Category Archives: Autumn

Parkin Truffles for Bonfire Night

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The 5th November is one of those dates in the calendar that always brings me pangs of homesickness. Back in the UK November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night. Guy Fawkes was arrested on November 5th 1605 after he and his colleagues planted explosives under parliament in an attempt to kill the king. Bonfires were lit around London to celebrate the failure of the plot and thus was born a celebration that continues to this day.

Parkin Truffles for Bonfire Night from britinthesouth.com Although some places, such as Lewes in Sussex, still hold serious celebrations, for much of the country it is simply an excuse to gather with friends, let off a few fireworks and enjoy some hearty winter fare. November 5th is a date that always triggers food and drink related memories for me, whether it is enjoying a pint of a strong, dark winter brew in a North London pub before heading to the local park for the firework display, or the time we went to the Suffolk coast in early November and the firework party on the beach included an old tin bath full of jacket potatoes wrapped in a blanket.

In Britain, every year at this time food magazines and the recipe sections of newspapers will run articles on hearty bonfire night fare, from sausages and baked potatoes to hot chocolate and toffee apples. A popular item in these articles is parkin, a sticky gingerbread cake from the north of England made with black treacle, oats and ginger. It seemed an ideal candidate to turn into truffles to enjoy on November 5th.
 
I baked the parkin using a recipe for “Yorkshire Parkin” from “Oats In The North, Wheat From The South” by the Regula Ysewijn (missfoodwise.com). The initial result can sometimes seem a little dry but leave it for a few days and it almost magically becomes moister and stickier.
 
The parkin was then crumbled and mixed with golden syrup and butter to form the truffle centres, to which I also added some extra ginger, both ground and crystallised, to boost the flavour. These were then coated in more dark chocolate to make an excellent treat to enjoy on a cold winter night.

Parkin Truffles for Bonfire Night from britinthesouth.com
  
Parkin Truffles
 
8oz parkin
 
2oz golden syrup (or agave syrup)
 
1oz unsalted butter
 
Pinch ground ginger (optional)
 
0.5oz crystallised ginger, finely chopped (optional)
 
Salt
 
8oz dark chocolate
 
Crumble the parkin into a bowl. Melt the syrup and butter together in a small pan over medium heat.
 
Pour the syrup mixture over the crumbled parkin and mix well to combine. Add ground and/or crystallised ginger if required and a pinch of salt.
 
Melt 4oz of the dark chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of water. Add the melted chocolate to the bread and syrup mixture and stir to combine. At this point you can sneak a little taste to check if any adjustments to the seasoning is required.
 
When cool, place in the refrigerator for an hour or two until the mixture is firm.
 
Taking a teaspoon full of the mixture at a time, roll into balls to form the centres of the truffles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then return to the fridge to firm up again.
 
Melt the remaining 4oz of dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler. Dip the truffle centres in the melted chocolate to coat and place on baking parchment to set.
 
Yield: around 35 truffles
 

Grits with Stilton and Kale

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Autumn is definitely on the way.

I’ve just returned from a few days in London, where this summer’s heatwave is now a memory and cooler temperatures and showers are the order of the day.

In Georgia it is still warm but the thermometer is gradually winding down. Next Monday is Labor Day, which is widely recognised as the unofficial end of Summer in the USA.

Grits with Stilton and Kale from britinthesouth.comThe change of the seasons is also apparent in the contents of my weekly CSA box.

We’ve seen the last watermelons. We’re still getting the odd tomato or two but that won’t last for too much longer. This week also saw the first apples and sweet potatoes of the year in our box.

Last week saw the welcome return of kale, so I celebrated with a simple and comforting dish to help with the transition from one season to another, combining the kale with creamy grits and blue Stilton cheese.

Grits with Stilton and Kale from britinthesouth.com

Grits with Stilton and Kale

Serves 2

8oz kale

8oz stone ground grits

6oz Blue Stilton, cut or crumbled into dice (or use another blue cheese of your choice: gorgonzola works well)

2 tablespoons Butter

First of all, cook your kale in salted boiling water until tender. For these leaves that took 5 to 6 minutes, but will depend on the type and age of your greens. When cooled slightly, squeeze out any excess water and coarsely chop.

Next, cook your grits. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil and then slowly whisk the grits into the water to avoid lumps. Once it has started to thicken turn the heat down to low. Stone ground grits can take 30 to 45 minutes to cook and require regular stirring. The traditional way of gauging if the grits are is done is when they come away from the side of the pan when stirring but you can also taste it to ensure it is cooked through and has a soft consistency.

Once the grits are ready, finishing and assembling the dish is pretty straightforward. Add the butter to the grits to add richness and glossiness. Stir in the Stilton and then add the kale and stir together. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, finish with some extra Stilton on top.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles

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This idea came to me as I was trying to think of a little something to take along to a Halloween party.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.comEvery year as Halloween approaches the beer shelves in local stores seem to groan under the weight of an ever increasing selection of pumpkin beers. One local brewpub even serves a draught version straight out of a giant pumpkin.

