Italian Lemon Trifle

So it has been FREEZING here in Dublin since time began.  Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it feels like that at this stage following the freezing temperatures of winter that seem to be dragging on into spring.  Over the last week, while the temperatures have remained more than chilly, the sky has turned the most beautiful shade of blue and a strange light has flooded the earth.  That light my dear friends is the sun.  I know, I had almost forgotten what it looked like too.  But it's back, and it is more than welcome.  I hope it is settling in for a bright and warm year ahead and doesn't plan on hiding behind the clouds too much. 

With sunny skies warming my skin I had a longing for some fresh tastes.  The cold and grey winter days called for heavy, warming, comforting foods but this change in the weather has brought a longing for lighter flavours to refresh both palate and mind.  Mr. Boo and myself had some guests for dinner on Saturday night and so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test out a recipe idea I had thought of last year.  It was very well received around the table so I think it will be a regular fixture for summer desserts in this house.

The recipe is a mixture of a couple I have already posted on the blog here with some additions and tweaks.  I decided to use Lemon Drizzle Cake as a base for an alternative trifle.  I doused it with Limoncello, then layered this with mascarpone mixed with some icing sugar to sweeten it a little and some tangy Lemon Posset.  I'm not sure the Italians eat trifle or have a fondness for a lemon one but I decided the use of Limoncello and mascarpone warranted the Italian description in the title.  Enjoy!

Italian Lemon Trifle

1 x 1lb loaf of Lemon Drizzle Cake
6floz Limoncello
500g Mascarpone
75g Icing Sugar
1 quantity of Lemon Posset

I made the lemon drizzle cake in a 1lb loaf tin so that it could easily be cut into even slices for layering.  Alternatively you could use a shop bought Madeira cake.  I made 6 individual trifles in tumbler glasses but you could make it in one large bowl if you prefer.

1,  Make the lemon drizzle cake and lemon posset as per the instructions here.
2.  Slice the lemon drizzle cake into 1cm slices.  Lay in one layer on a plate or baking sheet and pour over the Limoncello.  Leave for a few minutes to allow to soak in.
3.  Place the mascarpone in a bowl and add in the icing sugar.  Stir through until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

4.  Place a layer of cake in the bottom of the bowl/glass.  Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and then a layer of lemon posset.  Continue to layer until you have used all of the ingredients.  (If you are using individual glasses you might have to break the cake slices to make them fit.  This is fine, just press them down into an even layer.)

Flourless Brownies(GF) & Gluten Free Baking

During my blogging year(and a bit) I have become much more aware of the food I eat.  Whilst I always appreciated a good meal and loved to cook up a storm in the kitchen I didn't always think about the food I was eating and it's journey to my table.  Now I am more adventurous in my choices, willing to try flavours and textures I would have refused before.  I also choose my ingredients with a lot more care and with more curiosity as to where it has come from.  I ask my butcher lots of questions about cuts of meat and am happy to try those cuts that for a long time have been out of favour.  I'm not sure why they became unfashionable as they are so delicious.  I also check labels when buying fresh fruit and veg to see if items are locally grown and where Irish grown produce is available it beats imported items into my shopping basket.

Not only am I more aware of the food choices I make but also those of others.  I read so many inspiring Irish and also international food blogs, bursting full of fabulous ideas and each with it's own unique style.  Some embrace food in all it's guises but others focus on food governed by lifestyle choices or dietary restrictions.  Through my blog I have become more aware of coeliac disease, and am quite surprised that the number of people affected is much higher than I had previously thought.  As it is something that I am not faced with in my day to day baking for family and friends I never really gave it much thought, but having encountered queries and comments relating to the blog I decided to educate myself a little so that I could attempt to offer some gluten free recipes on the blog.

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which affects the gut and other parts of the body.  It causes the body to attack itself when gluten is eaten.  Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley & rye, is what gives elasticity to bread and spring to cakes.  Some people can also be affected by oats.  To treat coeliac disease people diagnosed must stick to a gluten free diet and avoid foods such as breads, cereals, flours, pastas, pizza bases, biscuits, cakes and pastry as these are the most obvious sources of gluten.  It is also advisable to avoid oats as they can become cross contaminated with other grains. 

