Low GI Marshmallows - Sugar fix without the high!

• 14g powdered gelatine or in leaves
• 400 palm sugar – the real stuff or agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract / coffee extract or any other flavourings
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tbsp cornflour

1. Place the gelatine and 100ml of cold water into the bowl of a food processor. Set aside until softened.
2. Meanwhile, pour the sugar and 175ml of cold water into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a rolling boil on a medium to high heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture gently for 15-20 minutes, until a sugar thermometer dipped into the mixture reads 113C/235F: the soft-ball stage. Do not leave unattended.
4. As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, slowly blend the softened gelatine in the food processor on its lowest setting. Gradually pour in the sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously until all of the syrup has been fully incorporated in the mixture.
5. Add your favouring, then increase the blending speed and blend for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened, cooled and is beginning to set. It will look like it will never happen but it will! Just watch it transform itself!
6. Meanwhile, line a 20cm/8in square, deep-sided cake tin with cling film. Mix together the icing sugar and cornflour and dust the tin with a little of the mixture to evenly coat the base and sides. Reserve the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture for later.
7. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a palette knife or spatula that has been dipped in boiling water. Dust the top of the marshmallows with a little more of the icing sugar and cornflour mixture, then cover the tin with cling film and set aside in a cool, dry place for 1-2 hours or overnight to set. (NB: Do not chill in the fridge.)
8. A few ideas if you feel creative: line the base with toasted coconuts, crushed nuts, crushed cookies or whatever tickles your fancy and top with the same.
9. Once the marshmallow mixture has set, turn out the marshmallow slab onto a clean work surface dusted with the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture except if you used another topping. Peel off the cling film and cut the marshmallow into 36 cubes. Dredge the marshmallows in the icing sugar and cornflour mixture to coat. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks.

1. If you loosely cover the marshmallows for 24h with cling film and leave outside, they will become even fluffier.
2. For those who like the marshmallow spread, just put the mixture in an airtight jar and keep in the fridge! 

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies by Jools

I'm a health freak so when it comes to treats I want them decadent but not stuck on my hips for the next 3 weeks. Read this on why I stopped eating sugar cane  
This brownie is an adaptation of a few recipes I found and that were sent to me.
I only made half and will be freezing the rest. I like eating them when they are half frozen. They have that ice cream feeling about them.


24 servings at 277 calories per serving! Not bad, uh? 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing the dish.
• 8 ounces bitter-sweet chocolate . I use 85% dark chocolate
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups agave nectar or 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (6.38 ounces) flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup organic crunchy peanut butter. (no sugar added)

1. Heat the oven to 350 F/ 175C. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
2. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, agave nectar or sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. Fold in the melted chocolate, then the salt and sifted flour & cocoa just until combined.
5. In a small ball beat the peanut butter until soft. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Put dollops of peanut butter & using the tip of a sharp knife swirl into the mixture.
7. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and almost set, about 35/40 mins. A toothpick inserted will be slightly moist. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Now will they make it to the freezer? 

Pumpkin Pie

This is a lighter version of the traditional Pumpkin Pie Recipe. Indulge with no guilt!

• 125g Plain Flour
• Pinch Salt
• 55g Cold Butter, Cubed
• 30-45ml Cold Water 
• 1 Can of Pumpkin Purée
• ¾ Can of light Carnation Milk
• 2 medium eggs
• ¼ cup Agave Nectar if you like it sweet I go for the minimum so it’s abt 1/8 cup
• ½ tsp Ginger
• ¼ tsp Mace
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Ground Clove

Warm oven temp to 180C.

• Pastry recipe:

1. Blitz flour, salt with butter until you get big breadcrumbs
2. Add very cold water slowly. Depending on flour u might need more or less for it to come together.
3. Once it does come together, tip on work surface bring it all together.
4. Wrap in cling film chill for at least 30 mins.
5. Roll out for your tin. I use a rectangular one.
6. I prick it well and stick in the oven for 10/15 mins. No beans. Can’t be bothered. It it bubbles up just prick it down.

• Pie Filling:

1. Lightly beat eggs, add all other ingredients.
2. Pour in pastry case, bake for 20 to 30 min. I like it just set.
3. Leave it to cool in the tin.
4. Cut and serve with whipped cream or plain.

Pancakes

• ½ cup self raising flour
• ½ cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 grated apple/pear or add any fruit that you fancy – blueberries- or none at all.

1. Mix everything
2. It will be quite thick
3. Heat frying pan, melt some butter add 2 tbsp of batter per pancake
4. When it bubbles turn over until brown.

