Christmas Gift Ideas 2013 - Part Four

Campo Viejo Reserva Rioja - the perfect Christmas wine gift
Presented in an attractive gift box ready for giving to friends and family. This rich fruity wine will go well with red meats and game, and is the perfect partner for the cheeseboard. Aged for 24 months in French oak barrels and 36 months in the bottle cellar.
RRP: £12 Stockist: Sainsbury’s

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Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Cuvee - for every occasion
A wonderful sparkling drink for Christmas and the New Year. An Australian sparkling wine with crisp fruity flavours. It can be served with turkey and will go equally well with smoked salmon.

I served mine as a Buck's Fizz!

RRP:  £10.39   Stockist:  ASDA, Sainsbury's, The Co-operative

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Delicious chocolate

Seed&Bean Chocolate - limited edition chocolate bars made especially for Glastonbury Festival 2013 with organic ingredients.

Milk Chocolate with Cornish Sea Salt and West Indies Lime - tangy, zesty and salty.

White Chocolate Raspberry and Vanilla - tangy raspberries poured into a creamy white chocolate with a hint of vanilla.
Dark Chocolate with Sicilian Hazelnut - dark chocolate with a smooth nutty flavour.

Seed and Bean are UK's only 100% ethically accredited chocolate company.

All the bars are Fairtrade and Soil Association approved.

85g bars Price £2.29 each Stockists: nationwide

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Filippo Berio - limited edition Commemorative tin
Featuring “The Lady of Viareggio” from one of Italy’s most stylish Tuscan resorts and home to Filippo Berio. A must-have for lovers of the Cucina Italiana and a beautiful present for the foodie or hard-to-buy for.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is wonderful for drizzling over focaccia or bruschetta, for marinades and dipping bread into.
1L tins from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, RRP £7.49.

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Harveys Bristol Cream - the UK's favourite sherry
Holder of a Royal Warrant and enjoyed by the Queen's household - sherry is the perfect occasion drink for toasting.

Mix up some special drinks over the festive holiday using Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry - take a glass, fill with ice, pour sherry over and top with a slice of frozen or fresh orange.  A longer drink - pour some sherry into a long glass, top up with lemonade and add slices of fresh fruit.  Toast the Queen on Christmas Day with a glass of Harveys.
RRP £9.41 Stockists: nationwide

Thank you everyone for the samples

Foodie Christmas Gift Ideas 2013 - Part Three

Stylish and easy to clean cafetiere

Oxo Good Grips French Press with GroundsKeeper
A very stylish, clever, easy to clean cafetiere, from the trusted brand Oxo Good Grips - it's just what we have been waiting for. There is a ladle which sits at the base of the glass carafe and catches the ground coffee when it has brewed, after serving the coffee all you need to do is remove the ladle which is full of coffee grounds and dispose in the bin.  Cleaning is easy and I found you don't have to wrestle with the glass carafe to remove it for cleaning. The body of the cafetiere is stainless steel with a silicone non-slip handle, plunger and 'GroundsKeeper'.
Coffee is made in the usual way, add coarsely ground coffee then hot water, using the handy measurement markings.  Stir, leave for four minutes and plunge for a fabulous grounds free cup of coffee. Serves 8 cups (2L).
Price £35. Available from Lakeland

Strawberry Truffle - a very grownup milkshake

Tequila Rose - presented in a beautiful bottle.
Looking for an alternative to your usual festive creme liqueur?  Look no further - Tequila Rose is a unique blend of strawberry-flavoured, cream liqueur and premium Tequila using fresh dairy cream.

                                 Strawberry Split             Mudslide                  Evolution                      

Impress your guests with cocktails, popsicles and desserts, delicious served with fresh strawberries. Fabulous served neat, over ice or in coffee. A great Christmas Gift - Tequila Rose is available from TheDrinkShop.com priced £17.09

Mini Cone

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Ferrero Rocher.
A whole hazelnut is surrounded by crispy wafer, a creamy filling, then coated in smooth milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. The Mini Cone makes a special present or will look fabulous as a centrepiece on the Christmas table for sharing after the main event!
Exclusive to Asda with a RRP of £5.99.