As most baked goods require flour in some shape or form those with coeliac disease can find the choice of baked goods very limiting.  On the side bar of the blog I have added a new 'Gluten Free Treats' button, if you click on it it will link to a page that contains all of the gluten free recipes from the blog so far.  I have only started to explore the world of gluten free baking but will make an effort to post some more gluten free options and also some specifically gluten free recipes throughout the year.  I hope this is of interest to some of you and I would love your feedback on this in the comments. 

For more information please check out Coeliac Society of Ireland.  Also, if you would like to try some gluten free baking I have found Seriously Good! Gluten Free-Baking by Phil Vickery to be a really fantastic book.  It is full of information and has a great range of recipes to keep you very busy in the kitchen. 

IMPORTANT
It is very important for you to check that the brand of certain products eg. baking powder that you use is gluten free as products can become cross contaminated during production.  If you are a member of the Coeliac Society of Ireland you will receive an annual Food List with details of gluten free products and brands.  Also you can check all ingredient lists on food packaging and avoid anything that clearly states it contains wheat.  Some products also provide allergy information on their packaging which would state if the item is gluten free. 

Flourless Brownies

I was going to start off with something boring like a bread or scones but as I haven't made it to my local health food shop yet to stock up on specialist flours yet I decided to see what I could rustle up with the contents of my baking press.  Luckily for you and me I settled on brownies as I knew that as they are a flat tray bake substituting ground almonds for flour shouldn't cause too many problems.  I was pretty impressed with the results and when I asked Mr. Boo's opinion and he said they were the best brownie's he had ever tasted I knew I was onto a winner.  He is my harshest critic, especially when it comes to chocolate treats so his was high praise indeed.  He enjoyed his taster bite so much he polished off 2 whole brownies with his cup of tea.  I hope you enjoy them just as much.  Be warned though, they are extremely gooey and delicious.

(makes 12-15 depending on the size you cut the squares)

200g/7oz Unsalted butter, diced
250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Ground Almonds
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Preheat the oven to 160C/F/Gas Mark .  Line a brownie tray with foil.
2.  Place the butter into a pan and set over a medium heat until melted.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring occasionally until melted.

3.  In a separate bowl whisk the caster sugar and eggs using a hand held whisk until creamy.

4.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and mix gently until well combined.

5.  Sieve in the ground almonds and the cocoa powder(you may need to give the last of the almonds a helping hand through the sieve) and again gently mix through to combine.

6.  Pour into the prepared tray and smooth out.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

  There should be a thin crisp layer on the top and the brownie should still have some wobble. 

7.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from the tray and cutting into yummy scrummy gooey squares of heaven.  Enjoy.

Double Chocolate Flower Pots

We had some people over for dinner last Sunday.  I have already posted about the tears & tantrums and the disasters but thankfully something went right on the day.  Despite the aul fellas at the table complaining that they don't eat dessert and me telling them in no uncertain terms that I didn't care just to take the thing and let it sit in front of them, this provided a very pleasant end to the meal.  These are another little gem that I found on Tasty Kitchen, the food blog on the Pioneer Woman.  When I saw a picture of them I knew instantly that my life would not be complete until I made them.

As it was a dessert for adults I decided to adapt the recipe.  The original recipe basically calls for an assembly of shop bought items.  I chose to make the various components, replacing pound cake with chocolate brownie and ice cream with white chocolate mousse.  I was slightly lazy and stuck with shop bought biscuits and given the success of Oreo Chocolate Creme's in my Mint Crisp Pie base I gave them another outing.

Feel free to stick with the original recipe and offer your guests a wow factor dessert for practically no work, or if you fancy something a little more decadent you can whip up the brownie and mousse with very little effort.

***Before you read the recipe be warned that it looks like a lot of work but the brownie and white choclate mousse recipes only take about 10 mins each to make and assembly of the finished pots take about another 10 mins, after that it is just a matter of popping them in the fridge to allow them to set.***

In addition to the recipes below you will also need:
75g/2.5oz Oreo Chocolate Creme's (crushed)
8 Drinking Straws
8 cut flowers (ensure the stems will fit into the drinking straws)
8 small terracota pots

Chocolate Brownie

(this recipe will make a tray of brownies, approx 15 depending on the size you cut.  You will have some brownies left over to enjoy later with a cup of tea)

250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate (I use 70% Cocoa Solids)
200g/7oz Unsalted Butter
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Plain Flour
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
2.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
3.  Break up the chocolate and dice the butter and place them in a heatproof bowl and place over the pan of simmering water.  Turn off the heat and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
4.  In a seperate bowl mix the sugar and the eggs using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
5.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder and again stir to combine.

