tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80633070116069838012024-03-13T16:42:55.271+00:00HALF A POT OF CREAMrecipes, restaurants, reviews...Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.comBlogger267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-23764271565899155732016-09-09T17:18:00.000+01:002016-09-09T17:24:59.522+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 30th JulyThe July Clandestine Cake Club meet for Bury St Edmunds was a bit different this month as this time we held our very first joint meet up for the three Suffolk clubs, Bury, Stowmarket and Ipswich. Stowmarket organiser Lavinia did a great job finding us an ideal location in the middle of the county and we all got together at <a href="http://www.mrallardsfarmbutchery.com/" target="_blank">Mr Allard's Farm Shop cafe</a> in Stowupland. The staff were all very welcoming and had provided us with a lovely big table at one end of the cafe, which was perfect for us.<br />
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In keeping with our venue we decided on a "Farm Fresh" theme and we had some fantastic cakes to share.<br />
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Lavinia's Carrot Cake<br />
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Amy's Lemon Verbena Cake<br />
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Diane's Adnams Spice Cake<br />
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Sarah's Aspalls Cake<br />
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Aurelie's Cherry Clafoutis<br />
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Gill's Rhubarb & Custard Cake<br />
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Helen's Gooseberry & Elderflower Cake<br />
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All in all it was a fantastic afternoon and there are already plans to organise another joint meet up at a later date. Thanks again to Mr Allard's Farm Shop for being so welcoming. For details of upcoming events in your area have a look <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-78667706931045227432016-08-05T09:09:00.001+01:002016-08-05T09:09:13.783+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 25th JuneOur June Clandestine Cake Club meeting saw us return to a previous venue, Cafe Rouge in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, and their little side room again proved to be a perfect venue for us.<br />
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The theme of this month's event was "Cheesecake Challenge" and we had some really delicious offerings to share...<br />
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My Strawberry Cheesecake<br />
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Lorraine's Rafaello Cheesecake<br />
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Lindsey's Magic Cheesecake<br />
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Rene's Mango Cheesecake<br />
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Sam's Indian Cheesecake<br />
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Thanks again to Cafe Rouge for letting us hold our event there. For details of upcoming events in your area have a look <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-28494257134044166372016-06-12T11:43:00.000+01:002016-06-12T11:43:57.996+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Monday 9th MayThis month saw our meeting moved from our regular Saturday morning slot to Monday evening so we could try out a new venue in the centre of town. The <a href="http://thelounges.co.uk/lounges/edmundo-lounge/" target="_blank">Edmundo Lounge</a> opened in Bury St Edmunds a few months ago and is a lovely spacious location that offers both food and drink for adults and families.<br />
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As the Bury St Edmunds CCC celebrated it's 4th birthday in May our theme this month was, of course, birthday cakes! Here are the lovely cakes we had to share...<br />
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Trish's Spicy Ginger & Lime Cake<br />
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Lindsay's Raspberry, Rose & Vanilla Celebration Cake<br />
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Lorraine Chocolate Hedgehog Cake<br />
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Sara's Boston Cream Pie<br />
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Amy's Great British Celebration Cake<br />
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Lynda's Seville Orange Marmalade Cake<br />
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Helen's Cookies & Cream Cake<br />
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Thanks again to the Edmundo Lounge for letting us use their lovely room for our meeting. If you want to find out more about events in your area then have a look <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-20751697250394626282016-04-29T16:20:00.000+01:002016-04-29T16:20:08.012+01:00Review - South Kiosk -Martello Park, FelixstoweLast Sunday we took a trip over to Felixstowe which, although I've lived in East Anglia for twenty year, I've somehow never managed to visit before.<br />
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Our destination that morning was the South Kiosk in Martello Park, which is a lovely, family-friendly area right next to a row of beach huts overlooking the sea. The owner Kim was celebrating two years running South Kiosk and had invited me along to see what they do.<br />
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On arriving at the South Kiosk the first thing that confronts you (other than the sizeable queue that was almost permanently present during our visit) is a very temping array of goodies. Scones, sausage rolls and a variety of cakes are laid out ready to be served.<br />
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Kim gave us a lovely selection of food and drink to sample. Top of list has to be the freshly made sausage rolls, which were delicious with plenty of sausage filling. These were gone in moments!<br />
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Luckily we still had room for the delicious Lemon and Chocolate Cakes. Both were lovely but opinion was divided on which was best - two of us were sure that the lemon was the nicest, but the other two preferred the chocolate!<br />
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This was just a small selection of the lovely array of goodies on offer. The gluten-free apricot bars looked delicious, as did the basket of golden scones and tempting layer cakes.<br />
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All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Felixstowe and we will definitely be returning to South Kiosk when we next take a trip to the coast. Thanks again to Kim for inviting me over to visit. Hopefully you'll be serving up your delicious cakes and sausage rolls for many years to come!<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-76118709812278007412016-04-11T20:01:00.000+01:002016-04-11T20:01:21.521+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 19th MarchThe March meeting of the Bury St Edmunds <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> saw us returning to one of my favourite venues, <a href="http://www.thecadogan.co.uk/index.shtml" target="_blank">The Cadogan</a> pub in Ingham, just north of the town centre. As always the staff were very welcoming and helpful and there was plenty of room for us and our cakes.<br />
