Baked & Delicious Easter Special & a Competition
When asked if I’d like to review a copy of the Baked & Delicious Spring Special, I was more than a little surprised. Last I heard, Baked & Delicioius had ceased publication after issue #5. I had a note to this effect accompanying this issue, which is one of four that I won last spring. However, whatever happened last year, they are now back in business. I’m a complete sucker for any baking magazines and also a fan of silicone bakeware, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity of getting hold of a copy and finding out what the “extra special” silicone surprise was going to be.
The copy duly arrived and with it two chocolate moulds for varying sizes of chicks, rabbits and little Easter eggs. Despite my ongoing issues with tempering chocolate, I was really pleased with these moulds. One day I will master tempering and then there will be no stopping me and everyone will be getting chocolate Easter eggs – Easter or no Easter.
The chocolate Easter cake on the front cover looked most enticing and I very nearly made it straight away. But I had a fridge full of apple and lemon curd which needed using up, so I ended up making an apple and lemon curd cake instead. I did, however, use the moulds to make little white chocolate chicks to decorate the cake with. They weren’t an unalloyed success as I had my usual problem melting the chocolate successfully, so I couldn’t pour or drizzle the chocolate into the moulds as directed in the B&D issue. I sort of pressed it in using a spoon and palette knife. I was then too impatient to wait for the chocolate to set properly, so the first few I pressed out were not, err, very well defined.
Other Easter goodies to bake include Greek Easter bread, Russian kulich, Polish peanut & chocolate mazurek and baked chocolate creams. I was rather taken by Torta alla Pasqualina, a spectacular looking Italian vegetarian pie containing spinach, ricotta and whole eggs baked in pastry.
The recipes are interesting, the instructions are clear and the photographs are good, but at £8.99 for eight recipes, it does seem a trifle expensive; I guess it just depends how much you want those Easter chocolate moulds!
Baked & Delicious are running an Easter baking competition on their facebook page. The prize of a professional cupcake and chocolate martini making masterclass sounds quite enticing, but as it is based in London, it won’t be suitable for everyone.
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Tin & Thyme on Tumblr
With the festive season just starting, I’m getting in the mood. Chilling out with a glass of very chilled sherry, as I write my Christmas cards.
A glorious December day watching the boats and birds and listening to the haunting sound of masts and rigging moaning in the wind.
If you thought sherry was just for Christmas, you’d be wrong. I’ve been enjoying it quite a lot recently, cold with plenty of ice and a slice of orange. That’s the new way to serve it, apparently and I heartily approve. In fact the Spanish have been keeping their sherry in the fridge for a long time now - I’m only just catching up.
Chocolate Recipes Galore
Dom at Belleau Kitchen
28th March 2012
Little white chocolate chicks are so cute. I think I’d need to take sleeping pills to be able to be calm enough to bake anything like that cake on the cover of the magazine, moulds or no moulds!
Choclette
29th March 2012
A work of art too far perhaps, but wouldn’t it go down a storm.
manu
28th March 2012
WOW! Beautiful tiny chicks and lovely cake!
Have a nice day
Choclette
29th March 2012
Thank you Manu
Green Dragonette
28th March 2012
I don’t whether I would be able to put a knife through that top cake with it’s pretty little field of flowers, bunnies and chicks…still, if there was chocolate involved I might be able to manage it!!
Choclette
29th March 2012
It might not look too good if you tried to hang on to it for too long GD.
Lauralovescakes
28th March 2012
The chicks are so cute!! I’ve seen this magazine in the supermarket…I might have to buy it now!! Apple and lemon curd sounds like an interesting combination too! 🙂
Choclette
29th March 2012
The apple and lemon curd is delicious, not as sharp as lemon, not as bland as apple but a lovely combination.
thelittleloaf
29th March 2012
I think your chicks look very cute, even if they’re not perfect! I’ve only tempered chocolate a couple of times but it can be a pain – this year it’s all about shop bought Easter eggs for me as decorations – maybe it’s cheating but I love them!
Choclette
29th March 2012
Hmmm, you think I should give up the tempering dream? It would be such fun though to make chocolates that look really good and lasted more than a couple of days. I too have bought lots of little eggs this year for decorating purposes, but that was before I received these moulds.
Fuss Free Helen
31st March 2012
I turned the review down. Although I was rather tempted by the silicone. I think I have a bit of a fetish in that department!
Choclette
1st April 2012
Yes me too Helen – don’t have nearly enough of it yet though 😉
JaynesDen
11th March 2013
I love the design of the cake Helen. So intricate.
JaynesDen
16th May 2013
The set of moulds is really cute. I may have to buy one for next Easter.
Maya Russell
13th November 2013
How cute are the little white chocolate chicks!
Irene Murdoch
6th March 2014
Love the little choccy chicks – perfect for Easter
Beverley
6th April 2014
Those chicks are fab!
Victoria Easton
21st April 2014
I love the chicks – wonder if they are as easy to make as it seems!