Ribbon sandwiches

 

I know that picnics and days out in the open are long gone, but I couldn't resist posting these delicious ribbon sandwiches before it was ridiculously late. The temperatures have dropped significantly and its no fun waking up in the morning to a cold apartment. The moment you are out from under your duvet you shiver and wish to crawl back in. We have finally taken out our winter clothes much to my dismay and Ro is already psyching me out saying winter is gonna be horrible. After 3 years of running back to India for Christmas, this year we are staying put. But that's about 70 days away and I have enough time to whine about it ;)

Coming to the sandwiches. These, when my mum used to make way back when we were kids, were not received with much enthusiasm. In fact I hated the coconut chutney more than anything. Fast forward to some 20 years later and I think I love it. I called up mum a couple of weeks back to get the recipe and she laughed so much at the irony. Also because, Ro is not a big fan of coriander leaves or any leaf for that matter and while my mum kept mentioning coriander leaves I kept referring to it as that thing, because Ro was sitting right next to me listening in on the conversation. He finally found out that a major chunk of the sandwich was made using coriander chutney and begged and pleaded to not do so. If its one thing I've learnt after 6 years of being married, its to ignore the other half when you see signs of the drama queen surfacing. And that's exactly what I did.

 

I also have to bring to your notice this uber cool gadget the lovely people over at The Handipcked Collection sent me. Its a Herb Saver Fridge Pod that keeps herb cuttings fresh and watered inside your fridge, thereby prolonging their live for a longer period. I can very happily say, 'it works.' The coriander leaves I used for this recipe were fresh even after about 2.5 weeks, except for a few leaves turning yellow here and there. I have had trouble trying to make them last in my fridge and they always end up rotting on me. If there was one downside to the product it would be that the plastic see through cover is a bit tough to handle. Its not something that just comes open with a quick pull and is a bit of a struggle. Other than that its quite a handy thing to have. It snugly fits on my fridge door and apparently can be used for vegetables like asparagus and stuff. Don't forget to check out The Handpicked collection for some great Gift ideas. I'm definitely a big fan.

Anyhoo, once the sandwiches were done, Ro completely forgot about his coriander leaf aversion and all was good with the world. I made the two chtneys over 2 days and then on the 3rd assembled the sandwiches. If you do everything together at one go, I doubt you would ever want to make it again. So spread it out and its much easier. Will I make this again...hmm maybe when I'm in one of those proactive cooking moods. This sandwich is great for picnics and for an English Tea where finger sandwiches are a must. Its also very lah-di-dah :)

(Makes around 20 quarter sandwiches)

Bread- 15 slices (brown or white)

Coriander chutney- approx. 1 cup (recipe follows)

Tomato chutney- approx. 1 cup (recipe follows)

Butter- 1/4 cup (at room temperature)

Coriander chutney

Coriander leaves- 2 cups, washed and roughly chopped

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Mint leaves- 10 to 12

Tamarind paste- 1 tsp (approx.)

Green chillies- 2 (adjust according to preference)

Salt- to taste

Sugar- 1/2 tsp

Grind together all the ingredients in a food processor/ blender, scraping down the sides at intervals, until you get a smooth-ish paste.

Resist the urge to add water though!

Transfer into an air tight container and refrigerate till ready to use.

Tomato chutney

I followed this recipe of mine, except I didn't roast the tomatoes, just sliced them and used as it is. Feel free to roast them if you prefer it that way. I also used vegetable oil instead of olive oil and added curry leaves along with the mustard seeds. Once the chutney is done, keep aside to cool and then store in an air tight container till ready to use. It stays for about a week in the fridge.

Assembling:

Bring both the chutneys to room temperature.

Into the coriander chutney add the soft butter and mix it well. No traces of butter should be seen.

Do a taste test, add salt if required, and keep ready.

Onto the first slice of bread evenly spread about 1 tbsp of coriander chutney.

Top with another slice and spread the same amount of tomato chutney on it.

Finally top with a third slice and gently press it down to settle the fillings in.

Slice into half diagonally and then into quarters, or if you prefer, slice into smaller squares.

Serve for tea or at a picnic. It would be a hit trust me.

 

Notes: You can spread butter on the bread slices as well, but I didn't bother to.

I left the edges in tack as well, because Ro is a sucker for stuff like that. Feel free to slice them off if you think its too hard or something.

My mum sometimes does 3 layers with the third one being an egg mayo sandwich. Our cheap thrill when we were young was that it was made to look like our Indian flag :)

Store leftover sandwiches in an air tight container, slightly warm it in the oven for about 10 mins and have it the next day. that would make it slightly crisp as well.

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One bowl passion fruit-yogurt cupcakes

I made macarons a couple of days back. Well..tried to make would be more apt. I started with major enthusiasm but by the time I was done with sifting the damn ground almonds twice, all I could think of was a nice glass of wine and a movie. I somehow wanted to get it over and done with, which resulted in macs with feet, oh yes, but crinkled tops and weirdly shaped ones. While the macs were set aside to rest for an hour, Ro came by the kitchen and he even had the audacity to say 'looks like rats pissed in small pools.' Thank you very much, you shall sleep on the couch today, was my reply! Anyhoo, the macarons were a disaster and they are still on my table, waiting to go into the bin, but I'm waiting, for what? I don't know. I should just go chuck it right this minute. 

So after my macaron disaster I was a bit bummed because the sun was out shining and it was perfect for photography. I had major plans with the macs and was a lil disappointed. And then, I decided to browse (my own blog that is, how vain right?) and I came upon my all time favourite recipe..the French Yoghurt Cake. Of course, I shall just make these to prove that some things do come out nice, was my first thought. So I went and did one quick check to see if I had all the ingredients. Other than 1 egg, I had everything else. And then my second thought, why not improvise? Something I'm not very comfortable doing, especially with cakes, but what the hell...if it was a day of disasters, then I shall add fuel to fire. 

So I got hold of some passion fruit lying around (begging to be used) and decided to make a cake. In between all this I convinced (begged) Ro to go out to the store and buy me eggs. The fact that he came back with a whole grocery bag full of rubbish is another story, but hey I got my eggs, I shall not complain. 

