Monday 31 October 2016

Treat Petite November 2016



If you haven't already, don't forget to check out October'sRound Up over on the Baking Explorer for a fantastic collection with some pumpkin based treats going on along with some spooky delicacies too.



As you probably know, Treat Petite has no monthly theme now, so once again Anything Goes! You can enter anything you like, just remember the Treat Petite rules below...

Treat Petite is for all of those delicious bites, which can be individually portioned. Tray bakes are fine, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, macarons and so on. No cakes, puddings, whole loaves – you get the idea… here are those all-important rules:

1. Add your petite treat to the Linky Tool at the bottom of the current month's post by the 25th of the month, midnight at the latest

2. Post your bake onto your blog and link back to Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer, stating who is hosting this month

3. Follow Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer blogs on Google+ (see sidebar links), if you haven't already.

4. If you tweet use #TreatPetite and mention @MrCakeyboi and @BakingExplorer - we will retweet

5. Add the challenge logo to the post and 'Treat Petite' as a label to the post

6. Use any recipe as long as the source is noted

7. If you like, add your photo to the 'Treat Petite' Pinterest board (request access from Cakeyboi)


8. Feel free to enter old posts as long as you update the post and meet all the requirements above!



Thursday 27 October 2016

This Month's Degustabox (with a new discount code)


I received my latest delivery of the Degustabox - I love when it comes, ripping it open and seeing the random treats inside!

Degustabox, as you may know,  is a subscription service where you sign up to receive a box every month, full of mystery products, some new to the market. For £12.99 a month (or £11.99 if you pay bi-annually) you can get this great service delievered straight to you front door. A bit like online supermarket shopping, but without knowing what you will get.


Here is what was inside this month's box;











(Oh and some brioche buns too filled with chocolate too you can see in the bottom right of the picture at the top.)

Imagine getting a box delivered every month,full of surprise treats. You can sign up over at the Degustabox website and I have an exclusive £7 discount for you. Simply enter BSVOW where it asks for a discount code, apply and it's as simple as that. Your first box will cost only £5.99!

Pop over and start your Degustabox taste adventure now!

Disclosure Statement: I received the Degustabox free to review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Monday 24 October 2016

Win Two Tickets to the BBC Good Food Show


The BBC Good Food Shows are just around the corner!

These are a great day out for anyone who is a fan of food like myself. There are lots of exhibits to explore, plenty of foodie stuff to try and buy, celebrity chefs to watch live on stage, lots to keep you entertained. The shows take place usually for 3 to 4 days at various locations across the UK.




Celebrities appearing this year include Paul Hollywood, James Martin, Tom Kerridge and many others depending on location. Check the website for full details of who is on when.




There are three shows coming up before the end of the year;

BBC Good Food Show Scotland – 4 – 6 November
BBC Good Food Show London – 11– 13 November
BBC Good Food Show Winter (Birmingham) – 24 – 27 November.

I have a pair of tickets to be won to any one of the above shows. Please note that these tickets are not valid on Saturdays and do not include admission to the Supertheatre.




All you need do is enter via Rafflecopter below, leaving a blog comment minimum. The winner’s name will be announced on the Rafflecopter box below after the closing date of 30 October 2016. 
It's a quick turnaround if you are in Scotland, so if you win, please respond immediately so I can send the tickets out to you.



Good Luck.

Terms and Conditions:
All tickets are general admission excluding Saturday.
Tickets are non refundable and non-exchangeable.
Ticket terms and conditions apply.
Tickets will be mailed out directly to the competition holder by Cakeyboi.
Tickets do not include a seat in the Supertheatre.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclosure Statement: I have not been paid to run this giveaway. I will be receiving free access to the BBC Good Food Show Scotland. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Tuesday 18 October 2016

Emmy's Apple (or Pear) Torte

Emmy's Apple Torte


I'm back!

In case you haven't read my last post we were away in Canada for a couple of weeks - getting married!



I will bring you more about our travels in a future post, but in the meantime I am bringing you a recipe for a torte which our host Emmy made for us one evening. She kindly passed me the recipe so I could share it with you all.


Emmy is the wife of Disneyboi's cousin Lawrence and they put us up during our stay in Toronto. Emmy made a meal for us on our first Saturday, starting with a gorgeous prawn pesto pasta dish, which was followed by this torte. The only difference with the one I am bringing you today is the one Emmy made contained pears and as I still have tons of apples left from our bumper crop, I used them instead.

Either tastes good in the recipe. Emmy actually made another one later in our stay, and the second one used marzipan in the mix.  

Although I'm not a huge fan of marzipan it tasted really good in the torte, and I decided to use some almond extract in the mix to replicate it as I had no marzipan in the house.

The mix is an easy to whip up cake batter, with the fruit coated in cinnamon and nutmeg, popped into the batter in a decorative fashion.

Emmy's Apple Torte


This torte is delicious warm from the oven, but also good when cooled. Both with a little whipped cream on the side is of course recommended!  The outside of the torte goes all chewy like a cookie, which is absolutely scrummy.

Emmy's Apple Torte

Thanks again to Emmy and Lawrence for their kind hospitality during our trip!

Emmy's Apple Torte


Why don’t you have a go at making this torte and experience a bit of our holiday!



print recipe



Emmy's Apple Torte
A fruity torte with a cakey, cookie texture!
Ingredients
  • 2 ripe apples
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  •  125 grams plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 115 grams unsalted butter, softened
  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180c and line an 8" round baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Peel and core the apples and cut each into eights. Toss with the two teaspoons of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, 200 grams of sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time and beat in.

Add the extracts and stir in.

Add the dry mix and beat together.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place the apple wedges in a decorative pattern in the batter.

place it in the oven for approximately 30 mins until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean from the centre.

If the top browns too much when baking, tent the tin with foil.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a plate, then invert again onto another plate!


Serve with some whipped cream or a dollop of fat free yoghurt.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: 5Yield: 1x8" torte