Gourmet Recipes

Serves 6 Takes about 1 hour to make, plus setting Ingredients 450g ripe raspberries (or good quality frozen ones) 150g caster sugar 4 sheets leaf gelatine 3 bellevue Earl Grey tea bags juice of ½ lemon double cream, to serve Method Mash the raspberries and sugar to a juicy pulp. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the sugar dissolves. Rub through a sieve. Half-fill a bowl with cold water, and lay the gelatine in it to soften. Drop the tea bags into a measuring jug and pour in enough boiling water to come up to the 300ml mark. Leave for a few minutes to brew but while it’s hot remove the tea bags. Scoop the gelatine out of its bath, squeeze out excess water and stir into the steaming tea. Now add the lemon juice and pour in the raspberry liquid. Pour into 6 x 120ml moulds or champagne flutes or small wine glasses. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge to set for 5-6 hours. Turn out the jellies on to serving plates, or serve in champagne flutes or glasses.

Ingredients 100g of Flour (plain) Pinch of salt 1 egg 300ml of milk Oil to grease frying pan Gourmet Mulling Syrup (Ice cream or fruit optional) Method Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl, whisk in egg and milk until smooth. Set aside for one hour. Gently heat a lightly greased frying pan. Pour the batter into a jug for easier pouring. Pour about three table spoons worth of batter (or your preferred amount) into the pan and tilt pan to spread evenly. When edges are golden lift edges with a knife and flip pancake over to cook other side. Place pancakes onto plates and drizzle with Selsley Herb & Spice Co Gourmet Mulling Syrup. Ice cream or fruit can also be added.

Simply the best 'cookies' you will taste anywhere. Whilst we cannot guarantee that consuming quantities of these will lead you to lose inches off you waist, we can guarantee you will earn brownie points with the rest of your family. Ingredients 8oz (225g) of butter 8 oz (225g) of brown sugar 8oz (225g) of granulated sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 6 oz (175g) of plain flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 10 oz (300g) Organic Pertwood Porridge Oats Chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chunks (to taste - but we advise adding them all) Method Pre-heat oven to 350oF/175oC. Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg, followed by dry ingredients. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes until very light golden colour.

Ingredients 225g luxury dried fruit 50g glace cherries, halved 50g ready to eat dried apricots, roughly chopped 100g soft brown sugar 4tbsp Drink Me Spiced Chai 100ml boiling water 25g blanched almonds, chopped 225g self raising fl our 3 large eggs, beaten Method In a bowl combine the dried fruit, cherries, apricots, and sugar. In a jug mix the Spiced Chai with a little of the boiling water to dissolve it then stir in the remainder of the boiling water. Pour the Spiced Chai mixture over the fruit mix, stir thoroughly then cover and leave for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 160c/325f/gas mark 3 and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. In a clean bowl combine the almonds and flour. Then make a well in the centre and stir in the fruit and Spiced Chai mixture. Add the beaten eggs and stir until well mixed. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth over the surface. Cook on the middle shelf in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until well risen and golden (and a skewer when inserted into the ...

Why spend another Christmas Eve rushing around trying to get your Christmas shopping done? It's one of the busiest and most stressful shopping days of the year. Everybody else has left it until the last minute too. Thousands of people trying to find the perfect present, with time rapidly running out and shelves getting emptier by the minute. And then there's the wrapping to do. So rather than spending the run up to Christmas in a mad panic, why not order some fantastic Christmas food hampers from Real Food Direct? They're packed full of gourmet food goodies, and if you're no good at wrapping we can do it for you. Then you can spend Christmas Eve in true festive spirit. Visit friends you haven't seen for a long time. Hand-deliver your presents and stop by for a glass of sherry and a mince pie. Or just put your feet up and relax. How about that for a stress-free Christmas? At Real Food Direct, we have such a variety of Christmas food hampers that you'll find ...

The big talking point this Christmas in some circles is not just how much should we spend but should we be buying Christmas gifts at all? The PC brigade would have us all leading dull austere lives, or so it seems. For my part I think it’s good for the soul to give presents and it’s great to receive them, this is the tradition of Christmas. But having said that, maybe the politically correct “thought police” do have a point. I don’t subscribe to their preferred martyrdom at Christmas but like many other people I do wonder at the senseless giving and acquiring of so many useless gifts. I feel like screaming when I get yet another scented candle in a box..... So here is my idea, instead of budgeting to allocate a spend level to all the various members of a close group of friends say your sister's family or neighbours that you socialise with, amalgamate the individual budgets and buy one big family present. So why not buy them a Christmas gift hamper? “It will cost a fortune” yo...