Ferrero Collection

Ferrero Collection - for giving and sharing.
This delicious assortment includes Raffaello by Ferrero - a blend of almond and coconut.  Classic Ferrero Rocher, as well as Ferrero Rond Noir which has a new hazelnut centre encased in a dark chocolate pearl - giving a rich and rounded flavour.  A Christmas favourite for giving and sharing.
RRP £4.69 from all major retailers

New! Raffaello by Ferrero - presented in a beautiful mini gift box.
Snowballs of light layers of wafer, with a creamy coconut centre and a toasted almond, finished with a sprinkling of coconut. For something special this Christmas, Raffaello by Ferrero will make a stunning and affordable gift. A fabulous stocking filler.
RRP £2.99 - Available Tesco, Debenhams and Asda.
www.ferrero-range.co.uk

Jelly Belly Beans Gift Set - Be a Jelly Belly Foodie this Christmas!
These original Gourmet Jelly Beans are full of flavour, delicious, cool and very cute.  They are a taste sensation and full of true to life flavour.  Developed for the sophisticated palate, the beans are packed with an intensely juicy taste.  Love their bright coloured shells which go right through to the centre.  An interesting fact is a single jelly bean can take up to 21 days to create.  There are 90 authentic flavours mostly using natural ingredients.  Traditional flavours are Green Apple and Very Cherry which have been popular for over 35 years.

Lots of Jelly Bean fun

Christmas Jelly Belly fun - create tastes such as lemon meringue pie by choosing two lemon and two coconut beans. Try a refreshing fruit salad by taking one jelly bean of kiwi, strawberry jam, blueberry and cantaloupe - you'll be amazed!
All Jelly Belly beans are free from fat, wheat, gluten, dairy and gelatine-free. Each bean contains just 4 calories each, they are suitable for vegetarians and certified OU Kosher. Jelly Belly jelly beans can be purchased at Waitrose, Sainsbury, Tesco’s, Selfridges, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Fenwicks and all the best independent sweet shops. Also available from www.jellybelly-uk.com  -  40 flavour gift box £16.18

ALL BEER Experience - fantastic beer gift
The ALL BEER Experience is a unique, interactive guide to the top 25 styles of beer and their key flavour features, the perfect gift for the beer-loving people in your life.
This must-have guide has won 4 International Awards and is truly innovative, containing taste samples of different malts and the World's first 'scratch 'n' sniff' Hop aroma card to really experience where all those beer flavours come from - and which ones are for you.
It's simple, straightforward, packed with interactive challenges to entertain from Boxing Day into the New Year and is packed with original images.
www.allbeer.co.uk  Available from Amazon price £9.95

Thank you everyone for the wonderful samples.

Foodie Christmas Gifts 2013 - Part Two

No.3 London Dry Gin
No.3 London Dry Gin is owned by Berry Brothers & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchants (established in 1698) and the Wine & Spirit Merchants by Appointment to both HM The Queen and The Prince of Wales. It was created with the aid of the holder of the only PhD in gin flavour - and has been crafted to 'taste as gin should' and to be the perfect gin for a G&T or Martini. With an ABV of 46%, it has a heavy 'punch' of juniper and just five other botanicals present (the flavourings which all gins contain) - which is in stark contrast to many other gins which can have ten or more.  A top notch Christmas Gift for someone special.
Available from Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Selfridges £35.00/70cl.

Lindor Collection Gift Box from Lindt
The Lindt Master Chocolatiers have created this beautiful box of luxurious Lindor chocolate truffles. There are 20 smooth truffles in five delicious flavours - milk, hazelnut, white, extra dark and Irish cream. Also included in the box are three heart shaped milk chocolates.  Beautifully presented - the perfect Christmas gift.
Available from lindt.co.uk  - rrp £9.95 - 285g

Lindt Stracciatella Truffles
Especially for Christmas the Lindt Master Chocolatiers have created a limited edition flavour - the Lindor Stracciatella truffles taste just like cookies and cream - they have a smooth creamy white praline centre and there are crunchy cocoa nibs in the chocolate shell.  I would buy two of these, one as a gift and one for me - they will also look fabulous as luxurious cake decorations or as a hidden filling inside cupcakes.
Available from lindt.co.uk - rrp £4.59 - 200g