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This month the theme was "Spring has Sprung" and we had a wonderful variety of cakes to choose from. Here's what we shared...<br />
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Amelia's Chocolate Loaf Cake<br />
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Amy's St Paddy's Day Baileys Cake<br />
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Lindsay's Rhubarb and Custard Cake<br />
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Sam's Cloud Cake<br />
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Hannah's Jamaican Bun Cake<br />
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Rosalyn's Chocolate Nest Cake<br />
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My Iced Lemon Curd Cake<br />
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Thanks again to The Cadogan in Ingham for letting us host another meeting there. For details of all upcoming Clandestine Cake Club events have a look <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-64769822075446068482016-03-21T18:43:00.000+00:002016-03-21T18:43:21.035+00:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 13th FebruaryOur meeting in February was unfortunately plagued by illness and even I ended up delegating my organiser responsibilities as I was too ill to attend. Nevertheless, the remaining attendees did a great job and brought five lovely cakes with them, all in keeping with the "Colourful Cakes" theme (although Valentine's Day seems to have had a bit of an influence as well!).<br />
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This month our meeting was held at <a href="http://www.oakesbarn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Oakes Barn</a>, in the centre of Bury St Edmunds, which is a regular venue for us as their upstairs room is ideal and the staff are always so welcoming.<br />
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Here are the cakes that were shared on the day...<br />
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Trish's All You Need is Love Cake<br />
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Lindsay's Union Jack Battenberg Cake<br />
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Sam's Orange Marmalade Cake<br />
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Amy's Love Heart Empire Cake<br />
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Sarah's Pink Champagne Cake<br />
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Thanks again to Oakes Barn for letting us hold our meeting there.<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-33647514097666055102016-01-04T20:31:00.002+00:002016-01-04T20:31:15.765+00:00Meal Planning Monday - 4 January 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
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It's been a long time since I joined in with Meal Planning Mondays but I'm determined to write more blog posts than I managed last year and this seems like a good place to start.<br />
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I don't think there's much in the way of Christmas food that we didn't eat over the last couple of weeks so the meal plan for the next few days includes a lot more fruit and veg and a lot less chocolate! I recently purchased Jamie Oliver's Everyday Superfood book so have included a couple of recipes from that plus I'm using it to give me inspiration for health breakfasts and snacks.</div>
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<b>Monday</b> - <i>Turkey soup with granary bread</i></div>
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<strong>Tuesday</strong> - <i>Omelette and Salad</i></div>
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<strong>Wednesday</strong> - <i>Jamie Oliver's Seared Turmeric Chicken</i></div>
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<strong>Thursday</strong> - <i>Jacket potatoes and salad</i></div>
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<b>Friday</b> - <i>Jamie Oliver's Crumbed Pesto Fish</i></div>
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<b>Saturday</b> - <i>Chicken & Leek Pie</i></div>
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<strong>Sunday</strong> - <i>Turkey Risotto</i><br />
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If you would like to submit your own meal plan or find some more inspiration then have a look at Mrs M's blog, <a href="http://www.athomewithmrsm.com/2015/01/meal-planning-monday-5th-january-2015.html" target="_blank">At Home with Mrs M</a>, and add your own link. You can also find us on Facebook and on Twitter using #mealplanningmonday.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-1596961322970834022015-11-30T21:14:00.001+00:002015-12-01T22:08:33.151+00:00A Parcel of Christmas Goodies from DotComGiftShopA few weeks ago I was delighted to find out that I had been included in <a href="http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DotComGiftShop's</a> list of <a href="http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/blog/25-brilliant-baking-blogs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">25 Brilliant Baking Blogs</a>. It's always lovely to hear that my blog has been noticed, especially as I haven't had the chance to add to it as much as I'd like recently.<br />
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Then, few days later, I received another email offering me one of their lovely recipe tins <i>and</i> a £30 voucher to spend on their website!<br />
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First to arrive was the recipe tin which is ideal for storing all of those random recipes you accumulate over the years and would make a lovely gift for someone. Or I might just keep it for myself!<br />
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After much deliberation I eventually managed to choose some goodies from the website. It was a tough decision though as there are so many lovely things to choose from, including some real bargains in the sale section. In the end I stuck to a seasonal theme and choose a lovely selection of things to help get the Christmas season off to a good start.<br />
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I chose...<br />
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A cute gingham print tea tray<br />
A box of Christmas lights that will look perfect over the fireplace<br />
A roll of red and white twine that will save us from untangling (again) the years-old card-hanging string we've put up with for years<br />
A reel of ribbon to decorate the Christmas cake<br />
A fold-out decoration<br />
A mistletoe heart decoration<br />
Two packs of gift labels<br />
Two colourful pens for E&T's stockings (not in the photo)<br />
And finally, a pack of paper chains to decorate the house with<br />
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A great selection I'm sure you'll agree. I should also mention that the parcel came well wrapped and was delivered promptly, less than an a week after I placed the order.<br />
