It’s Spring in Andalucia and we’re looking forward to May at El Molino when we have 4 superb Artist Teachers, starting with:

7-15 May Sketching and Watercolour with Alfonso Tejada   alfonsotejada.com

7-15 May Watercolour and Acrylics with Artist Leona Brown   leonabrown.com

Chocolate Hazelnut Delight - torta de chocolate y avellanas

A new recipe for the coming season at El Molino, this is a delicious dessert cake without flour!

For 6-8 Servings

200 gms chocolate

1/3 cup brown sugar, in blender to make fine grains

2 Tabsps liquid honey

200 gms butter

1 heaped cup hazelnuts, in blender to make 1 ½ cups ground hazelnuts

4 eggs, separated

1/3 cup milk

Zest of 1 orange, very finely grated

Oven to 350 degrees.  Place chocolate, butter, sugar and honey in bowl over saucepan ¼ filled with hot water, heat and stir until all are blended.  Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites till completely stiff.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to large mixing bowl and beat in the yolks, then add the ground hazelnuts, the orange zest and then the milk.  The stiff egg whites should be gently added to the mix in 3 batches.  Line round or square baking tin with greaseproof paper, pour the mixture in and tap the sides to remove any bubbles.  Bake for 45 minutes and check consistency by inserting wooden skewer, cook for further 10-15 minutes if needed till skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool and serve with a few fresh strawberries if available.

Gluten free

12-20 April Creative Writing, Andromeda Romano-Lax

Nick from El Molino introduced us to the book
which led to the writer and ....
An exciting new course for Spring 2013 - looking forward
to hosting 12-20 April when we have
Creative Writing, fiction and non-faction with
Andromeda Romano-Lax, author of New York Times
Editors' choice The Spanish Bow
Take a look at her website: www.romanolax.com

NEW - Harold Allanson workshop 12-20 April, 2013!

 Harold’s first workshop sold out so quickly that we have 
added another with new dates. 

Only 7 places available. 

His passion for teaching and extensive knowledge of Spain 
makes this a great course for all levels with lots of emphasis 
on individual attention and instruction. 

His painting above called 'First Steps' will be on display 
in Madrid from March to May 2013 
at the AEDA Biennial Watercolour Exhibition.

Orange tree reborn!

Boy oh boy - our orange tree has bounced right back after being frozen for a rare couple of nights back in February. The power of warm sunshine and a lot of love!

First nectarine flower

It's lovely to see all the blossoms coming out now as spring gets under way.
This is our one and only nectarine - such a beautiful delicate colour.

Frozen oranges

This is our poor orange tree after the record freezing -10 degrees winter.

This is how it was when we left in November.
So we're just hoping that it will return in the warm weather