Share

Bake with Lucie - February

Copyright Lucie Wilson 2024

Two tempting recipes using berries you might have grown and stashed in the freezer, and chillis that you can grow on windowsills or in greenhouses.

Bake with Lucie - February

Welcome to February and some more fantastic recipes from the Women’s Institute, lovingly crafted by the Hampshire WI supporter, Lucie.  

The first is to celebrate Pancake Day. Lucie says, ‘These are truly delicious and can be eaten for breakfast or dessert or maybe even a snack if you are feeling indulgent and why not!’ Why not, indeed! If you have been growing fruit in your garden or community growing space, you might have some berries stashed away in your freezer. They can freeze very well and make perfect additions to smoothies or recipes like this.  

If you haven’t grown your own fruit yet, now is exactly the right time of year to plant a fruit tree! Find out how here. 

Our second seasonal recipe is sweet chilli jam. Lucie says, ‘You may not have tried this before but it is so simple and quick to make and is unbelievably good with all kinds of cheeses and cold meats. We had it on Boxing Day with our cold turkey and gammon and it was truly scrumptious. It is sweet yet sour and all with a slight kick of heat. This is also amazing in a brie and bacon panini, I must say.’  

It sounds incredible! Sweet chilli can actually be grown in the UK, though you are not likely to get them to survive outside over winter. On a hot windowsill or in a greenhouse, though, they can thrive, and you can pop them outside during the summer. 

Last words to Lucie: ‘I really hope you enjoy making these recipes and I hope you have a lovely February. See you all in March!’ 

A plate of crepes and berries

Copyright Lucie Wilson 2024

Cinnamon French Crepes with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream, Seasonal Fresh Berries and Maple Syrup

Recipe
A jar of jam and a spoon

Copyright Lucie Wilson 2024

Sweet Chilli Jam

Recipe
Lucie

Hi, I’m Lucie and it’s so very lovely to meet you. I’m your food and cookery baker, maker and writer and I love creating recipes that are new, exciting, seasonal and made with home grown ingredients for you all. I am 23 years old and I live in Hampshire with my lovely mum and our beautiful cats.

During my childhood I was brought up around food as my mum was a cookery teacher, (now French teacher), for schools and as soon as I was able, I had a wooden spoon in my hands. Me and my mum have always been close and cooking with her is one of my favourite things. My dad was a very good cook too but he sadly passed away from dementia when I was 8 years old. I have 2 sisters but they weren’t too interested in cooking so me and mum would spend hours in the kitchen baking and creating together.

Still to this day me and mum spend a good few hours every week shopping for ingredients and then cooking delicious things together. I think time spent cooking as a family is really important, it is wonderful to simply spend time with the ones you love and for an opportunity to develop new skills. I am part Scottish and Italian so home cooked food is a massive part of my family just as it is in the WI. Cookery is very important in the WI. Whether its jam making or cake baking it is one of the things that we all associated with the WI. My Grandmother and Godmother were both part of the same WI as me and mum, so it really is a family affair.

The WI is a wonderful community of people who join together with a collective view. Togetherness to learn and develop new skills and create a community that welcomes all. The WI is a wonderful way to meet new people and create long and lasting friendships. I really do love creating and baking for you all and I hope you enjoy my recipes and have as much fun making them as I do. 

Related blog posts