7.  Pour into the lined baking sheet and smooth the top with a spatula.
8.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  A clean skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a little of the mixture smeared on it.  The brownie is best if still a little squishy and moist rather than completely firm.
9.  Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool on a wire rack.



White Chocolate Mousse
(makes enough to serve 4 as a dessert on it's own or 8 when added to this dessert)

175g/6.2oz White Chocolate
90ml/3floz Milk
2 Egg Whites
1/4tsp Lemon Juice
225ml/7.5floz Double Cream

1.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
2.  Break up the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.  Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water and turn off the heat.
3.  Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the milk and set aside.
4.  Whip the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form stiff peaks and then gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
5.  Transfer to a pouring jug.

To assemble the pots:

1.  Once the brownie has cooled cut out rounds that will fit into the bottom of the flower pots.  You can use a round cookie cutter if you have a suitable size, cut around the bottom of the flower pot or I used a 1floz measuring glass turned upside down.  Press the brownie into the bottom of the pots.  If they break or crumble slightly don't worry, just press it all down for a nice snug fit.

2.  Take a drinking straw and push it into the centre of the brownie base.  Once in place snip the straw below the rim of the flower pot.
3.  Carefully pour the white chocolate mousse mixture in, dividing evenly between the 8 pots.

4.  Place the pots into the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours to set.
5.  When you are ready to serve place the Oreo biscuits in a resealable bag, expel all of the air and seal.  Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle over the mousse layer.
6.  Finally place the stem of a cut flower into the straw.

Lemon Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Orange Cookies

Last Friday I participated in a #twookieparty (a cookie bake off on Twitter) with some other Irish foodies.  I promised recipes would follow so here are the first two.  I am lumping these two together as I used the same basic dough recipe for both.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Yields approx 36
(I divided the dough in 3, baked 1 dozen and froze 2 rolls of dough for later use)

450g/15oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1/4tsp Salt
395g/14oz granulated sugar
44g/1.5oz packed light-brown sugar
Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
220g/8oz Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Large Eggs
Granulated Sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.   Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper. (if you are baking the full quantity of dough you will need 3 lined baking sheets or you will have to bake in 3 seperate batches)
2.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3.  Put the sugars and lemon zest in a seperate bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4.  Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice.
5.  Reduce the speed and gradually add the flour mixture; mix until just combined.
6.  Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon or a regular tablespoon place dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
7.  Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork and sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, then lightly brush with a wet pastry brush and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.
8.  Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9.  Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Yields approx 36

(I divided the dough in 3, baked 1 dozen and froze 2 rolls of dough for later use)

450g/15oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1/4tsp Salt
395g/14oz granulated sugar
44g/1.5oz packed light-brown sugar
Grated Zest of 1 Orange
2tbsp Fresh Orange Juice
220g/8oz Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Large Eggs
100g Plain Chocolate, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper. (if you are baking the full quantity of dough you will need 3 lined baking sheets or you will have to bake in 3 seperate batches)
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Put the sugars and orange zest in a seperate bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the orange juice.
5. Reduce the speed and gradually add the flour mixture; mix until just combined.

6. Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon or a regular tablespoon place dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.

7. Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork.
8. Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9.  Once they are cool melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave (if you do not bake all af the cookie dough simply reduce the amount of chocolate accordingly ie. if you bake 1/3 of the cookie dough melt 1/3 f the chocolate)
10. Using a teaspoon drizzle lines of chocolate across the cookies to form a pattern.  I drizzled in different directions but you can do it which ever way you prefer.

11.Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lemon Curd (GF)

The weather has been glorious this week in Dublin and so I have been pushing heavy chocolatey recipes to the back of my mind in favour of zesty, fruity flavours perfect for the sun.  (Although I might sneak in a light chocolate something or other at the end of the week.)  Anyhoo, having enjoyed the delicious pineapple and mint concotion I made the other day I decided something similarly fresh and zesty would be very welcome while temperatures remain in the high teens.  I wanted something quick and easy to make that I can keep in the fridge to whip up simple desserts while the sun keeps us company.  This hit the spot perfectly, it was made in 15 mins and only required one pot so there was minimal washing up required.  Serve with scones, pancakes, ginger cake, meringue, mix into some icecream, smear on some brioche or biccies.  The possibilities are endless. Enjoy.

