Before you get envious/astounded that I have been on holiday so soon after being abroad for months, don’t worry. The oliebol may be Dutch, but I bought it in Kilmarnock at the Global/Continental Market mentioned in my post on macaroons.
Given that this occurred a few weeks ago, there is really no excuse for my taking so long to write about it. All I can say is that my mind has recently been focused on job-seeking, which hasn’t left much room for anything else.
I am a big fan of French macarons. The stunning colours, delicate flavourings and chewy textures… the only thing I don’t like is the price. Seriously. Considering the price just one of those tiny little delights retails for, I almost expect them to be diamond-encrusted.
Of course I appreciate they are a fiddle to make. I’ve had my fair share of cracked tops, sandy textures and uneven splodges to contend with, and after watching a recent episode of one of my favourite tv programmes “The Great British Bake Off”, I can see I am not alone.
Coconut macaroons are a very different beast, and something that are strangely Scottish. I say strangely, because coconut palms don’t line the shores here, but perhaps they come from the same tropical stable as pineapple tarts.
Continue reading Scottish Food Analysis: Macaroon Bars and Coconut Macaroons
H’s mum T, myself and H were having a conversation about something or other, and tablet came up. “Tablet?”, H queried.
T and I hastened to try to explain what tablet was. If you’ve never come across it before, it’s a traditional Scottish sweet normally made from sugar, condensed milk and butter, which has a firm texture, like Kendal mint cake. It isn’t chewy like toffee or soft like fudge, but has a similar caramel taste.
When we saw some tablet for sale the next week in the supermarket, T picked up a bar, and then at a later stop on our trip, bought another for comparison. Things spiralled from there.
Over the last few weeks we have been coming up with more and more elaborate ways to create delicious dishes from two gooseberry bushes that reside in the garden.
I’m always slightly baffled by gooseberries. For some reason they ended up in a “can be eaten straight off the plant” slot in my brain, alongside raspberries, strawberries and the like.
Cake isn’t something I associate with Thai cooking.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised to come across these colourful steamed cakes in a bakery one day.