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A big thanks to DotComGiftShop for the voucher. I'm really pleased with my Christmassy parcel and I'm sure I'll be visiting the website again in the future.<br />
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Disclaimer: I was kindly sent the recipe tin and voucher as a gift from DotComGiftShop and wasn't under any obligation to write about what I received.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-43645696418668181042015-11-29T13:31:00.001+00:002015-11-29T13:31:30.985+00:00Nigella's Not-Just-For-Vegans Vegan Chocolate CakeIn a recent episode of her new series Nigella shared a recipe for her "Dark and Sumptuous Chocolate Cake" that she says "might just be one of the best chocolate cakes you have ever eaten". There's a challenge if ever there was one. Better than her Chocolate Marmalade Cake? Better than a Chocolate Guinness Cake? And vegan?? Hmmm.<br />
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I'm always up for a challenge though when it comes to sampling chocolate cakes so, for the benefit of anyone who happens to read this, I thought I'd give it a try.<br />
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Vegan, of course, means no butter and no eggs (or any other animal product of course). Instead the recipe calls for coconut oil and coconut butter. Luckily I already had some coconut oil and managed to find coconut butter in my local Holland and Barrett. Beware though, this stuff is not cheap. A 250g jar is over £7 but luckily I had a 20% of voucher to soften the blow a little. Add to that 150g of dark chocolate and you have a pretty costly cake.<br />
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So was it worth it?<br />
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In short, yes! Seriously, this is a pretty amazing cake. The cake itself is dark and moist but still light with just the vaguest hint of coconut in the background (but don't let that put you off if you're not a fan). Ultimately though, this cake is <i>all</i> about the icing. Obviously the fact that it contains 150g of dark chocolate is a big help and this, combined with coconut butter, sugar and instant espresso power, made for something pretty special. Overall it has a very dark, rich chocolatey flavour so if you like your chocolate cakes more on the sweet side then this may not be for you but it was a big winner for me.<br />
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You can find the recipe on Nigella's website <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/dark-and-sumptuous-chocolate-cake" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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For the record...<br />
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* The expensive coconut oil and butter can be substituted for 90ml of any vegetable oil and regular butter or margarine.<br />
* I was concerned that my cake tin wouldn't be watertight enough for the running mix so decided to line it with foil before greasing and lining the base with parchment. This worked just fine.<br />
* It took around 15 minutes longer than the recommended time for mine to cook through to the centre.<br />
*My icing was not very runny by the time the cake was cool enough but it was still spreadable so didn't cause me any problems.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-13072560428897558792015-11-14T16:57:00.002+00:002015-11-14T16:57:59.010+00:00Lorraine Pascal's Twister BreadI came across this recipe in Lorraine Pascal's book. I was planning to make the Broccoli and Stilton soup from the same book and this bread looked it would make the ideal companion.<br />
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Making bread can be very rewarding and I find that, if I follow the instructions, I generally end up with something pretty reasonable. Even a less-than-perfect, slightly-too-dense loaf tastes pretty good warm from the oven and slathered with butter.<br />
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I was really pleased with the way this one turned out though. I particularly liked this recipe as it only needs one rise and that only took around 30 minutes so you don't have to wait hours for the final result or spend too much time going to and from the kitchen to see how things are going. The end result looked quite impressive and tasted lovely. It went really well with the soup too.<br />
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You can find the recipe on the BBC website <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/twister_bread_10942" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-67767828572635177282015-10-24T15:17:00.000+01:002015-10-24T15:17:34.112+01:00Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 17th October 2015This month the Bury St Edmunds branch of the <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> returned to a previous venue - the <a href="http://www.horringersixbells.co.uk/" target="_blank">Six Bells</a> in Horringer, just a short drive south of the town centre.<br />
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The Six Bells is a lovely spot for lunch or dinner and are always very welcoming to us. This time we had a lovely big table in the conservatory at the rear of the restaurant which was a perfect spot for us and our cakes.<br />
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This time our meeting was a little bit different as we were celebrating the release of the second CCC book, A Year of Cake, so in addition to our usual cake sharing activities we also had a bit of party-style fun with some extra decorations and games.<br />
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The publishers of the book, Quercus, kindly sent me a bag full of goodies so we were able to decorate the room with bunting and balloons, plus we had some CCC paper plates and napkins for our cakes.<br />
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I also organised a couple of games (with one lucky person winning a copy of A Year of Cake!)...<br />
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...and everyone brought along a small prize for the lucky dip!<br />
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And then, of course, we had lots of cake!<br />
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Kate's Apple & Blackberry Harvest Cake<br />
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Rene's Apple & Cinnamon Cake<br />
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Helen F's Caramel Pecan Brittle Swiss Roll<br />
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Anne's Chocolate Orange Halloween Cake<br />
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Anne's granddaughter Gracie's Battenberg Cake<br />
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Mel's Chocolate Surprise Cake (We all tried and failed to guess the surprise ingredient. Mel eventually revealed that it was made with a can of tomato soup! It made for a delicious and incredibly moist cake)<br />
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Amy's Zesty Lemon Celebration Cake<br />
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My Opera Cake (from A Year of Cake)<br />
