Wild Drinks and Cocktails by Emily Han {book review}

We all know soda/pop/cola doesn’t have a single good thing for you in it, but have you ever looked what was in squash/cordial? Not a lot of good stuff in there either. If it’s no added sugar it’s full of sweeteners and those aren’t any better for us.

There is another option - making your own at home! Wild Drinks and Cocktails covers tea, juice, lemonade, syrups, squash, cordial, infusions, bitters, liqueurs, wines, punches and other things.

Emily Han has been wild crafting around 10 years. She started when she moved to a big city and started looking around at was inspired by the the things that grew in and around the concrete jungle she now called home.

As she learned about all the natural grown things in and around her city she learned a lot of them helped sooth common medical ailments and not just tasted good. Naturally this book comes with a disclaimer:

“You are responsible for educating yourself about food safety and making sure you have correctly identified any wild food before picking or ingesting it.”

The author suggests taking out 3 or more books on the subject of wild crafting as well as consulting an experienced wild crafter in your local area. As different plants and such are different in other areas. There is a basic introduction to wild crafting, but as it’s important to know what you’re ingesting, so please make sure you educate yourself before proceeding with any recipes.

The introduction is very helpful and gives a useful guide to basic ingredients and kitchen tools. The second chapter covers teas, juices, and lemonades. It is the first chapter because as Emily says it’s a great way to get to know a herbs/plants flavor before turning into a soda or liqueur. Herbal Teas have been around for ages and are, as mentioned, a great way to get started.

Syrups, Squashes, and Cordials is the chapter I was most interested in reading. Syrups can transform a cocktail into something special and can be used to coat a cake before frosting. Being an American I have never really took to squash. Some of it tastes really artificial or nothing at all. I would like to attempt making my own squash and after reading this book I didn’t realise how easy it can be to make my own.

Chapter 4 is titled Oxymels, Shrubs, and Switchels and I hope I wasn’t the only thinking “What the heck are those?” Basically they are drinking vinegars. Something that apparently is very popular? Who knew? The chapter gives us a bit of history on how vinegars are made and beneficial to us. I found it very educational. They also make great cocktails!

Infused liqueurs are what I am talking about! As the author states the flavor possibilities are endless when you are infusing flavours into liqueurs. They make great mixers for cocktails. This chapter (5) not only covers infusions, but bitters and liqueurs as well. Chapter 6 continues with Wines and Punches. When infusing wines you don’t need to spend a lot, but don’t go too cheap. It won’t magically make the wine better; the infused flavor should compliment the wine.

The last chapter (7) is titled Fizzy Fermentations, basically sodas. It’s defiantly not something I ever though of making at home. With some practice I think making homemade sodas is a great idea. As I already mentioned most sodas are empty calories and do nothing good for you.

Funny story our friend gave us some Elderflower Fizz and it exploded. Which in the intro to the recipe Emily warns us that it might explode. I found it amusing, perhaps not so much to those reading this.

I have yet to try any recipes from this book, but I did find it very interesting and educational. If you are interested in wildcrafting and creating your own teas, squashes, wines, and fizz then I would recommend giving this book a read. Some of the syrups and infusions are made with things you can easily get in your grocery store or farmers market. No excuse to get started then!

Here are a few of the recipes that caught my eye and inspired me! 

Dandelion and Chicory Chai Tea
Cranberry Mors
Lemon Barley Water
Apple and Mint Syrup
Strawberry Squash
Elderflower Cordial
Rhubarb and Rose Syrup
Fire Cider
Cherry Balsamic Shrub
Raspberry Shrub
Pomegranate Molasses Switchel
Chamomile Whisky Bitters
Elderberry Elixir
Fig and Vanilla Rum
Peach and Pecan Bourbon
Cherry Bounce
Anise Hyssop and Peach Wine
Raspberry Wine
Ginger Ale
Blueberry Soda
Elderflower Fizz

I cannot tell a lie, reading this book is like reading a potions book. I totally felt like a wizard/witch studying for my potions exam!! The resources a the end of the book are for an American audience, however there are plenty of UK online resources to discover on google!

notes: Wild Drinks and Cocktails by Emily Han was sent to me by the publishers to review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own. Please see my contact/policy page for further information.

Fizzy Jellies

Some children will be going back to school today after a long week off, others like mine, still have an inset day.

I feel lucky at the moment to have a part time job that allows a lot of flexibility. Which means more time to play with my girls!

Although to be honest I have become chopped liver as of late. 

Who wants to play with me when they have each other and Monster High, their latest obsession?

Ah well, I do come in handy when it comes to making fun and easy treats. Also when they need anything else for that matter. 