These lil darlings are so so so so so good, you will finish it all up in one go. They are also so easy to put together..no beating things separately, put it all into one bowl and there, you have the batter. You don't even need a beater. The recipe has never failed me and now that I know it can be improvised, its a winner. They are the softest, moistest cupcakes I have ever had and its because of this same reason that I use them as the base for all my upside down cakes. No fail recipe peeps, no fail. Even for amateur bakers, this is a brainless one, so do try it and tell me how it was. Here's the recipe.

Makes 7 to 8 medium size cupcakes or 1, 9inch cake

Granulated sugar- 1/2 cup

Eggs- 2 small

Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp

Plain yoghurt- 1/4 cup (I used Total Greek Yoghurt)

Passion fruit pulp/juice- 2 1/2 tbsp * (from 3 small passion fruit)

Plain flour- 1/2 cup

Baking powder- 1 tsp

Salt- a pinch

Flavourless oil- 1/4 cup

 

Into a mixing bowl whisk together (using a wire whisk, or even a wooden ladle) the first five ingredients till pale and well mixed.

Sift over the flour, baking powder and salt and continue to whisk, making sure no traces of flour is visible.

Add the oil and fold it all together to get a smooth, slightly loose batter.

Arrange the cupcake liners into the tray and fill each cup with the batter, till about 3/4th full.

Place the cupcake tin on a tray and bake in an oven pre-heated at 175C for about 20 to 22 minutes. I accidentally keep it for about 3 minutes longer and the tops began to brown. You know your oven best, so bake accordingly.

Do the skewer test and if it comes out clean, take the tin out of the oven and leave to cool for about 5 minutes after which you can carefully remove the cupcakes from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve along with tea and biscuits or store in an air tight container at room temperature for about 2 to 3 

days.

 

Notes: Feel free to experiment with any type of fruit juice. Replace passion fruit with orange juice, lemon juice (maybe a little less than the mentioned amount), or even honey to get a different flavour.

Also add some lemon/ orange zest to the batter.

If you cant find fresh passion fruit, you can use passion fruit juice instead. May be a bit on the sweeter side, so adjust sugar accordingly. 

*Scoop out the flesh from the fruit and run it through a sieve to get the juice.

The seeds and pulp taste yum, so don't throw it off. You can eat it all up (like I did) or mix with some confectioners sugar to do a glaze and pour over the cupcakes.

PS: On a different note... in case you are wondering what all this Sponsored Posts and videos are doing on my blog, its just that I have registered with a few marketing sites and they pay me to put up articles on certain products. Its just some pocket money generation for the blog to quench my prop shopping, ingredients sourcing fetish. So on and off you will find these posts and please don't be disheartened by the recurrence. If it is becoming a hindrance, I shall be the first one to take them off. Thanks for understanding.

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Plenty - Juan Sheet advert

Somehow, the concept of using kitchen towels is not that popular in India and although I used to have a roll in my kitchen back then, it was never put to much use and all i did was admire the wrought iron kitchen roll holder I'd picked up on a trip to the US.

Fast forward to a year later and I was using kitchen towels like nobody's business and was running out of rolls every 2 weeks or so. I was so used to having them at arms reach in my kitchen here in UK and with this practise in mind, I tried the same in my moms kitchen back home. She used to panic about the number of kitchen towels I use and the usual line, 'its so expensive to buy a roll here, you cant use it like you do in UK. Please use the cloth towels to wipe surfaces.' I tried to explain to her it was so much more convenient, but then understood the problem. The towels were hopeless They were so thin and pathetic that one towel wouldn't do to mop up a spill, but I had to use 2 or even 3 in layers for it to have some effect. Needless to say, that kinda put an end to my cooking expeditions in my moms kitchen, well that and a couple of other mishaps :)

Back in my own comfortable kitchen and I was glad I had the option of using kitchen towels without much fuss. There are so many options available at the stores, but my favourite so far is Plenty which in itself has a few different types of towels, for any occasion you can think of. The original one (which I personally think is the best), the fat one (which is the latest addition and well, has 50% more sheets per roll; oh and also comes in fun prints) and the wipe, rinse and reuse one (which is such a brilliant discovery, I love it. You also end up using fewer towels). I mostly use my towels in the kitchen- to drain the oil off fried food, to wipe my glass hob top, to mop spills, wipe the bins and surfaces etc- but I also occasionally use them to wipe down glass windows, bathroom mirrors and the shower glass. It works like a charm and I'm so glad its affordable and widely available in all the stores.

To know more about Plenty and its uses, check out their website and don't forget to stop by at Juan's (the cleaning superhero), who does his magic to reveal what all Plenty can do. Check out the fun video below (he's quite funny).

PS: A recent discovery of rolling up herbs like coriander and mint in Plenty towels, and keeping them in the refrigerator making it last much longer, was jackpot. It really works people, trust me!

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Domino's pizza vs the Naanizza I made

As mentioned loads of times before, Fridays are pizza days for us. We mostly have pizza for dinner and if Friday is inconvenient, then Saturday it is. We are ardent pizza lovers and even the frozen ones make us drool. Well not so much, but you know we would have it without complaining much if that was our last choice!

Since we had guests visiting for the past 3 months, our pizza ritual had come to a standstill. We were just wondering how to revive it when I was asked to review the new Gourmet Pizza Range by Domino's. Of course I said yes, because its one of our favourite Pizza brands especially since we have had a couple of bad experiences with some of the other bands and we always return to Domino's. So off we log on to their website and make an order for a take away pizza. It's so convenient, I'm not joking. The wait for the pizza to arrive is the worst but since we are pro's at this whole thing, we time it perfectly well and get the pizza just when our stomachs start to rumble.

The Gourmet range from Domino's offers 4 different types of pizzas- the Firenze with salami, pepperoni and roquito peppers, the Florentine which is a vegetarian option with spinach, sun blush tomatoes, and feta cheese, the Rustica with chicken, bacon, spinach and tomatoes (which is what we ordered) and the Four seasons with a 1/4 of all the 3 above mentioned pizza's and sun blush tomato topping.