Lemon Curd
Makes 3 x 1lb/350ml Capacity Jars

Grated Zest & Juice of 4 large, juicy Lemons
4 Large Eggs
12oz/350g Caster Sugar
8oz/225g Unsalted Butter, at room temp and cut into small pieces
1 Heaped tbsp Cornflour

1.  In a medium sized saucepan whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients and place over a medium heat.
3.  Use the balloon whisk to whisk continuosly until the mixture thickens.
4.  Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for a further minute, continue to whisk.
5.  Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the hot sterilised jars.*
6.  Cover with waxed discs (you can buy these in baking supply stores but if you don't have any use some greaseproof paper), seal while still hot and allow to cool before labelling.

7.  Store in a cool place and this will keep for weeks.

* Wash the jars in hot water and then dry out in an oven at 100°C/212°F/Gas Mark 1/4 for 15 mins, fill and seal while hot to create a sterile vacuum seal.  Alternatively wash on a hot cycle in the dishwasher without detergent.

I halved the above recipe without a problem and used 1 jar, I did mean to fill the jar with water and measure it's capacity but forgot in my excitement and only remembered after I had sterilised it.  I was too lazy and impatient to sterilize the far again so didn't take the measurement, sorry.  I am going to give this jar to my dad as part of his Fathers day presents as I know he will love it, so I will make another half quantity of the above recipe to live in my fridge for a few weeks.

Bord Bia Irish Food Bloggers Event Part Trois

I am entering this tart into English Mum's Big Bake Off due to some bullying, yes blatant bulling from The Glutton and of bit of Gluttony egging on from English Mum herself.  Wish me luck peeps.

I may have mentioned once or thrice that I recently attended a Food Bloggers Event in Bord Bia.  Well, for those of you who missed that I did.  As part of the days events the lovely people at Bord Bia fed and watered us very nicely indeedy.  Much to everyone's delight, having stuffed us full of delicious Irish Pork and various accompaniments, dessert followed in the form of a beautiful strawberry tart.  The room filled with 'oohs' and 'aahs' of appreciation as it was delivered to tables and I heard more than one person express an interest in receiving the recipe after lunch.  Now, as if the people of Bord Bia had not been good enough to us already they happily said they would make the recipe available to anyone interested, and they did.  Having put them to the trouble of emailing me with said recipe it would have been positively rude of me not to post about it, so here you go peeps, get ready to drool.  This is a deliciously light tart, perfect for summer entertaining.  I made it last night and it is no more this morning.  Mr. Boo and myself had a very generous slice each and my neighbours were the lucky and very grateful recipients of the rest. So go on, off to the kitchen with you and whip up this little lovely.  Go on, shoo!

White Chocolate and Strawberry Tart

Serves 12

250g Plain Flour
25g Icing Sugar
65g Cold Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
250g Mascarpone
200g bar of good quality white chocolate
145ml cream
400g Strawberries

1) Sieve the flour and icing sugar into a food processor. Add the butter and whiz until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add just enough egg to bring the mixture together.
2) Shape pastry into a disc and wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3) Roll out the pastry and shape into a 20.5cm (8”) fluted pastry tin. Prick all over. Cover with a large circle of baking parchment and top with baking beans. Chill until firm. Preheat the oven to 190°C(170°C fan)/374°F/Mark 5.

4) Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry has set. Remove the beans and parchment and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is dry and slightly sandy to the touch. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.
5) Melt the mascarpone and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base the of bowl doesn’t touch the water. Don’t stir; otherwise the mixture will thicken into a sticky mess.
6) Remove bowl from the pan and set aside to cool completely. Meanwhile, lightly whip the cream. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream. Spoon the filling into the pastry case and chill.
7) To serve, top with strawberries cut in half and dust with icing sugar.

I have added some notes after the pics.

Notes: 

I forgot to dust it with icing sugar at the end as I was a tad over excited at the prospect of getting stuck into it!