These individual apple puddings are perfect comfort food for the cold winter months. They’re delicious served with crème fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 4 75g Unsalted Butter 75g Clear Honey 4 tbsp Double Cream 4 Eating Apples (I used Cox’s), peeled, cored and thinly sliced 120g Dean’s Butterscotch Shortbread Rounds Method Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the butter, honey and cream in a small saucepan and heat, stirring until melted, to make a caramel sauce Divide the caramel sauce between 4 ramekins, top with a layer of apple slices, then half the crushed shortbread Layer with the remaining apples and shortbread, then pour over the rest of the caramel sauce Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling Allow to stand for 5 minutes then carefully turn out onto plates (you may need to run a sharp knife around the inside of the ramekin) Serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon

Real Food Direct has brought out a number of hampers specifically designed for Christmas. They are great gifts for family friends, companies and children. Christmas Food Box - £34.95 The Christmas food box is a smaller hamper with only 7 products but is a lot cheaper and is great for individuals, couples or your parents. Below is a list of products you get in the box: Traditional Christmas Pudding - Medium 450g Handmade Star Mince Pies 12 Cocktail Stollen Cranberry Sauce 227g Brandy Butter 227g Luxury Christmas Truffles 60g Mini Christmas Cake 225g Christmas Food Hamper - £99.95 The Christmas food hamper is a great gift for a whole family or maybe a company. Including 18 different products - this hamper contains all the classic Christmas products you would expect to see for a family Christmas. Go on - indulge yourself. Cranberry Butter Shortbread Rose & Lemon Turkish Delight in Hexagonal Box Marzipan Fruits 75g Traditional Christmas Pudding - Medium 450g Handmade Star Mince Pies ...

Hawkshead was once a part of Lancashire, known as Lancashire beyond the sands. Many of the traditional Lancashire and Cumbrian dishes bear common routes, and are based on great locally grown and farmed produce. This recipe for Lancashire Hotpot is the recipe I use at home, but as with many of these dishes every household makes their own version, mine is based on my mothers recipe and always reminds me of my childhood. Serves 4 - 6 people Ingredients 2lb best end or middle neck of lamb, cut into bitesize pieces, cutting off any excess fat 1 whole link of great lancashire Black pudding cut into 4 - 6 pieces Hawkshead Relish (bottled sauce similar to Worcester Sauce but a softer version) 2 large Onions sliced 1 large Carrot sliced Oil Butter plain flour Bay leaf Thyme 2lbs potatoes (waxy lancashire potatoes) cut into thin slices Sea Salt Freshly ground black pepper Pre heat the oven to 170c/325f/Gas3 Method Having trimmed any excess fat from the lamb and pat dry with kicthen paper,...

You could win lots of tasty Christmas treats worth £50 Five lucky users will win a Luxury Fine Food Hamper from realfooddirect.co.uk packed full of mouth-watering treats. Christmas is the time to indulge in the very best luxury food, so what better way to celebrate the festive season than with a foodie gift for your family? This fantastic range of gourmet goodies provides treats for everyone, from chocoholics to diabetics and coeliacs. For more information visit: www.goodtoknow.co.uk

For years we have been persuaded and pressured into calling Christmas trees Holiday trees and Christmas cards Holiday cards. We are even encouraged, so as not to offend anyone, that we should wish people "Happy Holidays” not Happy Christmas. Oh really? Well Real Food Direct has got news for you. We want to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and that’s why our hampers are called Christmas Gift Hampers . Not Holiday Hampers. Real Food Direct is a totally independent online retailer offering a range of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh food and beverages all of which have been produced by the very best companies in the independent food sector. We also supply a great range of high quality sustainable products from both World and European sources. For instance our fine quality French Champagne is presented in an attractive but simple “Champagne & Chocolate” hamper priced at only £34.95. Then we have our box of South African delights at only £32.95. And those prices as with ...

Cranberry Jelly This is a delicious relish that is great for any left over Christmas lunch or even with your roast. Packed with lovely fruits and spices, it is fantastic with cold meats, in sandwiches it is far too good to save just for Christmas, cranberries are a superfood and very healthy so feel good and choose this relish all year round. Buy Hawkshead Cranberry Jelly Christmas Pudding Gluten-free Jenkins and Hustwit produces an excellent selection of superb, highest quality hand-crafted speciality cakes, fruit cakes, Christmas Cakes, Christmas Puddings and other products for its many discerning customers. Buy Jenkins & Hustwit Gluten-free Christmas Pudding Mulled Wine and Mince Pie Gift Box This is a great gift or you could just buy it for you and the partner. It includes all the components you need for a cosy night in front of the fire! Contents: Gourmet Mulling Syrup 200ml, Handmade Star Mince Pies x 6, French Red Wine 75cl Chateau Lauduc Bordeaux Claret Buy Mulled Wine ...

Another flagship food hall has gone into liquidation this week – Farmer’s City Market in Richmond. This is concerning for the industry as I know there are other embryonic plans in the industry based on its perceived success. This latest set-back follows the failure of Food Inc in Bayswater at the beginning of the year and the well-documented struggles of Wholefoods Market in Kensington who continue to announce large losses.

