Tea on a stick

Before I forget, another fab friend sent me a fantastic present from Brussels that makes tea brewing really easy! Tea filters on a stick. It's akin to roasting a pig on a spit, only with tea in a little biodegradable bag.
http://www.palaisdesthes.com/en/tea-shop/pack-of-100-stick-tea-filters-12537.html

I love them and they are really handy to take to work! Thanks to you too El! Adding to my growing tea collection.

Cinnamon on the outside, Jasmine on the inside.....

I had a lovely present recently from a friend that had been travelling in the Far East. A tiny wooden box inlaid with swirls of cinnamon bark, which give off the most wonderfully sweet and rich smell. You can hold it in your hands and it leaves just the faintest cinnamon aroma behind on your skin. Inside it has the best surprise... tea! Some very tasty jasmine tea. A perfect little present. Thanks Zowie!

Fab little swirls of cinnamon

Teeny tiny teabags

Mmmmmmmmm..................tea

Baked Egg Custard and Happy memories

Such a long time since my last post! My very very late New Years resolution should be to post more!

So, on this rainy Bank Holiday Monday what better way to end the day than with a lovely Baked Egg Custard? I've never been able to make pastry, so it's a solid egg custard for me. It reminds me of being little. My Nana used to make splendid baked egg custard and rice puddings. With real butter, milk and so much sugar you could send a toddler running round for hours with just one spoonful. Brilliant. Just the smell alone takes me back. I used to love the way that she broke into the egg custard, through the thin, caramel coloured nutmeg skin; and the slurping noise of the first spoonful being dished out. As there were quite a few of us there on a Saturday afternoon, the pudding never went very far.

However, for years I was unable to make a really good egg custard; one that didn't have that strange, clear fluid pooled at the bottom of the dish. After many failed attempts, I came across an old cookbook that allowed me to finally succeed. With a little tweaking, I can now make an egg custard that leaves no surplus liquid swishing about once the pudding is finished.....

A lovely skin covered in nutmeg forms on the top

Baked Egg Custard

1 pint Milk (full fat is the best!)
few drops of vanilla essence
2oz Caster Sugar
2 -3 eggs depending on size
Grated nutmeg

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4
• Beat the eggs in a jug
• Heat the milk, sugar and vanilla essence in a pan over a medium heat on the stove until nearly boiling.
• Pour the mixture over the beaten eggs, stirring all of the time.
• Pour the combined mixture into a 1 pint ovenproof dish or two pudding basins.
• Sprinkle with grated nutmeg, or grate fresh nutmeg over the puddings.
• Place in a baking or roasting tin and pour water into the roasting tin until it comes to about halfway up the sides of the dish / dishes.
• Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until set.
• Leave for a few minutes to cool after taking it out of the oven. It will be rather hot!

It doesn't last long!