The people at Eddingtons recently sent me a few articles from their newest Christmas Baking line to try out and review. I had my pick of pretty much everything and it was very difficult to choose, everything was so cute.



One of the things I chose was the Silikomart Let's Celebrate Snowflakes silicone muffin mould. The Snowflake Muffin Mould is made from flexible silicone, making it easy to pop out the finished goods, and has a unique Safe Ring support which helps to improve the stability of the mould.



I have to confess that I don't have a lot of experience in cooking with silicone moulds, and am somewhat of a novice with them. I did find though that this was very easy to use and the safe ring support system was really good. I can see where it would make for a much easier and safer baking experience than a silicone pan without one.



I confess I was a little disappointed in the end results though . . . and this was not down to the silicone. Getting the cakes out was very easy. I waited until they were completely cold and they just popped out. What I was disappointed in though, was the fact that the snowflake design didn't really show up at all. In the picture on the box and on the site, the snowflake design was very clear and obvious. This wasn't the case in reality.



I saw not much more than little dimples etc. and even when I added the glaze the snowflake relief did not really show up. Perhaps this is just in baked goods . . . I would have to say that if you are looking for little cakes that look like snowflakes this isn't your pan . . . but they were not entirely unattractive either, as you can see. The packaging did include a recipe for a white chocolate blanc mange, so perhaps I will try again with something like that instead of using it for baking anything.



I don't normally show cake two days in a row, but today is an exception. I chose a lovely nutmeg cake recipe to showcase these little cakes . . . because I thought it would be a nice colour and that the glaze would help to show off the little snowflake branches really well.



It's a delicious cake . . . moist with the addition of buttermilk . . . old fashioned and redolent with lots of nutmeg flavour.



Glazed with a simple lemon glaze and then dusted with even more freshly grated nutmeg . . . it's quite heavenly . . . if you happen to like nutmeg, and we do . . . if you don't then . . . well, this is NOT the cake for you, coz it's definitely nicely nutmeggie.



*Nutmeg Cake*
Makes one 9-inch two layer cake
Printable Recipe

A cake stogged full of nutmeg flavour and covered in a lemony glaze and dusted with more nutmeg. If you don't like nutmeg, this isn't for you.

2 ounces butter, softened (1/4 cup)
2 ounces shortening, soft (1/4 cup)
10 1/2 ounces caster sugar (1 1/2 cups)
3 large free range eggs
8.5 ounces of plain flour, sifted (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
250ml of buttermilk (1 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Jam for sandwiching

For the lemon glaze:
8 ounces of sifted icing sugar (2 cups)
the juice of one lemon
freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly butter 2 9-inch round cake tins and dust lightly with some flour. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the sugar, a little at a time, until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until amalgamated completely.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nutmeg. Blend together the vanilla and buttermilk. Add the buttermilk and flour alternately to the creamed mixture, beating after each addition only until blended.

Pour into the two prepared pans, spreading out evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Sandwich the two layers together with some jam in the middle.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients and spoon over top of the cakes.



Whilst they didn't actually look like snowflakes, the little cakes were kinda cute and just the perfect size for two bites. If you are looking for a pan that makes nicely sized little bites this is the pan for you . . . but if you are looking for a pan that bakes nice snowflakes, I think you better keep looking. Sorry Eddingtons, but many thanks for affording me this opportunity all the same! (Honesty is always the best policy isn't it. I wouldn't want to tell you something was great when I didn't think it was.)



Over in The Cottage today, French Biscuits, a family tradition.

Royal Crown cola (RC cola) has recently been launched in the UK (May 2011) and I was sent some samples to try out which arrived the other day. I don't really drink a lot of fizzy drinks, but I did share a can with Todd and it was a.o.k. I preferred the diet one, but then that is just me. I prefer diet drinks in most soft drinks as they don't seem to be quite as sweet to me.

Royal Crown cola was born out of the efforts of a young pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia; Claude A. Hatcher began creating his own soft drinks and the results of his experiments became the American soft drink RC cola.



