food gifts Archives - Littlesugarsnaps

Tonka Bean Manhattan

April 11, 2018 by Jane Saunders 4 Comments

The Tonka Bean Manhattan is a smooth, delightful twist on the classic Rye Whiskey cocktail. Tonka beans add notes of vanilla, caramel and almonds to the mix, creating a sublime & mellow drink.

Two simple words: Tonka Beans. It’s my new wheeze on the cocktail and hot chocolate front & I know this exotic ingredient is going to find its way into various desserts over the next few months too. But I have a bit of ground to cover today before I get to my star recipe: the Tonka Bean Manhattan. Can you handle a speedy diversion?

Ever since I went to the London Cocktail Week last autumn, I’ve been wanting to recreate the Tonka Bean Negroni I had there. So, picture me eagerly unwrapping my delivery of tonka beans several weeks ago and seeking out a recipe online for Tonka Bean Syrup. Now picture my frustrated face when I couldn’t find a reliable recipe out there for that Syrup. I found just two. The first recipe said to use 1 tonka bean, the other said to use 40 beans. That’s some difference.

Unsure how to proceed,…

Small Batch Vanilla Lemon Curd

March 14, 2018 by Jane Saunders 4 Comments

This quick & simple recipe for Vanilla Lemon Curd is small batch so it can be enjoyed even by the smallest of households. Great on toast. Sumptuous in sponge cakes. This curd is sunshine in a jar.

I was hoping to enlighten you on the difference between lemon curd and lemon cheese today, but despite intense googling, I’m none the wiser. There are some wild and wonderful explanations out there, but the truth is, I’ve been unable to draw any definitive conclusions. So, I’m going to sit on the fence and suggest that we all agree that this gloriously yellow and zesty spread, whether you choose to call it curd or cheese, is downright delicious and unquestionably deserves a place in our kitchens.

Until recently I was under the impression that making lemon curd was a bit of a faff and therefore should only really be attempted in mass quantities to make our efforts worthwhile. I do know that homemade curd has a short shelf life, so I was always stuck in that situation of wanting to make my own but never getting around to doing it for fear of wasting the golden sunshine that is lemon curd….

Saffron Orange Thyme Macarons

January 17, 2018 by Jane Saunders 18 Comments

These saffron infused Orange Thyme Macarons are crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside and they come laden with a generous scoop of a rich, buttery filling in between the shells. They make a gorgeous & dainty edible gift.

Sometimes I just get the urge to bake and nothing is going to stop me. I love such days and last Sunday was one of them. I was tired from a late Saturday night, didn’t fancy doing anything I should be doing (like ironing) and so I decided to head into the kitchen instead. These Orange Thyme Macarons are the result of my ironing diversion tactic and they are the perfect recipe for me to kick off my 2018 baking because macarons have always been a challenge for me.

Let me explain. Towards the back end of last year, I came to the conclusion that my baking recipes had got stuck in a rut. I have a soft spot for cupcakes and layer cakes and perhaps that was beginning to show here on LittleSugarSnaps. Madeleines, macarons, pies, tarts, creamy desserts, cheesecakes… I see you all trying to grab my attention. So I decided that the coming year would be all about expanding the recipes I’m offering up and making LittleSugarSnaps baking more inclusive to specialist diets such as gluten free and vegan.

I’m quite excited by this notion. For one thing, it means I’ve challenged myself to get more creative in the kitchen and perfect some of the recipes that have presented obstacles to me in the past. And that brings me neatly back around to the star of today, these Orange Thyme Macarons….

The Nutcracker Cocktail

December 18, 2017 by Jane Saunders 2 Comments

The Nutcracker Cocktail combines nutty Amaretto & Frangelico liqueurs with vanilla vodka and creamy white chocolate liqueur. Great as a Christmas drink and superb as a stocking filler decanted into miniature bottles.

How did we get here? By here, I mean Christmas. Yes, it’s really just days away now. I can’t exactly say I’m ready, but by the time December 25th does roll around I will be. Kind of. I hope…

My kids finish school tomorrow and my husband decided to follow suit and start his Christmas holiday too. December 19th does seem a little early for holidays to begin, but I’m not missing out. Once this Nutcracker Cocktail is all written up you won’t be hearing a peep out of me on here until January.

It’s been a tradition, ever since I started this blog in 2014, to finish the year with a cocktail. …

Cocktail Inspired Truffles: Black Russian Truffles

December 7, 2017 by Jane Saunders 6 Comments

The Black Russian Cocktail has been transformed into dark & intense chocolate truffles. These boozy bites are worthy of serving up after dinner or just with drinks on a cosy night in by the fire with your favourite film playing.

I’m quite impressed with myself. I had my doubts about my ability to pull this off, but when I finish typing this post I will have completed 5 recipe posts in 5 days. That is the most I’ve ever done in 1 week. It’s maybe not something I’ll be repeating for a while to come, but I did it. I have earned the weekend that is just around the corner.

And I’m ending my busy week in style since I’ve got a double whammy for you tonight. Along with my Black Russian Truffles, I’ll also be sharing the recipe for some gingerbread syrup which can be slipped in alongside vodka and coffee liqueur to make a Gingerbread Black Russian. That’s just incase you fancy adding some festive spice to the classic Black Russian cocktail. Actually, that’s really a triple whammy, but who’s counting?

Let’s start with the Black Russian Truffles. …

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