InStitches blog

Travelling for Inspiration

28/3/2019

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook you’d be forgiven for wondering what on earth has been going on recently. There’s been posts from both Iceland and Jordan, from snow and frozen waterfalls to desert sands and floating in The Dead Sea plus no blogs for the last couple of weeks.

Long story short: we’ve been on holiday!

After a very frantic start to the new year with moving studio, teaching etc we decided that it was time for a bit of rest and recouperation! Terry went off to Iceland and I chose to cycle through Jordan.

Wherever we go the textile artist in us isn’t far behind.... This week you are being treated to some of my photographs from Petra and next time it’ll be Terry’s from Iceland.

So go make a coffee, sit back and enjoy!

Camels may have a reputation for being a bit grumpy,

but that aside, these ones had beautifully woven saddles (and were very well behaved!)

You enter Petra through The Siq, which in itself is an amazing walk and then you start to see glimpses of why you’ve come:

The Treasury, this is the view and why you travel to Petra.

But it’s the rocks that keep you mesmerised

and the resident animals which give it life and character!

Fascinating by day

and quite magical by night. Once I’d overcome my lack of exclusivity, Petra was the most amazing place to visit and move away from the Siq and Treasury there are some amazing delights waiting for you.

No coffee was being served, but

just look at the view, you feel as though you’re quite literally on top of the world.

It took my breath away.

In one week I managed to take over 1000 photographs (as well as cycle too!) so they’ll be sure to pop up in future blogs!

Wrap up warm for next time when it’s glaciers and frozen waterfalls....

Hazel & Terry

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and there was cake: coconut macaroons

8/3/2019

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It has been a very busy week in the studio as we welcomed back the inspirational textile artist Debbie Lyddon for a two day stitched collage workshop. If you've ever been on one of our Textile Adventures you'll know that as well as providing most of the materials we like to feed you too! Morning coffee with homemade biscuits is ready to welcome you as you arrive in the studio and one of our favourite recipes is chocolate macaroons.

Anything which has coconut in it is sure to be a winner with Terry and I, but what makes this recipe really great is that I can adapt it to suit both gluten free and lactose free diets.

When baking gluten free recipes I have recently been using this flour from Cloud 9, which can be substituted weight for weight for regular flour in recipes. I buy mine from the Costco here in the UK, but I'm sure if you search online you will be able to find it or similar.

The recipe I use is one I have adapted slightly from Sarah Leahey-Benjamin's The New Baker in The Telegraph:

MAKES
26 to 30 cookies
INGREDIENTS
4 large egg whites (I use pasteurised dried egg whites )
250g (9oz) granulated sugar
1 tbsp mild honey
210g (7½oz) unsweetened desiccated coconut
4 tbsp flour (substitute with gluten free if requitred)
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
200g (7oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids)

METHOD

In a large frying-pan mix together the egg whites, sugar, honey, coconut and flour with ½ tsp salt.
Place the frying-pan over a medium heat. Stir slowly but constantly to dissolve the sugar. Keep an eye on the bottom of the pan – when the mixture starts to stick remove the pan from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. At this point the mixture can be left chilled, in an airtight container, for up to a week.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a baking-tray with baking-parchment. Damp your hands with water. Scoop a spoon of the coconut mixture into your hands and form into a ball.
Place the macaroon on the baking-parchment and flatten with your hand slightly.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The macaroons should take on a fairly uniform golden colour all around. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray before lifting them on to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gently melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a bowl of warm water, then dip in the base of each macaroon, place on baking parchment and leave to set.

To make the macaroons suitable for a lactose free diet simply miss off the chocolate or use a dairy free chocolate such as the type made by Double Spiral Chocolate.

Perfect to accompany any freshly brewed pot of tea or coffee!

Hazel & Terry

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Travelling for Inspiration

and there was cake: coconut macaroons

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