LauraHadley.co.uk: baking

Chocolate Overload | Nutkins Bakery Brownies

Brownies are probably one of the only desserts that are a reliable choice to go for and you can't go far wrong with them. These Double Choc-A-Block White Chocolate Brownies from Nutkins Bakery were an absolute dream as they were so chocolatey and moist that melt in your mouth. These are made up of sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cream powder, soya lecithin and vanilla flavouring. They are topped with melted white chocolate drizzle to add the perfect finishing touch.

Nutkins Bakery was created in 2017 by Harriet, who wanted to pursue her passion to create the ultimate brownie company. They are based in Essex and believe in simplicity and getting the basics right. You can order these brownies online to be delivered anywhere in the UK and will normally be with you the next day. These brownies could ideal to order for presents as you could have some fresh brownies arriving in time for the occasion. Nutkins Brownies are best to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or alternatively, they can be frozen for up to three months.

There are more scrumptious flavours available for Nutkins, with the Caramel one particularly appealing to me as it looks delicious. They also have Orange, Bonfire and Rocky Road ones to provide a number of choices depending on your taste preferences. I'd definitely recommend giving these a go as you won't regret it.

Post contains press samples

Judge Bakeware Twin Blade Stand Mixer

I've always loved baking since I was a child and remember watching Delia Smith for inspiration. Being able to test out different recipes is something I really enjoy, and I've done a number of people's birthday cakes and like to challenge myself with bigger and better designs each time. Obviously, baking cakes like this requires a lot of mixing and doing this by hand can become quite tiring so I was excited to have my own stand mixer to use, with this Judge Bakeware Twin Blade Stand Mixer one being great.

The kit is something a little different to the normal mixer as it's a hand and stand mixer combined into one very useful kitchen appliance. The hand mixer slots into the stand and means you have a fully functional item to use for baking. If you need to use it out of the stand, simply detach and use it as a hand mixer. Being a slightly smaller size means this is ideal for those with a smaller kitchen as it won't take over your worktop. It still has a 1.5L liquid/750g solid capacity in the detachable bowl so should still be able to hold plenty for the majority of people's needs. It seems to be well built and with the 2-year electrical domestic guarantee, I feel reassured that it will be up to the challenge.

The 300 Watt motor has five different speed settings which are operated easily via a thumb control switch, with a turbo button located just below. The bowl also rotates to ensure that the ingredients get thoroughly mixed, while the tilting head gives you easy access to the bowl. Both the beaters and dough hooks are included with the mixer so that it's ready to go right out of the box. I've already used the Judge Mixer to make a birthday cake for a test run and was really impressed by how easy it was to use and it made my life so much easier. I've got upcoming plans to create another birthday cake for Andy's birthday and I will be doing a tutorial on how I made the cake with the Judge Twin Blade Stand Mixer so there is more to come.

Post contains press samples

Learning How To Make Waffles

Having a major sweet tooth can both bring great pleasure and misfortunes. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I have never really failed at baking, purely because I watch way too many baking and cooking programmes. I usually know roughly how to bake certain recipes and what to look out for. BuySend.com were kind enough to let me review their Waffle Maker £24.95* to see whether I could put this knowledge into practice. I followed a fabulous recipe from the lovely Gemma if you want to check that out to have a go yourself.

First off, the instructions didn't say exactly how much mixture to put in. I tried different amounts until I realised that I needed to put in as much as would fit in (including spilling out of the sides, oops). I sprayed the insides with low cal spray just so they wouldn't stick and then realised that since it is a stove top appliance (which resulted in a delay in me being able to make them which is completely my own fault for not checking first) I realised I would have to flip the waffle maker. As an EDS sufferer I thought this would be a particularly hard challenge for my motor skills but apparently I am stronger than I thought!
It took about 5 waffles for me to get the temperature of the hob, the right amount of mixture and to evenly cook both sides but I did it! After moving house in August then going on a ten day holiday meant that I have managed to misplace the maple syrup which wasn't great! On the plus side, for some reason the waffles taste more like pancakes both to taste and texture so adding a sprinkle of sugar was nice enough. I have no idea why they didn't feel like waffles but again, that's probably down to not using the appliance often to be able to tell what the perfect way to use it was. As you can see from above, I did slightly overcook one waffle...
In the end, they looked like waffles and they tasted nice. Next time I'll use my brain and go for plug in appliances since they usually have a set temperature and less room to go wrong but I'll definitely get a lot of use out of this stove top one for now. BuySend.com also have a lot of baking and non-baking products (such as good value fancy dress items that I'm definitely going to check out if you want a nose). They also have a voucher code that is valid for the next 12 months - simply add BUYSEND10 at the checkout to receive 10% off all products!

Have you made waffles before?

post signature

How To Make: Different Types of Pancakes!

Hey Guys. It's nearly pancake day, and since I love different types of pancakes, and numerous toppings I thought it would be a good idea to show you my favourites, and how to make them. Both of these recipes have been adapted from the BBC Good Food website which I will link below.

Ingredients:

For Traditional Style Pancakes:

100g plain flour

2 eggs

300ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable, plus extra for frying

pinch salt

For American Style Pancakes:

135g/4¾oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

130ml/4½fl oz milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

For both recipes, I also added a drop of Vanilla Extract, but this is optional.

Here are my toppings!

How to make Traditional Pancakes:
Sieve the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing both. Once mixed, create a well in the middle. Crack your eggs into the well, and add 50ml of milk and a drop of vanilla extract in. Add 1 tbsp oil. Whisk until it is a thick paste consistency.
Add another splash of milk to loosen the batter and whisk, then add the rest of the milk. It should then look fairly runny. Leave aside while you add oil to a pan and heat the pan up, on a middle heat.
Ladle some batter into the pan and tilt it so it covers the whole area of the pan. Cook the pancake for 30 seconds - 1 minute and check the underneath. If it's golden. flip it and cook for the same time. If not, leave it until golden, then flip.
Add your toppings! My favourite is lemon juice and sugar, and lots of it.
-----------------------------

How to make American Style Pancakes:
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. In a different bowl, mix the egg, milk and vanilla extract together. Once combined, add the melted butter to the egg/milk mix.
Add the liquid mix to the flour mix. Using a whisk or fork, mix together until there are no lumps. It should be fairly thick. Then let it sit for a few minutes, while adding butter to the pan, and heating the pan up on a medium heat.
Add a ladle or two of the mixture. Once the top starts to bubble, and the bubbles begin to pop, flip the pancake. These take longer to cook that the traditional style but don't turn the pan up, otherwise they will burn. Put on a plate and serve with your favourite toppings.
The image with the cream and toffee sauce has chocolate chips inside! Add these before adding to the pan.
---------------------
Hope you liked this post! There is no nutella since we would have had to buy some since we don't currently have it in our flat (a crime against nature).

post signature