The Rustica was a good change from the usual Mighty Meaty which, as the name suggests, is loaded with all kinds of meat (delicious if I may add). This one was much mellow in nature with the individual flavours coming right through. If there was one complaint, I would say that the tomato was a bit too tangy for my liking and a bit over powering. I loved the addition of smoked bacon rashers and of course spinach is a winner for us any time.

To make the review more exciting, I was also asked to create my own pizza and compare it to that of Domino's. I decided to go ahead and try making my version of the Rustica pizza at home. Since I was a bit time constrained, I chose to use Naan as the base. I have done it a lot of times before and must say its a really easy and tasty alternative to a normal pizza base. If you manage to get flavoured naan then even better because you get the best of both worlds. I also used pancetta instead of bacon which was probably not the best idea because bacon would have done more justice to it taste wise. The pancetta was not a bad choice but in the larger scheme of things, its flavour just got lost. Comparing mine to the Domino's Rustica- I love the pizza sauce Domino's uses, which of course I couldn't get right, so full points to Domino's for that. I used normal cherry tomatoes instead of the sun blushed ones since I thought that was what made it a tad too tangy, so points for me on that one. The chicken strips, I shall keep them bigger next time because Id shredded them too fine for it to stand out, Rustica did a great job with the size of the strips. Since I didn't want to keep any leftover filling, I loaded my naanizza with toppings, which was perhaps one advantage over the Domino's. But then you cant have it all right :)

But on the whole Rustica stayed true to its name and I would definitely be trying out more pizza's from their Gourmet Range. People, if you haven't given it a go as yet, do try it and oh please do yourself a favour and also try the chicken kickers which I think is so yummy it makes me want to eat the entire thing without sharing with Ro. 

Naan- 4 small/ 2 big (plain or flavoured)

Pizza sauce- 4 tbsp

Baby spinach- 1/2 cup

Shredded chicken- 1 cup

Cherry tomatoes- 1/2 cup, sliced into halves

Pancetta- 4 to 5 rashers, cooked and sliced long

Mozzarella cheese- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (as required)

dried oregano- 1 tsp

Olive oil- to drizzle

Dice the chicken into chunks and marinate with salt and pepper. Cook in a saucepan till well done and keep aside to cool.

Shred using a fork and keep aside. You can store remaining chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, and use it in a sandwich or you can even freeze it.

Place the naan on a baking tray that has been lined with aluminium foil or baking paper.

Slather on 1 tbsp of pizza sauce on to each naan if using small ones, or 2 tbsp per big naan.

Arrange a layer of spinach leaves on top followed by shredded chicken.

Arrange the sliced cherry tomato cut side up. You may want to go easy on this if they are too tangy.

Either crumble the cooked pancetta and throw onto the naan or for a more orderly look, slice it lengthwise and place it strategically 

Finally add the mozzarella cheese, again in any way you like, over the toppings or next to it. Its cheese, you can eat it however:)

Sprinkle the oregano, drizzle olive oil and place in an oven preheated at 200C for about 6 t0 8 minutes.

Don't keep it in for too long, it can go crunchy on you.

Take it out of the oven and eat while hot, otherwise its rubbish.

Notes: Feel free to marinate the chicken with any spice you like. I kept it simple.

Some grated Parmesan would take it to the next level.

With thanks to Dominos Pizza for gift vouchers to pick up the pizza

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Sponsored video: Method cleaning products

In our household there is a deal. If one of us does the cooking, then the other does the cleaning. Most of the time I am in charge of cooking and the other half takes care of cleaning. I must say its a convenient arrangement because I make a hell of a lot of mess while cooking and the husband bears the brunt of it all. Needless to say, its an on going feud at home regarding this and we never ever come to a conclusion.

We are also constantly on the look out for new products and better ways to ease up this process and that's where Method comes into play. I was thoroughly interested in finding out more about their range of cleaning products and when I did, it was a complete eye opener. Method is a brand that makes non-toxic products for people who want to go about the entire cleaning process in a greener, better way. They have a wide variety of products ranging from non-toxic surface cleaners to bathroom cleaners (like tub scrub and flushable wipes), laundry detergents, hand care gels in various fragrances and even the speciality range which comprises of cleaners and wipes for leather, wood, granite and marble and floor. Yup, so many choices!

There's more good news. Method is also a brand that prides itself in striving for sustainability. Going green is something they value and so their aim is to reduce carbon footprint as much as possible, both for the products as well as the company itself. They do not perform any animal testing and has been certified by PETA as a vegan and cruelty free company. The products are also absolutely fine to be used around children, as they do not contain any hazardous ingredients.

Not convinced yet?? Then go on and watch this fun video and be inspired to move against dirty. That's my motto henceforth.

The post has been sponsored by Method cleaning products.

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Fraisier trifle and a master class with Eric Lanlard

(Ridiculously long post with loads pics and info, so feel free to scoot right away)

A few weeks back, some of us food bloggers were invited to a master class with Eric Lanlard featuring Nielsen-Massey Vanilla products at his signature store Cake Boy in London. It was an evening packed with loads of information on vanilla (which was truly an eye opener), yummy canapés and of course Eric Lanlard showcasing his fabulous baking skills by making a gorgeous French Fraisier, a cake so gorgeous to look at, you wont feel like cutting into it. And what a charming patissier he is...so full of energy, clearing our doubts, engaging us in conversation about baking and of course cute!!! :)

The class ended on a fine note with all of us getting goody bags along with the recipe of the fraisier cake and a challenge at hand. We were asked to create something to rival Eric's fraisier and blog about it. I have been breaking my head about it for so long to an extent it started haunting me in my sleep. I finally got around to doing the challenge a couple of days back and here is my take on it.

 

Since a fraisier cake was slightly out of my league, well mostly because it was just the two of us at home and scared that we would both finish it off in one sitting, I steered away from it. Instead I went ahead with a Fraisier trifle with all the goodness of the cake, but half the effort and oh so pretty they look in a glass and a great dessert idea since individual portions are less messier and storage in refrigerator is easier. 

