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Apr 29

My #Bestever Chocolate Cake Recipe

its been a while right?

Since I posted my last ‘best ever’ recipe

But I have a good excuse, I’ve been neck deep in assignments for university, stretching and bending my mind in shapes I didn’t even know existed and it took me away, albeit temporarily, from my quest for the ‘best ever’ recipes

This is an oldie but a goodie – its my fall back – always incredible ultimate chocolate cake and best of all its Gluten free – now I’m not a coeliac but I have a couple of friends that are so my repertoire of gluten free goodies is growing daily – in fact on my Place2be course everything I made was gluten free so that really tested my boundaries of baking.

This recipe came into my life about 3/4 years ago with the advent of Willie Harcourt-Cooze & his cacao.

This is his recipe for Chocolate Cloud Cake – now I know that Nigella does a cloud cake that my friend Vickie swears by, but for it me it doesn’t stand up next to Willie’s, its such a show stopper for those who fancy a chocolate fix, and frankly if you don’t much fancy a chocolate fix then I cant be your friend anymore

Willie’s Cloud Forest Chocolate Cake (Serves 12)- its uber rich

Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan).

180g cacao or really high%age chocolate

250g of unsalted butter

6 eggs

50g light muscovado sugar

125g golden caster sugar

100g ground almonds

Icing top

250ml of double cream

75g golden caster sugar

90g cacao grated/chopped

Raspberries & strawberries chopped (optional)

Line a 25cm springform cake tin with baking paper.

For the cake, melt 180g cacao, finely grated/chopped, and 250g unsalted butter by placing them in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, beat six eggs with 50g light muscovado and 125g golden caster sugar until pale and doubled in volume.

Stir the cacao mixture into the eggs.

Fold in 100g ground almonds, then tip the cake mix into the prepared tin.

Bake for 35min, or until slightly but evenly risen all over and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

Prepare the icing by gently heating 250ml double cream and 75g golden caster sugar until almost boiling.

Remove from the heat then stir in 90g finely grated cacao until it has melted.

Leave to cool then spread over the cake

Now I like it to have a twist so pile the centre with raspberries and strawberries, as a contrast to the chocolate overload – its LUSH

Do you have a favourite ‘go to’ chocolate cake recipe – spill it here if you do!

photo credit

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Posted in 'Best Ever' Recipes alysonsblog best ever chocolate cake best ever chocolate cake recipe best ever recipe chocolate cake gluten free willies cloud cake

Mar 23

Check Out The Ralph Lauren Childrenswear RL Gang Range & Colouring Book Giveaway

I was so excited to receive an email involving the words Ralph Lauren and think I might have actually held my breath while I looked over it

An opportunity to see the Ralph Lauren RL Gang Childrenswear you say? And a couple of completely delightful colouring books to giveaway? Well I think that’s something that I would love to help with

So take a look at this uber cute movie from the RL Gang and check out the utterly divine floral, tailored and preppy range this season, I can think of a couple of little girls not a million miles away who would look completely darling in this stuff.

So this season, Ralph Lauren celebrates the personal style of each of our RL Gang characters. Sporty looks are updated with graphic logos, bold stripes and cool patches, while floral dresses, tailored pieces and refined preppy icons capture the soft palette of spring for all the season’s memorable occasions.

Now I don’t have any boys but I just know that this all American sporty look would be EXACTLY what I would be going for – so jealous!

Hudson wears the coolest fits in denim and preppy yet downtown apparel in boyish shades of tan and blue.

Jasper, our athlete, prefers bold-striped polos, big pony emblems and athletic hoodies in an all-American palette.

Oliver, our little prepster, mixes tailored pieces with preppy classics for school days and celebrations.

Mae is classic preppy all the way, with polo dresses, cricket sweaters and seersucker jackets updated with girly accents. <<<This has just got Funny Miss written ALL OVER IT

Willow’s chic bohemian style features patched jeans, wild watercolour florals and elegant separates in soft pink. <<<<<This one is so Funny Miss too

Zoe, our rocker girl, sports striking embroidery, laid-back fits and a cool palette of navy and tan. <<<<I can totally imagine Little Miss in this on the boat this Summer

And the best bit is you can get hold of a copy of the simply adorable RL Gang colouring book & crayons – I have 2 to giveaway and then once they are coloured in, it can be returned to any of the RL Kids stores in London, where you can fill out a special card to enter a prize draw for the chance to win a special RL Gang Pashley Pickle Tricycle! Uber trendy!

