tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24367295219838810322024-03-05T10:41:24.825+00:00Freycob's Craft BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.comBlogger929125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-36112788008516177492014-06-27T23:40:00.000+01:002014-06-27T23:40:24.867+01:00Freycob's FoodYou can find all my recipes, reviews and foodie finds on my other blog:<br />
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<a href="http://www.freycob.co.uk/">www.freycob.co.uk</a><br />
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Please pop over and be inspired!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-37498532062075450672013-04-10T22:22:00.000+01:002013-04-21T22:29:04.627+01:00Up-cycling & refurbishing part 2So the cupboard for the en-suite is complete and now I was on the look out for a shelving unit to go above the sink to match it, so it's back to the British Heart Foundation shop where I spy this eyesore for the bargain price of £10! It's really quite dirty & very dusty (I got the dust free of charge!)<br />
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I take it home and it's straight outside into the garden with the screwdriver to remove the fittings & doors and get to work creating a matching 'swan' from this ugly duckling for my now beautiful cupboard. Hubby now has the bug too and has helped me transform this beast by sanding it down for me while I cook the Sunday roast.<br />
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A quick masking off after dinner while hubby washes up for me and I have the wax & wire wool are out to enhance the wood. (I love this technique as it polishes as it waxes and leaves a perfectly smooth finish).<br />
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Once this is complete its time to mask of the waxed areas ready for the undercoat (hubby kindly takes over this task from me). 2 coats later and it's ready to be left to dry overnight.<br />
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Monday night and the <a href="http://www.farrow-ball.com/">Farrow & Ball</a> paint is out again ready to bring this shelving unit to life and to match it up with the transformed cupboard.<br />
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Tuesday evening and the hinges are back on, as are the new brass knobs on the little doors and we're done!<br />
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I also bought a large, rectangular, pine mirror. That'll be getting the treatment too to make it co-ordinate. I can't wait to decorate my bedroom next as I'll be refurbishing the furniture that I have in there to match the en-suite units and therefore make the rooms flow beautifully together. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-74459386972026948212013-04-07T23:47:00.001+01:002013-04-21T22:19:18.614+01:00Up-cycling & refurbishingWe're decorating our en-suite at the moment and I've been on the hunt for a cupboard to go in there to replace the storage bench we bought about 10 years ago.<br />
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Looking around, there's either nothing I like or if I did see something it's either built in or stupidly expensive, so I decided to see if I could transform an ugly duckling from my local charity shop. Luckily we have a large British Heart Foundation furniture & electrical shop in town. Normally it's where we donate our stuff to as it's a charity close to home (dad had a triple heart by-pass). I'd called them to see if they had anything to fit, but sadly the unit the guy on the phone measured was too big, so I decided go in on the off chance of finding a corner unit to fit instead.<br />
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No sooner did I walk in the door than I spotted this ugly duckling, but I knew it had potential. I measured it up and had 7cm to spare for where I'd planned to put it, making it a perfect fit. At £40 it was an absolute bargain and just what I wanted, despite what it currently looked like. Nothing like a bit of elbow grease & hard work to make it gorgeous again and I've got plenty of that!<br />
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After a quick nip home to swap cars so that I could collect it, and a shocked face from my hubby when he saw it and in was in the house, the tool kit was out and the doors & fittings were off and safely stashed away to be re-fitted when the project was complete.<br />
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The decorative up-stand feature at the back was removed and sanded right back down to its raw pine state removing the (offensive & dirty) orange varnish. Already that started to look better. The doors were then sanded down to create a 'key' for which the paint would adhere to. I was desperate for the weekend to arrive so I could take the unit out into the garden to sand down. Thankfully Saturday was warm, dry & perfect for me to get to work on it.<br />
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The top was sanded back to pine and then waxed in a dark oak, whilst the unit sides and back were 'keyed'. The doors & unit were then undercoated and painted in <a href="http://www.farrow-ball.com/">Farrow and Ball</a> 'Pointing' Estate Eggshell. With new brass knobs and the fittings replaced it's finished and is now no longer an ugly duckling, but a beautiful new swan! <br />
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I can't wait to show you my next project for in there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-67274156279375730622013-04-06T22:40:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.502+01:00World Baking Day 19th May 2013Are you ready to join me and 'Bake Brave'?<br /><br />I've been chosen to be one of 100 Ambassadors for this year's World Baking Day on Sunday 19th May.<br /><br /><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGV2vvBDA7oYJ9JTndFYV_rcHCgOenEaFAR7wzDZJOXXPpbgN51LuowgxhsyU3BTxbxAloBUwCJfsmN5SD8yhiXnlxS5NJWfsLrtBfd9U6C99tBMo03UPW1sD5p9KeALrplmPRas76Yzg/s640/blogger-image-1262935905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGV2vvBDA7oYJ9JTndFYV_rcHCgOenEaFAR7wzDZJOXXPpbgN51LuowgxhsyU3BTxbxAloBUwCJfsmN5SD8yhiXnlxS5NJWfsLrtBfd9U6C99tBMo03UPW1sD5p9KeALrplmPRas76Yzg/s640/blogger-image-1262935905.jpg" /></a></div><br />Stork are generously sponsoring the event and are giving 100 people all over the UK the chance to host a World Baking Day House Party. Lucky winners will be invited to host an official World Baking Day party and will be sent everything they need for the perfect baking get-together. This will include bunting, balloons, cake decorations and egg timers, not to mention a voucher to redeem for a 500g tub of Stork Margarine; the perfect ingredient to bake your cakes. You'll also be provided with the official recipes to enable you and your guests to 'Bake Brave'.<br /><br />Hosts and their guests will be invited to bring their baked cakes & delights to the party which you'll then decorate together. What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday; a day filled full of cake, friends and fun!!!<br /><br />All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these 100 world Baking Day House Party packs is to visit <a href="http://comeround.com/wbd/">Come Round</a> by <b>FRIDAY 12th APRIL 2013</b> and complete the online application form. Remember that there will only be 100 lucky winners, so pop straight over there and apply for your pack. As they say - you've got to be in it to win it! Please remember to read the conditions of application.<br /><br />Don't forget from 1st May, you can join us at the <a href="http://worldbakingday.com/">World Baking Day</a> website where you can take inspiration from some truly amazing bakers & see the 100 recipes we've shared.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-53474840823905271562013-03-31T23:39:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.526+01:00Home Made Cake ReleaseIf, like me, you don't like aerosols and definitely do NOT want them near your cakes, then this is a simple to make alternative to greasing & flouring your cake tins.