I had baked a cake the day before for a friend and had some remaining which was on my kitchen counter nicely wrapped in cling film waiting to be assembled. I then set about making the filling of custard butter cream or fancily referred to as crème mousselini which I think is gods gift to bakers, especially to bakers who hate plain butter cream and cant pipe a frosting for nuts. I started off convinced I would screw it up somewhere and end up wasting a whole lot of ingredients, but when I saw it all come together, I knew I'd succeeded. And OMG I couldn't stop licking it from the mixing bowl and when I tried piping it on to a cupcake, it worked out just as fine and for the first time I had managed to pipe it without it it falling flat or it being too stiff it refuses to come out of the nozzle. I can very well say this is going to be my fav frosting as of now and my next experiment would be to try this with custard powder instead of making it from scratch. Yes laziness is my second name, in case you hadn't figured it out by now.

 

Although Eric's recipe was the base of all this experimenting, I did tweak it a bit here and there to suit my availability of ingredients. Eric's cake was a basic sponge cake, (which I am definitely going to try some day) whereas I used a vanilla buttermilk cake which has provided me with great results. I feel its best on its own as a tea cake, but of course so versatile you can use it as a base for any other fancy stuff, like a Tiramisu cake for example. It is light and airy, and moist at the same time making it impossible to hate. My love for plain cakes and that too vanilla flavoured ones never end, so this is the latest addition to the list, with the French yoghurt cake still topping the list (more so because of how easy it is)

Anyhoo, the final outcome was great and we did enjoy scooping it out and eating mouthfuls. Next time however, I would omit the toasted marzipan, only because I'm not a big fan, not because its bizarre or anything. When I have something to celebrate, I would also try doing the entire cake like the one above so I can share the calorie intake with others and not suffer on my own. In the mean time, I am thoroughly enjoying the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla paste and extract that is making its way through to almost all my cooking expeditions (sweet of course) ;)

For Eric's original recipe, follow this link. I am giving my version here, with Eric's recipe as the base. The measurements given are for the fraisier cake on the whole and not the trifle. I have, however, explained how I went about getting the trifle in order.

Vanilla Buttermilk cake (recipe adapted from here, makes 2- 9 inch cakes or 12 large cupcakes)

 

Cake flour- 2 cups (make your own by measuring 2 cups of plain flour and taking out 2tbsp of flour from that and replacing it with 2tbsp of cornflour. sift it together. This results in a more tender crumb)

Baking powder- 2 tsp

Baking soda- 1/8th tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Unsalted butter- 10 tbsp, at room temperature (or 142 gms, 1 1/4 sticks)

Sugar- 1 cup

Eggs- 3 large

Egg yolk- 1 large

Vanilla extract- 1 1/2 tsp (of course I used Nielsen-Massey)

Buttermilk- 3/4th cup

Sift together the first 4 ingredients into a bowl and keep aside.

Into the bowl of a free standing mixer with paddle attachment, add the butter and beat on medium speed till soft and creamy.

Add the sugar and continue beating till the mix becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

In goes the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow with the egg yolk and beat it in.

Beat in the vanilla. At this point the batter may look curdled, don't panic, just keep doing the good deed.

Now reduce the mixer speed to the lowest and add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternatively, starting and ending with the flour mix.

Scrape down the sides, making sure no traces of flour is seen and everything is mixed well.

Pour into the lined cake pans and bake in an oven pre heated at 176C for about 30 minutes or till golden brown and the skewer test comes out positive.

If making cupcakes, fill liners till about 3/4th full and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, checking in between.

Cool completely on wire racks and then cling wrap it and leave it at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Creme Mousselini (combination of Eric Lanlard's recipe and from here, makes 1 cup)

 

Creme patissiere/ pastry cream- 1 cup (recipe below)

Unsalted butter- 150 gms cut into cubes, at room temperature

Creme patissiere

Whole milk- 1 1/4 cups

Sugar- 1/4 cup

Egg yolks- 3 large or 4 small

Plain flour- 2 tbsp

Corn flour- 2 tbsp

Vanilla bean paste- 1 tsp (I used Nielsen Massey)

Kirsch liqueur- 1 tsp (optional)

Into a heat proof bowl throw in the sugar and egg yolks and whisk till you get a smooth mix.

Sift together the plain flour and corn flour and add to the egg, whisking till you get a lump free, smooth mix. Don't let this mixture sit for too long as the sugar will start eating into the eggs, thus making pieces of egg form. (thanks to cake boy for that piece of valuable information)

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan placed over medium heat, and bring to a gentle boil, just till the milk starts foaming up.

Take it off the flame and add it to the egg mix, bit by bit, whisking continuously till well incorporated. If you find pieces of curdled egg don't panic just run it through a sieve.

Return this mix back to the saucepan placed over medium heat and cook till boiling, whisking continuously to prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom and forming lumps. This takes quite a while, so patience is highly recommended.

When the custard boils and has become thick and silky smooth, continue whisking for about a minute longer and then take it off the flame.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add half of the butter, whisking well to incorporate it into the custard.

Cover with a cling film and leave to cool in the refrigerator. Or if you have time on the kitchen counter.

Once completely cool, add the vanilla bean paste and liqueur (if using) and whisk it in.

Add the remaining butter bit by bit whisking well after each addition to get a smooth and gorgeous creme mousselini which makes a perfect frosting.

For assembling

Ripe strawberries- 1 kg, hulled

Marzipan- 200 gms, rolled out and cut into 9 inch circle.

Melted chocolate- for decoration

 

When ready to assemble, unwrap the cake and slice off the top if it has domed.

Then place the cake at the bottom of a cake ring and using a palette knife, spread a thin layer of creme mousselini over it.

Cut some of the strawberries in half and place it around the edge of the ring, cut half facing out.

Fill the centre with the remaining strawberries, making them stand upright. (the trifle version is as below).

Spread the remaining creme mousseline on top of the strawberries, trying to fill in the gaps as much as possible.

Place the second layer of cake on top and press down to settle them all in.

Place the cut out marzipan on top, flute the edges and toast using a blow torch.

Melt the chocolate and use it to write 'Fraisier' on top and decorate the cake a bit. Also use some strawberries dipped in chocolate to adorn the sides.

