Time for board games, old movies, long walks and fireside chats. And a few bold bowls full of moreish snacks, writes DOMINI KEMP
IT WASN’T UNTIL the big freeze happened again this year that I realised how last year’s water shortages, freezing pipes and general inability to do much washing and bathing was quickly forgotten, to make way for some other problem.
It’s amazing how angry we become when things that we take for granted are whipped away from us. But, like most people I spoke to, after a few days, we all got used to it and got on with things. People slowed down for each other and everyone seemed ready to lend a hand to a stranded neighbour or stuck car. That lovely sense of co-operation seemed abundant as we united against the enemy, which in this case was Arctic weather. We are never as badly off as we imagine ourselves to be.
The week ahead will hopefully provide time to rest and regroup, sit beside the fire, indulge in long chats, long walks, perhaps a bit of solitary reading and the occasional raucous board game. Take a big deep breath and try to savour the festive spirit. Make a big bowl of this toffee popcorn. Roast some sweet potato wedges and curl up on the sofa. Go for a brisk walk and come home for a small cup of delicious hot chocolate - and be sure to add the splash of rum for the grown-ups (or try that eggnog recipe from a few weeks back). Enjoy with my best wishes for a lovely holiday. I hope you have a fantastic Christmas . . . and try not to hog the remote.
Toffee popcorn
Makes enough for about 10 people
I have to confess, I’ve never made toffee popcorn before and had to look to the internet for a recipe. Peaches and I agree that what we came up with was the right balance of buttery sweetness and salty corn. We found it very hard to stop eating it.
75g corn kernels
2 tbsp sunflower oil
50g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g butter
Good pinch salt
Heat up the corn in the sunflower oil in a heavy saucepan with a lid. Swirl it around so the corn is well coated and then put the lid on. Keep the heat medium and wait until you start to hear some popping. Turn the heat a bit lower and keep the lid on. At this stage, the popping should gain some momentum.
You can give the pan a little shake (but keep the lid on!) and keep it on the heat until you think you have enough heat to keep it going. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. If you find the kernels haven’t all popped, leave the unpopped ones in the pot, remove the layer of cooked popcorn and heat again with the lid on.
Put the popcorn in a huge bowl. Meanwhile, have your butter, sugar and golden syrup warming until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Pour this hot mixture on to the corn. Mix and fold the popcorn around the bowl with a spatula. Eventually all will be well coated. Sprinkle with salt and keep mixing and folding. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve straight away.
I made this the night before the photo shoot and was happy enough with the taste the next day, but it is best while still warm and fresh.
Hot chocolate
Serves 8-10
I know this might seem a bit boring, but let me tell you, this is good stuff. The rum works a treat.
270g dark chocolate
270g milk chocolate
500ml cream
1 litre milk
3-4 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp dark rum
Extra whipped cream and chocolate shavings for decoration
Break the chocolate into a large bowl. Meanwhile heat the cream and milk until it is just about to boil. Pour this on to the chocolate, carefully. Mix well with a wooden spoon and add the sugar if you think it’s a bit bitter.
Serve as is, or add the rum. Top with blobs of softly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Makes about 12 biscuits
This is very easy for kids to make. Use any cookie cutter shape you like.
75 g butter, softened
50 g icing sugar
Rind of 1 orange
Pinch cinnamon
1 egg yolk
175 g flour
Beat the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add the rind, cinnamon and egg yolk and continue to beat. Add the flour, which you should sieve. Knead together and form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for an hour or overnight.
Preheat an oven to 190 degrees (gas mark five). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 3mm thick. Cut out biscuits using your favourite cookie cutter. Dip the cutter into flour to help prevent the cookies from sticking to it while you cut them out. Bake on parchment paper, on baking trays for about 10 minutes until firm. Let them cool on wire racks. Keep in an airtight container or else eat straight away with your hot chocolate.
Sweet potato wedges
Serves 6-8
I stole this idea from the Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook, Plenty. But he made his with pumpkin, and I have to say, they weren’t great. They looked fab, but they were too wet and awkward to eat. Hence my crafty move to sweet potatoes. You need some parchment paper and possibly two baking trays.
4 sweet potatoes
Few tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
200g breadcrumbs
3 tbsp Ketchup Manis or hoi sin, let down with some water
50g Parmesan, very finely grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Few sprigs thyme
Pinch chilli flakes
Preheat an oven to 190 degrees/gas mark five. Leave the skin on the sweet potatoes and cut them in half, lengthwise, then cut each half into three wedges. Toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and then transfer to parchment-paper-lined baking trays. Give them some room to sizzle. Give them a blast for about 15 minutes while you make the topping.
Mix the breadcrumbs with the rest of the ingredients and season. It should clump together if you squish it up; you may need to add some olive oil. If it tastes good and savoury, then top the sweet potatoes with it. You have to kind of pack it onto each one. Then bake for another 20 minutes, or even longer, until you have nice colour on them, they are starting to smell good and the sweet potatoes are soft.
Allow to cool for a while and then serve on a big plate.
dkemp@irishtimes.com See also itsa.ie