<br /><br />Simply take equal parts of:<br /><br />Plain flour<br />Vegetable Oil<br />Trex (or other hard white fat)<br /><br />Blitz these all together and then store them in a Kilner jar.<br />All you need to do is then brush this onto the inside of your cake tins before filling and baking.<br />When our cake is cooked, allow it to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.<br />It's will keep at room temp for a few months; no need to refrigerate.<br /><br />It's has worked for me EVERY time and even my most intricate giant cupcakes come out of the tin cleanly & perfectly formed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv57vre518LGI5doRC7l8w-f5AxOj7xh6ijgT0v64zJEOwaX1drjofRx0pRriTdjdv6UHNBHgGvc7yMXx1XlBDLmgHYyJNszmes6G_7LFwMn7azX2CLpYbeoAiC7R1uNg6fz_w92Luelc/s640/blogger-image--340518887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv57vre518LGI5doRC7l8w-f5AxOj7xh6ijgT0v64zJEOwaX1drjofRx0pRriTdjdv6UHNBHgGvc7yMXx1XlBDLmgHYyJNszmes6G_7LFwMn7azX2CLpYbeoAiC7R1uNg6fz_w92Luelc/s640/blogger-image--340518887.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-73548497518566831882013-03-30T14:06:00.000+00:002014-06-26T20:24:25.566+01:00Cinnamon Muffin BunsThese aren't the prettiest of things to look at, but oh my, the taste is incredible! This was originally an American recipe that I've converted to UK measurements and added my own little tweaky bits to. Hope you like it!<br /><br />180ml Milk<br />55g Butter<br />400g Plain flour<br />7g Fast acting yeast<br />50g Granulated sugar<br />5ml Salt<br />60ml Water<br />1 Egg<br />200g Soft brown sugar<br />5ml Cinnamon<br />100g Butter<br />100g Sultanas<br /><br />1. Warm the milk & butter together until the butter has just melted, then set aside to cool.<br />2. In a large bowl, put 300g of the flour, the yeast, the sugar on top of this and then the salt. It's important to keep the salt and the yeast apart initially as the salt will kill the yeast.<br />3. Add the water, beaten egg and the milk & butter mixture to the flour and beat until well combined.<br />4. Add the remaining 100g of flour and mix well together. Once the dough has formed and come together, it's ready to be kneaded.<br />5. Drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil onto your work surface (I like to use oil instead of flour so that the mixture doesn't dry out). Spread the oil out with your hand, this will also stop the dough from sticking to your hand.<br />6. Tip the dough out onto the oiled surface and knead it well for approx. 5 mins until it's smooth and no longer sticky.<br />7. Put your dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film.<br />8. Leave your dough in a warm place to rest and to allow the yeast to start to develop for about 10 mins.<br />9. Soften your butter and mix together thoroughly with the brown sugar and cinnamon to form a paste.<br />10. Lightly flour your work surface and gently roll out your dough to a rectangle approx 24 x 30cm.<br />11. Spread the butter mixture onto the dough, but leave a gap of 1-2 cm all round.<br />12. Sprinkle the dough surface evenly with your sultanas.<br />13. Fold over 2-3cm of your dough, starting at the long edge, then roll to the end to form a 30cm long 'sausage'.<br />14. Cut into 12 equal slices.<br />15. Grease a 12 hole, deep muffin pan.<br />15. Place a slice into each of the muffin cups, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 30 mins or until doubled in size.<br />16. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 20 mins.<br />17. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes in the tin.<br />18. Place a sheet of baking parchment onto your cooling rack, then remove the cinnamon muffin buns from the tin & leave to cool.<br /><br />These are lovely served warm with a nice cup of tea or coffee. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhgMwcuZl2lTZjnOH0hVbiErTTJQ2uBt_lSP1Jy9-FACZSLr7zUQfxrqkLfFNpcMEbZEmNqdi2l0ZGGcMw0OF0B_EnPyL3C-QPGh82afyfX_hFM0Td4U9SxyaHney0jPto0Dyoy4QDtI/s640/blogger-image-1512033156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhgMwcuZl2lTZjnOH0hVbiErTTJQ2uBt_lSP1Jy9-FACZSLr7zUQfxrqkLfFNpcMEbZEmNqdi2l0ZGGcMw0OF0B_EnPyL3C-QPGh82afyfX_hFM0Td4U9SxyaHney0jPto0Dyoy4QDtI/s640/blogger-image-1512033156.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-85381265012710417932013-03-10T15:54:00.000+00:002013-03-10T15:54:49.326+00:00Has it really been so long?I can't believe it's almost a year since I last blogged here! How tardy is that? In my defence, I have started a new business from home in my spare (HAHA) time making cakes, which you can see <a href="http://freycobscakes.wordpress.com/">HERE</a> I have changed jobs and now work longer hours with more travelling time, but also have much more of a challenge to my working day.<br />
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Due to time constraints I have had to stand down as Secretary for my local Air Cadets and also more recently, after over 6 years service, as a Governor to my children's former Junior School. I just don't have the time to stretch myself any thinner (metaphorically, not physically; I would always love to be stretched thinner physically!)<br />
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My daughter managed to get her first choice of school and started senior school in September at the same time as my son started his 6th form and A Level studies. Following his 17th birthday in November he is now learning to drive and passed his theory test first time a couple of weeks back. His driving test is booked, but that date's a secret for now!<br />
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I've demonstrated for Letraset with their Promarkers at a few Hobbycraft stores and continue to love these amazing pens. I have more YouTube video tutorials in the wings waiting to be filmed and uploaded, so for all those who also love their Promarkers, please watch this space for further information.<br />
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Anyway, it's Mothers' Day in the UK a time when we realise how lucky we are for the gift of life given to us by our mums. I wish to be the mother to my children that my mother was and continues to be to my siblings and myself.<br />
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I will try and be back soon!<br />
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xAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-32875335224455067822013-02-16T16:07:00.000+00:002014-06-26T20:24:25.581+01:00Kenwood Major Pasta Maker Attachment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m a lover of my Kenwood Major Titanium mixer. I have a few attachments that go with it; namely the glass blender jug, the food processor, the mincer and the food mill. I was lucky recently to be invited to a PR event for the launch of the new Kenwood Chef by Clarion Communications. They’ve launched a new retro look Chef in three new colour combinations; white with either ASTRO BLUE, CALYPSO ORANGE, PINTO GREEN. Aren’t these just fab & funky?</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225411.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-225411.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225411.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225210.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-225210.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225210.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225358.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-225358.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-225358.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I (cheekily) asked to borrow a pasta maker for my own Kenwood Major Titanium to try out, which Clarion Communications (PR Company for Kenwood World) very kindly arranged to have sent to me.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223615.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-223615.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223615.