BAKE
Foodies have gone baking crazy and are always seeking out the next recipe whether this is sweet or savoury. A delicious book for inspiration and encouraging us to get baking. There is something in the book for everyone from beginners to the more experienced cook.  Recipes from around the world including classics such as English Victoria Sandwich from here in the UK to further afield including a Fraisier cake from France, Danube Wave cake from Germany, Maple and Pecan Bundt cake from America and Princess Cake from Scandinavia. There are 384 pages and illustrations for every recipe including step by step photographs.
Price: £25.00 Bake published by Parragon Books is available from Amazon, Debenhams, Sainsbury’s, WH Smiths and other outlets across the UK

Cambrook - Brilliantly Caramelised Nuts
Using traditional artisan techniques each nut is coated in a fine golden glaze and has a distinctive crunchy texture with a hint of salt. The recipe was perfected using a French copper roasting pan.  Artisan methods used on the Continent were borrowed and their own distinctive brand of caramelised nuts were created using a fine layer of sugar and honey with a pinch of salt. The new Cambrook caramelised nut range includes Cashews, Sesame Peanuts, Macadamias and Mixed Nuts. The perfect gift for the foodie who has everything.
Prices from £1.79 RRP to £2.99 per 80g bag; available at delis, farm shops and speciality food stores, including Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Wholefoods.
For further information, visit www.cambrookfoods.co.uk

Divine After Dinner Ginger Thins and Mint Thins
Delicious 70% dark chocolate Divine After Dinner Ginger Thins are filled with soft ginger jelly. The After Dinner Mint Thins are chocolate squares filled with soft natural mint fondant covered in 70% award winning dark chocolate. Divine is the only fair trade chocolate company which is owned by its cocoa farmers. Both ginger and mint are said to aid digestion and I would happily share these chocolate squares after an indulgent Christmas dinner.
Available at Waitrose, Booths and Ocado RRP £3.50 - 200g boxes

Walkers Shortbread Scottie Dog Tin
Scottie dog shaped butter shortbreads fill this beautiful rectangle tin. The melt in the mouth shortbread is made using just four ingredients, flour, pure butter, sugar and salt.  No additives or preservatives are used. They are baked in the village of Aberlour, Speyside, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Christmas wouldn't be the same without a tin of Walkers shortbread.
Available from Cargo Home Shop £10 -220g

Thank you to everyone for the fabulous samples.

Foodie Christmas Gifts 2013 - Part One

Prestat Snowman Christmas Bauble filled with sea salt caramel truffles - this fabulous bauble is definitely one for the grown ups. The luxurious truffle centre is encased in a 70% cocoa chocolate truffle shell.  All Prestat chocolates are made by hand in London. They were awarded a second Royal Warrant by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in her centenary year.
They can be bought either from their online shop or at selected retailers rrp £6.75

The Glenrothes 'Select Reserve' Malt Whisky - a very special Whisky.
The Glenrothes malt whisky is bottled by 'vintage' and not by age which is the first ever in the whisky industry.  Their master distiller will only bottle the whisky when it has matured and reached its peak of perfection.  The shape of the bottle stands out and many are complete with a handwritten signature from the master distiller. Owned by Berry Bros & Rudd who are Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchants, they are the Wine and Spirit Merchants by Appointment to HM The Queen and The Prince of Wales.
43%ABV - £38.00/70cl.  Stockists: Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Asda.

The Ideal Home Show Cook Book - This is the first recipe book from the Ideal Home Show brand, and features over 100 delicious recipes for all occasions, from starters through to drinks!  Recipes include rich and warming root vegetable soup, roast butternut squash risotto, ginger and ripple ice cream to hot chocolate with a spicy twist. All of the recipes have a photograph showing the finished dish.