Drink Me Chai is a luxurious blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black tea, milk and sugar. Its the perfect way to cheer up the day and take 10 minutes out for pure kind thoughts. New for this year is the Fairtrade Chai Gift box which was received very well at IFE 2007 Serves 1 Ingredients 4tsp Drink Me Spiced Chai 2tbsp boiling water 50ml Baileys 25ml vodka 100ml milk a handful of ice cubes to decorate, chocolate shavings and cinnamon sprinkles Method In a jug combine the Spiced Chai with the boiling water and stir until dissolved and smooth. Transfer the Spiced Chai mixture to a cocktail shaker, add the Baileys, vodka, milk and a few ice cubes and shake until well mixed. Strain the mixture into an ice filled highball glass then dust with chocolate shavings and cinnamon sprinkles before serving immediately. Drink Me Chai

With the festive season almost upon us, Real Food Direct has put together a huge range of corporate hampers to treat your employees and clients this Christmas. Each hamper has a fine selection of gourmet foods, from handmade cakes and biscuits to organic snacks and beverages. Whether you want to thank clients for their continued support or reward employees for their hard work, corporate hampers make the ideal gift this Christmas. Our most popular hampers include the Christmas Food Box , English Hamper , Gourmet Food Hamper and Luxury Organic Hamper . Prices start from just £34.95, and hampers are usually despatched within two working days. We also offer a wrapping service if you need it. If you would prefer another hamper there is plenty of choice available from the website, and for special diet requirements there is a Diabetic Hamper and a Gluten Free Hamper Box . A hamper always makes the perfect gift for friends, family and employees. For a personal gift Real Food Direct customer...

The Rochester mulled berry punch is made from blackcurrant, apple, elderberry and blended with mixed spices and orange oil. It is best served hot with a slice of lemon or orange, you can heat it up in a saucepan but be careful not to boil it. It’s a perfect drink for a cold festive day to have with your friends. INGREDIENTS: water, organic raw cane sugar, organic elderberry, organic blackcurrant and organic apple juices (30%), organic mixed spices, citric acid, organic orange oil. Buy Rochester Mulled Berry Punch

This isn’t an everyday crumble it’s the taste of autumn in a bowl! The addition of port to the fruit brings out a deeper flavour whilst the cinnamon adds warmth to the dish. It’s definitely best eaten warm out of the oven with a dollop or two of crème fraiche. Serves 6 Ingredients 50g Butter 1kg Bramley Apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm slices 500g Blackberries (fresh or frozen) 200g Caster Sugar 300ml Port ½ tsp Cinnamon 300g Deans All Butter Shortbread Biscuits Instructions Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt 20g of the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Cook apple, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add berries, sugar, port and cinnamon. Cover and cook for 8 minutes until fruit gives off a lot of juice. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fruit to a 2L pie dish or six 300ml ramekins. Reduce juice in pan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until syrupy. Pour over fruit. Pulse shortbread in a processor to form coarse crumbs. Add remaining butter and process to combine. Top fruit wi...

Serves 4 VIEW A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD Recipe Ingredients 6 eggs 6 egg yolks 60g Hanbury Lavender Sugar 2 pints double cream 120g caster sugar Preparation Instructions Mix eggs and sugar together. Gently bring cream to almost boiling point. Pour over the eggs and sugar whisking all the time. Set aside for 15 minutes to infuse, and then pour through a fine sieve. Put into small ramekins and cook in a Bain Marie at 180C/Gas 4 for about 30 minutes, until set. Cool and chill in the fridge overnight. Sprinkle some caster sugar on top and glaze with a torch. Visit Bartspices to view the original recipe

Ingredients 1 & 1/2 shots Ursus Slow berry vodka 1/2 shots Crème de Cerise 1 shot Boozeberries wild Blueberry liqueur 1 shot Lemon juice 3/4 shot Elderflower cordial 7 Fresh Blueberries Instructions In a cocktail shaker muddle 7 blue berries, add all ingredients to the shaker and shake with regular ice. Fill a highball style glass up with crushed ice and pour the contents of the shaker. Dome the glass with more crushed ice. For the garnish simply get 3 blue berries of all different sizes and put them on a small cocktail stick. It looks great. Boozeberries

With Swine Flu spreading like wildfire, Real Food Direct has put together the perfect Get Well Soon gourmet food hamper for friends and family recovering from the illness. Tasty treats like the Fairytale Gingerbread Deluxe Iced Pig, House of Dorchester Dusted Champagne Truffles and Farmyard Friends Pig Gems are smartly presented in a traditional wicker hamper, and can be ordered online for just £24.95. Whether friends and family have been suffering from Swine Flu, or the side effects of Tamiflu, they will be desperate for some luxuries to enjoy when they feel better. The Get Well Soon Swine Flu Hamper has six yummy products, so there is something to suit everyone. If a customer would prefer another hamper there is plenty of choice available from the website, for example the English Hamper and the Fine Food Hamper Box, for special diet requirements there is also a Diabetic Hamper and a Gluten Free Hamper Box. A hamper always makes the perfect gift for friends, family and employees. Fo...