Wintery Wonderfulness

Look at all the pudding!! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Deliciousness! Winter is here. And what, oh you lovely pudding connoisseurs, does Winter equal? PUDDING! This may not be the healthiest time of year, but by Jingo it is the tastiest! Crumbles, muffins, sundaes, tarts, pies, and cakes!

Costa have brought out the legendary Gingerbread Muffin again. This is simply divine and I feel I have waited a whole year for this moment. Sweet, spicy, sticky, cakey, deliciousness! And the little gingerbread man is just cute.

Costa also have a Sticky Toffee Muffin to tempt you if Gingerbread just isn’t your bag. That is also a little cakey gem of deliciousness, and can and should be used on those days where Winter just isn’t filling you with the joys of Spring (Ba-bum-tissss).

Homemade Marvels

This Winter so far I have enjoyed homemade Bakewell Tart made by my talented and warm hearted Grandma. It was my first Sunday back home in a long time, and thusly my Grandma decided she would cook me a Sunday Roast, and for pudding she produced this golden pastry encased jewel of almondy jammy dessertfulness. The texture of Bakewell Tart is like no other, chewy yet cakey yet crumbly yet light. A treat for the palette! Apple Crumble with Salted Caramel Carte D’or Ice-cream. OM NOM NOMMITY NOM. This ice cream was made to be eaten with fresh hot crumble. However, I must admit it was a bit sickly. Sickly but definitely delicious. Salted caramel seems to be a very Chic theme in 2013. I enjoyed a Salted Caramel Millionaires Shortbread Brownie with my beloved at “The Green Man” pub in Harborne, Birmingham. This was, as the name suggests, also a sickly concoction of sexy tastiness. I mean just look at it! It was warm and cloying, stick to the roof of your mouth kind of sweet. And yet, these are the kind of puds that in my mind are the most naughty, the most desirable. And I feel as though I have really had something special and different when I eat them! If you fancy SHARING a dessert (yes I said it!) then this is a definite one for you, a very different and very delicious treat that if halved, might not make you feel as sickly sweet!

Other treasures I feel I should share with you:

• Rocky Road Sundae from the Harvester- cakey, creamy, cold, hot, gooey delight!
• Stem Ginger Pudding with Custard. Now this was from a lovely little Evangelical Church run cafe in Bilton village, Rugby. This pudding was a very welcome treat, and was uniquely spicy and inviting, on a cold November day. The kind of pudding that warms your very cockles.
• Peanut Butter M’N’Ms! A REVELATION! My colleague went to America on a holiday and surprised me with these beauties. Forget Peanut M’N’M’s! Peanut BUTTER is where it is at! They are to be eaten sparingly mind! But there is something about the creamy salty savoury centre encased in the sweet colourful shell that is totally and utterly moorish!

  And enjoy a pudding innuendo… VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Mary Berry’s Lemon Cheesecake on a Ginger Crust- Guest Post by Hannah Wood :-) [HOW TO MAKE]

 

Date:

Background: Any shift Hannah and I work together usually has a period of time dedicated to chatting about pudding, baking, Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood (The Silver Fox). So whenever Hannah tells me about a delicious pudding/cake/dessert she has made, I always ask her if she would like to write a guest blog post! And I must admit, I really really want to eat this cheesecake!!

What: Lemon Cheesecake on a Ginger Crust

Ingredients:

• 100 grams Gingernut Biscuits
• 50 grams Butter melted
• 500 grams Mascarpone Cheese
• 325 grams Lemon Curd
• 1 Lemon juice
• Blueberries fresh for decorating
• Raspberries fresh for decorating

Method:

1. Grease and base line with parchment a 20cm loose bottom cake tin.
2. Crush biscuits and Mix with the butter in a bowl, then press into the base of the tin (but not up the sides)
3. Put the mascarpone, lemon curd, and lemon juice in a bowl and beat with a spatula until smooth.
4. Spoon on to the biscuit base and level the top.
5. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours to firm up. To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin, peel off the baking parchement, and arrange on a platter. Decorate with the fruit and dust with icing sugar.

What was Good: It's incredibly easy to make and tastes amazing

What was Bad: I would definitely use more biscuits because I like a thicker base

Would I Make It Again: Definitely make again!

Waffle-O-Meter:

Blackberry and Apple Crumble. For the Win!!!! [How To Make]

 

Date: 17/9/2013

Background: I was dawdling around Tesco the other day and saw some Blackberries for sale for only £1. The first thing I thought about was… CRUMBLE! So here we are.