I added the egg a couple of tablesppons at a time (I broke it into a small bowl and gave it a little whisk) until I had enough, rather than add it all at once and find I had too much.

I used my grease proof paper trick to line the pastry case but cut it a little big so that I could gather up the edges to remove the baking beans easily.

If you have neither the time nor the energy to bake your own pastry buy a ready made tart case from a supermarket and just make the filling. (I'm all for the easy life so don't worry I won't judge you, promise)

I know it says DO NOT STIR up there, but I just couldn't resist.  When I removed the chocolate mixture from the heat I did give it a quick stir to mix the chocolate and mascarpone as I was afraid they would not mix when added to the cream once chilled.  Sorry, but that was like asking Dougal NOT to press the big red button, it just wasn't going to happen.

OK lesson over, now off with yiz!

BLT Prime Popovers

On our last trip to New York, in August of last year, myself and Mr Boo had a very indulgent time altogether.  We were there alone so had no one but ourselves to please and could follow our own schedule and abandon it at will if the fancy took us.  We made reservations for dinner for each night of our stay at least a month in advance of travelling and had decided on suitable eateries for lunch.  We planned our days activities around our luncheon venue so as to find ourselves in the vicinity just about the time our tummies would start to rumble and mapped out bars to stop at on our travels should an unmerciful thirst take hold (we were thirsty enough to mark approx 80% of them off our list).

The days flowed by in a swirl of champagne bars, scrummilicious restaurants, cocktails sipped on hotel rooftops and copious amounts of cupcakes and ice cream.  The day the evil red wine struck was no different.  We started off with a Frappucino in Starbucks as we strolled from our hotel to Grand Central Station.  From there we took the subway to Canal Street where we disembarked and climbed the stations steps to emerge again into the glorious sun.  We strolled around China town to soak up the wonderful atmosphere and the hustle and bustle of all of the 'designer' shop fronts.  A little turn off and we were on Mulberry Street and transported to the heart of Little Italy, restaurant after restaurant bustling with tables full of families settling down for lunch.  A couple of blocks in we stopped at a restaurant with a bakery for some mouth-watering cannolis and on we travelled happily munching our sweet delights.

Before turning from Mulberry Street to East Houston we always like to duck into The Market NYC and this time was no different.  As well as picking up some quirky pieces made by emerging fashion designers it also offered some welcome respite from the stifling midday heat.  With my new jewellery in hand we continued on our way, turning onto East Houston and walking the few blocks to Katz's deli (the venue of the famous "I'll have what she's having" scene from When Harry Met Sally).  We took our tickets at the door and then entered the mayhem of meat cutters shouting, waiters shouting, bus boys shouting, customers shouting, there always seems to be a lot of shouting in here.  We joined a queue and when we reached the counter the giant behind promptly carved some slices of corned beef for us to sample before ordering.  While he was making up our order he made a very crude comment to Mr Boo that made the crowd behind us howl with laughter and me blush uncontrollably.  Good job I am not easily offended, but that's New York baby, and it is best to just roll along with it.  Once suitably stuffed we headed out in search of liquid refreshment.  An afternoon of bar hopping and shopping led us back to our hotel to shower off the heat of the day and fabulise ourselves for the evening.

A quick cab ride brought us to our first destination of the evening, the Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel, for a couple more mojitos, and then we ventured around the corner to BLT Prime.  Once seated we ordered a bottle of bubbles and a steak each (you don't visit BLT Prime and not order steak).  Our champagne was poured and popovers were brought to the table to tide us over whilst the cow was being wrangled out back.  I had never had a popover before and OMFG they were scrumptiously, mouth-wateringly I could happily cancel my order and just eat these all night, delicious.  Smothered in butter and sprinkled with some sea salt we both devoured them and expressed our longing for some more.  Our steaks were soon delivered to the table and the Somellier promptly followed with the red wine we had ordered to accompany our meat course.  It was a beautiful red.  Velvety smooth, full berry flavuors that went down very easily, oh how easily it was guzzled.

The most amazing steak of my life and one glass of red wine later and I was finished.  No good to anyone.  A giggling, bleary-eyed vision in fuchsia, sitting like a mischievous child on a bold step.  I giggled my way through dessert and spoke a little too loudly about the NBA player and his squeeze at the next table that had never heard of garlic and asked for an explanation from their very patient waiter (seriously, they were only short of asking him to explain what water is).  We finished our dessert and bubbles and Mr Boo very wisely decided it was time to get me home to bed.  I insisted I was fine as I didn't want to cut short a night of our holiday, but after trying and failing to pose outside for a photo with the beautifully lit Chrysler building in the background I conceded it was indeed time for bed.

