​Helen is an alchemist, a magician of sorts. She lives in White Cottage Bakery and turns flour, water and salt (with the help of wild yeasts and time), into the most delicious breads. Up until very recently, she made just enough to fuel her passion and fill a few farm shop shelves. Enough to keep a few of us happy and feeling fortunate when we managed to get hold of the good things she makes.

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A few weeks ago, I got to spend my Sunday in Helen's cottage bakery! The minute you walk in, you are greeted with the scent of freshly baked bread, morning coffee and toast. There's fig and cardamon jam from the garden, plum compote, good homemade cultured butter, rye bread and smoking hot tea. All the good things, patiently awaiting at the breakfast table. The aroma of sweet spices still lingering in the air, from the freshly baked sticky spelt sourdough Chelsea buns. I have a weakness for these Cardamon and Cinnamon swirls. If you tried them, you'd have a crush on them too. 

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I watched the day unfold as her students stretched and slapped sourdough. kneading, shaping, scoring. Turning simple locally grown ingredients, into bountiful baskets of bread by the end of the day. Some had garden herbs in them, others were woven with rosemary and roasted garlic, there were perfectly formed rye loaves and that  boule they baked in her AGA.

We sat down for lunch as the dough had its first rise. Big bowls of Spring salads, passed around for lunch, warm soda bread the students had prepared. There was a watermelon and feta salad! A green salad (Pea, fava and mint).  We've made it for our lunch, twice since then. There was also that sun warmed tomato salad, that I keep dreaming about. ​We washed it all down with Helen's sparkling homemade pink elderflower. 





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​I've since developed a weakness for all of Helen's detail. Her textures and tones, all the pieces that are dotted around her bakery and home. that big grey bowl, old wood filled with markings and cracks. Things from another time, that have seen other homes. The light is what got me the most, the shadows it casts over surfaces and walls. There's not a part of it that couldn't be framed into a picture. The perfect setting to celebrate the passing of time, food and bountiful harvests. 

We get to return to Helen's Bakery and School in September. The begining of term starts on the 9th of September! 

We're delighted to announce a collaboration with White Cottage Bakery At the beginning of Autumn.

When: September 28th, 9:30am - 1:00pm 

What: A Food styling and Photography Workshop, followed by a delicious seasonal lunch.

The workshop will cover a series of topics including:
Basic camera settings
The use of natural light
The basics of composition
Visual story telling, food styling ("Tableaux" and 'Flat lays")
Basic editing using your phone 
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For tickets Click HERE

Please Note: Spaces are limited 


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There's this sauce I'd like to tell you about, that I usually drizzle over three textures of dark chocolate, disguised as a tart. I usually make it at the end of Summer, from foraged blackberries, raspberry liqueur, sugar, spice and the zest of good oranges.

Brockmans Gin is infused and distilled with a few of these things. Blackberries, blueberries, almonds for smoothness, orange and lemon peel, botanicals and spice. So, when Brockmans Gin reached out and asked if I could develop a recipe, using their Gin, I couldn't hold my excitement and created a few of my favourite things. This Summer Berry Pavlova drizzled with a version of that sauce. A Cherry and Brockmans Gin Sauce!

I also made a Triple Chocolate Tart, that reminds me of a Dark forest floor. It's topped with delicate chocolate peonies and all the seasonal berries I could get my hands on. I'll tell you about that soon, but, for now...

Pavlova!! For the days have been long and glorious. SUMMER seems like it's here to stay!



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Recipe:
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Summer Berry Pavlova and Brockmans Gin, Cherry Sauce
Ingredients

For the meringue

4 large egg whites 
240g caster sugar
1 teaspoon Cider vinegar

For the Pavlova

400g fresh strawberries (halved and quartered), Cherries and blueberries 
250g mascarpone, chilled
100g natural yoghurt
30g orange blossom honey
1 vanilla pod

For the Brockmans Gin and cherry sauce
250g pitted cherries
30g Brockmans Gin
100g cater sugar
60g filtered water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method
Preheat the oven to 150 deg C / gas 2.

In a medium sized pan, place cherries, Brockmans Gin, water and sugar. Stir on medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add the lemon juice and simmer for another two minutes. Cool and chill until needed.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk on medium speed until they start to form stiff peaks. 
With the mixer still running, slowly add the sugar, a heaped spoon at a time. When all the sugar has been incorporated add the cider vinegar and turn the mixer up to high speed and whisk until the meringue is smooth and glossy. 

Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Using a large metal spoon, place a blob of the meringue in the centre of your tray and spread until you form a circle of approximately 20cm. Add the rest of your meringue mixture and create a well in the middle. using a spatula, lift the meringue sides and create swirls on the surface. Place in the oven, lower the heat to 135 deg C and bake  for 1 hour. 

Turn the heat off, but leave the pavlova in the oven until it cools completely.

In a large bowl, whip the cream and honey until it forms soft peaks, add the yoghurt. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod using the back of a knife. Add and fold into the cream mixture. 

Spoon the cream into the meringue well. Place larger berries first, then fill the gaps with strawberry quarters, pitted cherries and blueberries. Drizzle with Brockmans Gin and Cherry sauce.



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