New Year, New Look!

Welcome to my new look blog for 2013!

I've been blogging for a little over a year now and I thought it was time for a makeover. I hope you like the new look.

 

In addition to the new design, there's also a couple of new features for the new year. You can now check out the latest Calendar Cakes Challenge or round up by clicking on the link on the title bar. In addition, you can read reviews of some of the best afternoon teas in London again by clicking on the title bar.

Other features include:

• Baking Buys - Some of my favourite gadgets and baking must-haves. I'll update the baking buy every month and the link will take you through to the retailing website.

• Baking Books - I hope to link a new book each month and provide a review. The link currently takes you through to a retailing website but as soon as I have a minute I'll write my first review! *** Updated - I've just added my first book review. Click on the image in the sidebar to find out more***

• What's in Season - Updated every month you can see a list of all the fruit that is currently in season...so it'll be perfect for baking. The list will also included imported seasonal fruit.

So there we have it...I hope you enjoy the new look as well as the new features...and thank you for taking the time to read my blog during 2012. I look forward to continued baking in 2013 and reading all the other great foodie blogs out there.

Snowy Chocolate Cake Cottages

 

These cottages are really cute and so wintery and they're also a little festive with the wreaths and Christmas trees. 

These were a bit of a labour of love to make, they took a while especially the piping but I was really happy with the result. The first stage was to make a dense chocolate cake. The recipe specified a 6 inch square tin which I don't have so I used some foil backed parchement and tried to reduce the size of an 8 inch tin as you can see above...and it actually worked quite well. If you wanted to make something similar you could use any dense chocolate cake recipe.

Once baked and cooled the cake went in the fridge overnight to firm up so it was suitable for carving. The 6 inch tin produces four cottages.

I carved two types of roof on my cake for a bit of variation. This is also useful if you have different flavour cakes so you can tell which one is which. Another potential cake recipe for the cakes was spiced ginger cake.

Once the cottages were carved they were covered in marzipan to create a smooth base. A lovely chocolate ganache was then poured and spread over the top with a small cranked palette knife.

Warning, the next part will give you hand cramps! This was quite fine piping and I used royal icing in a piping bag with a 1.5 nozzle. I also used an angled turntable to pipe on the sides more easily. First up the roof tiles were piped and some were given extra icing to show a build up of snow. It doesn't matter if they're not perfect as the whole thing gets a dusting of icing sugar on top. Also add some icicles as a finishing touch.

Once the roof was complete it was on to the doors and windows. The snowmen were created by pressure piping a small circle for the head and a slightly larger circle beneath for the body.

Finally, some of the white icing was mixed up to create green, red and yellow for the wreaths, window decorations, Christmas trees and snowmen. The Christmas trees are 3D as the first layer was piped on by zig zagging from side to side with the lines gettting progressively longer to create the shape. When this was dry a slightly smaller zig zag was piped on top and then a final third layer. A star and Christmas decorations were then added to finish the trees off.

Lastly, royal icing was spread over the boards around the cottages and a ribbon added. I think these could even make cute Christmas presents next year! The idea is from the most recent Squires magazine and is by Ayako Saida.

Forever Nigella #21 - Christmas Roundup

Well Christmas is over for another year...I hope it's been a good one for you! I've had the pleasure of hosting Forever Nigella for December 2012 and I've really enjoyed checking out all the delicious entries.

I kicked off this month's event with Nigella's sticky gingerbread, it seems this is a Nigella classic as many other people commented to say that they make it and it's one of their favourite gingerbread recipes. I also couldn't resist adding the little deer and trees that Nigella added on her Christmas special a couple of years ago.

Next up the first of three recipes from Sally at Recipe Junkie. Sally made this lovely looking Cranberry and Orange sauce when she found some cranberries lurking in her freezer. I love the addition of orange to this sauce and this would be absolutely delicious with the Christmas turkey.

Liana at My Sugar Coated Life created Nigella's festive Yule Log. Yule Log's have been popular this year and it's easy to see why...all that lovely chocolately sponge and ganache! This was Liana's first attempt and it turned out really well...the log rolled perfectly and she made a couple of changes to the recipe to bring out the chocolately flavour.

Another Sticky Gingerbread from Miss Flash at Food, Glorious Food. This was made from Nigella's Christmas book. Miss Flash also made a few tweaks to her recipe and served it as a pudding with lashings of custard...the perfect winter warming pud!

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Another Nigella classic next with Christmas Rocky Road from Lisa at United Cakedom. This is the first time Lisa has entered Forever Nigella but it's a great entry...and this Rocky Road also makes a perfect Christmas gift...which Lisa in fact gave to her dentist office!!