Enjoy! 

In need of a crunch. Jool's 'Thai' Salad

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – No cooking

• 1 huge bunch coriander 
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1 lettuce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli – more or less depending on heat desired
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp finely chopped peanuts – can be skipped

1. Wash lettuce, coriander and mint.
2. Tear lettuce leaves in a bowl.
3. Roughly chop coriander. Add to bowl.
4. Separate mint leaves from stalks. Roughly chop leaves. Add to bowl.
5. Mix in an other small bowl all other ingredients.
6. Pour sauce when ready to serve, add peanuts and mix.

Sweet roasted potatoes

Unbelievably easy and so much healthier than fries.

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – Cooking Time 20 to 30 min.

• I calculate ½ potato for a woman and a whole one for a guy
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger.
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli - more or less depending on heat desired
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• Salt
• Good olive oil

1. Cut potatoes lengthwise in order to get about 8 wedges, depending on size
2. Put in oven roasting pan
3. Add ginger, chilli, garlic, salt and some olive oil – just enough to coat the potatoes.
4. Mix with your hands making sure all the potatoes are evenly coated.
5. Stick in the oven for about 20 to 30 min – depending on size.

Goes fantastically well with the chicken burgers.

I smell BBQ. Chicken burgers with lemongrass and lime

I saw Bill Granger on TV making these burgers and I knew right there I had to make them. They have become a classic especially when it's hot as they are so much lighter than conventional burgers.

And for once I haven't changed anything. They are just perfect. I, now, have a craving for them.

I serve them with roasted sweet potato and a 'thai salad'.

Ingredients  for 6 people - Prep time 15 min. Cooking about 10 mins.

• 600 g  minced chicken 
• 1 onion, finely grated 
• 85 g fresh white breadcrumbs 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 1 lemongrass stalk white part only, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest 
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar 

To Serve 

• Soft rolls 
• Lettuce leaves 
• Fresh mint and coriander leaves 
• Chilli sauce 

1. Put the chicken mince, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands.
2. Shape into 6 patties, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a barbeque or chargrill pan and brush with a little light flavoured oil such as grapeseed or canola.
4. Cook the patties for 4 minutes each side or until cooked through.
5. Serve on soft rolls with lettuce, mint, coriander leaves and chilli sauce.

Mad for the berry but not the muffin top? Blueberry muffins makeover.

Blueberry Muffins.

When it comes to muffins you have to give it to the Americans. They know their stuff. This recipe is a lighter version of the calorie loaded muffin that you might buy in a Starbuck. It’s so easy to make that you will think that there is something wrong. You will find that the dough is a little dry but do not worry as the blueberries make them as moist as can be.

Although I keep coming back to the blueberries, I have done these muffins with raspberries, fresh peaches and apricots, cut into pieces. Peeps you get it! As always you can adapt it to your mood.

Enjoy and as they are so light you can have two of them!

Ingredients are in cups this time round... Everybody should have a set of cups in their drawers. Buy them on Amazon or in your local supermarket.

• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour.
• Slightly less than a ¼ cup agave syrup or ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup quick-cooking oats not instant
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk plus 2 tbsp buttermilk – for the Brits 1 pot from the supermarket.
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp canola/rapeseed – it’s the same. If you don’t have you can use sunflower or olive oil.
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 ¼ cup blueberries washed and dried or any other fruit.

For the topping

• ¼ cup sugar free blueberry jam or any sugar free jam that goes with your fruit.
• 24 blueberries washed and dried.

Preheat oven to 190 C

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, that includes the sugar if not using the agave syrup.
2. In another bowl whisk all the wet ingredients together, that includes the agave syrup if using.
3. Toss fruit in the flour mix.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently.
5. Line a 12 count muffin pan with paper cups.
6. Divide batter evenly – great tip from the Barefoot Contessa use an ice cream scoop. All the same size.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 min or until tops are just set.
8. Remove pan from the oven; top each muffin with a tsp of jam and 2 blueberries.
9. Bake 3 to 5 min or until golden.
10. Cool in pan for 10 min and serve.
11. Now, try not to eat all of them!! 

• Recipe based on the one in Shape mag.

Cold turkey or why I quit the sugar crave. Barking mad I hear you say!

After a long hiatus I am finally back online.

I have never been a big sugar eater. The sugar quantities in my recipes are always at the lowest they can be. But at the beginning of the year I decided to ditch it totally.

I read somewhere that sugar eats your cells and makes you look older – oh vanity you will say! Big, big times. Who doesn’t like to be told they look younger than they are? Ladies??

