foodie favorites

I've already written about my passion for Ines Rosales Tortas. Now I've discovered another wafer-thin pantry must-have: Peter's Yard Crispbreads.

Not a bit like the ones you find in your average grocery, these traditional Swedish crispbreads, made with sourdough and rye, are so very light with a pleasantly gritty crunch:

And just look at those lovely bumps:

They're perfect with a bit of butter or thinly planed cheese.

In addition to the tins of small rounds, you can purchase tins of (very) large rounds to break off and share, like the ones I remember on Scandinavian breakfast tables.

But while they remind me of summers in Norway and Sweden, Peter's Yard is actually in Edinburgh! So a visit to the bakery and coffee house might just be a possibility.

really rosie, part two

I was so excited about Rachel's Rosehip Syrup last year, she invited me round for a tutorial this year.

We gathered the rosehips, cleaned them, blitzed them in her food processor, then tipped them into boiling water. We boiled and strained them twice, leaving them to drip through scalded muslin, first for one hour then overnight.

The next morning, we added granulated sugar to the strained juice and, after dissolving the sugar, quickly boiled it into a syrup:

The bottled syrup is simply luminous,

and the taste is just as vibrant. Scrummy!

new england in england

More autumnal goodness, this time in the form of a puzzle:

This covered bridge may be in Oregon, but it reminds me so much of Massachusetts.

I wish I'd taken more time back then to appreciate both the bridges and the leaves. I used to get terribly impatient come October, stuck behind 'leaf peepers' on my way to work. But now I completely forgive all those slow-driving, leaf-peeping tourists and simply long to return as one myself!

In the meantime, I'll continue sifting through my pile of russet and orange pieces, dreaming of New England in England.

the icing on the cake

I'd been looking forward to last Tuesday for months, and it was indeed the most fabulous day at Divertimenti. Martha Swift, Lisa Thomas, and Frances Money demonstrated a selection of recipes from Martha and Lisa's new book, Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery:

When we arrived, the countertops were covered with freshly baked (but as yet undecorated) cupcakes. And after a brief introduction, Frances set her KitchenAid in motion, whipping up vanilla, lime and coconut, and rose buttercreams.

All three ladies then got busy with their palette knives, demonstrating how to make Primrose's signature swirl:

I watched closely, but they were so quick! Here's the lime and coconut and rose cupcakes, just ever so slightly smooshed from their journey back to Teddington:

While we sampled the iced cupcakes in class--the rose was heavenly!--Frances mixed up batters for basic Vanilla Cupcakes and Pecan and Orange Marmalade Cupcakes, a slightly less sweet breakfast treat.

The ladies were all so friendly and down-to-earth, and I had a really nice chat with Frances (in the middle) afterwards, who's from Texas!

Feeling very inspired to bake a batch, and I think the Pumpkin Cupcakes on page 86 could be just the thing...

blanket coverage

Two new blankets to alleviate the evening chill, both knit using my favorite Cabled Throw pattern from Debbie Bliss' Simple Living:

I used Rowan Magpie Aran (purchased in a long-ago Liberty sale), so they feel quite 'sturdy' compared to the one I knit last year in Cashmerino Aran. But what they lack in drape, they certainly make up for in warmth!

cookie monster, part two

These Pecan Biscuits (from Linda Collister's Baking Bible) have featured on the blog before. But they're so good, I think they deserve another mention!

They're perfect for this time of year: the golden caster and demerara sugars combine with the pecans to produce a wonderfully deep flavor that's altogether autumnal. Just the thing with hot coffee on a chilly morning.

getting smutty

Our last big adventure in North Norfolk was a ride on the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway. Or perhaps I should call it a little adventure, as the train was quite small!

Here's G peeping out one of the carriage windows:

We sat in an open car, knee-to-knee, to feel the breeze and get the best views. This was a super idea on the way to Walsingham, where the driver gave the train a quick tune-up:

But not such a super idea on the way back to Wells, when we were covered in coal smuts! I had one in my eye, and it wasn't nearly as romantic as it seemed in Brief Encounter...