What: Apple and Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:

• 1 Bramley (Cooking) Apple
• 100g punnet of Blackberries
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 100g Self Raising Flour
• 50g Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190C
2. Peel and core a Bramley Apple, and cut into slices
3. Place in the bottom of a (microwavable) Pyrex serving dish
4. Drizzle with the lemon juice to prevent discolouration of the fruit, and sprinkle with 25g of the Caster Sugar
5. Microwave for 2minutes at full power
6. Drain the liquid from the apple
7. Add the blackberries to the warm, soft apple and gently stir to incorporate, being careful not to break apart the fruit
8. In a separate bowl, gently rub together the cold butter to the flour and cinnamon, to create a crumb texture. Cold hands and cold butter are essential to prevent the butter melting!
9. Stir in the sugar to the crumb mixture
10. Pour the crumble topping over the fruit and gently compress
11. Bake in a preheated oven for 30-40mins or until the crumble is golden brown
12. Serve warm with cream/ice cream

What was Good: Winter is heeeeeerreeeee! This means roast dinners and hot crumbly delicious puddings! The blackberries added a tangy sour edge to counteract the sweetness of the apple and biscuity goodness of the crumble. I added the cinnamon to pair deliciously with the apples. Because after all who doesn’t love apple and cinnamon!? But as I am sure you have gathered if you have read my blog before, my FAVOURITE combination is HOT and COLD! The hot soft fruit slowly melts the vanilla ice cream, and the delicious dessert fills up your tummy and makes you feel enveloped in a warm hug!

What was Bad: This pudding went down so well with my parents and I, genuinely think that there was nothing I would do to improve it. My mum said that she the only improvement would be there be more of it!

Would I Make Them Again: Yes I would. You can never go wrong with a crumble.

Waffle-O-Meter:

Starbucks on a Sunday

 

Date: 15/9/2013

Background: What is better than a lazy rainy Sunday than chatting with coffee and cake? Nothing, that’s what! Unless maybe we took away the rain?

What: Cinnamon Swirl

How much?:  £2.50?

What was Good: For someone who is not normally a pastry person, this really caught my eye! With its topping of white smooth icing and golden flaky dough, I really wanted to eat it as soon as I saw it! What I love most about eating this delicious sweet bready delight, is getting to slowly unfurl it from itself, so you get the changing texture from firm yet chewy on the outside, to soft and light, melt-in-the-mouth in the middle. And the squidgy fruit and tangy orange cream cheese icing added to the great delight I gained from choosing this confection over my usual chocolate/muffin option.

What was Bad: I probably would have enjoyed a touch more cinnamon actually. But otherwise, next time I go to Starbucks, I will definitely be choosing a Cinnamon whirl again!

Would I have it again: See above. Yes I certainly would!

Waffle-o-meter:

Pudding goodness. Involving Ice-cream Sundaes!

 

Date: 18/8/13

Background: Basically, there is this fit Fish and Chip restaurant in Henley-In-Arden. For those in the know it is called “The Finest Catch”. So my Sunday consisted of a lovely date with my lovely girl (Laura), and was treated to fishy’s chippy’s and this FIT ice cream sundae!

What: Hot Chocolate Fudge Sundae

How much?: £3.50

What was Good: For just £3.50 you get a whole heap of vanilla ice cream, absolutely covered in deliciously thick, sweet and decadent hot chocolate fudge sauce, and is topped off with a wafer and chocolate flake! You know me, give me an ice cream sundae and I am pretty dang happy. But fudge sauce is totally and blatantly my favourite sauce of all time. It is thick and sticky, and as it spends quality time with the cold ice cream it gets all chewified and even tastier than before. I was so happy sharing this dessert, I can definitely see why Laura has fallen in love with this place. After all I was pre-warned how sexy and delicious this Sundae was!!!

What was Bad: Errrrrm. Maybe something cakey could be added? To soak up the sauciness. Maybe. But that is just to make this pudding even more tempting than it already is!

Would I have it again?: Yes. I look forward to it

Waffle-O-Meter:

Nigella Express: Banana Butterscotch Muffins (But Actually Dark Chocolate): [How To Make]

 

Date: 27/6/13

Background: We had some over ripe banana’s left over and so basically I decided rather than bin them or let my housemate have them with custard (I feel unhappy about this) I thought I would make some delicious variations on Nigella’s Banana Butterscotch Muffin recipe. PLUS I haven’t done a ‘How-To-Make’ blog post in ages!

What: Banana and Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 over ripe bananas
• 150mls vegetable oil
• 250g self raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g dark chocolate chunks (or Nigella suggests butterscotch morsels)
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl
3. Mix together the oil and eggs and combine with the mashed banana
4. Sift the flour, bicarb and baking powder
5. Combine the wet and dry ingredients
6. Break the chocolate into little morsel sized pieces (or used ready made chunks) – I used a broken bar of dark chocolate and this meant a variety of sized chunks within the muffins
7. Add the chocolate to the muffin mix
8. Prepare a muffin tin and line with muffin cases
9. Using a dessert spoon/ice cream scoop, fill the cases with the mix
10. Heat in a preheated oven, 200C for 20mins, or until a cocktail stick/skewer comes out clean

What Was Good: How easy they were to make! I literally made them and baked them in half an hour! So speedy, so easy and If you are careful not much washing up either! And my goodness they tasted delicious! Warm they oozed melted chocolate and the cake was soft, light and fluffy, but if you had enough patience and willpower to let them cool down, and even better, wait over night, they develop their banana flavour even more and are just as tasty! And I bet they are even more versatile! Nigella recommends using butterscotch pieces which I think would be very tasty as well! Another bonus is that you will probably have all the ingredients in the store cupboard anyway! So you can whip them up at a moments notice!