Going under the knife freaks the hell out of me so I’m going down the natural way of keeping my youth. Well, one can hope.

I also found that ditching the sugar kept my own sugar levels in check. No more slump afternoons for me. I really like being on the go.

So ‘you don’t eat sweet things anymore?’ I hear you ask. I still do but even less than before. I have replaced the stuff with palm sugar, agave syrup, fructose and freedom sweet. All low GI. (You can find them in your local health store, supermarket or the internet depending on where you are on this planet.)

For those who still want to eat the stuff – though you really should think about quitting – I will now put both in my recipes so you can choose which one you want. But do give the sugar alternative a go as you will feel so much better after and your conscious will thank you for it as your waist. J

Hope you enjoy these new recipes.

Gone fishing for the ultimate fish pie

For days I had been dreaming of a fish pie and so went fishing for a recipe that would inspire me. This dish is a mix of what I found and what I had in my fridge.
I did not have any white wine so used a bottle of Noilly Prat I had at the back of the cupboard. What a discovery!


Ingredients for 2 people. Prep 15 min. Cooking 45 min.

• 1 portion of haddock or smocked haddock
• 1 portion of salmon
• 4 shrimps
• 2 scallops
• 2 small carrots
• 1 big leek
• A small head of fennel
• Olive oil
• 150 ml Noilly Prat
• 50 ml cream
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt, pepper.
• 2 portions of mashed potatoes - See recipe in listing.
• Grated cheddar
• Dried breadcrumbs

1. Peel carrot, wash fennel and leak thoroughly.
2. Thinly slice the vegetables.
3. Pour some olive oil in a saucepan, once hot put leek with a pinch of salt and slowly cook making sure it doesn't brown. After 10 min add carrot and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. 
4. Once the veggies are cooked, pour the Noilly Prat and reduce a little.
5. Mix flour with butter until you get a paste, add to the pot and mix gently until it thickens. Add cream. Let the mix cool.
6. Cut fish in bite size, shrimps and scallops in half. 
7. Oil or butter a oven proof dish, put the fish and seafood in, top with the veggies and then the mash potatoes.
8. Sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs and cheddar.

Stick in the oven under the grill for about 20 min until it becomes bubbly and browned.


Dig in! Lovely with an Italian white wine such as a Gavi di Gavi.


Bon Ap!

Quack, quack there goes the duck - Confit de Canard

Here is the traditionnal recipe for Confit de Canard. For my good friend Mikrouli


Ingredients for 4 people. Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time 3 to 4h plus 24 hours 

• 4 duck legs
• 150 g Coarse sea salt
• 1.5 to 2 kg duck fat - depends on the size of the legs
• 1 clove of garlic
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Peel the garlic clove, cut in 2 and rub on the legs. Rub the salt on the legs, pepper generously, put them in a dish, cover with cling film - make sure the cling film does not touch the meat. Stick it in the fridge for 24h.
2. 24 h later, melt the fat slowly on a low heat in an iron cast pot.
3. Gently pat the legs - do not rinse them.
4. Once the fat has melted, put the legs in the pot making sure that they are well covered.
5. Cover and stick in the oven for 3 hours. Stick a very fine knife in one of the legs to check that the meat is on the verge of falling of the bones and that the juices are clear. If not cook for longer.
6. Once cooked, you can put the legs in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge. Eat within 2 to 3 weeks. Can be kept much longer if you are a pro at sterilization. 
7. Or can be eaten straight away. Take the legs out of the pot, place in an metal oven dish, crank up the oven at 190 C. Once the skin as brown it's ready. About 15 mins.
8. Serve with duck fat roasted or fried potatoes and a lushious green salad.
9. Enjoy!

Keep the fat from the pot. Filter, stick in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge. I am still using some that is over a year old.

Gosh I am starving now. 

Basic Cookie Recipe and a few twists

The easiest cookies to do. They are an adaptation of Rachel Allen's recipe.


Ingredients for about 35 cookies. Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time about 10 mins.

• 225g butter, at room temperature
• 275g plain flour
• 50 gr Agave Nectar or 70g light brown soft sugar

1. Preheat the oven at 170 C if baking the same day.
2. Beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy.
3. Mix in flour.
4. Bring together with your hand. You will get a soft dough.
5. 2 options to form the cookies. Roll in log, chill for 30 mins then cut slices or roll wlanut size balls in your hands.
6. Put on baking tray, not to close as they expand slightly.
7. Stick in the oven for about 10 mins. Check after 8 mins. When they are light and gloden pale, you can take them out.
8. Cool on a wire rack.
9. Once cold and you can bare the thought, store in airtight container. They can be kept for 4/5 days, though if they make it to day number 2 let me know. Never been heard of.