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After it arrived, I was itching for the weekend & my chill out time in the kitchen to arrive.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Inside the box you will find a multi-lingual leaflet detailing a diagram of the pasta maker and a recipe for making your pasta. The pasta maker comes with 6 ‘screens’ which allow different shapes to be extruded:</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Spaghetti<br />Macaroni<br />Rigatoni<br />Tagliatelle<br />Lasagne<br />Large macaroni</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">These are easily fitted and secured with a locking nut in front of an internal screw, which moves your pasta dough through the machine from where you drop it into the hopper to the screen at the front.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eager to try this out, I made some pasta & formed it into spaghetti.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223740.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-223740.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223740.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I then bought a very thick slice of ham to make a Milanese sauce to go with it.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223650.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130303-223650.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/20130303-223650.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-18058673439631814172013-01-22T16:05:00.000+00:002014-06-26T20:24:25.621+01:00Carrot Cake with lime & walnuts with an orange & mascarpone frosting <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s is a cake recipe that I’ve made many a time, but tonight I decided to make it with a bit of a twist on the method & a couple of the ingredients, (just because I can & I wanted to see how it turned out). It’s a belated (3week late) birthday cake for my hubby, who I might add thought it tasted devine (as did the kids).</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">200ml Farringtons Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil<br />250g Light soft brown sugar<br />3 eggs, separated<br />150g Carrots, grated<br />10ml (2tbs) Lime juice<br />100g Walnuts, chopped, plus a few halves for decoration<br />250g Self Raising flour<br />2.5ml (1/2 tsp) Bicarbonate of Soda<br />5ml (1tsp) Baking powder<br />5ml (1tsp) Ground Cinnamon<br />5ml (1tsp) Ground Nutmeg<br />250g Mascarpone cheese<br />200g Philadelphia cheese<br />150g Icing sugar<br />1 Orange, zested</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Preheat your oven to 180C.<br />2. Grease & line the base of 2 x 20cm (8″) round tins.<br />3. Whisk the oil sugar & egg yolks together until smooth.<br />4. Add the grated carrot, lime juice & chopped walnuts. Mix thoroughly.<br />5. Sieve the flour, bi-carbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon & nutmeg together.<br />6. Fold the flour mix into the oil & egg mix until thoroughly combined.<br />7. Whisk the egg whites until stiff.<br />8. GENTLY fold the egg whites into the flour & oil mixture, being careful not to knock the air out of it.<br />9. Divide between your two tins.<br />10. Place on the centre shelf of your oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean & the cake has started to come away from the sides of the tin.<br />11. Leave to cool in the tins before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.<br />12. Whisk together the mascarpone cheese, Philadelphia cheese, icing sugar and orange zest until thoroughly combined.<br />13. When the cakes are cool sandwich together with 1/3 of the frosting.<br />14. Smooth the remaining 2/3 of the frosting over the top & sides of the cake.<br />15. Decorate with halved walnuts as desired.<br />16. Keep cool due to the cheese frosting.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By separating the eggs and folding in the whisked egg whites, it will give you a lighter, larger variation on a normal carrot cake.<br />The Farrington cold pressed rapeseed oil is produced locally to me in Northamptonshire & adds the most amazing taste, as well as being healthy (<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NOTE: I was not sponsored by, or provided with a sample of Farrington Cold Pressed Oil. The opinion stated is purely my own and is totally unbiased towards them</em>).<br />The lime juice can be changed to lemon juice if you wish.<br />Walnuts are optional, both in the cake and also as decoration.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/20130122-225422.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20130122-225422.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/20130122-225422.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-28415417176778641772012-11-13T16:05:00.000+00:002014-06-26T20:24:25.635+01:00Cinnamon & White Chocolate Flapjacks<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve had flapjacks in my head for a few days now but fancied baking them with a bit of a seasonal spice twist, so I changed my basic recipe a little bit.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I used Organic Green & Black’s white chocolate and FairTrade cinnamon and brown sugar.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">150g (6oz) Butter<br />150g (6oz) Soft brown sugar<br />80g (3oz) Golden Syrup<br />300g (12oz) Porridge Oats<br />5ml (1tsp) Cinnamon<br />150g (6oz) White chocolate, chopped into chunks.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Preheat the oven to 180C.<br />2. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan with the golden syrup.<br />3. Remove from the heat and stir in the porridge oats, cinnamon and chocolate.<br />4. Press into a 24x30cm tin, making sure the top is level.<br />5. Bake for 30 minutes until golden in colour.<br />6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.<br />7. Mark into squares.<br />8. Allow to cool for another 10 minutes in the tin.<br />9. Turn out onto a wooden chopping board & cut the squares through completely.<br />10. Allow to cool completely (or if you really can’t wait, nibble a piece as a cook’s perk while its still warm!)</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/20121113-212326.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121113-212326.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/20121113-212326.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-3262625700980871332012-10-27T16:04:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.674+01:00Kenwood Boutique Event<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I was lucky enough to be invited to the Waitrose School of Cookery by Kenwood for the launch to food bloggers of their vibrantly coloured Boutique range of KMix.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now I’m a real lover of Kenwood food preparation equipment. Not only do I have the hugely powerful and versatile silver Kenwood Major Titanium stand mixer, but I have the smaller almond coloured KMix hand mixer as well as the almond coloured KMix tri-blade stick blender which comes with 2 tri-blade heads, a whisk and small food processor.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To say I was amazed by the vibrancy of the new boutique colours was an under statement. Wow! You almost needed your sunglasses on when we walked into the cookery school to be greeted by the lovely staff from Kenwood, their PR company and the cookery school staff as well as these tables of food preparation finery & co-ordinating props.<br /><br /><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232927.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-232927.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232927.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>The magenta is such a girly girl colour.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232934.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-232934.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232934.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Whilst the blue offers a more masculine alternative.