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Thanks again to the Six Bells for letting us use their space again. For details of Clandestine Cake Club events near you have a look <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-64304170852217838312015-08-15T19:22:00.002+01:002015-08-15T19:22:48.919+01:00Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream CakeThis is one of those cakes that I tend to put in the category "plain cakes" which sounds a bit negative and unexciting but really isn't. It's just one of those simple cakes that are very easy to put together but even easier to eat. No layers, no icing, no decoration, just a straightforward one-tin bake.<br />
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I found the recipe when searching for inspiration for some leftover sour cream and discovered it in one of my Books for Cooks recipe books (compilations of recipes from the shop of the same name).<br />
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The cake itself is just a plain sponge, although sour cream is added to the usual ingredients, but the cake is well and truly brought to life by the layers of chocolatey, cinnamony nuts and raisins in the middle. No one flavour stands out; instead you have a lovely hint of the various ingredients mixed up in the slightly crunchy, slightly chewy layers. This is the sort of cake that is as perfect after dinner with ice cream as it is as an afternoon treat. P, who isn't keen on anything too sweet, really liked this one.<br />
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<b>Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Cake</b><br />
(<i>adapted from Books for Cooks Favourite Recipes 7, 8 & 9</i>)<br />
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<i>For the mix</i><br />
100g/3 1/2 oz walnuts or pecans<br />
4 tbsp raisins<br />
1tbsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />
175g/6oz dark brown sugar<br />
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<i>For the cake</i><br />
250g/8oz plain flour<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
salt<br />
125g/4oz butter, softened<br />
225g/7 1/2 oz caster sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
3 large eggs<br />
250ml/8 fl oz sour cream<br />
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1) Heat the oven to 180c/350f. Grease and line a 24cm/9 inch cake tin.<br />
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2) To make the spice mix, put the nuts and raisins in a blender and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cinnamon, cocoa and sugar.<br />
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3) Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each one.<br />
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4) Add one third of the flour to the mix and fold in then add and fold in one third of the sour cream. Alternate with the remaining ingredients until all mixed in.<br />
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5) Spread one third of the cake mix over the bottom of the cake tin then sprinkle with half the spice mix. Carefully add another third of the cake mix by dropping spoonfuls over the spice mix and carefully spreading it with the back of a spoon. Repeat with the remaining cake and spice mix, ending with a later of cake. Rap the tin on a hard surface a few times to remove any air bubbles.<br />
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6) Bake for 1 hour or until the cake has begun to come away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before turning out.<br />
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Serves 8<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-18282487695277153732015-08-06T14:30:00.000+01:002015-08-06T14:30:59.159+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 25th JulyThis month we returned to <a href="http://www.thecadogan.co.uk/index.shtml" target="_blank">The Cadogan Arms</a> in Ingham, just outside Bury St Edmunds, for our July <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> meet. As ever it was a great venue for us and the staff were very helpful and welcoming.<br />
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Our theme this month was "A Taste of Summer" and we had some really delicious cakes to share...<br />
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Hannah's Strawberry Sponge Cake<br />
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Sophie's Lemon Meringue Cake<br />
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Amy's Honey Cake<br />
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Kate's Pimms Cake<br />
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Sara's Persian Love Cake<br />
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Trish's Lemon Layer Cake<br />
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Rene's White Chocolate & Raspberry Cake<br />
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My Dark & Stormy Cake<br />
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Thanks again to The Cadogan for for being such great hosts. For details of events near you have a look at the website <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/upcomingevents/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-12776532138556659602015-06-25T17:31:00.000+01:002015-06-25T17:31:27.430+01:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 6th JuneThis month the Bury St Edmunds <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> returned to the cosy surroundings of <a href="http://www.oakesbarn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Oakes Barn</a> in the centre of town. Their function room tucked away upstairs under the eves is the perfect setting for us.<br />
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This month the theme was Nigella vs Mary vs Delia with members invited to bring any cake by one of those three national baking treasures. Each of them were represented in our selection of cakes but in the end Mary was the winner with four of her cakes on the table, closely followed by Nigella with three and Delia coming in last with just one.<br />
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Here's what we had to share...<br />
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Sophie - Nigella's Honey Cake<br />
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Chrissi - Mary Berry's Chocolate/Orange Cake<br />
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Lynda - Mary Berry's Tiramisu Cake<br />
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Kate - Mary Berry's Coffee & Vanilla Layer Cake<br />
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Megan - Mary Berry's Sacher Torte<br />
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Sara - Delia's Iced Lemon Layer Cake<br />
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Katherine - Nigella's Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake<br />
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Me - Nigella's Chocolate Malteser Cake<br />
