Vittles (food & drink

38 The West Dorset Magazine, February 11, 2022 Vittles (food & drink) Sentenced to a night on the gin...

By Miranda Robertson

newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk

If you ever fancied the experience of drinking hooch in the cooler only, you know, a bit better appointed, an event next Friday could be for you. Drinks in the Clink: An Evening with Fordington Gin offers the opportunity to try award-winning gin whilst exploring one of Dorchester’s most historic buildings, as you search Shire Hall’s cells to find the perfect botanicals to add to your drink. Fordington Gin’s creator Ros Nelmes will share her expertise on all things gin – from how it’s made to the best accompaniments. There will be gins with aniseed and lemon balm, a Classic Fordington Gin, and Fordington Gin’s Gurt Lush – a combination of classic juniper with fennel, wormwood and lemon balm creating a magical drink, and creating a fabulously original gin. Gurt Lush has already won gold at Taste of the West, gold at the International Women’s Wine and Spirits Award, silver at the World Gin Awards, a gold medal at the China Wines and Spirits Awards and shortlisted by Great British Foods. The event will be held at 6pm for 6.30pm on Friday, February 18 at the museum in High West Street.

CHEERS: Enjoy a gin or two in the Shire Hall’s cells n Tickets are £25, including all your drinks and nibbles. Book at shirehalldorset org/ whats-on.

Mum’s Kitchen... Guinness and ginger traybake

The editor’s mum lives in Affpuddle with husband Bob and three freezers full of baking.

Ingredients: 150 ml Guinness 175g dark muscovado sugar ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 200g self-raising flour 1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger 1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 medium eggs 100g golden caster sugar 125ml melted butter 5 knobs of stem ginger from a jar, plus 2-3 tablespoons of the ginger syrup Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Butter and line with baking paper a 20cm square baking tin/brownie tin. Place the Guinness and 125g of the muscovado sugar in saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. stirring out any lumps in the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will fizz. Sift the flour, ginger and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, remaining muscovado sugar, and melted butter, then beat into the flour mixture. Fold in the beer mixture half at a time, then finely chop and add two knobs of stem ginger. Transfer to the prepared tin, and give it a couple of sharp taps to bring up any bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes until just firm to the touch. The centre may sink slightly. Run a knife round the edge of the cake, then drizzle the syrup over the surface. Finely slice the remaining ginger and decorate the top. Cover with cling film and cool overnight before cutting into 9 squares.

with Diana Holman

By Karen Bate

newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk

When former London set designer Rachel Hill tried her hand at baking, something delicious happened. Creative visions were spun from sugar as Rachel honed her sculptural skill to give life to layered masterpieces. Immersing herself in a world of carving tools and fondant, and with a deep breath she showcased her offerings at the renown wedding fair at Olympia. And people loved her work. That was in 2007. While Rachel’s career in cakes took off, it wasn’t all joyful as her year was interspersed with sadness. “I almost lost my mother to a brain haemorrhage and my relationship of seven years also fell apart. It was a very depressing time,” said Rachel. But business flourished. Seven years on and Rachel was selling her cakes for London’s top hotels, securing a long and loyal following while scooping an impressive array of accolades to add to her portfolio. And she gave birth to her son, who has become an incredible little helper. Rachel grew up in the Welsh countryside and

FOR GOODNESS SAKES, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE CAKES: Some of Rachel Hill’s cake creations and, inset below, with her son Relocation is the icing on the cake for baker Rachel

longed to flee the city and find peace in the rolling green.

She said: “I’ve always loved the countryside and never wanted to raise my son in London. I was raised in the Welsh countryside, playing in fields and rivers, riding my bike down the lanes and growing our own veg. I wanted this for my son so badly. Not the streets and busy roads of London. “By 2018 I had started looking at property, but I hadn’t taken the plunge with marketing my own house as I was terrified to start up my business again, somewhere I didn’t know. As a sole earning parent this is a big life leap.” In 2019 Rachel put her house on the market, but her sale fell through. In 2020 she began again. “The coronavirus pandemic hit me really badly as wedding after wedding was cancelled and I lost all my income. I was so desperate to move but several lockdowns and the rising prices made it near impossible. I was getting close to giving up again.” But after endless searching, Rachel has now secured her dream home just outside Dorchester in Stinsford, where she will keep a flock of chickens and give a dog a loving home and work from her garden studio. “Despite leaving behind everything I know and building up my business from scratch in a new area where we know no one, I am excited!” Rachel added: “One of my biggest joys is my newfound floral piping people often think they are real flowers. I can’t wait to come to Dorset with my skills.” n To find out more about Rachel, her cakes and online courses visit rachelles.co.uk

Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

I love a New Year, it’s a time of new beginnings, new attitudes and resolutions, an open book of blank pages and nature produces a cornucopia of foods to feed the soul and mind. January and February struggles against the glitz of the memory of distant Christmas festivities. Decorations stored for another year; the mere mention of the word ‘Turkey’ generates a bilious attack, even for most ardent fan. Food has always been influential in my life; my first childhood recollections are of my grandmother, a stout woman of ample bosom, her house oozed comfort and warmth with the scent of baking bread, shortbread, and sweet strawberry jam. Cooking

A new day with new beginnings...

