With this bank holiday set to be an absolute scorcher, it’s safe to say that we’ll all be headed out to enjoy the sun. If you have any BBQ’s, picnics or garden parties planned then as usual here are some of the tastiest treats, snacks and recipes that we’ve found this week that might give you a little bit of inspiration!
Little Moons
Move over cupcakes and eclairs. Little Moons, colourful, bite-sized, moreish mochis filled with artisan gelato ice-cream, are now the next big thing in desserts. It was back in 2010 that siblings Vivien and Howard Wong pledged to bring Japan’s best-kept secret to the masses, and give a modern twist to a 10,000-year-old tradition.
Little Moons are bite-size artisan gelato that’s made in the UK and wrapped in a natural gluten-free rice flour mochi shell all under 100 calories. Harry Styles and Heidi Klum are both self-declared mochi monsters, it’s the perfect summer treat as the mochi shell keeps the gelato nice as cool and stops it from melting so you don’t have to spend your time in the shade!
Little moons come in ten irresistible flavours to choose from; Alphonso Mango, Uji Matcha Green Tea, Sumatran Coconut, Madagascan Vanilla, Himalayan Salted Caramel, Black Espresso, Strawberries & Cream, Yuzu Lemon, Italian Hazelnut and Vegan Belgian Chocolate. You can Pick and Mix all ten flavours from £1.50 at Selfridges Food Hall or at one of their summer popups in Westfield, Shepherd Bush or Bond Street Tube Station. They are also available all year round in Waitrose, Ocado, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, As Nature intended, Japan Centre, and Selfridges Food Hall, priced at £4.99 for a box of six.
Popcorn Shed Gourmet Popcorn
Whether you are looking for a snack to enjoy on movie night or to grab and take on your next picnic, these Popcorn Shed popcorn packets are absolutely amazing. With some seriously cool packaging and tasty flavours they are definitely going to be our summer snack of choice!
Not only are these the first mini popcorn in Europe but they are a completely vegan popcorn range that are low-calorie and gluten free. These Popcorn Shed mini popcorns won’t get stuck in your teeth and are kinder on your tummy. My favourite is definitely toffee! You can find them in Harrods, John Lewis, Selfridges and Ocado.
Hermesetas Green Smoothie Recipe
Hermesetas, the pioneering Swiss brand which launched as one of the world’s first branded evidence-based low-calorie sweeteners, has compiled a list of some great summer-like treats which makes these treats almost guilt-free. In fact, according to a recent survey of 1003 consumers, three out of five adults (59%) say they would replace sugar in recipes, if it could be done easily. Find one of the tastiest drinks below that certainly shows it can be done while also being delicious.
As refreshing and green as the morning dew on a meadow: Start the day or the afternoon with a vegan smoothie made from coconut water, mango and baby spinach.
General Information
Ready in 10 minutes
2 portions
Calories p.P 64
Ingredients
Coconut water 250 ml
Mango 150 g
Baby spinach leaves 75 g
Lime juice 1 tbsp
Hermesetas Granulated 2 tsp
Ice cubes 4
PREPARATION:
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend on the highest speed until the smoothie has the desired consistency. Divide the smoothie between two glasses and enjoy chilled this bank holiday!
Jim Jams No Added Sugar Milk Chocolate Dippers
Brand new this autumn from the JimJams family comes these milk chocolate dippers with no added sugar. The perfect size snack comprises of a dozen mini bread sticks accompanied by their signature no added sugar milk chocolate spread. The milk chocolate spread is SugarWise certified and the naturally sourced sweetener maltitol is kinder on your teeth as well as being high in fibre.
The are School compliant so suitable for lunch boxes or as the perfect picnic snack this bank holiday! Suitable for vegetarians and use sustainable palm oil RSPO certified.
Priced at just 99p you can find them at: Holland & Barrett, Tesco & www.jimjams-spreads.co.uk
Everdure by Heston Blumenthal – the best ‘sauce’ for bank holiday BBQ’s
Celebrate the summer sun this bank holiday with the help of Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal and the team at Everdure. This juicy burger recipe is guaranteed to go down a treat. Follow the simple steps below to get those taste buds tingling:
For the burger sauce
60g mayonnaise
35g tomato ketchup
9g French’s mustard
For the smoked butter
100g unsalted butter
¾ tsp liquid smoke
To cook and finish the burger
4 burger patties
salt
reserved smoked butter
4 slices Monterey Jack Cheese
4 brioche burger buns
reserved burger sauce
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed
12 rings white onion, thinly sliced and rinsed
4 slices beef tomato, sprinkled with salt and sugar
12 slices gherkins
1. To make the burger sauce, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in a large bowl, whisking well to combine. Set aside.
2. For the smoked butter, gently melt the butter over a low heat until, then remove from the heat and add the liquid smoke, whisking well to combine. Set aside and keep in a liquid state.
3. To cook the burgers, light the coals on the Fusion BBQ and once glowing white, lightly season both sides of each patty with salt and place on the grill, flipping the burgers every 20 seconds until the core temperature reads 65°C on a thermometer probe. Remove and place on a cooling rack placed over a tray. Brush each patty with a teaspoon of smoked butter and place a slice of cheese on each patty.
4. In the meantime, halve the brioche buns and lightly toast on the grill and brush with smoked butter. Spread two teaspoons of burger sauce on each bun’s top half and place the patty on each bun’s bottom half.
5. Top the patty with lettuce, onion, tomato and gherkin slices. Top with the top bun and serve.
Everdure by Heston Blumenthal is a beautifully designed and innovative range of barbeques that have been engineered with the latest technology to provide a cooking experience like no other. Discover the future of barbequing with the HUB, HUB II, FUSION, CUBE, FURNACE and FORCE, available to purchase from John Lewis and all good garden centres. For more information about the range or for more recipes, visit www.everdurebyheston.co.uk.
Baileys Pina Almanda Cocktail Recipe
To celebrate the warm weather, the Baileys team has created some sumptuous new cocktails featuring Baileys Almande, full of summer flavours that just scream sunshine, perfect for picnics, garden parties and those alfresco dining moments.
Created by drinks expert Abbie Moulton, the brand new collection is centred around indulgently light-tasting and smooth Baileys Almande, the deliciously dairy-free liqueur. Showing just how versatile the dairy-free treat is as a cocktail ingredient, the collection is full of the flavours of summer: tropical pineapple, zesty passion fruit and a hint of exotic tahini. The entire collection of cocktails is dairy-free, but definitely not free from indulgence, so try one of these delicious recipes for an alfresco treat! Here’s our absolute favourite below. Let us know if you recreate it!
Ingredients
[1.7 units per serve]
50ml Baileys Almande
50ml Coconut milk
60g Fresh pineapple chunks
25ml Pineapple juice
25ml Captain Morgan White Rum
1 x Fresh pineapple, whole (for garnish)
Crushed ice
Method
First, prep your garnish: cut fresh, whole pineapple into slices and then into triangles. Top the glass with one pineapple triangle and one pineapple leaf. Crushed ice ready.
Add 60g pineapple chunks to blender.
Add 50ml coconut milk and 25ml of fresh pineapple juice.
Add 50ml Baileys Almande, 25ml Captain Morgan White Rum.
Blitz well and strain.
Pour over crushed ice into tall glass.