Sleep came very easily to me that night once Mr Boo managed to steer me to the bed and stopped me from giggling uncontrollably.  Alas, it was not to last.  At approximately 4am I found myself in the dark and kneeling on the floor in front of the mini bar in nothing but my undies trying to decipher which bottle was water and which was JD, not my finest moment I admit.  15 minutes later and I had it sussed and retrieved the 2 teeny weenie bottles of aqua from amongst the melee of alcoholic beverages.  A further half an hour sprawled across the vanity in the bathroom praying for death and I managed to crawl back to bed only to be woken the next morning by a disgustingly chirpy (and highly amused) Mr Boo, rearing to go and completely unsympathetic to my plight.  A while later a very delicate me emerged into the baking heat, sunglasses on, and vowing never to drink again.  Two hours later having consumed litres of water and cranberry juice and still praying for death I caved and asked the very nice barman in Cipriani in Grand Central Station to make me a Bellini.  It was akin to the elixir of life and instantly stopped the world from swaying so nauseatingly.  Our holiday regained it's momentum and I have since declined all offers of el Diablo's nectar and will continue to do so.

I learnt some very valuable lessons on that trip:
1)  I can drink bubbles and mojitos in vast quantities without any adverse affects.
2)  Red wine is the work of the devil and is not my friend.  Bold, bold vino rouge. Bold.
3)  The hair of the dog really is much better than rehydrating with water and trumps alka seltzer with ease.
4)  Red wine is evil and is not to be consumed by me EVER again.
5)  BLT Prime makes the best steak I have ever tasted.
6)  Red wine is the devils nectar.
7)  I love popovers.

The following recipe is American and so is measured in cups and not grams/ounces.

BLT Prime Popovers
(Makes 6 but recipe can be doubled to yield 12)

For this recipe you will need a popover tin, something I haven't managed to acquire in Ireland even though I have tried kitchen supply stores in Dublin, stalked the kitchen aisle of my local TK Maxx every weekend in the hope they might magically appear and googled to no avail.  They are available on Amazon but I bypassed that option and visited my local garden centre and purchased 6 small glazed terracotta pots and saucers. *

2 cups of Milk, warmed
4 Eggs
2 cups of Flour
2tsp Salt
1 cup of grated Gruyere or Cheddar Cheese

1.  Place the popover pan or terracotta pots into the oven and preheat to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 (if using terracotta pots line with greaseproof paper.  Pictures posted below).
2.  Gently warm the milk over a low heat and set aside.
3.  Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (do this slowly so as not to cook the eggs).
4.  Sift in the flour and the salt and combine until mostly smooth.
5.  Once the mixture is combined, remove the popover pan from the oven and brush each pan with a little oil.  If using terracotta pots brush the greaseproof paper with a little oil.
6.   While the batter is still warm transfer to a jug and pour into the popover pan/terracotta pots until 3/4 full.

7.  Sprinkle approx 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each popover and place in the oven for 50 mins, rotating the pan a half turn after the 1st 15 mins.

6.  After 50 mins remove from the oven, if a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean they are cooked.  If not return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
7.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve immediately with some butter and freshly ground sea salt.

To serve popovers for breakfast leave the cheese out and serve with butter and jam.

*As with all new kitchen utensils wash terracotta pots in warm soapy water before using to ensure all garden centre dwellers have been washed away.  Line with greaseproof paper as the batter will stick to the sides when baking.

To line terracota pots with greaseproof paper:

Cut a square of greaseproof paper

Fold the square in half

Then in half again to form a smaller square

Now fold in hald diagonally to make a triangle

Place point side down into one of the pots and mark a point approximately 1" above the rim

Cut off any excess above this point

Fold in half again to make a skinny triangle

(these fold lines will make it easier to place into the pots)

Open out the paper and stuff it into the pot, use the fold lines to flatten it inside the pot

Turn the top down over the edge of the pot

Brush some oil on the greaseproof paper before pouring in the batter.