HERE COMES THE SUN: Sunrise looking towards Chideock and, inset, roasted honey carrot soup with cheese scones

Loders Arms

‘Great village pub’ ‘A real gem in a picture perfect village’ ‘Excellent Sunday roast’ l Beautiful garden & stunning views l Dog-friendly l Great food using local suppliers l Function room available

Quiz night first Wednesday of the month

Loders Arms, Loders, Bridport, DT6 3SA. 01308 422431 lodersarmsdorset.co.uk l info@lodersarmsdorset.co.uk and food became my passion and my career. Not disregarding the renowned aspects of West Dorset, of Thomas Hardy and our stunning Jurassic coastline, we live in a utopia, a lesser-known part of England, of unspoilt villages, where communities have grown. West Dorset benefits from deep valleys and undulating hills, the silhouette of a sleeping giant that characterizes Portland and the moody seas that define our coastline, to the enduring collage of pastureland that is ‘forever’ Dorset. Food Therapy, Brain food, call it what you will, this is the time of year for comfort foods. Living here in West Dorset we are surrounded by a plethora of amazing Producers, Retailers, Farmers and Farm shops. The small independent business that has built its success on its passion for its product. And these we will discover over the next few months. Food must titillate the senses, smell, taste, and it must be pleasing to the eye. Take the humble carrot, an unpretentious vegetable, yet it is a star performer, it can be diced, sliced, julienned, batons, roasted, liquidised, boiled, and even added to cakes! They are rich in vitamin A. Making soup is easy and delicious, it’s your design, it’s your blank canvas! It’s trendy, be adventurous, be creative. Butternut squash is a superfood and high in potassium. High in fibre and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Sauté some onions, dice squash, and add a good stock, either homemade or bought, add chill, ginger, and coconut milk for an exotic flavour.

Roasted honey carrot soup. Cook onions and carrots and add some honey, cook for five minutes. Add some stock and simmer for 30 mins. Liquidise and add a swirl of cream. Serve either soup with chunks of fresh crusty bread or homemade cheese scones.

The West Dorset Magazine, February 11, 2022 41 Vittles (food & drink) A tart for your Valentine sweetheart

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside her home in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram.

February 14 is just around the corner and it’s time for love. Or, if your partner is as romantic as my chap, you could just make and eat these little tarts yourself! They take a smidgeon of effort, but look so impressive. I love using local ingredients and the stars of this recipe are chococo.co.uk 75% dark chocolate drops and pollyspetals.co.uk flower petals – both small producers based in Dorset.

Chocolate Ganache Tart (makes 6 individual) 190C, gas mark 5 (preheated)

Pastry 140g flour 35g cocoa 75g butter (in 1cm squares) 50g icing sugar 30g ground almonds 2 egg

Filling 115g double cream 140g dark chocolate 25g unsalted butter A sprinkling of rose and marigold petals

Firstly, you need to make the pastry and get it in the fridge. Put flour, cocoa, icing sugar and almonds in a bowl and add the butter. Rub it in until you have fine breadcrumbs or you can whizz this up in the mixer (which is what I tend to do) - these days I am all about making these things as easy as possible. Add the egg and mix until it just comes together. Wrap it in cling film and pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out to approximately 2mm thick (so fairly fine) but if its a bit thicker it won’t matter too much and line greased tart tins. Leave a 1 cm edge hanging over the case and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes. I use baking parchment to line the cases and rice or baking beans to blind bake them. Put them in a preheated oven for 15 minutes and remove the paper and rice. Put them back in the oven if the base is a little soft - 2 or 3 minutes. Pull them out and make the filling. When they are cooler trim the edges and take them out of the tins. Heat the cream in a small heat proof basin over a pan of boiling water or I do it in the microwave, I blast it for 2 minutes, then I add the finely chopped chocolate or buttons to the cream and stir well. Then add the butter and mix it well. Pour in the cases and sprinkle the petals on top.

You can find me outside my house on Saturdays. I also attend Wimborne and Sherborne farmers markets. Check out where to find me at lizziebakingbird.co.uk Instagram - lizzibakingbird