The fool proof instructions and clear layout mean that it works for everyone, no matter how experienced a cook they are, and it’s divided by seasons, so you can pick recipes using the freshest seasonal ingredients. There is a very useful section at the end of the book 'Finishing Touches' showing how to give our food the restaurant look. It’s also priced at just £15, making it an affordable gift. The book is only for sale through the Ideal Home Show website and at the Home Shows themselves. The Ideal Home Show at Christmas, Earls Court runs from 13th to 17th November 2013.

Scarlett & Mustard Dazed & Infused Oils in Basil, Truffle and Dill
They have a new range of Dazed & Infused Oils which are all made with English cold-press extra virgin rapeseed oil. Foodies will love these amazing oils for cooking or finishing dishes. I like to use them in bread making, pasta sauces and risottos but please visit their website for more ideas.  Sauces, marinades, dressings and oils are made with only the best stuff they can find.
They have recently won two Great Taste Awards 2013 and are available in Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Patridges amongst other retailers.
Infused Oil gift sets - rrp £15 for the 100ml bottle set from the Scarlett & Mustard online shop.

Traditional Smoked Salmon from John Ross Jr - one of the last remaining traditional smokers (they use brick kilns dating back to 1857) and are the supplier to the Queen and the Royal Network of Kitchens. They've held the Royal Warrant for 25 years and were one of the key participants in this year's Coronation Festival, which took place in the Royal Gardens of Buckingham Palace. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without salmon on the table and this one is a winner with a great flavour and texture.
The 200g pack can be found in all Waitrose stores and Ocado priced at £6.49.

Carluccio's Ciottoli Di Torrone - Chocolate Torrone Dragee
Cocoa dusted balls of almond and honey torrone(nougat). The honey is made from a special blend of five varieties including one from the Venetian lagoon which is know for its slightly salty flavour. These will look stunning as a centre piece on top of a special cake. Tastefully packaged and affordable luxury for Christmas - 120g rrp £6.95 available from Carluccio's online shop or restaurants.

Oxfam Carved Antique Leaf Wooden Bowl - Perfect for the dining table.
Oxfam’s Carved Antique Leaf Wooden Bowl is hand carved out of distressed wood by Fair Trade producers in India. Sustainable materials are used to help reduce the environmental impact, supporting small-scale farmers or social enterprises. The money raised is used to help Oxfam’s vital work fighting poverty around the world.
Available at selected high street shops nationwide. To find your nearest shop visit www.oxfam.org.uk/shopfinder  Price: £12.99

Thank you to everyone for sending me samples for the Christmas Gift List.

Raspberry, Chocolate and Almond Cake

It made a welcome change to make a cake that isn't either filled or covered in buttercream but we did serve the cake warm with double cream poured over, and very nice it was too.

Chocolate and raspberries go really well together, the cake will keep covered for a few days in the fridge. It slices well and will freeze too.

The cake testers gave this one the thumbs up.......

I'll let you take a peek behind the curtains of Kitchen Delights new kitchen sometime in September, the finishing touches are taking longer than we anticipated.

In the meantime to make this delicious cake -

You will need:

150g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
150g self-raising flour
50ml milk
150g ground almonds
135g dark chocolate chips
150g frozen raspberries
25g flaked almonds
Icing sugar
Double cream to serve

1. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
3. Beat the caster sugar and butter together until it is a light and fluffy consistency.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time and add a tablespoon of flour with the last egg, beating well.  Add the milk and keep on beating.
5. Sieve the flour over the egg mixture and fold in.  Add the ground almonds and chocolate chips and fold these in to the batter.  Now carefully fold in the frozen raspberries.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
7. Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked through.  Cool and then release the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Sieve the icing sugar and dust over the cake.
9. Best served with cream.

Truffle Rolling Workshop at Rococo Chocolates - Review

 Rococo Chocolates in Knightsbridge for fabulous chocolates, cafe and chocolate classes

Kitchen Delights London Reporter - gets very messy making posh chocolate truffles.......

A few weeks ago I was watching TV at home and there was a celebrity who had been challenged to make chocolate truffles at home with her girlfriends. It was very silly to watch and a rather messy affair!