Delicious Muffin Pictures VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

What Was Bad: Not even a criticism, but I plan on making them again (and again and again) but adding some chopped pecans as well for added flavour and texture! Oh and the mixture when you are making it does not look very appetising… But the finished product is divine

Would I Make Them Again: I am already planning to make them again this week

Waffle-O-Meter:

 

Reference: Lawson, N (2009) Nigella Express. Chatto & Windus. I do not stake claims to this recipe I am merely reviewing it

BBC Good Food Show: Summer LIVE

 

ERMAGHERD. For two long months- since I purchased the tickets- I have been excited about this day! I enjoyed the Winter Good Food Show so much my cousin Abbie and I, along with 2 of my friends, decided that  another trip to the NEC for a celebration of everything delicious, and TV chef like was necessary.

BUT GUESS WHAT?!!?!? We got to see my ultimate all time favourite Foody Celeb, The One, The Only, Mary Berry…. Not only did we get to see her and the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2012, John Waite in the Super theatre. Oh no! I got to actually MEET her at a book signing! I tell you, I have not been this excited in a LONG time!I felt like a kid at Christmas driving along the M6 this morning! And come 10am we were in our Super theatre seats waiting for Mary and John to come on stage.

She demonstrated her deliciously fruity sounding recipe of Whole Orange Cake with Orange Mascarpone Icing for the riveted audience, and trust me, from how moorish it looked on the big screen, this will be attempted by myself in the near future, so watch this space! Whereas John demonstrated a more savoury, cheesy, oniony flatbready creation.

Following this, Mary and John had a short interview with Lotte Duncan with questions derived from the audience. And then the excitement…A book signing, with Mary Berry herself! Oh yes! A semi conversation with the Queen of Cake! By conversation I generally mean I said “I think you are wonderful.” Smooth as always. Either way, I ended up with my newly signed M.B. Cookbook, and was full of the joys of Spring! And yes, yes that is John Whaite but for only £3.50 I could be my own M.B . Best £3.50 I have ever spent. Even if it was an incredibly surreal experience for everyone involved. Lol….I honestly did not spend the entire day being some kind of crazy stalker. For the most part, my chums and I investigated, explored and enjoyed all of the gastronomical delights that the show had to offer!

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The Brownie Bar VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Brownie Bar is a small company run by two Entrepraneurs Rachael and Sarah and is based in Northern England. They “bake a delicious selection of gorgeously gooey rich chocolate brownies and white chocolate blondies in a variety of flavours” which is taken from their <website>. And I tell you, those brownies are simply to DIE for! My choices from the vast selection this time consisted of, Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondie and a Nutella, a Malteser, and a Salted Caramel Brownie.

So when I got home, my parents and I cut each delectable into thirds, and we tasted and devoured each morsel. Some of the flavours were more detectable than others, and I admit that I was not a fan of the Salted Caramel Brownie, as it as too salty (stupid statement), but I genuinely do not think that I have eaten a nicer Brownie dessert in a long time. If they were closer to me I would DEFINATELY persist to eat my body weight in brownies on a regular basis! Cost: reasonable! £7.50 for 4! They also sell a very intriguing caramel sauce accompaniment, as well as a very clever “Make your own Brownie” in a Kilner Jar! Check out their website for yourself!!

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Fudge Kitchen VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Fudge Kitchen was born in 1983 and they now have 7 stores all across the UK. These dashing and charming gents worked their hardest to entertain and entice the punters to their fudge stall, and 2 members of my group both succumbed to their charm and bought some of their delicious fudge. I can honestly say, out of all the fudge stalls there, and trust me, there were a fair few! I found this stalls fudge the nicest texture, and the samples I tried all had delicious flavours. Just a snippet of the flavours on offer are; Eton Mess, Maple Walnut, Mississipppi Mud Pie, Lemon Meringue and Dairy Free to name but a few! Clickity click on this linkity link to find out more about this quirky and traditional company.

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Some more tasty treats… VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Here is our loot and bounty for the day. And what a wonderful day we had! For a full list of stalls and trades who have sold their wears this weekend, see the Good Food Show Website. I would recommend this show to any dedicated foody, or even those that just like to go for the free nibbles, alcohol and atmosphere!

All images are Copyright of Amy Fellowes 14/06/13 unless stated otherwise.