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232952.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-232952.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232952.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>The orange reminds you of somewhere hot & tropical.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232959.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-232959.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-232959.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>The yellow is so zingy you can almost sense your taste buds tingling!</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233005.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233005.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233005.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>The green is like a fresh cucumber on a hot day.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After cocktails or soft drinks, we were treated to a fantastic macaroon making class using the Italian meringue method. No waiting around for the shells to set with this recipe; you simply make and bake! Between the 24 attendees we made several different flavours, including pistachio, strawberry, apricot, liquorice and black currant. It was heaven in an almond flavoured shell!</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Being the first time I’ve made them (and quite frankly, this will not be the last time I’ll make them), I was really surprised at just how easy they are to make, especially under the expert guidance and instruction of our lovely chef.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have to say a BIG thank you to the Waitrose School of Cookery staff, Clarion Communications and especially to Kenwood for their generosity afforded to all the participants in offering us an item from their new Boutique Range. I can’t wait for my Magenta hand mixer to arrive so that my daughter can learn to cook and bake alongside me using her own mixer.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233014.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233014.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233014.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Carmela consults our lovely chef.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233019.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233019.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233019.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Julie hard at work mixing the almond paste.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233026.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233026.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233026.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>The finished Italian Meringue ready to be mixed with the almond paste.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233033.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233033.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233033.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Our piped macaroons.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233040.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233040.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233040.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Chef’s baked macaroons.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233046.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233046.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233046.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a>Pistachio, strawberry & lemon macaroons.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233051.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121027-233051.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121027-233051.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a><br />Apricot & blackcurrant macaroons.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-59003984536621105452012-10-21T16:03:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.694+01:00Winning Be-Ro banana bread recipe<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Please note that the original recipe is NOT mine. It’s one that I found years ago in one of my trusty fail-safe, go-to recipe books. It came from the <a href="http://www.be-ro.co.uk/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Home Recipes with Be-Ro Flour, 37th edition</a>. I wanted to share it, along with some little alterations that I have made along the way to all the banana bread lovers out there.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">200g (8oz) Self raising flour<br />1.25ml (1/4 tsp) Bicarbonate of soda<br />2.5ml (1/2 tsp) Salt – I NEVER add this<br />75g (3oz) Butter – I use Stork margarine<br />150g (6oz) Caster sugar<br />2 Eggs, beaten<br />450g (1lb) Bananas (weighed with the skin on)<br />100g (4oz) Walnuts, chopped (optional)</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Preheat your oven to 180C, Fan 160C, Gas 4.<br />2. Grease & flour a 2lb loaf tin.<br />3. Mix together the flour, bi-carb and salt (if using).<br />4. Mash the bananas.<br />5. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale & fluffy.<br />6. Add the eggs, a little at a time, alternately with a spoonful of the flour mixture and beat well.<br />7. Stir in the remaining flour, bananas and walnuts (if using).<br />8. Pour into your prepared tin & bake for 1 1/4 hours, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre, comes out clean.<br />9. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then turn out to cool completely.<br />10. Once cool, wrap in foil and ideally leave for 24 hours before slicing & eating.</div><ul style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 3.23em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />Rosie’s notes:</strong></ul><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A) I add ALL of my ingredients to the bowl & mix as per the ‘all in one’ method.<br />B) Instead of greasing & lining my tins, I find it much easier & more convenient to line them with a loaf tin liner from <a href="http://www.lakeland.co.uk/5553/2lb-Loaf-Tin-Liners" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lakeland</a>.<br />C) when the mixture is in the tin, scatter the top with some more chopped walnuts and then sprinkle some soft brown sugar over the top. The flavour that this imparts is amazing!<br />D) Try spreading your sliced banana bread with some proper butter for added flavour.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121021-190923.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121021-190923.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121021-190923.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled" id="jp-post-flair" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.128906); border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; 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border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; color: #8a8a8a; float: left; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline; width: 87px;">SHARE THIS:</h3><div class="sd-content" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; border-top-width: 0px; 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margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><li class="share-twitter" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; display: block; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 5px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon" href="http://freycobscakes.