Bonne Maman Makes and Bakes Review
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
I think most people know the distinctive red and white lid of Bonne Maman conserves, compotes and jams. Packed with delicious fruit from cherries to oranges, figs and apricots, they brighten up every breakfast table. What I didn’t realise was that the Bonne Maman website has some brilliant ideas to use both its products and its jars for fabulous looking gifts. With Easter coming up quickly and looking for an alternative to chocolate I was inspired by the mouth-watering jars sent to me to try out some of the recipes. I received a box of treats from Bonne Maman including Fig Conserve, Strawberry Conserve, Sweet Orange Marmalade and three of their distinctive red and white lidded jars.
Some of the delicious recipes are Fig and Pistachio Palmiers, Sweet Orange Calissons, Mini Easter Macarons and Tear and Share Brioche. The first thing I noticed when flicking through the recipes where how straight forward they were and how the majority had a short list of ingredients making them great for children to make for gifts. My 7-year-old likes making meringues so the recipe we tried straight away was the marbled fruity meringues as he fancied one for his dinner with some fresh fruit!
They were so easy to make, just 3 ingredients, egg whites, caster sugar and 8 tablespoons of one of the conserves, strawberry or raspberry for instance. Warm the sugar, whisk the egg whites until frothy and then mix the two together until stiff. Once you have spooned the meringues onto the baking tray you take a spoonful of your chosen preserve and swirl it into the meringue. Then just bake in a cool oven for a few hours. Delicious. These can be made into individual pavlovas, filled with fruit and cream, or just eaten with ice cream. I will be making another batch as they freeze well and will be perfect for Easter dessert.
The Fig and Pistachio Palmiers, Sweet Orange Calissons and Mini Easter Macarons are all small sweet treats that make gorgeous gifts in decorated Bonne Maman jars. Being small they are a little fiddly compared to some of the other recipes, but they are worth the effort. With only a few ingredients they are simple to make, they just take a little time to assemble, it was better for an adult to do that while the children decorate the jars. Your efforts are rewarded by beautiful looking bite size macarons, pastries and biscuits with that personal touch.
Moving away from food for a moment there are also recipes for homemade beauty essentials. The three recipes are Pomegranate Rose Sugar Body Scrub, Eucalyptus Mint Foot Soak and Coconut Lemongrass Lip Balm. Again, they were all super easy to make, but needed things like beeswax or essential oils which I didn’t have so these are definitely on my to do list. These are going to be brilliant Easter gifts for my friends and relatives with food allergies.
I must admit I hadn’t even thought of looking on the Bonne Maman website for recipes, I normally just use the jars for storing bits and bobs, but there are some superb ideas for all year round from Mother’s Day to Easter and beyond. The recipes are all simple with limited ingredients so make a fun activity to do with your children, especially as they can also be creative and decorate the jars.
Packed with fruit these mouth-watering products can be turned into cakes, bakes and beauty makes. I highly recommend the Bonne Maman range whether it’s for a gift a stunning dessert or just a big dollop on your morning toast.
Rating: 5/5
For more information or to buy, visit www.bonnemaman.co.uk.
Fig and Pistachio Palmiers
Palmiers are heart-shaped, sweet, flaky pastries often called Coeur de France. We’ve made a simple but elegant version with ready-rolled pastry, delicate and fruity fig conserve and buttery pistachios: they make a quick and easy Easter treat. Serve them with ice-creams, coffee or add a touch of sea salt and enjoy with cheese.
Sweet Orange Calissons
While many think of the macaron as France‘s iconic sweet, in Aix-en-Provence locals sing the praises of another treat: the calisson. A sweet almond paste, flavoured with candied melon and orange, topped with icing. For a simple version using fresh and fruity Bonne Maman Sweet Orange Marmalade head to our recipe page. They make a delicious gift or serve them with coffee after Easter lunch.
Mini Easter Macarons
Macarons make the final totally enchanting treat for these jars. These mini mouthfuls are crispy on top yet chewy and fruity inside with all the delicate colours of Spring. Not only are these mini macarons delicious served with afternoon tea, but they also serve the purpose of a fun decoration for the Easter table.