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Thanks again to the staff at Oakes Barn for being so helpful and welcoming. For details of upcoming events have a look at the website <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/upcomingevents/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-77191931762656636602015-04-28T19:59:00.000+01:002015-04-28T19:59:09.123+01:00Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 18th April 2015A couple of weeks ago the Bury St Edmunds <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> returned to a great venue just a short distance from the centre of town. <a href="http://www.horringersixbells.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Six Bells</a> can be found in Horringer, just a short distance from the gates of Ickworth Park and is a fantastic place for lunch or dinner (their £10 lunch offer is an absolute bargain considering the quality of the food).<br />
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This visit was all about cake though and as well as the venue, I'd kept the theme a secret until just a few days before the event. This time, members were asked to bake a cake using just ingredients they had in their cupboards, so no choosing a recipe and then stocking up like usual! I made sure I kept to the brief as well and it was actually quite fun digging around in the cupboards and then searching for a recipe that fitted the bill.<br />
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There was just a small group of us this time but everyone did very well and we had a lovely selection of cakes to choose from...<br />
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Chrissi's Apple Crumble Cake<br />
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Hannah & Ian's Banana Loaf Cake<br />
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Sophie's Lime and Coconut Cake<br />
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My Ginger Syrup Cake<br />
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And finally, Trish's lovely Banana Caramel Cake which, even though there were only five cakes, I somehow managed not to get a photo of! Sorry Trish!<br />
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Thanks again to the Six Bells for being such great hosts as always.<br />
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If you like to find out about the next Clandestine Cake Club event in your area then take a look <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/upcomingevents/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-60688247071105795122015-03-08T16:21:00.001+00:002015-03-08T16:29:31.148+00:00Clandestine Cake Club - Saturday 7th March 2015This month we returned to a favourite venue of the Bury St Edmunds <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a>, <a href="http://www.oldcannonbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Old Cannon Brewery</a> which you can find tucked away down a side street in the centre of town. As before, their snug at the rear of the restaurant was a perfect spot for us.<br />
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Our theme this month was "Cakes around the World" and, as always, we had a fabulous selection to choose from...<br />
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Lynda's Amaretto Cream Cake<br />
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Rene's German Bienenstich "Bee Sting Cake", a dense, sticky cake made with almonds and lots of honey.<br />
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Christina's Piernik Cake from Poland<br />
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I've again managed to miss one of our cakes when taking photos. This particular one was a delicious cake flavoured with spices and honey, sandwiched together with plum jam and covered in chocolate. Lovely!<br />
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Sophie's Boston Cream Pie<br />
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Kate's Grapefruit & Poppy Seed Cake<br />
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Amelia's Cookies & Cream Cake<br />
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My German Friendship Cake made with apples and raisins<br />
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Chrissie's beautiful French Entremet (pronounced on-tre-may), made with layers of chocolate cake, mousse and pears.<br />
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Trish's Lime & Coconut Cake<br />
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Thanks again to the The Old Cannon Brewery. For more details of upcoming Clandestine Cake Club events have a look <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/upcomingevents/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-19521687469675424862015-02-28T20:06:00.003+00:002015-08-06T14:34:31.910+01:00Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring PeasWell look at that, a recipe that actually does use half a pot of cream!<br />
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I found myself with some leftover cream this week so turned to my blog first of all for some inspiration, however there was none to be found! Shameful considering it's name! I've posted about plenty of sweet recipes calling for cream but I was looking for something savoury. Ideally something that could be used to feed the whole family.<br />
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Luckily Jamie O came to the rescue with this recipe which turned out to b exactly what I was after. It uses precisely the amount of cream I had left in the fridge and I had pretty much everything else to hand in the fridge and freezer.<br />
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As with most of Jamie's recipes, the portion sizes are generous so I cooked a little less pasta than the 455g stated in the recipe. It still seemed a like lot but luckily it went down very well and by the end of the meal it had all been demolished.<br />
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The original recipe includes some freshly chopped mint, however I didn't have any in the house and I'm not that keen on it anyway. I didn't feel like the recipe was lacking without but you might want to give it a try if you like fresh mint.<br />
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All in all this was a great success. It was very easy to prepare and the simple creamy pasta mixed with salty bacon was a hit with the whole family.<br />
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<b>Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas</b><br />
(<i>adapted from Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver</i>)<br />
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14-16oz/400-455g farfalle pasta<br />
1 egg<br />
100ml/3 1/2 fl oz double cream<br />
salt and pepper<br />
12 rashers of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, roughly sliced<br />
3 handfuls of fresh podded or frozen peas<br />
2 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />
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1) Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.<br />
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2) Fry the bacon in a large frying pan until golden and crispy<br />
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3) Whisk the egg, double cream and some salt and pepper in a bowl.<br />
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4) When the pasta is nearly cooked, add the peas for the last couple of minutes.<br />
