Author Archives: britrish
How to eat like a millionaire
Wanna feel like a million bucks (or pounds, depending on your currency)? Then get in the kitchen and bake this:
* Enter carol of angels *
Okay, so maybe the photo doesn’t show it for the general awesomeness that it is and it looks a lot like an ordinary peanut butter square, but make no mistake. This is Millionaire’s Shortbread, a rich confection that layers dark chocolate atop gooey caramel spread over buttery shortbread. A Twix Bar-like dessert done on a big scale. I’m not sure where this gorgeous creature got its name but it is a British classic and rightly so.
Matthew made a batch last night (I am NOT the baker in our house and would never attempt such a complex dessert), based on Roxanne’s Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe from Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess cookbook. It tastes like a million calories but in a good way.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups unsalted butter
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 9-inch square pan or similar, greased and the bottom lined with parchment or wax paper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Put the flour and sugar into a bowl and rub in 12 tablespoons of the butter, clumping the dough together to form a ball. Press this sandy shortbread mixture into the tin and smooth it either with you hands or a spatula. Prick it with a fork and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 300 degrees F, and cook it for a further 30-40 minutes until it is pale golden and no longer doughy. Let it cool in the tin.
Melt the remaining butter in the microwave (in a large microwavable bowl) for 2-3 minutes, then add the condensed milk and golden syrup. Whisk the mixture well until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Heat for 6-7 minutes until it is boiling, stirring thoroughly every minute. As a microwave novice, I found this bit difficult and had to watch that I didn’t burn the toffee mixture (I did once), which is why I caution you to check and stir every minute. It’s ready when it’s thickened and turned a light golden brown. Pour this molten toffee evenly over the cooled shortbread and leave it to set.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a bowl in a microwave. Pour and spread evenly over the fudge mixture (the less you touch it, the shinier it will be) and leave it to cool. Once set, cut the caramel shortbread into pieces. The squares can be stored in the fridge to keep them firm, though if it’s winter that shouldn’t be necessary.
Makes about 24.
Withnail and I
I first saw Withnail and I my third year of uni (translation: university), while studying abroad in Stirling, Scotland. Released in 1987 about two struggling actors in London in 1969, Withnail and I is one of those movies that never made it big in the US, despite its brilliance.
It remains one of my favorite British films and I share it today simply to urge you to see it, if you haven’t yet. It’s available on instant queue on Netflix.
And while we’re on the topic of lesser-known British movies, do you have any good ones to recommend?
Keep Calm etc.
By now, you’ve seen the “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters everywhere. But did you know that there is a London-based husband-and-wife company called Keep Calm Gallery that sells timeless British prints (as well as designs from up-and-coming designers). Here are just a few pieces from their very British collection.
Popcorn wars
Sweet or salted? That’s the question.
Go to any cinema (translation: movie theater) in the UK and you’ll inevitably encounter the two opposing popcorn types: Sweet (which is similar to Kettle Corn) and salted (which is like our regular popcorn, minus the butter). Butter, at least the last time I went to the cinema in the UK, was not a big factor in the popcorn wars and maybe things have changed since then.
Personally, I’m all about the sweet. It’s quite refreshing these days when I spot a theater in the US that serves Kettle Corn as an alternative to the hot buttered sodium fest (not that that’s a bad thing). It’s still too few and far between.
So are you on Team Sweet or Team Salted?
When life hands you lemons …
The first time I saw this print, I was watching the ever-lovely Emily Henderson makeover the living room of the equally-lovely Joy Cho on Secrets from a Stylist. Watch the episode here!
Joy had a wall full of pictures and prints that she wanted to continue to display in an engaging way and Emily was on the case. This charming print was just one of over a dozen on the wall, but its sunny yellow disposition caught my eye.
After a little online digging, I discovered the print was from the Etsy shop of New Zealand-based designer dearcolleen and I’ve since sent the tea towel version to one sister-in-law in New Zealand and another sister-in-law in England. Gin and tonic is the cocktail of choice in most UK households and we love that tradition. It just seemed like a fitting tribute to our favorite elixir.