I have to confess that I’m not a huge fan of drinking pumpkin beer as it comes but I thought it would make a great ingredient in pumpkin bread, adding moisture and flavour. I could then use the beery bread as the basis for an autumnal chocolate treat.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.com
I used this recipe to make the pumpkin bread although you could simplify things by just buying some. I tweaked the recipe a bit. I had an abundance of butternut squash from my CSA box so roasted that and used it instead of pumpkin puree, and I reduced the amount of cinnamon used as I can find it overwhelming in many desserts at this time of year. It is easy to adjust the cinnamon and other flavourings as you make the truffles to get just the right amount of pumpkin spice goodness.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.com
Luckily I didn’t need all the bread for the truffle recipe and enjoyed a few slices for breakfast this week. A recipe I will definitely be making again.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles

8oz pumpkin bread

2oz agave syrup

1oz unsalted butter

0.5 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Salt

8oz dark chocolate

Nutmeg (optional)

Crumble the pumpkin bread into a bowl. Melt the agave syrup and butter together in a small pan over medium heat.

Pour the syrup mixture over the crumbled bread and mix well to combine. Add cinnamon if required and a pinch of salt.

Melt 4oz of the dark chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of water. Add the melted chocolate to the bread and syrup mixture and stir to combine. At this point you can sneak a little taste to check if any adjustments to the seasoning is required.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.comWhen cool, place in the refrigerator for an hour or two until the mixture is firm.

Taking a teaspoon full of the mixture at a time, roll into balls to form the centres of the truffles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then return to the fridge to firm up again.

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.comMelt the remaining 4oz of dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler. Dip the truffle centres in the melted chocolate to coat and place on baking parchment to set.

You can enjoy them as they are or sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg or whatever takes your fancy to get another burst of flavour.

Yield: 25 truffles

Beer Infused Pumpkin Bread Truffles from britinthesouth.com

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Bonfire Night Fare: Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Apple Bites and White Bean & Stilton Soup

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November 5th is an important date in the English calendar, namely Guy Fawkes Night.

Guy Fawkes was one of a group of plotters who were caught trying to blow up parliament on November 5th 1605. Celebrations that the plot had been foiled included the lighting of bonfires around London and thus was born a tradition that endures to this day.

When I was young you still occasionally encountered kids making crude effigies of Guy Fawkes and wheeling them around begging for “pennies for the guy” with which to buy fireworks, but that tradition is fairly rare these days.

Modern day events around November 5th revolve around fireworks and food. Many towns hold large organized firework displays but it is also a good excuse for a back yard party with suitably warm, comforting seasonal food. Bowls of spicy chili, hearty soups, sausages, baked potatoes and toffee apples are all firm favourites.

Bonfire Night Fare: White Bean & Stilton Soup from britinthesouth.comFor November 5th this year I opted for a twist on the traditional toffee apple and a creamy soup to combat any chills in the air.

Food on a stick is always fun at an al fresco gathering but rather than a full size apple coated in caramel I cut bite sized pieces of apple with a melon baller and dipped them in dark chocolate before sprinkling them with homemade toffee pieces.

The soup combined creamy cannellini beans with the classic English blue cheese of Stilton. Simple to make with just a few ingredients it is a warming and comforting soup to drink from a mug on a cold evening.

Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Apple Bites

8oz Dark chocolate

Apples

Toffee pieces: you can buy them or make them yourself. I used this simple recipe, adding a generous pinch of flaky sea salt: http://www.zestuous.com/2012/01/homemade-toffee-bits/

Chocolate Ses Salt Caramel Apple Bites from britinthesouth.comMelt the dark chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler (or put a glass bowl over a pan of hot water)

Using a melon baller cut balls from the apple and place on a skewer or stick.

Chocolate Ses Salt Caramel Apple Bites from britinthesouth.comDip the apple pieces in the melted chocolate, and before the chocolate has totally set sprinkle with the toffee pieces. Put in the fridge until the chocolate is fully set.

Chocolate Ses Salt Caramel Apple Bites from britinthesouth.comFor a variation on the toffee theme you could of course sprinkle the apple pieces with crushed nuts, sprinkles, or whatever else takes your fancy.

White Bean and Stilton Soup

1 tbs butter

0.5 cup of diced onion

2 cups Vegetable stock

14oz can of cannellini beans

4oz Stilton cheese, crumbled or coarsely chopped

Bonfire Night Fare: White Bean & Stilton Soup from britinthesouth.comMelt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until they soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock and add the drained beans. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then turn down to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the crumbled Stilton to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Season to taste with freshly ground pepper.

Blend to a creamy and smooth consistency in a blender or food processor, or using a stick blender. Double check the seasoning before enjoying.

White Bean and Stilton Soup from britinthesouth.com

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