Jelly is one of the things I let them make pretty much on their own, which they love!

Of course they love eating it as much as they love making it! They are so very impatient though and if it's not setting high enough in the fridge there tends to be finger marks in it!

There isn't much you can do with jelly, but layer it or possibly add some fruit or something or mold it in fun molds... okay there is a lot you can do with jelly! 

One of them is making it fizzy. Basically fizzy jelly is just replacing some of the water with 7-Up or any clear carbonated soda. Make sure the 7-Up or lemonade is chilled in the fridge before hand.

Fizzy Jelly

1-2 packages of different flavored jelly

7-Up or lemonade

water

Start with one flavor and break the jelly block into squares along the indented lines into a measuring jug. Fill with water up to the 150ml or ¼ pint mark. Place in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir until dissolved. If needed place in the microwave again for a further 10 seconds until it’s completely dissolved. Leave it to cool for a minute or two. Tilting the jug slightly (helps to keep the bubbles) pour 7-Up along the side of the jug to the 570ml or 1 pint mark. Then pour into whatever jelly molds you have or glass cups. Leave to set for about 4 hours in the fridge. 

Repeat as we did with a second flavor, you could do three or four different flavors if you had the patience and enough molds/glasses to divide into.

notes: Lemonade in the UK is a fizzy carbonated drink, not like the lemonade in the USA that kids sell at stands. Also "Jelly" is Jello and it comes in cube forms not a powder. I am curious if champagne or prosecco would be a good replacement to make them for adults? Might have to try it out sometime. The idea was inspired by Paddington Bear and his cookery book. 

Weird and Wonderful Pancake Toppings!! {Guest Post}

Pancake Day is a few short days away. It is one of those days that always seems to creep up on me. I see all the pancake ingredients and pans for sale by the end of January and tell myself not to forget. I usually end up forgetting. Last year I ended up buying a few pre-packaged pancakes from M & S!! Which is silly as I usually have all the pancake stuff in the cupboard! Sometimes it comes down to time. 

Other people I know are all over Pancake Day and prepped and ready to go days in advance! If you are one of these people and looking for something fun and new to add to your pancakes Holly Arnold, Editor of Good to Know Recipes has a few ideas on how to top your pancakes!!

Once you've topped your pancakes you can send a picture on over to goodtoknow recipes and enter to win a prize! Full details here! Enjoy! ~ Lisa

Weird and Wonderful Pancake Toppings

By Holly Arnold, Recipes Editor, www.goodtoknow.co.uk

Pancake Day is coming and it’s time to talk toppings. While traditional lemon and sugar is always a winner, the simplicity of pancakes lends them to many interesting topping combinations and I've found that some obscure mixtures really do work together.

You've probably all heard of baking ham in Coca-Cola, but a really delicious idea is to add a fizzy drink to your pancake batter. Cream soda, Fanta and Dr Pepper all work really well and they taste super delicious when you serve them with ice-cream for a double sugar hit.

If you don’t like things too sweet, how about introducing a touch of spice? Chilli and chocolate is a tried and tested combination, which also translates well to pancakes. Toss a little cocoa powder in the batter with some chopped chilli or chilli powder and see who can handle the heat!

My next suggestion may seem bananas but it really does work! The Americans love to combine bacon with maple syrup, but if you add slices of banana to that duo, it tastes even more sensational.

As well as getting creative with toppings, there’s plenty of scope to get creative with decoration as well. I made this burger pancake in an instant – sandwiching two chocolate chip cookies between the pancakes.

Before you can start on your crazy combos, make sure you have a good pancake recipe - the rest is then up to you. Happy flipping!

notes from me: If you are in need of a pancake recipe please follow the link above! And if you're interested my silly post on M & S pre-packaged pancakes! Thank you Holly for the lovely guest post!! Hope to have you again sometime!! 

update: picked myself up a copy of the current mag! Inside there is an article titled "Stacks of Pancakes"! Plus plenty of more fun and creative ways to spruce up your pancakes here!!! Also if you happen to be an iPhone/iPad user you can take cake recipes with you every where! Check out their goodtoknow Cake Corner app!! 

Butterbeer Float!! {Happy Birthday Harry!}

Everyone this weekend is all about the start of the Olympics; for me it’s about celebrating the greatest literary character ever! Harry Potter! 

His 31^st birthday is this Tuesday (31^st of July) and here at United Cakedom we’re going to celebrate with a weekend full of treats from Harry’s world!

Starting with Butterbeer!! I decided to do something a little different, as there are lots of Butterbeer recipes out there. I made mine a float!