Fast forward two weeks later and I find myself sitting in posh chocolate shop Rococo in uber-posh Knightsbridge about to master the art of truffle making.  Julie who was leading the course that morning welcomed the six of us in the cafe area and served up hot chocolate, a marshmallow to nibble on and gave us a brief history of Rococo and the chocolate making process.

Once you’ve mastered the workings of a cocoa bean, it’s then time for the really fun bit and we all headed down to the kitchen to make chocolate truffles.

As you enter, there is a small prep area and table to gather around. Donning a pair of rubber gloves and an apron (all supplied) you then mould the ready-made ganache into small balls using the heat and pressure of your palms. I noticed that depending on how hot your palms were had a direct impact on the texture. So yes you guessed it - the hotter your hands - the gooier the balls!

It was comical rolling out the balls with lots of laughter from the group. When it comes to coating the truffle balls, you will team up with a partner who will lightly cover the ganache balls in tepid chocolate whilst the other person gently dusts them in cocoa powder.

Once finished, the truffles need to be given time to dry so we went back into the shop and sipped on white tea from the King’s Road (surprisingly nice and a good palate cleanser) and Julie supplied three different types of chocolate for us to try.  Honestly, it was such a chore tasting the chocolate and guessing the subtle flavours!

All that was then left to do was head back to the kitchen, scoop up the truffles and pack them into a gorgeous Rococo box. We were also given more truffles to take home and treated to 10% off everything in the shop for that day which I’m pretty sure you’ll use!

So if you fancy a treat with a friend and want a fun time – this workshop will be hard to beat. It was just over an hour and a quarter in length and cost £65. With lots of other upcoming events to choose from, just visit http://blog.rococochocolates.com/

Thank you for the fabulous truffle workshop.

Strawberry and Chocolate Cupcakes: Recipe

I've eaten more chocolate this year because the winter went on and on, I'm not a chocolate snob, but a bar of Lindt Excellence Strawberry Intense Dark Chocolate is hard to beat. The chocolate has pieces of freeze dried strawberries running through, it smells of summer and reminds me of strawberries dipped in chocolate.

The strawberries for the cupcakes were bought but it
shouldn't be too long before I am picking my own strawberries

For the vanilla cupcakes:

Makes: 9 cupcakes

You will need: 12 hole muffin tin lined with 9 cupcake cases

115g softened butter, 115g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 115g self raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Place all the ingredients into a bowl and beat together with an electric mixer for two minutes.
3. Spoon into 9 cupcake cases and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool.

For the vanilla buttercream:

You will need:

175g softened unsalted butter, 350g sifted icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract.

1. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften. Add the icing sugar gradually, add the vanilla extract, and beat until the icing is very smooth and pale in colour which will take 5 minutes using a stand mixer.

To decorate:

I used a 1M icing nozzle to pipe the buttercream. Cut a square of chocolate in half and place on the buttercream, top with a whole strawberry.

More recipes you may like:
White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans Cupcakes
Mini Strawberry Victoria Sponges

Photographs taken using the Nikon D3200.

De'Longhi and Lindt, Coffee and Chocolate Pairing Experience

Posting courtesy of Kitchen Delights London based reporter.

Last week I was kindly invited to spend an evening with other bloggers at a De'Longhi coffee and Lindt chocolate masterclass in Central London.

Lindt Master Chocolatier Stefan Bruderer listening for the all important snap.
Image courtesy of Lindt.

Lindt’s Master Chocolatier Stefan Bruderer and expert Barista, Robert Henry guided us through an exciting coffee and chocolate tasting and encouraged us to deliberate about different taste profiles and why one particular chocolate might work well with a specific coffee bean or style of coffee.

Chocolatier Stefan demonstrated to us that he could determine the quality of chocolate just by the way it sounded when snapping it. If it is sharp and loud, that’s a good indicator that the chocolate is high quality and made from a high percentage of cocoa.

Fabulous De'Longhi Coffee Machines

Expert Barista Robert Henry
Image courtesy of Lindt

Expert Barista Robert Henry showed us how to correctly taste lattes and espressos which were made using De’Longhi coffee machines. By taking a really good sniff and a big slurp, this was enough to bring out the different flavours, just as you might taste a wine. I found this quite hard at first but the more I did it, the easier it became.