As a side note, if you’ve never watched Secrets from a Stylist, you don’t know what you’re missing! Full episodes are available online so you can have your own mini marathon any time you like. With or without gin and tonic.
A weekend in Edinburgh
If I could be anywhere in the world this weekend, I would kilt up and head to Edinburgh (ed-in-bur-uh).
Not for the haggis, the corner street pipers or the cozy fireside pubs (although those would be nice …). No, I’m thinking specifically about Edinburgh festival season – the mad, vibrant, sensory feast of a party that takes place nearly every day and night in August.
What festival? Well, take your pick. Scotland’s capitol city is currently hosting the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the International Festival and the Art Festival. There really is something for everyone. Find more information at www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk
But wherever you are spending this weekend, have a fabulous one. I’ll see you back here Monday!
Lucky Black Cats
Our black cat Poppy, who was named after Jamie Oliver's daughter Poppy Honey, has not been bad luck. Well, except for those who visit us. She hates visitors.
A happy belated Black Cat Appreciation Day, which was Wednesday. As usual, I’m a day late and a dollar short on the greeting, but better late than never.
And here’s one for the Bizarro World files: Black cats, which are traditionally bad luck in the US, are good luck in the UK. People actually seek them out and want to adopt them. It’s actually the white cats that are bad luck in the UK. Welcome to reverso-world.
Affectionate Anglos
If you’ve watched too many episodes of Masterpiece Theatre, you might get the impression that the British are all standoffish and Mr. Darcyish, with their top hats and stiff upper lips.
Not so.
Actually, I’m routinely taken aback by how very affectionate Brits are. They’re always greeting people with a kiss on the cheek, even those they might meet for the first time. That doesn’t happen in America.
And they’re always ending letters and emails with kisses (x = kiss, if you didn’t know). Sometimes two = xx. Oftentimes three = xxx. And even as much as four = xxxx. I’m not talking about schoolchildren. I’m talking about full-fledged adults. This is the way they sign off every letter. It’s downright romantic!
But what about hugs, I hear you asking … Well, what about them?! Brits can hug as well as the next Yank. Check out the new Hug London Facebook page that’s formed post-riots to heal the city. Hosted by Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centers, the community page invites anyone to send in photos of themselves hugging London landmarks. They will be gathering at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow to hug City Hall in London. So much for the stiff upper lip …
Mini Boden is big on style
The Brits have a knack for making lovely, high-quality children’s clothes and Mini Boden is proof of that. I’ve purchased a few items through their catalogue in previous years, but recently Nordstrom started carrying their line in its stores – not in its entirety but the highlights, which is good enough for me. Their fall collection can be pre-ordered now.
Pictured above: Layered Sleeve Tee in Blackcurrant Apple; ‘Bold Print’ Dress in Indigo Giant Flower; Heart Patch Pants (Toddler) in Raspberry Mouse; and ‘Fun Pocket’ Jumper in Aqua
Magnum arrives in the U.S.
I laughed out loud the first time I saw this Magnum commercial starring The OC‘s Rachel Bilson. For so many reasons. Let me count the ways.
- I love that “Do Not Attempt” pops up on the screen when she’s stepping over cars barefoot through traffic.
- I love the campy cop and ice cream truck driver and all of that magician’s fog that streams out of the truck when he opens the back.
- And of course, I love that Magnum Ice Cream is arriving in the US market, competing for an audience that already associates Magnum with a brand of extra-large condoms, a firearm and, of course, Tom Selleck of yesteryear.
The combination is just YouTube gold.
P.S. I should add that we did buy a box — okay, two boxes, oink, oink — of Magnum Ice Cream when we saw it at the grocery store and Rachel Bilson is not acting. The Double Caramel is well worth climbing cars in a sundress for.
BRITRISH.COM 