It is Saturday. Junior 1 is in Manchester, Junior 2 is on St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly and Junior 3 last sent word from Xi’an in China, where his latest experience of Chinese culture involved learning how to play mahjong. My mother was delighted to hear that at last someone in the family was learning to play mahjong and promptly said that we should get a square games table. Losers to buy drinks. I said she had better be prepared to shell out as the grandchildren are very competitive.
Meanwhile back in London Mr Gochugaru and I head to our regular Korean class. Maybe it is the dull weather, maybe it is the topic we are studying or maybe it is the BTS phenomenon that is sweeping the UK, but we are all slightly distracted.
This week’s grammar is not difficult and has to do with: hypothetical situations either contrary to what actually happened in the past or what is happening in the present, or to situations that have not yet occurred. Keep reality out of it! Use this only for things that are not true or that you are imagining or predicting.
The problem is that mid-way through our preparation I run out of ideas. The sentence I had to complete started with “If I lived in the sea…”
Mr Gochugaru: What would you do if you lived in the sea?
Me: I would play with the mermaids. What would you do?
Mr G: The mermaids are taken so I will swim with the dolphins.
People ask us if we feel lonely without the children. The clear answer is no, because we are occupied by imagining what we would do if we were millionaires, if we were invisible, if we met an extra-terrestrial. Mr Gochugaru catches Pokemons (today it is a chance to capture Slakoth) and I try out new recipes.
This week I made some Rocky Road for our class. I previously made some with the ruby chocolate I bought in bulk, but the marshmallows were not something we liked. This time I used dark chocolate instead and left out the marshmallows.
Rocky Road is a strange name but it probably alludes to the fact that the finished product looks like a bumpy road. The recipes made with both types of chocolate are given below, however the method is the same either way.
For the Dark Chocolate Rocky Road:
350 g dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa solids)
130 g unsalted butter
30 g golden syrup or agave syrup
200 g digestive biscuits
200 g glace cherries, cut in half
100 g raisins
100 g whole almonds, skin removed and toasted
For the Ruby Chocolate Rocky Road:
350 g ruby chocolate chips
130 g unsalted butter
30 g golden syrup or agave syrup
200 g Doria brand crunchy amaretti biscuits
200 g dried cranberries or dried sour cherries
100 g pistachios, lightly toasted
100 g pink and white mini marshmallows
How to Make:
Grease and line a 20 cm square tin with grease proof baking paper.
Place the digestive/ amaretti biscuits into a freezer bag and crush gently with a rolling pin, until they broken up to around 1½ – 2 cm pieces. Set aside until later.
Heat some water in a large saucepan and place a bowl that can sit over it comfortably (or use a bain marie). Place the chocolate, butter and syrup into the bowl and allow everything to melt whilst stirring constantly. When the mixture is smooth, transfer to a larger bowl.
Add the crushed biscuits, dried fruit, nuts and marshmallows if using. Stir gently until everything is coated with the chocolate.
Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin and spread it out evenly. Place another piece of baking paper over the top and press lightly with your hand so that the mixture sets as a firm layer.
Place the tin in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
Remove the rocky road from the tin and using a sharp knife, cut into 16 medium-sized or 25 smaller squares.
I packed each square into cupcake cases and carried it to class in a tupperware
It is also possible to make smaller individual rocky roads inside a round ring
If you have a Thermomix:
Grease and line a 20 cm square tin with grease proof baking paper.
(If you are not using chocolate chips, but blocks of chocolate, then place the broken up pieces of chocolate into the TM bowl and grate 5 sec/speed 8. Add the butter and syrup and continue as follows).
Place the chocolate, butter and syrup into the TM bowl and melt 4 minutes/ 55° C/ speed 1.
Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with a spatula, then melt a further 2 minutes/ 55° C/ speed 1.
Add in the crushed biscuits, dried fruit, nuts and marshmallows if using. Stir 30 seconds/ REVERSE speed 1.
Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin and spread it out evenly. Place another piece of baking paper over the top and press lightly with your hand so that the mixture sets as a firm layer.
Place the tin in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours.
Remove the rocky road from the tin and using a sharp knife, cut into 16 medium-sized or 25 smaller squares.