Lindt Excellence Bars - which one will you choose?

I was lucky enough to try quite a few variations of coffee and chocolate from a Brazil Fazenda Passeio long black to a Sidamo blend flat white and match it up with Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy and Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa. I also really enjoyed a Bolivian Coffee such as a ‘Copa Cobanna’ which is full of orangey notes and discovered that it makes the perfect partner to a Lindt orange chocolate. Of course, it is all subjective but it did make me realise that there are a tremendous amount of flavour combinations out there which are fun to discover.

Sea Salt Lindt Excellence Chocolate

To find out more about pairing chocolate with coffee visit http://www.lindt-excellence.co.uk/

A huge thank you to my London Reporter for the Lindt Excellence Chocolate Selection Box goodie bag.

Thank you to both Lindt and De’Longhi for the very informative and delicious evening.

Banana and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Banana and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes taken with the Nikon D3200

Looking at bananas in the fruit bowl turning from black to blacker, resisting throwing them out and then feeling pressured into using them happens far too often in my house, so let's do some baking. All you need are a few store cupboard/fridge ingredients to make the cake batter and hopefully a few cupcake cases.  I used nine tulip cupcake cases and shared the batter between them.

The recipe by Mary Berry for the banana and chocolate chip cupcakes can be found on the Daily Mail website, I substituted the caster sugar for soft brown sugar and left the milk out to prevent the chocolate chips sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.

Banana and Chocolate Chip Loaf

Mary Berry to the rescue for those black banana recipes, the banana and chocolate chip loaf is one of the best I have ever eaten - I try to remember to leave the milk out of the recipe because I've always found the chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the loaf, in this instance I forgot and the chocolate chips sank....This loaf improves with keeping and turns lovely and sticky, a drizzle of chocolate on top of the loaf will totally transform it's otherwise plain appearance.

Both the cupcakes and loaf freeze perfectly.

More suggestions for using up those ripe or over ripe bananas:

Nigella's Chocolate Banana Muffins
Banana Blueberry Cakes

Patchi Chocolates - Review

Chocolate Jewels

I enjoy receiving emails asking if I would like to showcase chocolates on my blog, it would be difficult to refuse.

Patchi Chocolates is a name I haven't come across before but apparently Patchi was founded in Beirut, Lebanon by Mr Nizar Choucair in 1974.  They were first introduced to the UK in 2002.

Patchi created a bespoke selection of chocolates based on my preferences and taste.

I received a selection of the following:  Milk Chocolate  -  Strawberry Cheesecake, Amandine, Praline, Apricot & Pistachio.  Dark Chocolate - Rocher Hazelnut, Noblesse 72% cocoa.                

There are many, many chocolate flavours to choose from and my selection included delectable sugared almonds, toasted hazelnuts, smooth praline, a pistachio surrounded with apricot, a very creamy strawberry layered cheesecake and a smooth 72% cocoa dark chocolate bar which gives a good firm snap.

The outer chocolate coating varies in thickness and the milk chocolate isn't too sweet.  A range of no sugar added chocolates are also available.

Tastefully gift wrapped with matching ribbon.

Patchi created the world's most expensive 49-piece chocolate box in 2008 for Harrods.  It was valued at £5000 and featured chocolates hand wrapped in Indian Silk and studded with Swarovski crystals. In 2012 they adorned the reception foyer of The Dorchester hotel with ornate Easter Bunnies and exquisitely wrapped chocolate eggs for guests to sample!

The Patchi website is wonderful, sit back and enjoy!

Here in the UK the chocolates are sold exclusively in Harrods.

Thank you for the review chocolates.

World Baking Day 2013 - Chocolate Heart Cake: Recipe

Chocolate Heart Cake

I have been asked to take part in World Baking Day which is sponsored by Stork, and to also be an ambassador for this wonderful annual event.  World Baking Day is on Sunday 19th May, 2013 - they are asking us all to bake for fun, bake with friends and Bake Brave, so let's all join together and bake a cake.