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5) When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cupful of the cooking water then drain in a colander and add to the bacon pan.<br />
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6) Add the egg and cream mix to the pasta and stir well to combine. Add the parmesan and check for seasoning. If the sauce seems a little dry add some of the reserved pasta water.<br />
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Serves 4<br />
<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-28812968698353464212015-02-06T20:27:00.000+00:002015-02-06T20:27:00.810+00:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - 31st January 2015This month's <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> saw us meeting at another new and wonderful venue in the heart of Bury St Edmunds. <a href="http://www.oakesbarn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Oakes Barn</a> is a fairly recent addition to the town and can be found tucked away down St Andrews Street South. Wooden beams and floors, and brick walls give it a cosy feel and their upstairs room is a perfect meeting place for local groups.<br />
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So this is where we found ourselves last Saturday, with a fantastic array of cakes based on the theme "Out with the old...in with the new". In keeping with the New Year (which feels like months ago now) we had to bake a cake using something new, such as a new recipe or new ingredient.<br />
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Let's have a look a what we had to choose from....<br />
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My Coffee & Walnut Cake<br />
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Rene's Lemon Polenta Cake<br />
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Nicola & Ed's Dundee Cake<br />
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Nicola & Ed's Blood Orange Pound Cake<br />
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Chrissi's White Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake<br />
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Helen's Fruity Tea Loaf<br />
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Sophie's Fudgy Raspberry Cake<br />
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Kate's Cherry & Pistachio Cake</div>
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Megan's Jaffa Cake<br />
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Thanks again to Oakes Barn for being such great hosts. For more information about Clandestine Cake Club events near you have a look <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/upcomingevents/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-65862119398037322522015-01-26T17:00:00.003+00:002015-01-26T17:00:47.625+00:00Meal Planning Monday - 26 January 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
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I can't believe we're nearly at the end of January already! I didn't get a chance to post my meal plan last week and, to be honest, it wasn't that exciting anyway. This week, though, I have a two new recipes to try plus a couple of old favourites. The meet for the Bury St Edmunds <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">Clandestine Cake Club</a> is also scheduled for Saturday which gives me a good excuse to bake a cake!</div>
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So, this week's menu looks like this...</div>
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<b>Monday</b> - <i>Nigella's Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Potato Wedges & Salad</i></div>
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<strong>Tuesday</strong> - <i>Broccoli & Blue Cheese Soup with bread from the bread maker</i></div>
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<strong>Wednesday</strong> - <i>Quiche (not home made) & salad</i><br />
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<strong>Thursday</strong> - <i>Tomato Curry with Coconut Rice</i></div>
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<b>Friday</b> - <i>Something from my stash of M&S meals in the freezer & veg</i></div>
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<b>Saturday</b> <i>- Coffee & Walnut Cake for the Clandestine Cake Club</i><br />
<i> Dinner for P's mum which he will be cooking!</i></div>
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<strong>Sunday</strong> -<i> <a href="http://halfapotofcream.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/pastitsio-lamb-moussaka-with-feta.html" target="_blank">Pastitsio</a></i><br />
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If you would like to submit your own meal plan or find some more inspiration then have a look at Mrs M's blog, <a href="http://www.athomewithmrsm.com/2015/01/meal-planning-monday-5th-january-2015.html" target="_blank">At Home with Mrs M</a>, and add your own link. You can also find us on Facebook and on Twitter using #mealplanningmonday.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-88851259561453042202015-01-11T13:40:00.000+00:002015-01-11T13:40:10.963+00:00Chocolate Mousse TartThe book I found this recipe in advises "The only chocolate tart. This you must make".Well ok then, you don't have to tell me twice. And the truth is, this is the best advice you'll have been given for a while.<br />
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I love a chocolate tart and it will often be my first choice off the menu. They can be extremely rich though and not something you can eat much of. This one, however, has all the chocolatey depth and richness but at the same time it's as light as a feather and is, in my humble opinion, pretty close to perfection.<br />
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No it's not a super simple recipe but with a bit of patience it shouldn't cause you too many problems. Adding the egg yolk to the pastry makes it very easy to work with and the tip below about using leftover scraps to fill any cracks is worth remembering. The filling is also pretty easy as long as you're prepared to be a little patient when whisking up the eggs.<br />
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In short, this is a dinner party classic and any effort put in is more than rewarded at the other end.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Mousse Tart</b><br />
(<i>from Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken & Other Stories but also published in Books for Cooks Favourite Recipes from Books 1, 2 & 3</i>)<br />
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<i>for the pastry case</i><br />
175g/6oz plain flour<br />
45g/1 1/2oz sifted icing sugar<br />
a good pinch of salt<br />
90g/30z very cold butter, cubed<br />
1 organic egg yolk plus 1 tbsp cold water<br />
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<i>for the filling</i><br />
150g/5oz butter<br />
200g/7oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces<br />
3 organic egg yolks<br />
2 organic eggs<br />
3 tbsp caster sugar<br />
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1) Lightly butter a 24cm/9 1/2inch tart tin and put it into the fridge to chill.<br />