Next Rocky Road take two from Mimi at Chef Mimi Blog. Another lovely looking creation and this recipe is a holiday favourite for Mimi and she was well prepared to make it this year, ordering Amaretti biscuits back in August as they can be difficult to come by.

Christmas Pudding Cake using Nigella's chocolate cake recipe from Caroline Makes. Caroline made this after finding some hemisphere moulds in Lakeland. As Caroline isn't so keen on Christmas cake she decided to use a chocolate cake recipe and make it look like a Christmas Pudding complete with holly on top...and it turned out perfectly!

The second recipe from Sally at Recipe Junkie is this Cranberry Jam which is another great idea for using up Cranberries. As Sally says cranberries are full of pectin so they are perfect for making jam. I particularly like the ensuing uses for the jam too...Sally had a little on some homemade brioche and then also used some in a cranberry bakewell tart!

Nigella's Cranberry Cake from Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes. Jen is a big fan of cranberries. This cake is similar to an upside down cake and I can imagine it is delicious and moist...and another great way to use up cranberries.

The final recipe from Recipe Junkie was this bubble and squeak. I've seen a few bubble and squeak creations around this Christmas but I've never made it myself. However, it seems that it is a great way to use up your Christmas dinner leftovers. It's all the leftover vegetables whizzed up in a food processor to form a chunky puree which is then fried...delicious!

This Apple Chutney from Sinea's Pantry was a lovely Christmas present for her Grandad who loves chutney. There were some modifications to the original Nigella recipe and I can only imagine that this would be delicious with cheese and biscuits and leftover cold meats.

Another lovely looking Buche de Noel from Jude at A Trifle Rushed. Everyone who's made Nigella's Buche de Noel this year has reported that it is easier to make than you might think and it also keeps for a good few days...although as Jude says it probably won't last that long! I particularly love the cute little robin on the top of this log.

We had a last gasp entry from Lucy at Super Golden Bakes who tweeted a picture of her Mini Apple Pies. This pie looks delicious...I'd quite happily devour this with a little custard! Lucy ate hers with ice cream and caramel sauce!

And finally to finish the round up we have a Buche de Noel from Forever Nigella creater Sarah at Maison Cupcake. Sarah had a particularly relaxing Christmas this year after having a new kitchen fitted in 2012 with some mod cons which made it altogether less stressful. Fortunately for us this gave her time to make and blog about this Buche de Noel on Christmas day no less...that's dedication...and she was even finished in time for Downton! :-)

Thank you to everyone who has entered Forever Nigella this month...Christmas is the perfect time for the Domestic Goddess's recipes and I look forward to trying some of these out next Christmas!

January's Forever Nigella will be hosted by Sally at Recipe Junkie...so check out her blog for more details.

Calendar Cakes - January

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013...I hope it's a year full of fun, health and happiness :-)

So to kick us off with the first Calendar Cakes of 2013 the theme is New Year, New You! After the excesses of Christmas most people's thoughts turn to a slightly healthier January. So whatever healthy or at least healthier treats you might be making this January we'd love you to join us in our Calendar Cakes Challenge.

Maybe you've been considering making a cake or bake with unusual vegetables, a fruit cake or cake with fruit, a reduced sugar bake or a bake with substituted ingredients...if so then this is the challenge for you. I'll do a round up of all the entries at the end of January.

My co-host for Calendar Cakes is Rachel and you can check out all the fab Christmas entries over at Dolly Bakes. To enter this month, here are the guidelines...


Entry Guidelines:

• Post your entry on your blog and include the ‘Calendar Cakes’ logo
• Add 'Calendar Cakes' as a label on your post.
• Follow Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes blogs using the Google Join this Site button.
• Add links on your post to your hosts Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes.
• Link to your blog from here using the Linky tool below. It's dead easy...
• If you don’t have a blog you can still join in, just email us a picture and a bit of information about your bake. Email to calendarcakeschallenge@gmail.com
• If you're on Twitter, tweet us a link to your post @dollybakes and @lauralovesbakes - otherwise we won't see it! Use the handle #CalendarCakes.

Calendar Cakes Challenge Rules:

1. You can enter as many times as you like. Bake to your little heart's content.
2. It can be your own recipe or one you found elsewhere (please just state where you found it).
3. You can use old posts as long as you update them with the 'Calendar Cakes' logo and link back (see above).
4. If you want to enter your bake into other challenges too then please feel free.
5. You must submit by the 28th of each month.

So…happy baking, we can’t wait to see what you come up and we’d be delighted for you to join us in our challenge!