Created in 1905, RC cola is one of America’s original colas and is already available across the globe in over 45 countries and is now available in Asda stores nationwide. RC cola is keeping it's retro 50's image as it launches in the UK



RC cola built up its brand name by introducing a series of industry firsts:

• 1950s – First to sell soft drinks nationally in cans and to introduce the 16 ounce bottle

• 1960s – First to introduce a low-calorie diet cola, Diet Rite, and the all aluminium beverage can
• 1980s – First to introduce a caffeine free diet cola, RC 100 and a diet cherry cola Diet Cherry RC
• RC cola is a part of American popular culture:
• Television/Movies –RC was featured in the Jerry Lewis movie, The Nutty Professor and The Green Mile with Tom Hanks.
• Celebrity Endorsements – RC cola enhanced advertising with the use of celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Scott and Hedy Lamarr.

Of course I could not let the opportunity pass without using some of it to create something positively scrummy.



Chocolate Cola Cake. Yeppers. Can anyone really have too much chocolate cake?



I think not! And this Chocolate Cola Cake is especially moist and delicious and comes with a scrummy chocolate sauce, that is not only scrumdiddlyumptious spooned over the cake, but also quite irresistable when spooned over vanilla ice cream. Just sayin is all.



I'd like to be able to say that it is completely non fattening . . . and that it's all a part of a healthy diet . . . but alas . . . tis not. More's the pity . . . In fact . . . you probably don't even want to go there . . .



Coz I could easily eat this every day of the week! Many thanks to the people at RC Cola for sending me some samples. I have my eye on a Ham that is cooked in Cola which I think I will try next, except it will have to be gammon, coz that's what they have over here.



And now??? Let's eat Cake!!



*Chocolate Cola Cake*
serves 8
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist chocolate cake with a chocolate cola buttercream icing. Serve with a tasty chocolate sauce and some mini marshmallows for an extra special treat.

For the cake:
250g butter (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
250g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
300g golden caster sugar (11/2 cup)
3 heaped TBS cocoa powder, sifted
generous pinch of baking soda
200ml of cola drink (slightly more than 3/4 cup)
75ml milk (1/4 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream icing:
60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
200g icing sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups approx.)
2 to 3 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
2 TBS cola drink

For the sauce:
4 ounces heavy cream (1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
70g caster sugar (1/3 cup)
60g dark brown sugar, firmly packed (1/3 cup)
pinch salt
60g sifted cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

To serve: Mini marshmallows



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch loose bottomed round cake pan. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. Melt the butter and cola together. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently bur thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Beat together all the ingredients together for the icing until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugars together until they no longer feel grainy. Whisk in the cream and heat through. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.

Cut the cake into slices to serve. Sprinkle with some marshmallows and spoon some of the chocolate sauce over top.

RC Cola, available only as ASDA. A 2 litre bottle of RC cola retails at £1.28, while the 6 x 330ml multi-packs retails at £1.87.



Cooking in The Cottage today a delicious Roast Chicken Pie.

I just love it when a young entrepreneur has a great idea and is able to make something of it. Such was the case of a young lad from Scotland, Frazer Doherty, who was taught how to make jam by his Scottish gran when he was 14 years old. Somehow he managed to market it and since then has gone on to sell millions of pots of the stuff. He calls it Super Jam.



I was sent several jars to try out recently and I have to say . . . I am not surprised! It's fabulous jam, and best of all it is not made with sugar, but grape juice. It also makes good use of the so called "Super Foods" such as cranberries and blueberries, which truly makes it a super jam in ever sense of the word.



We love jam in this house and if our jam can be that little bit healthier for us so much the better and I have to say with all honesty I was very impressed with this jam. I was sent a bottle of Strawberry, a bottle of Raspberry and Cranberry, and a bottle of Blueberry and Black Currant. I love that is is all fruit and all natural. I also loved that it is quite, quite delicious!



I am always cooking with jam as well (as you know) so I took the opportunity to use some of it in these tasty Flakey Jam Rolls . . . deliciously flakey and buttery puff pastry spread with jam and nuts and rolled up and baked. Oh my but they are some good too.



I used the Raspberry and Cranberry Jam in these and they were absolutely scrumdiddlyumptious. I have a confession though . . . it wasn't until I had them in the oven that I realized that I had used a box of short crust pastry instead of the puff pastry . . . but nevermind, they turned out fabulous anyways! Kind of like Pop Tarts but without the icing. I love it when my mistakes turn out incredibly edible!



We have enjoyed the two other jams on our toast and crumpets and they are also quite scrummy. Many thanks to Nell for sending me these tasty jams to try out. If you would like to know more about the Super Jam company and Fraser Doherty hop on over to their page. There are all sorts of tasty tidbits there . . . including a Super Jam Cookery Book, and a cool iphone app!