Chill for a few hours before you unmould to get a gorgeous looking cake.

Fraisier trifle     

Crumble some of the cake roughly and keep ready. You can also cut them into the exact size of the glass, but I didn't have the patience.

Get 3 see through glasses, tumblers, martini glass, pudding mould...anything you fancy and layer the bottom with the crumbled cake...generously and tuck it in lightly.

Melt about 3 tbsp of strawberry jam lightly and mix with 1 tsp water.

Spread a thin layer of jam on top of the cake.

Cut the strawberries as mentioned above and place them inside the glass, cut side outward.

Fill with one large strawberry upright.

Top generously with creme mousselini, filling in the gaps as much possible, but really its no big deal because the messier a trifle looks, the better.

Top with a toasted marzipan and chill till ready to serve.

Notes: I don't own a blow torch so I rolled out the marzipan, cut them into rounds and placed under the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes to lightly toast it. But as you can see I ended up burning most of it. Take extreme care when you do this as one blink of the eye and you can end up with black marzipan.

Now I'm gonna say a lil prayer and hope I become the competition winner :)

Disclaimer: I was invited to attend Eric Lanlard's masterclass

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Curried spinach and mushroom tarts

I have this knack to do things wrong. Its not a very frequent thing (although if you ask Ro, he would say its a recurring event), but since you cant ask him, I'm just going to go ahead and say its not always that I do idiotic things. I have the inane ability to tear packets and boxes without reading instructions. I rip them apart the wrong way which in turn makes it impossible to seal them back and then I have to hide it from Ro (who is annoyingly systematic and precise) so I don't get a dose from him. I attribute it to my 'no patience' trait which I don't know who I inherited from..mum, dad??? a little help here???

So the latest to the list are these mini tart tins. Every day for the past couple of weeks I used to pass by it in Sainsburys and notice that it was on a roll back- 3 pounds for 4 mini pans- but I could never decide whether or not I wanted it. I mean you get the sweet and savoury pre-made tart shells to buy so why bother to make them from scratch, was my logic.

 

Until one fine day I woke up and decided it would make a grand (also, unnecessary) addition to my already existing pans and pots, and also I could make tarts from scratch, show off a bit and blog it. Afterall how difficult is it to store 4 small tart tins. So off I went to Sainsburys and what do I see? Its no longer on a roll back but the damn thing now costs 5 bucks for 4 tins. Without even flinching (ya all that logic went down the drain) I put them in my basket, since by then I was already psyched about wanting tart tins and making some tarts for dinner that very day. 

I was also instantly lazy to make pastry from scratch so I picked up ready rolled pastry, did a tiny skip and headed home with my bounty. The tarts came out well, to say the least. In fact super duper well and I am very proud of my acquisition, although Ro later pointed it out to me that they weren't dishwasher safe, oh well bummer! But since he does the dishes anyway, I gave some gyan about how they are 'never' dishwasher safe. He bought it since he has no clue about tart tins :) :) :)

So yes, I do stupid things like that. But thanks to this trait of mine, you now get to see these yummy spinach and mushroom tarts. They are more quiche-like, and is a great breakfast item. Ro is now in the 'i am sick of bread for breakfast' phase and so I am trying to make some fun breakfast items for him. I hope he snaps out of it soon, because I sure am running out of ideas. Spinach and mushrooms are a fav combination of mine and I end up using it in pasta bakes, stir fries and such. Give it a go, and if you don't like it, you can come back and leave hate comments ;)

 

Makes 5 to 6 small tarts

Shortcrust pastry- 1 sheet (recipe follows)

Shallots- 2 medium, thinly sliced

Button mushrooms- 150 gms, cleaned and sliced

Spinach- 100 to 125 gms, washed and chopped roughly

Garlic- 2 tbsp, chopped fine

Curry powder- 1/2 tbsp

Eggs- 2 large

Cheddar cheese- 1/4 cup, grated

Milk- 3/4th cup

Butter- 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper- to taste

Pastry recipe adapted from here

Plain flour- 200 gms

Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp

Cold butter- 100 gms, cut into cubes

Cold water- 3 to 4 tbsp/ as required

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the cubes of butter and rub it into the flour, using your hands. It should resemble coarse bread crumbs.

Add the cold water bit by bit till it all comes together and you get a soft pliable dough.

Cling wrap it and place in the refrigerator while you get the filling going.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté onions and garlic till soft and fragrant, for about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add the curry powder and mix thoroughly.

Throw in the chopped mushrooms and sauté till all the water evaporates and is dry.

Finally, add the spinach, salt, a few twists of pepper and cook till the mixture becomes semi-dry in consistency. It shouldn't be too dry, but all the water from the spinach should have disappeared.

Transfer to a bowl and keep aside to cool.

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly.

Add the milk, season with enough salt and pepper and whisk the mixture well. Keep aside.

When ready to bake, pre heat oven to 180C and lightly grease the tart tins with butter or oil.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface.

Cut out circles large enough to fit the tart tins and carefully place the pastry into the cases. Crimp the sides if required. Don't press it in too hard, taking them out can be a problem.

Add about 2 tsp each of the filling into the tart tins, spread it around and pour the milk-egg mix on top of the filling till about 3/4th full.

Repeat till all your filling and milk is used up.

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the filling and place all the tins on a baking tray.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or till the eggs are cooked through. 

Once done, cool on a rack for about 15 minutes and then carefully unmould.

They taste the best on the very same day, but I stored them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and used to reheat in the microwave for about a minute or two. Was perfectly fine!

 

Notes: You can either roll out the large ball of pastry and then use a lid or bowl to cut out circles or make small balls from the dough and roll it out to the size of the tart tins. If you already have rolled out pastry, then the first method works best.

Although I bought ready made pastry, I have used Maria's pastry recipe before and it is very easy and works great.

Use any filling of choice, eg, shredded chicken, sausages or even paneer. Paneer and spinach is a great combo BTW!

Store leftover dough, cling wrapped, in the freezer. Thaw completely in the fridge compartment and use as required.

Instead of milk, use double cream for a more richer filling.

Curry powder can be replaced with any meat/chicken masala.