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/winning-be-ro-banana-bread-recipe/?share=twitter&nb=1" id="sharing-twitter-789" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, rgb(247, 247, 247) 0%, rgb(239, 239, 239) 100%); background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) !important; border-left-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) !important; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-style: solid !important; border-top-width: 1px !important; box-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 0px inset; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter"></a></li></ul></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-59846407081379390142012-10-20T16:02:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.734+01:00Great Banana Bread Bake Off<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I spent a lovely afternoon in <a href="http://www.writingacookerybook.blogspot.co.uk/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Vanessa Kimbell’s </a>kitchen this afternoon where we decided to have an impromptu banana bread bake-off to use up some over-ripe bananas she’d got.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I chose to go with my very trusty (and fail safe) Be-Ro recipe, whilst Vanessa chose to follow Mary Berry’s.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There was no difference in the quality of ingredients used. All the eggs were free range from Vanessa’s chickens. The flour, (star anise) sugar, milk, Stork margarine and bananas were identical with exception to the quantities specified in the recipes. They were both made using the ‘all-in-one’ method using Kenwood K-Mix machines. Poured into identical greased & floured tins and baked on the same oven shelf for an identical amount of time.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From the start, my cake looked a different colour as my recipe called for 1lb of (skin on) bananas, whilst Vanessa’s only wanted 2 whole bananas.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222534.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121020-222534.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222534.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The resulting bake was judged by us both but to add an unbiased twist, was also judged by Vanessa’s husband, Alastair, who had no idea which one of us had baked which loaf. The initial reaction from us all was that one loaf seemed to be richer in colour, darker on the crust, had risen more and smell more intensely of banana. On cutting, from the crumb one was obviously lighter in texture.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222555.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121020-222555.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222555.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The hands down winner was this one…</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222602.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20121020-222602.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/20121020-222602.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Which recipe was the winner? Why Be-Ro of course! My mum bought each of my sisters & I our first ever recipe book. Mine was the 35th edition, and since then I have added 3 more, updated versions, to my collection. It was my first ever recipe book & the one that I trust to work implicitly every time.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks to Vanessa for such a lovely afternoon of laughs & baking together, and for letting me bring the winning loaf home to keep my hubby ‘sweet’ as I was later home than planned/promised.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-59876191044063333862012-09-23T16:01:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.750+01:00Ndali vanilla gift swap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve been invited to take part in the <a href="http://www.ndali.net/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ndali Vanilla</a> Swap that’s taking place at <a href="http://www.fortnumandmason.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortnum & Mason’s</a>prestigious store in Piccadilly, London on Monday 24th September. The event is also in association with <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kenwood+uk&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kenwood</a> and <a href="http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Fair Trade Foundation</a> and has been organised by Vanessa Kimble, <a href="http://writingacookerybook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-ndali-vanilla-gift-swap.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Goddess on a Budget</a>, and author of Prepped.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The criteria of the afternoon involves us making or baking a product, or products, in up to 4 categories:<br />1. Biscuits<br />2. Cake/cupcakes<br />3. Sweets<br />4. Preserves</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve chosen to enter the biscuit & the cake categories with two recipes that I will share with you here.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For my biscuit recipe, I’m making a rustic vanilla, oat, cranberry & white chocolate biscuit. Whilst my cake is a rich vanilla infused elderflower sponge with a vanilla bean frosting and decorated with fondant.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As the name suggests, it’s a gift swap in as much as we produce our creations to go in to a draw, according to the category entered. We are then lucky enough to draw an equivalent gift which has been lovingly created by a fellow attendee which we will no doubt marvel at and possibly enjoy on the train home later that evening.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We each have some wonderful Ndali vanilla product to use in our creations. I really can’t recommend their vanilla powder enough! The fragrance is sublime, whilst the taste is incredibly intense, yet gentle at the same time; a truly amazing product! Along with the Ndali vanilla, we will be using Fairtrade products where possible.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To give you a potted history of Ndali vanilla; Lulu Sturdy inherited a former tea plantation and, after experimenting with other crops, settled on vanilla. She now grows premium quality Fair Trade vanilla on her organic 1,000 acre mixed tropical farm, Ndali. She also processes the individual vanilla crops of hundreds of small farmers who she has helped to gain Fair Trade deals. Growing, hand pollinating, harvesting and processing are all highly labour intensive. The cream of the crop is packaged under the Fair Trade ‘Ndali’ brand for retail. There are still a lot of farmers in the area who do not have Fair Trade deals.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fair Trade makes an incredible difference to the lives of producers; it’s not just a brand. Learning about these growers has convinced me that the deals brokered through Fair Trade make a huge difference to the lives of the farmers and their families. Many are subject to exploitation by unscrupulous traders.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You can’t fail to be moved by one farmer’s statement: “We don’t want charity, we just want a fair price for what we have grown”</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Demand for vanilla outstrips the supply of vanilla beans and, sadly, most UK vanilla flavouring is synthetic with the vast majority of it going into manufactured foods. In home baking, we can avoid this ‘vanilla essence’ and buy pure vanilla in pods, extract and powder form. Of course, its more expensive than it’s synthetic substitute, but in terms of quality and flavour, there really is no substitute worth considering. Next time you shop for vanilla please consider not only the quality of the product that you’re buying, but also the life changes you are helping to make for the Ugandan vanilla growers and pay a fair price.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-28585004608976193182012-08-29T16:00:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.790+01:00Karen is 50!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Karen is a former work colleague of mine who was celebrating her 50th birthday.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Her order was for a cake to celebrate and for 30 matching cupcakes. For this one, I decided to make a deep, vanilla tray bake cake with a pair of flared ‘jeans’ which were cut from an 8″ square cake.