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2) Put the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to aerate. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and water (if necessary) and process until the pastry just draws together. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly to form a flat round.<br />
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3) Unless it's a very hot day you can roll the pastry out straightaway without chilling it first. Line the chilled tin, trim the pastry (although leave a centimetre or two above the rim as it will shrink - you can trim it some more later) and put into the fridge to rest for at least an hour (I left mine overnight with no adverse effects). Do not through any leftover pastry away, but wrap it in some cling film for later (see below).<br />
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4) Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 190c/375f). Line the chilled pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and paper and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is a light biscuit brown. Any cracks can be filled with your spare pastry - the residual heat will cook it.<br />
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5) For the filling, melt the butter and chocolate together either in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave to cool slightly.<br />
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6) Whisk the egg yolks, eggs and sugar until very thick and pale (this is the key to this dish - using a hand mixer I did this for at least 10 minutes). Pour the melted chocolate mixture on to the egg mixture and fold together until well mixed.<br />
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7) Pour into the pastry case and bake in the oven for 8 minutes when the tart filling will look just set but still a little wobbly. Leave to cool completely before trying to cut it. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar and serve with fromage frais, creme fraiche, cream or ice cream.<br />
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Serves 6-8<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-7476121674160370662015-01-05T10:43:00.000+00:002015-01-05T10:43:14.357+00:00Meal Planning Monday - 5 January 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
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After a long and very lazy couple of weeks off over Christmas I'm now dragging myself back to reality and that means getting back to meal planning. I haven't taken part in Meal Planning Monday for months and months but with only half an idea of what we're going to eat this week, I thought this would be a good way to get motivated.</div>
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After an entirely no-holds-barred attitude to food over Christmas any meal planning in January will require a little bit of restraint. A bit of a New Year cliche I know, but less emphasis on chocolate and more on fruit and veg can only be a good thing. So here's what I have in mind...</div>
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<b>Monday</b> - <i>Pasta Bolognese</i></div>
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<strong>Tuesday</strong> - <i>Fish Cakes with Rice and Veg</i></div>
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<strong>Wednesday</strong> - <i>Spicy Bean Burgers with Sweetcorn Couscous</i></div>
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<strong>Thursday</strong> - <i><a href="http://halfapotofcream.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/nigellas-curly-pasta-with-feta-spinach.html" target="_blank">Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach and Pine Nuts</a></i></div>
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<b>Friday</b> - <i>Fish & Prawn Lasagne & Chocolate Tart (cooking for friends)</i></div>
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<b>Saturday</b> - <i>Undecided but maybe some sort of stir fry</i></div>
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<strong>Sunday</strong> -<i> <a href="http://halfapotofcream.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/lamb-tagine-with-red-onion-pomegranate.html" target="_blank">Lamb Tagine with Couscous & Mincemeat Sponge Pudding (cooking for family)</a></i><br />
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If you would like to submit your own meal plan or find some more inspiration then have a look at Mrs M's blog, <a href="http://www.athomewithmrsm.com/2015/01/meal-planning-monday-5th-january-2015.html" target="_blank">At Home with Mrs M</a>, and add your own link. You can also find us on Facebook and on Twitter using #mealplanningmonday.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-31967195492607223212014-12-08T20:31:00.001+00:002014-12-08T20:31:16.706+00:00Bury St Edmunds Clandestine Cake Club - 6th December 2014This month the Bury St Edmunds branch of the Clandestine Cake Club returned to a previous venue - the very welcoming <a href="http://www.horringersixbells.co.uk/#" target="_blank">Six Bells</a>. The Six Bells is located in the pretty village of Horringer, just a short distance south of Bury St Edmunds and has a well-deserved reputation for serving good quality local food.<br />
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This time we were given a lovely big table in the sunny conservatory which was perfect space for us and our many cakes.<br />
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This month the theme was Fun, Festive and Fabulous and attendees were invited to bring a cake with a little extra something to get us all in the mood for the festive season. All the cakes really were fabulous as you can see below...<br />
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Trish's Orange, Fig and Pecan Cake<br />
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Hannah and Ian's Gingerbread Cake with Orange frosting<br />
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Lynda's Christmas Honey Cake<br />
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Ruth's Gingerbread Bouche Noel<br />
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Sophie's Christmas Fruit Cake<br />
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Nicola's Apple Pavlova<br />
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Ed's Carrot Cake with Lime Mascarpone Frosting<br />
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Megan's Christmas Pudding Cake with Mulled Wine Icing<br />
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Siobhan's Chocolate, Orange and Cranberry Cake<br />
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My Peppermint Chocolate Cake<br />
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Huge thanks again to the Six Bells for being so helpful and welcoming. For more details of the Clandestine Cake Club and to find upcoming events have a look <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-19457832555399048232014-11-16T14:49:00.000+00:002014-11-16T14:49:03.319+00:00Toffee Apple Waffle PuddingWell, this one had me at hello.<br />
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The recipe popped up in an email from Tesco containing a variety of ideas for autumn and Halloween but I only had eyes for this one. It was destiny.<br />