The dough can be kept in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for a month.


Now for the TWISTS:
There are so many combinations. Just do what tickles your fancy and don't forget to share your ideas.

Here are a few examples to get you started.

Before adding the flour add the following ingredients and follow the recipe as above.

• Orange and ginger

Zest an orange, add 2 heaped tsps of ground ginger

• Citrus

Grate an orange, a lemon and a grapefruit.

• Too good for Rudolph

1 handful dried cranberries
1 handful chopped and roasted hazelnuts
2 bars of chopped white chocolate, from a 200g slab.
1 grated orange

• Smelling Christmas

1 tsp ground cinamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

• Chocolate Addict

1 bar white chocolate, chopped
1 bar dark chocolate, chopped
1 bar milk chocolate, chopped
When I talk of bars its 1 one bar from a 100g slab of chocolate

• Chocolate Rehab

1 handful ground almond
Follow recipe, then when cool, dip in dark melted chocolate.
To melt chocolate, put 100 g chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Make sure the water is just simmering and not touching the bowl. Melt slowly, take off the heat then dip. Let them dry on baking parchment paper.

Blue Christmas - Pimping the porridge!

Soooo bored with my breakfast. One can get very creative when one cannot face another plain bowl of porridge. 


Ingredients for one person.

• 1 portion of cooked and unsweetened porridge still piping hot.
• 1 small handful of dried Cranberries.
• 1 small handful of chopped and roasted hazelnuts or any nuts of your choice.
• Orange zest.
• 1 pinch of cinnamon.
• A splash of maple syrup if you need a sugar fix.
• And if you are feeling decadent, some grated bitter chocolate.

1. Put cranberries in the porridge, let stand 5 mins.
2. Add all other ingredients.

Bon Ap!

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Eggnog

Nothing says Christmas like Eggnog or Mulled Wine. (Recipe for the latter in the drinks section).
The first time I heard about eggnog was when I was a teenager watching a Christmas movie. What was that drink that they were talking about? For many years I was fascinated with it and when I moved to the UK a few years ago, I was on a mission to discover THE recipe. What I learned is that in the old recipes, no ingredients saw heat. These days, with a lot of people freaking out over raw eggs, the liquids are heated up with the eggs. It just looses out on freshness.
Some people skip the booze. WHY?? Except if you are attending the AA, it is a must ingredient and it's the season for spoiling yourself. Over indulging eggnog is not a good idea. You apparently feel it for days... Must be the cream.


Ingredients for 4 servings. Prep time 15 min.
Prior to making this, make sure all the ingredients are very cold.

• 2 Organic Eggs, no free range or basics.
• 60 gr Light brown Sugar.
• 200 ml Double Cream, preferably organic.
• 200 ml Whole Milk, preferably organic.
• A good pinch of grated Nutmeg, ground Nutmeg will also do.
• 80 ml Rum. I sometimes use Cointreau instead when I feel like a change.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and the sugar until pale and frothy. Use an electric mixer, it's just easier and pain free. You need that arm to drink.
2. Gradually add the cream, milk, rum and nutmeg while still whisking.
3. Taste. Add more alcohol if you need an extra kick.
4. It can be made in advance. Keep in the fridge and re-whisk before serving.

Cheers.

Frosty the Snowman - Mulled Wine

Cooold. Winter is starting to bite. I think we need a little warmer. It's Mulled Wine time people.
I drank one this weekend and it was OK. It lacked fruitiness and tasted of powder towards the end. Ground cinnamon will do that.
Any purist, will go totally bonkers when they read that I simmer the mulled wine until it reduces by a quarter. Well I like it like that and so do my friends. The flavours of the wine deepen and lift my spirits up. 


MULLED WINE


Ingredients for 4 to 6 glasses. Prep time 10 min. Simmering 20 min.

• 1 Bottle of fruity Red Wine. 
• 3 Clementines preferably organic, more flavour less pesticides.
• 2 Cloves
• Half a stick of Cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground Ginger
• 1 shot of Rum, Cognac or Cointreau. 
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar

1. Pour bottle in saucepan.
2. Juice 2 clementimes, add to the wine.
3. Cut the third clementine in two, sideways. Pierce halves with cloves. Add to saucepan.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients.
5. Simmer until it reduces about a quarter. DO NOT boil.
6. Taste. If it lacks a little punch add some more of your tipple of choice.
7. You can prepare this in advance but discard the cinnamon once reduced, otherwise the wine will have a bitter taste. Just reheat before drinking.