Butterbeer Float

Serves 2

2-4 scoops of vanilla ice cream (or butterscotch if you can find it!)

2-4 tbsp of butterscotch sauce

1 can of cream soda

add a scoop (or two) to each cup

pour on butterscotch sauce (eyeball it) 

pour on top cream soda

It's a nice creamy rich taste of vanilla in cream soda with a hint of the butterscotch! Stating the obvious is something I am good at! :0)  Enjoy!! 

Keep a watch on this site for more Harry Potter treats!! Follow me on twitter (@unitedcakedom) or Facebook or Instagram for instant updates! 

Coca-Cola Cake!!

"Baking with colas began as a popular Southern tradition and has been around ever since" - Warren Brown

This recipe came from 'United Cakes of America' by Warren Brown.  I was feeling the need to use my new (albeit very plain - much to my chagrin) cake stand, so I decided to make this cake.  My son asked me why I was making a cake, and for what occasion?  My daughter replied, "just 'cause she wants to make us something yummy to eat!"  She was so right! It turned out beautifully and it was delicious! ~Janet

cake

Dry ingredients:

2 cup flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cup mini marshmallows

Wet ingredients:

1 cup Coca-cola

¼ cup milk

Creaming ingredients:

12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) butter

2 cup superfine granulated sugar (caster sugar)

2 eggs

·  Preheat oven to 335 deg.

·  Grease two 9X2 in round pans and line with parchment paper

·  Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls and set aside

·  Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Process on low speed for 3-4 min.

·  Add the eggs to the creamed butter one at a time.  Let the first one incorporate before adding the second.

·  Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients about a quarter at a time with out pausing between additions

·  Divide batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 min, or until edges come away from the pan or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

·  Cool cakes until they are cool enough to touch and then invert onto plates.

·  Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling the cakes with frosting.  If desired, finish the cake by adding chocolate curls on top and mini marshmallows along the sides.  Create the curls by running a veggie peeler along the side of a good-quality chocolate bar, allowing a curl to form.  Allow curls to fall all over cake.  

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Butter cream

(makes 4 cups)

1 cup milk

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp coca powder

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) but I added

1-3 oz bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled (optional) but I added

·  Quickly whisk together 4 tablespoons of the milk and the flour. The slurry will be somewhat thick, so whisk thoroughly to make a smooth paste.  Press out any lumps with a spatula, if necessary. (It wasn't for me)
·  Whisk in the rest of the milk and the coca powder and transfer to a 2 quart heavy bottom pan.  Bring to a simmer for about 30 sec. over medium heat, stirring constantly.
·  Remove pan from hear, cover with a lid, and cool for 15-30 min. 
·  Meanwhile, combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on high speed.
·  Add the contents from the pot to the mixer and continue to beat on high speed until the butter cream is smooth, about 5 minutes. (Don't worry!  Your liquid-y frosting will firm up with continued beating!) Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla and chocolate if using.  *I used 3 ounces of Ghirardelli chocolate and the frosting turned out SO yummy!

 source(s): United Cakes of America: author Warren Brown

Irn Bru Cupcakes

Adapted from Cola Cupcakes by the hummingbird bakery Cake Days

80g unsalted butter, softened

280g golden caster sugar

240g plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

100ml + 5 tbsp* Irn Bru

140ml full fat milk

2 large eggs

*I started with 100ml and added more to up the taste, but I think you really do need the syrup for this if you know a pub owner who has Irn Bru on tap you’re in luck!! You’ll only need a tbsp of syrup and 240ml of milk then follow the recipe as stated below.

Pre-heat oven at 190*C and line your muffin tin

I softened the butter in the microwave so some of it was liquid, then I mixed it with the caster sugar, plain flour, baking powder, and salt until it looked like sand.

In a jug I beat the Irn Bru, milk and eggs together.

I then poured about 1/3 of the wet mixture into the dry and beat on low then medium to make a smooth mixture.

Then I poured the rest in and mixed until smooth.

I then baked for 18-20 minutes I rotate half way through because my oven is uneven.

Then I cheated and used pre-made Betty Crocker vanilla icing.

golden tops

the tops were so good I almost didn't put icing on them!

The big question do they taste like Irn Bru. No. See * note above. Although they did not taste of my husband’s favorite soft drink, they did turn out good. They have a nice golden top (see pictures) that’s sort of caramelized and very yummy.

It’s the first time I sort of adapted my own recipe from someone else’s. I originally got the idea from this blog. I might try her recipe some day to see if it tastes more like Irn Bru.

Has anyone else tried baking with soft drinks and if so…What did you try? Did it work out? What would you do differently if anything?

My husband's co-workers loved these!! ;0)