To enter you just need to comment and on Wednesday 28th March at 7pm – I’m going to let Funny Miss pick the winner out of a hat!

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Posted in March 2012 alysonsblog Childreswear Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren competition Ralph Lauren RL Gang RL Gang

Feb 24

Love Incredible Food? Live in Lancashire?

I’m going to let you in on a secret

In a tiny picturesque village in Lancashire, down a lane you would never find unless you were looking, lies the very epicenter of our gastronomic universe, its an unassuming looking place – but don’t let that fool you – this is the home of truly INCREDIBLE food, and no that’s no exaggeration.

Its fair to say that since we found the Freemasons, its become our very favourite place to eat, and it remains our first choice of a vast array of pretty amazing local eating places.

We are pretty spoilt for good food in East Lanc’s, we have Michelin stars and gastropub’s a plenty, but a dinner at the Freemasons hits just the right mark

The jaw dropping food, partnered with the non pretentious impeccable service, in a elegant country pub setting really is a complete gem.

The chef/patron, Steven Smith, has already achieved his Michelin Bib Gourmand – and will easily be in line for his first Michelin star in no time at all, and it will be very well deserved. His innovative use of seasonal produce, attention to detail and delivery tells a mind blowing story on every plate. When you talk to him, his enthusiasm and passion for food just exudes through.

Its an experience, its not just dinner

You order something and have an idea in your head what might be coming, but in the Freemasons there is always a twist, something that gives your meal a wow factor that even after years of going never goes away.

The menu changes regularly to encompass changing seasons and produce, offering special Chippy nights and the ever popular Sunday Roast. Its a joy it really is

Whilst the Freemasons menu is Michelin worthy his prices are not, its always a pleasant surprise to see amazing food for little more than you would pay for something entirely average elsewhere

So I’m hooked, can you tell? If you are planning a night out and wanting to treat someone special to a full on dining experience then there really is no other choice as far as I am concerned – take a chance on the Freemasons – its one find that you will return to again and again

I can’t believe I am sharing our little haven with you – but you know – I kinda like you guys so see you there for dinner sometime?

But if I ever cant get in because I posted this here – trust me – this post is coming back off again!

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Posted in February 2012 alysonsblog freemasons freemasons wiswell Steven Smith

Feb 19

I’m on a quest to find the Best Ever Chocolate Brownie

in fact I’m on a quest to find the ‘best ever recipe’ for pretty much everything

Am I alone in the majority of my food googling starting with the infamous phrase ‘best ever…… recipe’?

Whether is be savoury or sweet it seems I have stepped up my cooking and baking to now only take onboard the ‘best ever’ I just don’t want to waste my time on so-so average recipes anymore – time is precious, bellies need to be filled, lets make the stuff great

But whats ‘best ever’ for google, I have discovered, is most certainly NOT always ‘best ever’ for me in many cases, so I’m going to share this journey and see if between us we cant define a ‘best ever’ set of recipes that are tried and tested right here and in your homes, with honest criticism, and better still full bellies

As well as google I’m also entranced by P’Interest and the visual appeal of the finished product and I’m finding it a superb source of recipes at the moment, if you want to follow me you can click here, or if you just want to follow my food board then its right here too and here is my new ‘Best Ever’ board. I will be sharing where I found these recipes and crediting them too

I’m no expert, lets make this clear, but I’m an eager enthusiast, and now I’m armed with my new man Ken, I’m ready to kick some serious cooking and baking ass

So I’m going to kick this off with a tried and tested ‘Best Ever’ and its from the Guardian which happens to be a pretty reliable source of ‘best ever’s’ I must confess – I can spend hours trailing through their food pages on the web and I highly recommend it. So here is MY Best Ever Chocolate Brownie Recipe – courtesy of the Guardian

Best Ever Chocolate Brownie Recipe – courtesy of the Guardian

250g 70% cocoa chocolate
250g unsalted butter
300g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk, lightly beaten
60g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
60g good quality cocoa powder
100g walnuts (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C, and line a 23cm x 23cm baking tin with baking parchment.

2. Set a bowl over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water, and add 200g of the chocolate, broken into pieces. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally, and then remove from the heat immediately.

3. Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, and break the rest of the chocolate into chips.

4. With the mixer still running, gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition to ensure it’s thoroughly incorporated before pouring in any more. Leave mixing on a high speed for five minutes until the batter has a silky sheen, and has increased in volume.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and gently fold in the melted chocolate and chocolate chips with a metal spoon, followed by the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and walnuts.

6. Spoon the mixture into the tin, and bake for 30 minutes. Test with a skewer; it should come out sticky, but not coated with raw mixture. If it does, put it back into the oven for another 3 minutes, then test again. Prepare a roasting tin of iced water.

7. When the brownies are ready, remove the tin from the oven and place in the cold water bath. Leave to cool for an hour before cutting into squares. Store in an air-tight container; they’re even better the next day.

This is the image of what they should look like according to the Guardian

P in It
and this is how mine look, not bad eh? I can tell you they are dense and fudgy, a slight crunch on the top

Pin It

and then yielding chocolate stickiness which is JUST what I want from a brownie

I would dearly LOVE to see your ‘BEST EVER’ recipes, please add me a link to send me your way, I cant wait to see what you come up with – so what is your favourite Best Ever Chocolate Brownie Recipe? or did you try this one?

If enough people are interested I can do it as a blog hop next week

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Posted in 'Best Ever' Recipes, February 2012 alysonsblog Best Ever Best Ever Brownies Best Ever Chocolate Brownies Best Ever Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Jan 14

Mafiosa Style Incident

I have been looking for a sewing machine for a good while now, we cant find my old one and I must confess I think my husband may have thrown it away during one of his tasmanian devil clearing fits, although of course he denies all knowledge (a likely story). I happened to mention this whilst at my weekly art class to one of the lovely old ducks who then shushed me & took me covertly into the tea making area and told me that she has ‘contacts’…erm ok…

‘I can get you a sewing machine through one of my contacts’… erm ok..

‘call me at 9.35am on Thursday and I will see what I can do but say nothing to anyone else’… erm ok..

so was very puzzled as I left the class, my mind racing about what contacts a silver haired innocuous looking granny could have, thinking, maybe she knows a shoplifter, or something similar? So set a reminder in my phone to call at the prerequisite time, I made the call

‘meet me in the car park round the back of Colne (local town) at 11am today, don’t tell anybody’ …erm ok

‘reverse up to a shutter door and ring me 3 times when you get there..I wont be able to answer so just ring 3 times’ …erm ok

Arrived in Colne round back of said building at agreed time, reversed up to certain shutter door, rang phone 3 times, the shutter door starts rising.. I wait with baited breath to see Doreen stood there with a sewing machine

‘ open your boot, move move move’ …erm ok..

she loads the sewing machine in the boot

‘close the boot do it NOW’ … erm ok…

‘don’t speak to me just drive away’..

‘but I haven’t paid you or anything,’…

‘sort me out at the class, now GO’ and with that she disappeared under the already closing shutter door, leaving me stood there speechless and completely bemused. I drove away as ordered wondering what on earth had just happened and whether I should check out the sewing machine for drugs, or perhaps a stashed illegal immigrant.

I got a call about 45 mins later from the silver haired mafiosa style grandmother

‘hi’ she says ‘sorry about all that before’

I said, ‘well its fine but what on earth was going on?’

she says ‘I’m a volunteer at Help the Aged and we got this in last week, but there is always a massive demand so have been hiding it since you asked about it, they got spies you know… Help the Aged… we are all being watched, you know them cameras above the shop, well we are getting spied on’….

‘wow’ I said ‘what are they looking for?’

‘shoplifters’ she replied..’ we got ram raided the other day’

well I rolled laughing imagining a team of grandads and Nana’s ram raiding the local charity shop in a Honda Civic,

she said ‘honest its a nightmare I had one 90 year old stuffing clothes down his pants the other day’… when we challenged him he said ‘come and get em ladies’….

I couldnt breathe for laughing

Thanks to Alex for this..PMSL its a brilliant clip from League of Gentlemen which she said reminded her of this when she read it

So the upshot is I got an entertaining day and an illicit sewing machine for £10 what a bargain.. also went to the framers to get my first piece of art framed and mounted, felt properly proud that something I did will be displayed on a wall and its something I am really proud of