Cheers!

Baby It's Cold Outside - It's stew time!

With Christmas fast approaching, I will be posting some of my favourite festive recipes and some winter dishes that keep me going when I do not feel like cooking.
So to start you guys off, here is my stew of the moment. I recently discovered pig cheeks. Slowly braised in the oven they are just fabulous. Remember that it always tastes better the following day.

BRAISED PIG CHEEKS

Ingredients for 2 people. Prep time 10 mins. Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours depending on how tender you like your cheeks.

To cook this dish I use a Le Creuset pot. If you don't have one you can use any pot with a lid that can stand the oven heat. Beware of plastic handles as they will met... Pot ruined and funky smell!

• 6 to 8 Pig cheeks depending on how hungry you are
• A sprig of thyme, 5 sage leaves or any herbs that you like. 
• Dry to Medium Dry white wine - one that you would drink. You can also use Red wine if you want your dish to have a deep earthiness flavour.
• Chicken stock
• Flour
• Olive Oil or any good quality cooking oil
• Salt & Pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven at 160 C.
2. Pat dry the cheeks.
3. Salt and pepper the cheecks 
4. Flour them on both side- it will help with the browning and to thicken the sauce.
5. Put about 2 tbsp of oil in the pot, heat and then add the cheeks. Brown both sides - about 2/3 min on each side. If your pot is on the smallish sides, brown in batches. Take off the heat.
6. Add your chosen herbs.
7. Liquid time! Depending on my mood I either add the wine or the stock. Sometimes both of them. You need to add enough liquid to just cover the meat.
8. Put the lid on and stick in the oven for 2 to 3 hours depending on how famish you are. The cheeks are ready when you can cut them with a fork.
9. Serve with mash potatoes end ENJOY!!

Now, you probably want the Mash recipe... 

CREAMY MASH POTATOES

Ingredients for two people. Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time about 20 mins depending on the size of the potatoes.

• 7 to 8 medium Organic potatoes - yes ORGANIC. You keep asking why it tastes so good, well that is a BIG part of the reason.
• Organic Whole or semi skimmed milk. Don't even think about skimmed milk for this recipe. 
• Organic Cream or butter. Depends on how creamy you want it. It's winter, knock yourself out.
• Salt & Pepper

1. Thoroughly wash the potatoes. I do not peel them as I find the mash has a watery taste if I do.
2. Put in a pot with salt, cover with water. 
3. Cook until they are very tender. Pierce them with a knife. If it goes through easily, they are done.
4. Once cooked, drain them.
5. If you like your mash rustic, leave the skin on and mash them with a fork. If you want it looking all grown up, peel the potatoes and mash them with a food mill.
6. Once mashed, add 50ml of warm milk, a good knob of butter and the CREAM. It goes without saying that the more cream you put in, the silkier is the mash. It's not a time to worry about waistlines here. But if you do, skip the cream and add more milk. The amount depends on the consistency you are looking for.

Bon Ap!

Shortbread

For me cooking is about pleasure and adapting recipes. I rarely follow a recipe except when it comes to baking, yet I sometimes feel the need to tweak it.
Here is the basic recipe for shortbreads and variations that I have made depending on the season and my mood.


Ingredients for 24 fingers - 15min prep - 20 to 30 min baking


100gr Sugar
200gr Cold Butter cut into pieces
300gr Flour
Extra Caster sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven at 160C/325F
2. Mix sugar and flour together
3. Rub in all the butter with the tips of your fingers. You should get a sand type of mixture.
4. Knead mixture until you start getting a dough
5. Press down in a 20 cm square tin. If you do not have this type of tin, don't filp out. Any tin will do as long as as the dough is about 1cm to 1.5cm thick.
6. Bake in the oven for for 20 to 30 mins until golden pale. Once out of the oven sprinkle with caster sugar - just a light coating- and then cut into fingers or triangles and leave to cool in the tin.

Twists on the Recipe.

• Citrus kick: Grate lemon and/or orange zestes into the sand mixture.
• Vanilla: Split lengthways a vanilla pod. Scrape seeds and add to sand mixture. You can put the leftover pod in a sugar jar.
• Chocolate: Add 2 tablespoon of good cocoa to the flour and then grate an orange.
• Christmassy: Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour and then add some chopped preserved ginger in the sand mixture.

I could go on forever on all the twists but I'm sure you will find the one you like best.

Bon Ap!