I have had a passion for cake ever since I was a child - baking cakes is a fun activity and has always been high on my list of things I most enjoy, and best of all you get to eat a piece of the cake you have baked.

I never like my everyday cakes to look as though they have come off a production line and I like my cake to look homemade.  I haven't spent hours and hours making the perfect bake but I've had a fun afternoon and I get to eat a wonderful slice of cake made in my own kitchen - it simply can't be beaten.

I think some people are put off baking cakes because they believe you need lots of fancy baking equipment, but you only need a bowl, a baking tin and a set of kitchen scales. Try using your hands to mix the cake batter, this method produces fabulous cakes and is fun and messy too, so trust me you don't even need to own a wooden spoon.

You will need:  2 x 18cm round shallow cake tins greased, base lined and coat the tins with a fine dusting of cocoa powder.

175g Stork tub
175g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs

Filling: Unsweetened apricot jam
Icing: 50g dark chocolate, 15g Stork packet, 2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate Hearts:  Good quality white cooking chocolate.
Decoration: Edible gold leaf and edible gold glitter.

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
2. Place the Stork, caster sugar and eggs into a mixing bowl.  Sift over the self-raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  With an electric mixer beat everything together for 2 minutes or until smooth.
3. Divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins and spread out evenly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out on to a cooling tray.
6. Icing: Place all the icing ingredients into a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Cool and spread over the top of the cake. This produces a matt icing.
7. Chocolate Hearts:  Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place 75g broken chocolate into a bowl, place over a pan of simmering water.  Allow the chocolate to melt without stirring.  When the chocolate has melted stir until smooth.  Place heaped teaspoons of melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread to make circles.  Place in the fridge to set. When set take a small heart cutter and cut out heart shapes. Dab a small amount of leftover melted chocolate to the underside of the hearts and place onto the cake.
8. Decorate with gold leaf and edible glitter.

Thank you to Stork for the fabulous baking set.

Hotel Chocolat Zebra Beastie Easter Egg - Review

Zebra Beastie Egg and Mini Eggs

Hotel Chocolat have a vast selection of Easter Eggs to choose from and this year they have sent me their very stylish Zebra Beastie Easter Egg to review.  My Beastie Egg is printed with a natural cocoa butter zebra transfer and has a thin chocolate hollow shell. Surrounding the egg are 6 foil wrapped mini eggs each filled with delicious praline and caramel.

Beautiful presentation.

I've eaten a small piece of the large egg and a praline and caramel mini egg, I had to for review purposes, and I'm guessing the remainder will be eaten before Easter......

The egg weighs 190g and retails for £15.

Thank you Hotel Chocolat.

All images courtesy of Hotel Chocolat.

Recipe: Chocolate Mint Aero Mousse

This is an exclusive recipe by Aero using their Bubbly Peppermint Aero and it is totally delicious.  The best way to describe the dessert is a mint chocolate biscuit in a glass. I'm sure Willa Wonka would have approved.

My dessert was made in 6 shot glasses and I also used natural yoghurt to keep those calories at bay....

Chocolate Mint Aero Mousse

Serves 4

Please note this recipe contains uncooked egg white.

Ingredients:

120g Mint Chocolate Aero, broken into cubes
2 digestive biscuits, crushed
15g butter, melted
8 marshmallows
200g low fat natural yoghurt (or whipping cream)
1 egg white, whisked

Method:
1. Crush the digestive biscuits and add to melted butter and 1 crushed cube Mint Chocolate Aero, mix well and place into the bottom of 4 shot glasses.
2. Reserve another piece of Mint Chocolate Aero for grating.
3. Place the remaining Aero into a small bowl and microwave for 1 ½ minutes. (750w). Add the marshmallows and microwave for another 30 seconds.
4. Whisk in ¾ of the yogurt and then fold in the whisked egg white.
5. Pour the mixture into shot glasses and leave to chill in the fridge.
6. Once set, top with the remaining yoghurt and sprinkle reserved grated Aero on top.

I was kindly sent Aero bars to make this delicious recipe.