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Honey chocolate cake

First of all, how incredibly pretty is my cake stand???? Searched high and low for something like this and finally found it for a 7 quid steal. I cant stop gushing about it. Ok, on to the recipe now...I have this ongoing relationship with honey and honey based recipes desserts/cakes...at least for now. One fine day I could wake up and just flip it around and would never want to see or even be called honey, for that matter!!! I was so obsessed with it at one point that I used to search for honey based desserts and cakes, make it, bin it, struggle with it, and on the very rare occasions savour it. Yes, most of it were disastrous, but that's how a food blogger rolls right? No don't answer that, I'd just be upset if that's not how you guys roll.

Anyhoo, two of my favourite recipes to this day when it comes to cakes (and honey) is the Jewish honey cake and this honey chocolate cake by none other than the Domestic Goddess Nigella. Say whatever you want, but I love Nigella and her super duper, throw-in-whatever-you-can recipes. I have tried loads of her recipes and its always a hit, except for the one time I tried a banana butterscotch muffin and that wasn't a fav, but that could be because I bought wrong butterscotch and the bananas weren't ripe enough. 

 

I have made this honey chocolate cake quite a few times and its never failed me. I cant believe it took me this long to post it on my blog, its simply because I've not had any left over to take pics. I realised that honey and chocolate is a match made in heaven and it pairs so beautifully. There is a faint taste of honey when you bite into a piece, and the chocolate just takes it to a whole different level. Sorry about being dramatic about this..but being pleasantly surprised by how chocolate paired with something can make it likable..is worth mentioning, especially to someone who doesn't think chocolate makes the world go round. Yeah, I'm talking about myself!

Its a dense, moist cake, rather than a light airy one which makes it perfect as a dessert/ party cake if you do all the glaze and stuff. But it work just as fine if you omit the fancy stuff and just bake the cake on its own for a tea time accompaniment. I've tried it both ways and personally, I would chuck the glaze and just serve the cake with a dollop of ice cream and a generous splash of Kahlua. ITS DIVINE! trust me. 

I am only giving you the recipe for the cake and not the sticky honey glaze. Also, feel free to halve the cake.

Recipe adapted from here

Dark chocolate- 100 gms, broken into pieces (more than 70% cocoa preferred)

Dark Brown sugar- 275 gms

Unsalted butter- 225 gms, softened

Honey- 125ml (runny)

Eggs- 2, medium

vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Plain flour- 200 gms

Baking soda- 1 tsp

Cocoa powder- 1 tbsp

Boiling water- 250ml

Kahlua (coffee liqueur)- 3 to 4 tbsp (optional)

 

Place the chocolate chunks in a large bowl and melt over a pot of simmering water till smooth and keep aside to cool slightly. You can also do this in the microwave by heating it in bursts till all the chocolate melts. 

Sift/ mix together the flour, baking soda and cocoa powder and keep aside.

Into a large mixing bowl add the sugar and butter and beat together till light and fluffy, either using a hand beater or the paddle attachment of a free standing mixer. You can also just use a strong whisk to do this.

Add the eggs, one after the other beating well after each addition, followed by vanilla extract (if using).

Fold in the melted chocolate with a spatula, making sure its all well mixed.

Tip in the flour mix and mix well, making sure there are no lumps.

Finally add the boiling water and beat well to get a slightly runny batter, but smooth and without any traces of flour.

Pour into a 9inch baking pan which has been buttered and lined with baking paper, and bake in an oven pre heated at 180C for about 1.30 hours.

Check the cake after about 45 minutes and if you think its browning on top, cover loosely with foil paper and continue baking. Keep checking every 15 minutes or so to see if its done.

Once a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, you can take it out of the oven and cool on a rack.

While still a tad hot, poke small holes in the cake using a skewer and pour over the Kahlua so it soaks up well. Alternatively, you can just do as I'd mentioned above.

 

Notes: Original recipe calls for light muscavado sugar, but brown sugar works perfectly fine.
Use good quality honey.

Nigella's procedure is slightly different from the one I have mentioned, both methods work fine, I just prefer to do it this way because its more organised (that's right, I said organised).

She also says you can blitz together everything except the boiling water which you can pour down the funnel with the motor running. Haven't really tried doing that, but if she says it works, IT WORKS!

Replace Kahlua with coffee for an almost similar taste.

The cake stays for about 3 days at room temperature, provided you can manage to keep it that long.

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Sponsored video: Rekorderlig Cider, Where's your Swedish Side?

I was introduced to this amazing drink called cider about 4 years back when we had just relocated to UK and was invited to a friends place for a BBQ. I am not so much of a beer person and so I was a bit apprehensive on trying out cider. But once I did, I knew I had found a favourite drink. So that whole year, we were on a major cider trip, buying cans by the truck loads, trying different brands and even making a visit to a cider farm to see how it was pressed...yes that's how obsessed I was, or rather we were that year.

Then we forgot all about it, discovered other drinks and life went on, Till about a couple of months back when we were at a pub and my cider instincts picked up. I asked for cider and the guy behind the bar read out the various brands available and I picked up the name Rekorderlig since I had not heard of it before. I said I'll have that and then he blurts out the various flavours available.

Now before going further, I must say I am a sucker for anything with flavour options available. The fact that there are options is a total winner for me. So there I was put forth with flavours like wild berries, mango and raspberry (which is my current fav!), strawberry and lime, orange and ginger, apple and blackcurrant and of course the basic flavours- apple and pear. Without showing that I was intimidated by the flavours available, I chose the strawberry and lime and was a happy girl.

Came back home and did my research and here's what I found. Rekorderlig is a Swedish cider from Vimmerby and it translates to being 'dependable' or 'reliable'. Made from pear and apple wine of excellent quality and the purest of spring water, the brand has become a much loved cider of many. Check out the video below, take a sip of this fruity cider and I'm sure you will find your Swedish side. I sure have found mine (over and over again!).

If you want to know more about Rekorderlig cider you can check out their website, and to get updates and such follow them on Facebook, Twitter or even subscribe to their Youtube channel here.