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The decoration was in the form of different coloured circles of fondant icing.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The matching vanilla cupcakes had a white swirl of buttercream on top & were embellished with matching circles of fondant icing.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130739.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20120827-130739.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130739.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130836.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20120827-130836.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130836.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130844.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20120827-130844.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130844.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.615em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130852.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="20120827-130852.jpg" class="alignnone size-full" src="http://freycobscakes.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/20120827-130852.jpg?w=560" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-62716316098451910562012-08-28T00:13:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.807+01:00Eva's Mushroom HouseEva is the daughter of one of my children's former junior school teachers. The original request was for a chocolate giant cupcake, but with the agreement of 'mum' she allowed me to play with an idea that I'd got in mind to upturn the base & decorate it as a giant mushroom.<br /><br />I am so pleased at how this cake turned out. I freestyled with the idea as I went along; simply knowing that I wanted the 'roof' to be red with white hearts instead of spots. I also wanted a 'flying' butterfly overhead.<br /><br />Mum tells me that Eva loved her cake, & her grandma tells me she loved it too!<br /><br />Another successful cake from the kitchen of Freycob.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgbA69uvxooesTO8eSOpKk7sYj3lTIIL5hYVVMbMR7aS-HkhBGhZcXUkCzd3jSHBTq-dE58uK69JZ_u0zfYWQCx_GlSyc0khSsnUmHmgHV9aQfKqPrzItmR41U39Oj_Kr4EfUlm3BS-U/s640/blogger-image--1714856749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgbA69uvxooesTO8eSOpKk7sYj3lTIIL5hYVVMbMR7aS-HkhBGhZcXUkCzd3jSHBTq-dE58uK69JZ_u0zfYWQCx_GlSyc0khSsnUmHmgHV9aQfKqPrzItmR41U39Oj_Kr4EfUlm3BS-U/s640/blogger-image--1714856749.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m7XqDow0r5ig6zYSYEKhR5GSJKrQbsE8lzvzntADujbEhJRolOmgbQI2bGNrCB1QZ-mgfKAGaWpl2evi72vardy-L_QaH06YMdYJxuv0DnnZsaMymU8DBS4S69s_FeuiTzdHXLI872I/s640/blogger-image-1632200557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m7XqDow0r5ig6zYSYEKhR5GSJKrQbsE8lzvzntADujbEhJRolOmgbQI2bGNrCB1QZ-mgfKAGaWpl2evi72vardy-L_QaH06YMdYJxuv0DnnZsaMymU8DBS4S69s_FeuiTzdHXLI872I/s640/blogger-image-1632200557.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdBVac9qbPR2Tcfa8Oe-QiIfzLifPK-L283CvtYZk5ufjmi2rpTNjhQNVqIWJBN89Sf0BufcuU_2_HdeOYmMMCG9RmNy3UqGrER9HasIGEk0DcrwIBdIV6JKFUaeU5dD7_QWJwU4kQP4/s640/blogger-image-558362858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdBVac9qbPR2Tcfa8Oe-QiIfzLifPK-L283CvtYZk5ufjmi2rpTNjhQNVqIWJBN89Sf0BufcuU_2_HdeOYmMMCG9RmNy3UqGrER9HasIGEk0DcrwIBdIV6JKFUaeU5dD7_QWJwU4kQP4/s640/blogger-image-558362858.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21BbKVgt2uzzTdX4NP4-y8kIMWsS8CEhmU4dpsWQpR1EkyPOkDXlpoYG_yZHafRVmzscR_etVxbLYYqZVK2VlA8_mECW1rnKM1MkpohkFU7R7JZH88qwxMilq74zp5cnHCmdBrgww5xo/s640/blogger-image-1429064039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21BbKVgt2uzzTdX4NP4-y8kIMWsS8CEhmU4dpsWQpR1EkyPOkDXlpoYG_yZHafRVmzscR_etVxbLYYqZVK2VlA8_mECW1rnKM1MkpohkFU7R7JZH88qwxMilq74zp5cnHCmdBrgww5xo/s640/blogger-image-1429064039.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_gD-sgRhYGN1fUeOFhWW4TheJpcN1gHHrQkBAD9cE02XpddH46RrNnXBios9bp8AY6Mz1CJONw8udRok6jJ2oJX3K4Hd0Gf-yioixObwKu73WTBtqm4CfcZI4URvSt_jOKcgD8uL4mE/s640/blogger-image-670487364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_gD-sgRhYGN1fUeOFhWW4TheJpcN1gHHrQkBAD9cE02XpddH46RrNnXBios9bp8AY6Mz1CJONw8udRok6jJ2oJX3K4Hd0Gf-yioixObwKu73WTBtqm4CfcZI4URvSt_jOKcgD8uL4mE/s640/blogger-image-670487364.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-47024137730805899532012-08-05T22:32:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.847+01:00Vanilla & Elderflower Drizzle Cake175g Butter<br />175g Caster sugar<br />3 Eggs<br />150g Self raising flour<br />75g Ground almonds<br />5ml Baking powder<br />5ml Ndali vanilla powder<br />30ml <a href="http://www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk/" target="_blank">Belvoir Fruit Farms Elderflower Cordial</a><br />70ml Milk<br /><br /><b>FOR THE ELDERFLOWER DRIZZLE</b><br />60ml <a href="http://www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk/">Belvoir Fruit Farms Elderflower cordial</a> (undiluted)<br />60g Granulated sugar<br /><br /><br />1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.<br /><br />2. Grease and line an 8″ deep round tin with baking parchment.<br /><br />3. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.<br /><br />4. Add the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder, vanilla powder, elderflower cordial & milk and beat until smooth.<br /><br />5. Pour into the tin and bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean.<br /><br />6. Just before the cake comes out of the oven, mix together the ‘drizzle’ cordial and sugar.<br /><br />7. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, leave it in the tin and prick it all over with a skewer. Slowly pour the 'drizzle' all over the cake, allowing it to soak in.<br /><br />8. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, then carefully lift out onto a serving plate.<br /><br />I chose to decorate mine with small, white fondant flowers cut & bunched to look like the head of an elderflower surrounded by some green leaves.<br /><br />Enjoy with a glass of cold, sparkling <a href="http://www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk/">Belvoir Fruit Farms Elderflower cordial</a>, or a lovely cup of tea.<br /><br />This is a lovely, delicately flavoured & moist cake that, due to the addition of ground almonds will easily keep for a few days. If you’re lucky and it doesn’t all get eaten very quickly that is!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN1CbplpLLgDk9vsdGwRmIInGUoQrCE3LW30rqX55L0gXin4qhe5rjAp2-mrbEqzzGmC45VYkiQiwKX-IKtKD92uo_SeenTu3U52brHFDaur_UUN7TJV1RvWiuZfq6YscERL7lsiNVvg/s1600/20120804-095539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN1CbplpLLgDk9vsdGwRmIInGUoQrCE3LW30rqX55L0gXin4qhe5rjAp2-mrbEqzzGmC45VYkiQiwKX-IKtKD92uo_SeenTu3U52brHFDaur_UUN7TJV1RvWiuZfq6YscERL7lsiNVvg/s320/20120804-095539.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20CVkI33w6-dGIStJF-E-UM0g-gn9n818c8Qp2tiLMiFoqIib91QoRweo_-ZX8GAbCUjxNBy7FUdxfJA7IkMYa-0iqhs16ANwhW3gqZZ6rI0dEgF7DUQ6K6Zd4e2KGbqSLolskRxuNVw/s1600/20120804-095549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20CVkI33w6-dGIStJF-E-UM0g-gn9n818c8Qp2tiLMiFoqIib91QoRweo_-ZX8GAbCUjxNBy7FUdxfJA7IkMYa-0iqhs16ANwhW3gqZZ6rI0dEgF7DUQ6K6Zd4e2KGbqSLolskRxuNVw/s320/20120804-095549.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-18599853970064183042012-08-01T21:37:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.861+01:00Gingery ginger muffinsI threw a couple of batches of muffins together this evening. The beauty of muffins is in the speed of preparation for me. They can be whipped up and baking within 5 or so minutes. This recipe was adapted from one that was in an American community church recipe book that I received years ago, and which I've turned into muffins.<br /><br />280g (10oz) plain flour<br />10ml (2tsp) baking powder<br />2.5ml (1/2tsp) bicarbonate of soda<br />2.5ml (1/2tsp) salt<br />5ml (1tsp) ground ginger<br />5ml (1tsp) ground cinnamon<br />85g (3oz) Demerara sugar<br />1 egg<br />90ml (3floz) corn oil<br />90ml (3floz) black treacle<br />30ml (2tbs) honey<br />180ml (6floz) milk<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 190 Celsius / gas mark 5.