Flakey Jam rolls
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

Buttery, delicious and flakey jam rolls. Need I say more???

One sheet of all butter puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions
1/4 - 1/2 cup jam, heated to loosen (I like to use raspberry or strawberry)
Scant handful dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Melted butter for basting
Granulated sugar and demerara sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the defrosted pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the surface lightly with granulated sugar. Brush with some of the butter and use a fork to prick pastry in 4 or 5 different places. Spread the warmed jam evenly over top. Scatter the top with the walnuts and cranberries. Cut into six rectangles and roll each rectangle up horizontally like a jelly roll. Place on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Allow to cool before eating. Store in an airtight container.

If you're having a bit of a celebration in this country, this fella is sure to show up. Suave, sophisticated, a bit fuzzy, delicious and totally non-alcoholic. Being Mormons, he shows up at all our parties and is always warmly welcomed . . . as well as being the first drink to disappear!!!



The people from Schloer recently sent me a sample to try out, of their new Limited Edition Winter Flavour . . . just in time for the holidays . . . Berry Punch!! Ruby coloured it gives a beautiful nod to traditional English flavours being packed with the flavour of blackberries with a warming hint of spice.



They recommended that it be served over ice and quintessentially English fruits so I thought why not go whole hog and serve it over frozen English autumn berries, which I also happen to keep a load of in the freezer . . . the berries acting as both ice and fruit!

Wow, was it ever wonderful! We both really enjoyed and are sure to pick up a few more bottles to have in the house during the up and coming holidays! Many thanks to the people at Shloer for sending me this tasty treat!



Shloer Limited Edition Berry Punch costs £2.29 per bottle. (Schloer is also available in White Grape, Red Grape, Rose, apple & White Grape, White Grape, Raspberry & Cranberry and White Grape & Elderflower flavours)

Schloer is also on Facebook where you'll find little extra inspiration and a Sunday Cookbook. (I'm thinking that it would make an amazing fruit jelly for the holidays as well!)



This put me in a very fruity moos, and of course . . . knowing me, whilst I had the frozen berries out I had to do something else with them as well . . . and why not!!!



I baked up some lovely fruity muffins. We all love blueberry muffins, but a muffin stogged with a variety of berries just can't be beat!



Oh so buttery, and fruity and moreishly scrummy with the tang of fresh berries in every bite . . . black and red currants, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries . . . these are soooo delicious!!



You could glaze them if you wished, but I just dust with a bit of icing sugar. These scrummy muffins speak for themselves, they really don't need much in the way of dressing up . . .really!!




*Berry Fruities*
Makes 12 muffins
Printable Recipe

Moist, buttery and chock full of tangy summer fruits!

175g of mixed summer berries (1 2/3 cups)
(fresh or frozen, cutting the larger ones in bits the size of
blueberries)
300g self raising flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
150g of caster sugar (2/3 cup)
100ml of plain yoghurt (1/2 cup)
125ml of milk (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
125g butter, melted (a slightly generous half cup)
Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a 12 cup medium muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat together the egg, yoghurt, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add all at once to the dry mixture and mix the two together, combing only to moisten the dry ingredients. It is perfectly ok for the mixture to be lumpy. Fold in the berries. (I like to save out a few to press into the tops.) Spoon into the paper lined muffin cups. Scatter any saved berries over top, pressing down lightly.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust with icing sugar and serve.



Cooking in The Cottage today, a Sticky Date Bread Pudding!

You will probably find my first Meatfree Monday post rather boring . . . delicious, of course . . . but boring nonetheless. I haven't had a time to go to the shops yet for this week's shopping so it's something I have pulled together using ingredients I have on hand.

This recipe is as old as the hills, hailing from a day and time when every Monday was Wash Day and women needed something quick and easy and that could basically take care of itself in the oven whilst they did the week's washing for the family.



This may be simple and plain, but it is filled with flavour. It's economical and easy to put together. The hardest part is probably making the bechamel . . . and anyone can do that, just so long as they remember the two rules of bechamel.

• Don't be in a hurry and try to cook it over too high a heat. Medium-low heat and patience is the key
• Whisk, whisk, and whisk some more. Whisk it constantly until it thickens. Don't turn your back on it for an instant. It's a sureity it will catch the second you take your eyes off of it!