Article sponsored by Rekorderlig

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Sri Lankan egg curry

How are you all doing??? Embracing the last few days of summer? Well, I am and I think I'm now ready to let go and welcome gloomy, chilly days and sweaters and pull overs. Last week was depressing with rains and winds and gloomy weather and I almost got out my night socks. Good thing I didn't because for the last 4 days we have been having brilliant weather, warm and sunny and still summer like.

Since I am still getting into the groove of cooking and stuff, it is an effort to make dinner. I am still exhausting stuff from my freezer and realised if I didn't start cooking soon I'd just get used to it and even worse ignore my blog and photography and such. So last week when we were a bit under the weather (literally) I brought out this new cook book called Serendip by Peter Kuruvita which has an array of Sri Lankan recipes and some gorgeous gorgeous photographs.

This is my current fav book and I have already tried out a couple of recipes which have all been fruitful. Usually my first trial at new recipes are always a failure and it very rarely tempts me to make them again, but this one somehow has managed to hit the spot and I have so so so many awesome recipes to try from the book. The book costs quite a bit and if I didn't use it as much as I promised Ro, I am never gonna hear the end of it. So for the past couple of days anything on the dinner table is Sri Lankan in nature. (I plan on doing it till Ro tells me, enough with it already!!!)

 

Truth be told, the picture of this egg curry tempted me more than the recipe. The fact that I'm impulsive doesn't really work always. I had already put the eggs to boil and then decided to go through the recipe which is when I realised it had 3 ingredients I hadn't even heard of and wondered, what now??? I still decided to go ahead with the recipe, omitting the two and it still was a welcome change to the usual Kerala egg curry. Very few ingredients are used and seriously, how can anything with coconut milk ever taste bad??? 

I had picked up some frozen idiyappams from the Indian store a while back and served it along with the curry. It was a brilliant combo and I'm kicking myself for not picking up a few more packs. Ro was quite thrilled to see them and asked where I got it from to which I pretended to be insulted and said what do you mean, I slogged it out in the kitchen and made them from scratch. How did you do the strings without the press was his next question. I avoided it saying there was a technique I'd learnt on youtube which I shall explain later and he bought that. And then just when we were about to eat I opened my big mouth and said, 'hey just check if the idiyappams have been cooked through, it was frozen.' Ro who usually doesn't listen to crap I say, picked this one up immediately. I will be teased about it for quite a while. Dammit!! :)

Recipe adapted from Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen by Peter Kuruvita

 

Eggs- 4, plunged into boiling water for 5 minutes and then refreshed in cold water.

Oil- 1 tbsp + enough to shallow fry the eggs

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick- 1 inch piece

Onion- 1 medium, thinly sliced

Green chillies- 2 small, slit lengthwise

Curry leaves- a sprig

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Maldive fish flakes - 1/2 tbsp

Pandanus leaf- 1 inch piece

Dill seeds- 1/4 tsp

Coconut milk- 1 cup

Salt- to taste

 

Peel the cooked eggs, prick them all over with a fork and lightly salt them.

Heat enough oil in a pan and fry the eggs until golden, flipping sides as and when required. Drain on paper towels and keep ready.

Into a wok, tip in all the other ingredients and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes or till the onions have become soft and the sauce has slightly thickened.

Add the eggs and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

Season with enough salt, give a final stir and take it off the fire.

Serve with appam, idiyappam, roti or even bread.

 

Notes: I didn't have the fish flakes, pandanus leaf and the dill seeds which I presume were the main ingredients that gave the curry its distinct taste.

I also sautéed the onions with cumin, cinnamon, chillies and the powders till the onions grew soft and then added the coconut milk and let it simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Although I'd pricked the eggs with a fork, I found that the masalas hadn't caught on to it. So next time I would halve the egg and throw it into the curry.

The base curry is perfect for a fish molee and even vegetable curries. 

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Cornflake crusted chicken and announcing the World's Biggest Coffee Morning

I have exhausted almost everything from my drafts and this was a recipe I hadn't planned on posting, not because the recipe was a failure, but because I wasn't too happy with the pictures. Since I hadn't fed my blog in a while, I thought, why not, lets get it out there. 

My last set of guests have left and I must say its awfully quiet around here. No rushing between houses, no early morning sightseeing and no travelling in the car (which I dread completely. Hail the London Underground). I haven't cooked in a reaaaallly long time and as always, its a slow start. Even with taking pics and stuff, I haven't really got down to it and I hope it wont be long before I'm up and about with the camera and props.

 

Anyways, this cornflake crusted chicken was the after effect of a cornflake over dose, more like, I want to finish it off as soon as possible so I have to think of recipes to use them in. So dinner on one night was taken care of with these crispy, crunchy chicken which I served with a healthy salad. I still had some more remaining which I force fed my sister-in-law when she stayed with us for a month :) :)

Its an easy peacy recipe and quite tasty for a picnic and such. It wont go soggy on you if you store it in an air tight container. I even used up the boneless crusted pieces of chicken in a sandwich the next day and it was just as good. So go on, try it and I'm sure you'll thank me later. Don't judge the recipe by the pics, it was waaaay better tasting than it looks :)

Recipe adapted from here

 

Chicken- 1/2 kg (mix of drumsticks and thighs, cut into large pieces)

Buttermilk- 300ml

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Spicy chilly powder- 1 tsp (paprika)

Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Garlic powder- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Cornflakes- 3 cups (crushed using a rolling pin. Don't powder it)

Parmesan cheese- 3 tbsp (grated)

Salt and pepper- to season

Whisk together the buttermilk with cumin, chilli powders, pepper, garlic and salt. 

Place the chicken pieces in a non reactive bowl and pour the marinade over. Mix well and keep it covered in a refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, pre heat the oven to 220C.

Place a wire rack over a baking tray and keep aside. You can place a sheet of foil on the baking tray to catch any juices or crumbs falling off the chicken. Less cleaning that way :)

Season the crushed cornflakes with the Parmesan and salt and pepper. Mix well and keep ready in a shallow bowl.

Shake off the excess marinade from the chicken, keeping some on for the cornflakes to stick and then roll the pieces in the crumb mix properly, making sure they are completely coated.

Place on the wire rack and into the oven. 