<br />2. Line a muffin tin with 12 foil cases (foil cases keep the cakes more moist).<br />3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bi-carb, salt, ginger & cinnamon. Stir in the sugar.<br />4. In a separate bowl/large jug, beat the egg then mix in the oil, black treacle, honey & milk.<br />5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine, making sure there are no pockets of flour left at the bottom of the bowl. Do not beat, but stop mixing when fully combined.<br />6. Immediately spoon the mixture (or pour into a jug and then pour it from there) into the cases.<br />7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted into the centre muffins.<br /><br />You can eat them plain, when still warm from the oven.<br />Alternatively, why not mix some lemon juice / ginger syrup with some icing sugar and drizzle this over the top of the cakes?<br />You can also add some chopped, crystallised ginger to the mix before baking.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA_KDKD1CR7ld-YgGPhlvylS8RhT7sd_a6EEEI2ddb8QYifSR47MDmA5JCm46Fc6YSTTBDfCEzDdB2pWtFZmcyWyzTS7wLFWgpoyDF8q4Gar4aSqfMGRafCVGrN7OARUnvuacxbAOIgk/s640/blogger-image-301174713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifA_KDKD1CR7ld-YgGPhlvylS8RhT7sd_a6EEEI2ddb8QYifSR47MDmA5JCm46Fc6YSTTBDfCEzDdB2pWtFZmcyWyzTS7wLFWgpoyDF8q4Gar4aSqfMGRafCVGrN7OARUnvuacxbAOIgk/s640/blogger-image-301174713.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8rq8BomYCBlUi4BDth-xs6uErq6VLSkXxuH5KbTbc_QMZ02VADAjCuENyI3khgadXxmfTW3zYsBgDUc-tfPxuknSHJF0XlfG7RbyyIkgHufigDoLwNo8RIWApyEhdS8tvjMhMbbYP3Q/s640/blogger-image--204337773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8rq8BomYCBlUi4BDth-xs6uErq6VLSkXxuH5KbTbc_QMZ02VADAjCuENyI3khgadXxmfTW3zYsBgDUc-tfPxuknSHJF0XlfG7RbyyIkgHufigDoLwNo8RIWApyEhdS8tvjMhMbbYP3Q/s640/blogger-image--204337773.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-73274240438616349782012-07-31T20:09:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.901+01:00Special Agent Oso cakeJunior is a very special little boy who absolutely adores Special Agent Oso so I was asked if I could make a cake for his 3rd birthday. First job for me was to make a Google search to find out exactly who Special Agent Oso was as my two children are much older and have outgrown such characters.<br /><br />Turns our Special Agent Oso is a yellow bear! Who would have known? Lol<br /><br />This is what I created for him; a fondant bear which took an AGE to texturise. I was really pleased with the reaction I got when it was collected as they were expecting a simple, flat image, not a whole 3D character!<br /><br />The sponge is an 8" vanilla with a buttercream and jam filing, covered with fondant and then decorated.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNIi_l_tdZK7XGcKjp26PuoxdxifjDNa-LjCJbGECXtjr81i-5OM8NPmRrJGsm22EXyiby9Fh2sLOkS7ab2Ok7NUfVQZV30HyQ4CmaPoEwJOwV-n0QtMLEJwjCd_1XZqTi3DoUNOxD-Q/s640/blogger-image-327781998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNIi_l_tdZK7XGcKjp26PuoxdxifjDNa-LjCJbGECXtjr81i-5OM8NPmRrJGsm22EXyiby9Fh2sLOkS7ab2Ok7NUfVQZV30HyQ4CmaPoEwJOwV-n0QtMLEJwjCd_1XZqTi3DoUNOxD-Q/s640/blogger-image-327781998.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UdGtsovcxWzJ8MFJ-lSa4tuR06wNNoFPugXcfm0VouJIoFO5A7HcLffiX3VW5GfiAaMOGJB9JsN7iHeSgKHETPpW1DKllX7Xp8G6EzIyTNTHCimUPgZLSGThKsqqFCe585iL06tNskI/s640/blogger-image-1052557245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UdGtsovcxWzJ8MFJ-lSa4tuR06wNNoFPugXcfm0VouJIoFO5A7HcLffiX3VW5GfiAaMOGJB9JsN7iHeSgKHETPpW1DKllX7Xp8G6EzIyTNTHCimUPgZLSGThKsqqFCe585iL06tNskI/s640/blogger-image-1052557245.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77a34W6KziZ95OJF1ZxE3Q-sMKCmJXniwHRhEi-TbUmxJ8Ku2okd4mwVhHO4kGPbjh3-3qsnChXC5TuTDDR6M2Li4MdYE3wKtSi9NiAtdtfATUN7fuYz_dP3S_IbN_DqS2tYXpi2lcwE/s640/blogger-image-259453883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77a34W6KziZ95OJF1ZxE3Q-sMKCmJXniwHRhEi-TbUmxJ8Ku2okd4mwVhHO4kGPbjh3-3qsnChXC5TuTDDR6M2Li4MdYE3wKtSi9NiAtdtfATUN7fuYz_dP3S_IbN_DqS2tYXpi2lcwE/s640/blogger-image-259453883.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-60759883380709459642012-07-28T20:27:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.915+01:00Amber's 11th birthday cakeI was asked to make a cake for a former colleague's daughter who was about to celebrate her 11th birthday. Tina and I worked together for several years but had sadly lost touch since then. Through the power of Facebook, we have thankfully been chatting and catching up again. It also turns out that both our daughters will start the same senior school in September this year so it looks likely that we won't be losing touch again.<br /><br />Amber had specific requirements for her cake. It had to be white with bright coloured decoration and just HAD to have a bow! Not one to let a birthday girl down, I rose to the occasion with this two tier vanilla cake.<br /><br />The top tier was a 6" round and the bottom was an 8" square. The bow was made from fondant, which was rolled very thinly and folded, supported overnight to hold its shape.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ7i8Lg94RtjcwfKcI8fNnEmxkhnmazaDQf0tNSn6I5l5fck1dKap_JBsbXleYMhJXarMVqEdsQyyHneBbCaeUT0oQonUmkmyucbwRMSIDQ1kr6dFXyNEsTdrSgUBldh_nIDDa3tNWR4/s640/blogger-image-386008026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ7i8Lg94RtjcwfKcI8fNnEmxkhnmazaDQf0tNSn6I5l5fck1dKap_JBsbXleYMhJXarMVqEdsQyyHneBbCaeUT0oQonUmkmyucbwRMSIDQ1kr6dFXyNEsTdrSgUBldh_nIDDa3tNWR4/s640/blogger-image-386008026.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdosGMAR2m409XxbgCuPF_EqNuzRwaJexSQJ7KoEEBAdp7BEV2NCKslUZDnVcHcqFg1p_9NgY4YDepByFdmeFPLbz3ODCDYSWJ9w-KZXdl1byoMVrAae_OG3PZMg7ExBx2nNiaQbUvX4/s640/blogger-image-809927498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdosGMAR2m409XxbgCuPF_EqNuzRwaJexSQJ7KoEEBAdp7BEV2NCKslUZDnVcHcqFg1p_9NgY4YDepByFdmeFPLbz3ODCDYSWJ9w-KZXdl1byoMVrAae_OG3PZMg7ExBx2nNiaQbUvX4/s640/blogger-image-809927498.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKk_cDZ7cIfKfFi5Yq3LhyphenhyphenfIyNrntriZXIN79ikEq68LFCADwT_KVKUunFzRfthNhaPXY2pj4JtrkCxbBrZzQk3lxM7QGVy_tcFzttxAsOm-bJQDUHdN8Ll407FhiCRztdYOIYRK9T8hs/s640/blogger-image-578853706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKk_cDZ7cIfKfFi5Yq3LhyphenhyphenfIyNrntriZXIN79ikEq68LFCADwT_KVKUunFzRfthNhaPXY2pj4JtrkCxbBrZzQk3lxM7QGVy_tcFzttxAsOm-bJQDUHdN8Ll407FhiCRztdYOIYRK9T8hs/s640/blogger-image-578853706.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-75264011973745734062012-07-27T20:49:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.955+01:00Northampton Clandestine Cake Club Meeting July 2012What a wonderful evening last night. We held our 3rd Clandestine Cake Club meeting for the Northampton district. Our theme was (appropriately with the weather) a Summer Garden Party and that's exactly what we had!<br /><br />We met at our 'secret' location which was the beautiful and characteristic home of one of our members in a beautiful Northamptonshire village. The sun was shining and her garden looked truly amazing - the perfect setting for a garden party.<br /><br />There was a vast array of incredibly beautiful cakes, brought to our meeting from every corner of our county by lovely ladies (and even some gentlemen too!).<br /><br />You can see the two tables, full to bursting point of these incredible cakes here:<br /><br /><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9rDpLnet_DAgtGr5i7jG3Gp5oTgNFExzDpOIdOkhDGZJxjDyOy2eSrAjyPCJzWKd4I9NZUqI22z6ZIu02YhSXU4km87kHkt56VeCwH8bH0Zo6HqF4r5fQVtDikSV3b1_p2I5E1eSKAI/s640/blogger-image--1464132623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9rDpLnet_DAgtGr5i7jG3Gp5oTgNFExzDpOIdOkhDGZJxjDyOy2eSrAjyPCJzWKd4I9NZUqI22z6ZIu02YhSXU4km87kHkt56VeCwH8bH0Zo6HqF4r5fQVtDikSV3b1_p2I5E1eSKAI/s640/blogger-image--1464132623.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFUJOZ5JhOTd6ZZqeDGXO0FJ-87GbEv0WZugWNyDZk_Vz4-3AtyiJIdjUt2jdu4fsY0jS3t86VUBpmGbY9qIXUM9-5mogyezZRo54q63afl_aGD97Eim7qfLNj7s0uq5pID7IHnfDnNk/s640/blogger-image--1077677746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFUJOZ5JhOTd6ZZqeDGXO0FJ-87GbEv0WZugWNyDZk_Vz4-3AtyiJIdjUt2jdu4fsY0jS3t86VUBpmGbY9qIXUM9-5mogyezZRo54q63afl_aGD97Eim7qfLNj7s0uq5pID7IHnfDnNk/s640/blogger-image--1077677746.