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There's not really much else I can say except for goodness sake make this as soon as feasibly possible. You can find the recipe <a href="http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/toffee-apple-waffle-pudding.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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It all came together pretty easily but I would add the following:<br />
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* Don't worry if you don't have a dish that can be used on the hob and in the oven. I just cooked the apples in a large frying pan and then transferred them to an ovenproof dish.<br />
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* The caramel sauce didn't bubble up when I added the cream like the recipe said it should. I just turned up the heat and let the sauce bubble for a bit to reduce it and it turned out fine.<br />
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* I halved the recipe but found I didn't have enough of the egg/milk/cream mixture so ended up using almost the amount specified for 8 portions. If I ever make it for 8 I'll have extra cream to hand just in case.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-8251514567156309412014-10-13T21:37:00.002+01:002015-01-05T10:35:58.519+00:00Nigella's Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach & Pine NutsI love a simple pasta recipe (don't we all) and this is another successful addition to my weeknight easy dinners rota. When I first came across it in Nigella Kitchen I wasn't sure what to expect and wasn't convinced it was a dish that would have a huge amount of flavour. I'm pleased to report that I was most definitely wrong on that score and it's certainly a recipe worth trying.<br />
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The big plus is that I almost always have all of the ingredients to hand so it doesn't require much in the way of forward planning. The allspice might seem a bit of an unusual addition and it does smell quite strong when you add it to the pan, however by the time the dish is ready that strength disappears and you're just left with a savoury hint in the background.<br />
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As I've halved the original recipe you only need to use half a pack of feta. If you don't have any plans for the rest of it then Jamie Oliver's Greek Chicken or Jo Pratt's Bulgar Wheat Salad are two fetatastic recipes. You can find them <a href="http://halfapotofcream.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Feta" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach & Pine Nuts</b><br />
(<i>adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson</i>)<br />
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25g pine nuts<br />
1 tablespoon garlic oil<br />
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced (tip - chop up the rest, wrap in cling film and keep it in the freezer for another time. You can fry it straight from the freezer)<br />
250g curly pasta or other short pasta of your choice<br />
1/8 teaspoon allspice<br />
250g frozen spinach<br />
100g feta cheese, crumbled<br />
2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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1) Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta<br />
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2) Toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry pan (you can use the same one for the sauce later) until golden, then remove to a cold plate<br />
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3) Heat the garlic oil in the pan and add the onion slices (<i>although if you've just used the pan for the pine nuts you might want to leave it to cool down a bit first to avoid burning the onions</i>). Cook on a lowish heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. If they look like they're getting too brown, sprinkle with a little salt to help draw out the water and slow down browning.<br />
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4) When the water comes to the boil, add salt and the pasta.<br />
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5) When the onion is ready add the allspice. Then add the frozen spinach. Keep stirring to help the spinach melt consistently.<br />
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6) Just before you drain the pasta, scoop out a small cupful of the cooking water and add to the spinach sauce.<br />
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7) Crumble the feta into the spinach sauce, stirring as the feta gradually melts. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of the parmesan and the taste to see if you need to add any more (<i>unless, like me, you follow the can't-have-too-much-parmesan school of though, in which case you'll probably just throw it all in at once. And then add some more</i>).<br />
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8) Drain the pasta and toss into the feta spinach sauce to mix, the season to taste. Add the pine nuts and mix through.<br />
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Serves 2 (<i>this is half of the original recipe which was supposed to serve 6 so I guess you could split it between 3 of you. If you really wanted to. We didn't</i>)Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063307011606983801.post-43042070961759802372014-09-14T19:38:00.000+01:002014-09-14T19:38:28.256+01:00Clandestine Cake Club - Bury St Edmunds - 13th September 2014This month's event was held at location we had visited last year, <a href="http://www.thecadogan.co.uk/index.shtml" target="_blank">The Cadogan Arms</a> in Ingham, just outside Bury St Edmunds. As before they were very welcoming and helpful and it proved once again to be a great venue for us.<br />
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The theme this month was "Anything Goes" which was as simple as it sounds - members were free to bring any cake they liked. We had a lovely selection of cakes to choose from although by chance most of us had chosen cakes with some sort of cream cheese icing. Nevertheless they were all delicious, even though several of us had experienced some sort of technical hitch in the process of making them!<br />
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Here's what we had to choose from...<br />
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Trish's Carrot Cake<br />
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Amelia's Chocolate Guiness Cake<br />
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My Cocoa Courgette Cake<br />
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Rene's Lemon Cake<br />
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Hannah's Red Velvet Cake<br />
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Ian's Chocolate Fudge Cake<br />
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Charlotte's Courgette & Lime Cake<br />
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Thanks again to <a href="http://www.thecadogan.co.uk/index.shtml" target="_blank">The Cadogan</a> for letting us hold our meeting there. For more information about the Clandestine Cake Club and details of our next event have a look at the website <a href="http://www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887382443299794623noreply@blogger.com0