Bake for about 25 minutes, making sure you check the chicken pieces every 10 minutes and turning them around if required. They should not brown too much.

To check if its done, slice through to the bone and if the juices run clear, and the meat is not pink, you are good to go.

Take out of the oven and serve when still hot.

Notes: You can basically add any spice of choice and then coat the chicken with cornflakes.

To get a much crispier version, place under the broiler towards the end. Again, make sure you don't burn it.

On a different note, I would like to announce that on the 28th of September this year, the World's Biggest Coffee Morning is going to take place. It is a one day fund raising event hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support to raise money for people with lives affected by Cancer. 

Silver Spoon, the homegrown sugar people, are the official sugar sponsor for the event and this year they have decided to launch a fantastic competition as part of their activity. By launching the Silver Spoons Little Local Hero Awards, they are scouring the country for local heroes under the age of 18 who have done something truly special. It could have been from looking after their little sister when they were ill to gone to great strengths to make Mother's Day very special or done something great to raise money for charity. If you know anyone falling into this category, then just follow this link and explain in less that 100 words who you are nominating and what you would bake to say thank you. Master Patissier Eric Lanlard will choose a Silver Spoon national Little Hero and to celebrate he will bake them a special cake of their choice and 10 runners up will also receive a Silver Spoon baking hamper with full of exciting treats.

Also don't forget to register to hold your own coffee morning on the 28th September, and to do so just follow this link and you can help raise money for people with lives affected by cancer.

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Summer fruit salad

No time to ramble, been super busy with taking the in-laws around. By the time this post goes up, we'd be in Scotland, taking in the highlands and whiskey and all that's Scottish, well except Haggis maybe.

I made this salad on a day I felt too lazy to fix up something for lunch and since my fruit basket was crying out to me I thought I'd whip up something fruity. I thought it wouldn't fill me, but strangely it did and I think I should make it a practise. There is no recipe as such, just throw in a bunch of fruits you like, do a simple dressing and if you like, add a chilli or so for some spice. Here is another fruit salad I made a while back

Use fruits that are in season and if they are fresh, then nothing like it. But mine was about 2 to 3 days old and was almost at the wilting stage when I decided to rescue them. It tasted great nonetheless. I love fruits but I'm kinda lazy to eat fruit, especially when it involved peeling and slicing and stuff. If someone has it ready for me, then I'm more than happy to eat away :)

Mango- 1 cup, peeled and diced

Watermelon- 1 cup, deseeded and diced

Orange- 1 half, peeled and cut into rounds

Apple- 1 half, cut into rounds

Grapes- 1/4 cup (I prefer seedless)

Kiwi fruit- 1, diced

Ginger- 1 tsp, julienned (optional)

Green chilli- 1 small, roughly chopped

Caster sugar- to sprinkle (optional)

Lemon juice- 1 to 2 tsp

Coriander leaves/ mint- to garnish (optional)

 

Mix together the ginger, chilli, sugar and lemon juice. Gently squash the mix with your hands, enough to get the chilli and ginger flavours infused. Add a bit of salt if required.

Arrange the fruits in a platter (or in a bowl) and pour over the dressing.

Garnish with some mint or coriander leaves.

Gently mix before serving.

Notes: I also tried adding some pomegranate seeds once and it was great.

If the fruits are too ripe and sweet, avoid the sugar altogether.

On another note, my Grilled chicken wings- the Indian way got published in the Huffington Post Kitchen Daily. I'm pretty thrilled about this :). Check out the link

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Baker Days (review)

Recently an aunt of Ro's based in India, asked if we could get a birthday cake delivered to a cousin here and we went on a frantic search online for bakeries that did home delivery. Either they wouldn't deliver outside London or the rates for delivery was almost as that of the cake which made us wonder if it was ever possible to deliver a cake to someone special if required.

While highly leaning towards the 'not possible' mark, I received a mail asking if I could do a review for Baker Days, who sends personalised cakes for any occasion, anywhere in UK. I decided to give it a go and so went about checking out their website. With waaaay too many options to choose from., I was quite confused- Birthdays, Engagements, New Baby, Bon Voyage, and heck there is one for even passing your driving test. If that's not good enough then you can design your own cake by uploading a picture you like and getting than imprinted on the cake. 

 

So without wasting much time I went about ordering my cake. The website is pretty easy to navigate around and its as straight forward as it can get. You can select either the Letterbox size which would easily serve 2 to 3 people or the Medium party cake which should get you around 8 to 16 portions. Since it was just Ro and me, I opted for the Letterbox version, and also because I sooo badly wanted to see what they meant by this. You then go about selecting the flavour- plain, carrot, lemon or fruit and if you are gluten intolerant, there is an option for that as well. 

The husband being a chocolate addict, I had to order the double chocolate chip cake and since I didn't have a personalised message to put in, I left that, but it was really sweet of them to include those wordings on the cake :)

You then check out, pay for it and wait till it arrives. And when it did arrive, it was perhaps the cutest lil cake I'd ever seen. It comes neatly wrapped and snugly fit in a tin, so no cracks and such possible. Along with it in the box were balloons, candles, a party horn and a card. I thought that was indeed a great addition and quite considerate.

 

Taste wise, the cake was excellent, I mean super duper moist and chocolatey with those nuts in between, and both of us managed to finish the cake in no time. I seriously wonder how they manage to make them so moist in spite of it being packaged and sent. If there was one fault, well not fault really, but something my taste buds didn't quite enjoy was the icing which came across as a tad too sweet. But on my really good days, I'm sure even that sugar high wouldn't bug me. Also a couple more flavours like red velvet and caramel and fudge would have been a great addition.

Cake cost starts at GBP 14.99 and depending on the flavour and preference, rates increase marginally, but not exorbitantly high. There is also no delivery charge, unless of course you need speedy delivery or something to that extent.

I was thoroughly impressed with Baker Days and am pretty sure I'd be a regular. So next time you want to order a cake online and get it delivered to anyone, anywhere in UK, you know where to go right? Well, all my UK friends watch out, you may be the lucky one to taste one of these awesome cakes :)

With thanks to Baker Days for sending me a cake to review

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