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHrQR1oxixYY_UIApPAYC3HWLu_B0G5CvXrGVciH-IHPUfsN4pYSsWUUp_NpQawrSBe7Un6lTRBk-rUI135587B_JS7ahPMW_LYUtosMzZoKxN-Dt4TT9CPdRsAnaFP4LhBVjlFa8E1g/s640/blogger-image--1953623504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHrQR1oxixYY_UIApPAYC3HWLu_B0G5CvXrGVciH-IHPUfsN4pYSsWUUp_NpQawrSBe7Un6lTRBk-rUI135587B_JS7ahPMW_LYUtosMzZoKxN-Dt4TT9CPdRsAnaFP4LhBVjlFa8E1g/s640/blogger-image--1953623504.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3lnK_9z8sLKHsZmAD7sXMKaoSntngyPoc8zvJ-iK05yK52mREpgcVT2W7ECYLw1cANQF6EuwEDsx-GFHvmhvFO1ZfZhFWUR7MW_ILorlEYGbSFLV5oig-rD93Qe8F5HN3bGexWsl_qI/s640/blogger-image--1418399403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3lnK_9z8sLKHsZmAD7sXMKaoSntngyPoc8zvJ-iK05yK52mREpgcVT2W7ECYLw1cANQF6EuwEDsx-GFHvmhvFO1ZfZhFWUR7MW_ILorlEYGbSFLV5oig-rD93Qe8F5HN3bGexWsl_qI/s640/blogger-image--1418399403.jpg" /></a></div><br />For my cake this month, I decided to have a bit of a play with flavours that are evocative of a summer day; namely elderflower. Sadly it wasn't homemade elderflower cordial that I used, but one that I buy all year round from <a href="http://www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk">Belvoir Fruit Farms</a>. I adapted a plain, ground almond sponge recipe that I use by adding elderflower cordial in place of the majority of the milk to add a subtle flavour that I hoped wouldn't bake out. Once the cake was baked and still hot from the oven, I mixed some granulated sugar with some more elderflower cordial and used it as a topping, which when dried would have soaked into the sponge leaving a wonderfully fragrant and flavoursome topping to my cake. I'm really pleased to say my recipe experiment worked perfectly too!<br /><br />For decoration I cut lots and lots of tiny white flowers and stuck them to a flattened ball of fondant to simulate an elderflower head, which I surrounded by leaves, before adding two more much smaller flower heads to the cake.<br /><br /><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaELpg32grPj3IAL6IG1SO1IkT87WeBhER9dpKEc9wRkoMCBySKIpzBs947ecwqHFDHRwpC9q8VXB3EPAQQqV2O2JZcFJFfJB1MyvBNYj-2-p5eBondnX35eTgRcaa7V9qt0qPgdJgOuI/s640/blogger-image--1960229082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaELpg32grPj3IAL6IG1SO1IkT87WeBhER9dpKEc9wRkoMCBySKIpzBs947ecwqHFDHRwpC9q8VXB3EPAQQqV2O2JZcFJFfJB1MyvBNYj-2-p5eBondnX35eTgRcaa7V9qt0qPgdJgOuI/s640/blogger-image--1960229082.jpg" /></a></div><br />A lovely evening filled with cake, friends, laughs and setting summer sun; perfect!<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-49612798947515010782012-07-07T07:30:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:25.981+01:00Laura's Zebra CakeCarol is an old work friend of mine going back some 20 years. Laura is her daughter who was celebrating her 16th birthday and wanted a zebra striped chocolate cake with 12 matching cupcakes.<br /><br />The colours were black and white with a contrasting fuchsia pink, and we all know that a birthday girl's gotta have what a birthday girl wants ;-)<br /><br />Happy to oblige, this is what I made her. I loved making the zebra cake. I'm on the lookout though for fushcia pink gel paste though now to properly colour my buttercream.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYq9jSDMoYVofsdH7M4Ff_eiJji_-xDHSTLU12VnvMZUT58_dXxAqdPT1SLfxjhNLwjaB2Jsl8m7GRAzTmtPsQRjYP2NKJMPlH_S9UHfL2b4nK4GFEqeidux78w5hE9LAzNJIYyPu30k/s640/blogger-image-394015743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYq9jSDMoYVofsdH7M4Ff_eiJji_-xDHSTLU12VnvMZUT58_dXxAqdPT1SLfxjhNLwjaB2Jsl8m7GRAzTmtPsQRjYP2NKJMPlH_S9UHfL2b4nK4GFEqeidux78w5hE9LAzNJIYyPu30k/s640/blogger-image-394015743.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-86088397249716134182012-07-06T07:30:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:26.021+01:0080th Birthday cake for Elaine's Mother-in-lawI was asked to make a fruit cake for a special lady's 80th birthday. The lady in question was the mother-in-law of one of my colleagues, Elaine.<br /><br />We discussed what she would like and settled on two individual cakes (one for the family get together, the other for friends at home). I wanted to do the cake in the shape of the two numbers and also wanted to keep it elegantly simple, fitting a lady of such a wonderful age.<br /><br />The colours settled on we're pinks & purples and off I went to create this...<br /><br />The fruit cake is covered in white marzipan and then white fondant. It's decorated with tones of pink & purple flowers. I then used white royal icing to add some 'texture' in the form of piped dots.<br /><br />I received some lovely compliments from colleagues when I took it in to work, and some equally lovely ones from relatives of Elaine's mother-in-law. Seemingly it tasted good too! <br /><br />I also made 4 co-ordinating cupcakes to go with it for those who don't love fruit cake. <br /><br /><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid69rC4UkjPerq7R4PAyxVewSZUu4M4LmTiRJ76uJKiXkLU9MyarBlQFMLlzPdUy-jUWMK0ZAKF9lBz7AfKCFuFIHk1yudehibuXQooQqNevzG6YxIPmZipDUJbgWfHCxZJ92w4xbGo98/s640/blogger-image-1929381997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid69rC4UkjPerq7R4PAyxVewSZUu4M4LmTiRJ76uJKiXkLU9MyarBlQFMLlzPdUy-jUWMK0ZAKF9lBz7AfKCFuFIHk1yudehibuXQooQqNevzG6YxIPmZipDUJbgWfHCxZJ92w4xbGo98/s640/blogger-image-1929381997.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-74390486166051355462012-07-05T07:30:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:26.034+01:00Carrieanne's Cupcake BouquetOk, this was a first time challenge. Can I make 'one of these?' was the question that accompanied the photograph. Ever up for a challenge, I said I'd give it a go!<br /><br />There are 7 vanilla cupcakes in the bouquet, each housed in little cups which are stuck together to form a 'flower bouquet'. They're piped with pink/cream striped buttercream roses & embellished with a fondant flower & leaf. Wrapped in tissue paper and in cellophane just as a flower bouquet would be delivered.<br /><br />Originally ordered as a present, she kept them for her own birthday the following day!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dKC3FNx3WjaRxocGcwIjff8evjWdK-mTcXbSK4tWhz9s6N7zwwGPc84INgqA2B8cxafegX5yeTtll1SUKgAoIzau8AqVnVryoQ8p2rCpNJDsqHrvob89QxamRUTPWfxihIuNXqu5hmg/s640/blogger-image-1556851690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dKC3FNx3WjaRxocGcwIjff8evjWdK-mTcXbSK4tWhz9s6N7zwwGPc84INgqA2B8cxafegX5yeTtll1SUKgAoIzau8AqVnVryoQ8p2rCpNJDsqHrvob89QxamRUTPWfxihIuNXqu5hmg/s640/blogger-image-1556851690.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436729521983881032.post-85266792027739865052012-07-04T07:30:00.000+01:002014-06-26T20:24:26.074+01:00Layla's gymnastic cakeA special request for this cake. It had to be dairy free so that Layla could actually have a piece of her own cake.<br /><br />Vitalite was used in the sponge and Lactofree spread in the buttercream icing between the cake and the fondant.<br /><br />Layla's a very keen (and very good) gymnast who practices alongside Tia, which is the other gymnastic cake I made that week. So she just HAD to have a cake to celebrate her achievements in gymnastics.<br /><br />Her mum told me she loved the cake and was excited to be able to eat a slice as it was specially made dairy free just for her. Every little girl deserves a birthday cake that she can have a slice of, don't you think?<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBpZ4TG53oDPvqATO1cnMMDrq6emCy4SQs1cIthSNJsb58LGTVARk2QNL-KW-N3SzrUFS2kAofdRoEu1EK0BMDGe1-Z4G3QKsLU-NFX4Y8nuF5u6XtVXRQZ-cZjukEfM7eqLHY8CQHEA/s640/blogger-image-1817652173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBpZ4TG53oDPvqATO1cnMMDrq6emCy4SQs1cIthSNJsb58LGTVARk2QNL-KW-N3SzrUFS2kAofdRoEu1EK0BMDGe1-Z4G3QKsLU-NFX4Y8nuF5u6XtVXRQZ-cZjukEfM7eqLHY8CQHEA/s640/blogger-image-1817652173.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15038719369649645660noreply@blogger.com1