heard of until this read) I immediately jumped at the chance to try my hand at a Victoria sandwich.

Most of my memories associated with Victoria sandwiches are from my grandma. It was her go to cake - the lightest and fluffiest sponge you could ever imagine, layered with thick cream and fresh berries. Delicious. I may not have created something as good as my memories of my grandma’s version - but this one is pretty damn good.

*Notes: I always use Nuttelex as my butter replacement, but you can use whatever you have handy. Best to make the jam the day before or leave enough time to allow it to cool.

Victoria Sandwich
Ingredients
Cake
550g self-raising flour
350g butter *see note
350g golden caster sugar
400ml milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
70g vegetable shortening, softened
150g butter *see note
3 cups icing sugar
2 vanilla pods, scraped out
Homemade Strawberry Jam
400g frozen or fresh strawberries
2 cups white sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations
Fresh strawberries (or any other berries you want, really)
1 tbsp icing sugar

Jam

1. If using fresh strawberries, mash up before placing them in a saucepan. If using frozen, just add straight into a medium saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice.

2. Keep the saucepan on a low heat, continuously stirring until the sugar is dissolved completely. If you’re using frozen strawberries, begin to mash them down with a fork during this time as they start to defrost.

3. Increase the heat until bubbling lightly. The jam will start to thick and become quite syrupy. Once it reaches the consistency you want, transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to put the cake together.

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, and prepare two 8” cakes tins by greasing them well and placing a a square of baking paper on the bottom.

2. Stir together the apple cider vinegar and milk - leave to sit and curdle for a few moments.

3. In a large bowl cream together the butter and golden caster sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Sift in the flour, baking power and add in the vanilla extract and milk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth with no lumps - but be careful not to over-mix. I did mine in my stand mixer and only mixed it for approx. 2 minutes.

5. Split the batter between the cake tins and place into the oven for 30 minutes. If a skewer inserted into the middle comes out wet, or the middle still looks a little wobbly, leave in for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.

6. After they’ve come out of the oven, leave them in the tins for at least 15 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Leave the cakes to cool completely before attempting to put them together, otherwise the heat will melt the jam and buttercream.

Buttercream

1. While the cake is cooling it’s a great time to make the buttercream. Beat together the shortening and butter until it’s lightly and fluffy, and well mixed.

2. Gradually add in the icing sugar, mixing as you go and the vanilla seeds scraped from the pod.

3. The end result should be a buttercream that’s firm enough to hold the two cakes in place but not so firm it’s hard to spread.

4. If your cakes are properly cooled, it’s time to put it all together. Spread a layer of jam on one cake, and a layer of buttercream before sandwiching them together. You can also put fresh berries between the layers if you like as well.

5. Finish the cake off with a sifting of icing sugar and some berries on top. Absolutely delightful with a cup of tea!

Baked Green Bean Macaroni and Cheese | The Secret Life of Bees

They got under way slicing ham, laying out fried chicken, shaking paprika on the deviled eggs. We had green beans, turnips, macaroni and cheese, caramel cake - all kinds of funeral food. We ate standing in the kitchen holding paper plates, saying how much May would have liked everything.
The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd

I absolutely tore through The Secret Life of Bees. I think it wouldn't have taken me more than three days to read it from start to finish. There's something just so comforting about the book, it encourages you to keep reading and at the end manages to practically wrap your mind in a layer of warmth. Not to mention - the food. Every type of southern style comfort food imaginable must be mentioned throughout this book, be warned, you will spent a good amount of time hungry while reading.

I felt torn on what to make from it's pages, and likely will go back to try more from it. It wasn't until I was wondering through the local farmer's market the other day and came across fresh green string beans that I decided on what would be my dinner that night. My life has been at a bit of standstill recently, after graduating last year I've been faced with that awkward in-between of being a recent graduate and trying to find work in an appropriate field. I have a bad habit of medicating that feeling of crawling anxiety with comfort food.

Within the book, a death occurs, and like with many funerals an attempt is made to comfort the family of the deceased with platters of comfort food. What better to draw inspiration for when I needed a sense of comfort myself?

*Note: if you are using dairy cheese/milk/butter for this, the nutritional yeast will not be totally necessary (though it is delicious). It's super useful when creating a dairy free cheese sauce as it has a incredible cheesy/savoury flavour to it. 

Baked Green Bean Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 1 very hungry person or 6-8 side dishes
Ingredients
350g dry macaroni pasta
20g + 60g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1-2 cups milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast *see note
100g cheddar cheese, grated (I used Bio Cheese Cheddar, melts really nicely in this)
100g green beans, ends off and cut in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
Sea salt
Black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish - any size is really fine as long as it's not ridiculous huge. Common sense.

2. Place a medium sized pot of water with a inch of salt on the stove and leave to boil. When boiling add in pasta and cook until they are just about done - drain and leave to the side. You still want them to have a little firmness to it otherwise it'll go too mushy when baking.

3. Steam the green beans (anyway you want to it fine) until just soft. Heat the 20g of butter in a pan and wait till it is bubbling, when bubbling add in the steamed green beans and cook in butter for about 2-4 mins, adding in a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from pan and put to the side.

4. Put the 60g of butter into a medium sized saucepan on a low heat until melted, add in the minced garlic and cook into the melted butter for 1-2 mins.

5. Add the flour into the butter, keeping it on a low heat - mix quickly, it should form a soft pasta.

6. Add in 1/2 cup of milk to the flour mix on the pan, whisking continuously as you do so. The mixture should thicken (make sure you keep it on the low heat) gradually. As it does continue to add half a cup of milk at a time - depending on how much sauce you want, you can use 1-2 cups of milk.

7. Take the sauce off the stove and add in both the nutritional year and grated cheese. Whisk together quickly until cheese melts in. It's fine if the sauce has some lumps - it'll just be bits of garlic or unmelted cheese. Add in a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the cheese sauce.

8. Mix the cooked macaroni, green beans, and cheese sauce together in the baking dish until the sauce covers everything nicely. Sprinkle the half cup of breadcrumbs on top with a little extra nutritional yeast if you have some.

9. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the top has lightly browned. Enjoy!