Cooking marcaroni is likewise very simple. Just follow the package directions and stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick together. Also be sure to add it to the water, only after it comes to the boil and keep it at a slow boil the whole time it is cooking.



I always use good quality Italian chopped tomatoes in tomato juice for this. Lotsa, lotsa good tomato flavour.



Likewise you will want to use a good and flavourful cheese. Today I used a mixture of the cheeses I had leftover from our trip up to Cumbria, the Flakebridge and the Eden Chieftan, but any good and flavourful cheddar will do.



The rest is just cooking magic. Totally delicious this is. I could eat it every day, no kidding. (All you need is a tasty mixed salad on the side and some crusty bread to sop up all of that tasty sauce!)



*Wash Day Macaroni and Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Plain and simple needn't mean that something isn't tasty. This is absolutely delicious!

2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
12 fluid ounces milk (1 1/2 cups)
salt and ground white pepper to taste
6 ounces dry macaroni (1 cup)
1 (415g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice (15 ounce tin)
1 stalk celery chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed and divided (1 1/2 cups)
Crushed croutons

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a shallow casserole dish. Set aside.

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain well. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, celery and half the cheese. Add the sauce and toss to mix. Pour into the prrepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and some crushed croutons.

Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and lightly browned on top. Delicious!



Just in time for all that entertaining we'll be doing over the next couple of months with Bonfire Night and then Christmas, the people at Branstons have come out with some tasty new snacks! Branston Peanuts and Crackers are a delightfully tasty mixture of Branston's smooth pickle flavoured oven baked peanuts mixture together with savoury cheese flavoured crackers. Perfect as a nibble with drinks, these would be a great entertaining nibble during the holiday season. I highly recommend keeping a few bags in the cupboard just to put out when unexpected company drop by as well. I really enjoyed them. They were just the right combination of tang, crunch and salty moreishness. Many thanks to the people at TurnKey and Branstons for sending me some to try out! (Branstons and Cheese the perfect combination!)



Over in The Cottage today there's a delicious Blackberry Pie with Streusel Topping.

The Toddster and I had the most delicious lunch today. Most delicious indeed. Sarah from Purple PR contacted me recently and asked me if I would like the opportunity to try out the latest offering from the Linda McCartney vegetarian foods range, the Linda McCartney Mushroom & Ale Pies.



(I admit that I have toyed with the idea of becoming Vegetarian from time to time . . . and would probably quite happily do so . . . except that I do like me a nice tasty steak from time to time . . . sigh . . . ) I was happy to give these new Linda McCartney Mushroom & Ale Pie's a try. We've eaten their sausages from time to time and really enjoyed.



These pies are the happy result of the hugely successful "Search for the UK's Tastiest Meat Free Dish" contest in 2010, and I have to put my hand up and admit freely that these are very tasty pies indeed. (As you know we are real pie afficionado's in this house!)



The pastry was light, flakey and delicious and the filling quite generously ample and oh so scrummy. Consisting of tender mushrooms, lentils and spinach in a wonderful gravy lightly flavoured with ale that was moreishly good indeed! All together they were quite wonderfully scrumptious and I can see me going out to buy some more the next time I am at the shops! They are available exclusively in Sainsbury's from 7th August 2011 at a affordable £1.99 and will be available at Tesco (10/10/11) and Asda (05/11/11) also priced at £1.99.



I believe that Linda McCartney did a lot to promote meat free eating and vegetarianism in her lifetime and her line of meat free products are considered to be some of the best around. I, for one, would highly recommend these tasty Vegetarian Mushroom & Ale Pies. This is truly food to come home to!



I was reading on the site about Meat Free Mondays, which is a campaign that was launched by Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters Stella and Mary, which encourages the nation to help slow climate change by reducing the amount of meat consumed by having at least one meat free day a week and was most impressed.



You can read more about it here. I think we'll be enjoying Meat Free Mondays in our house regularly from now on . . . although in truth, I'll admit that I'm not quite ready to give up that steak just yet . . .



As Todd said when we were enjoying these pies . . . "Vegetarian Food has come a looooong way since the 1960's!!" Many thanks to Sarah at Purple PR and Linda McCartney Foods for having afforded us this most delicious opportunity to try something new. I think we've found a new favourite around here!



There are Pink Drizzle Plum Muffins over in the Cottage today!