Caracoli

Tasty muffins at the new Caracoli coffee shop above Steamer Trading in Guildford - lots of other fabulous ingredients too!

Truffle shuffle

Using an adaption of a truffle recipe from the Sainsbury's magazine this month I made a couple of batches of chocolate coated truffles. White coated peppermint truffles with silver dusting and milk chocolate coated violet truffles with edible purple glitter. The violet flavouring came from Patiwizz in France and the glitter from Hobbeycraft!

For the truffle filling you need to melt together 100ml double cream, 100g chocolate and 25g butter. Flavour with a little essence (just a little!) and then leave to set in the fridge. Shape into balls, I used a teaspoon measure, then pop in the freezer to harden, reshape if necessary and chill again. Then melt 150g chocolate, cool and then dip the chilled truffle centres in it. Dust with glitter and allow to set!

While I had the violet aroma out I also made some macaroons from bubble and sweet's recipe! And some violet creams.

Llama Trekking

Executive chocolate buttons in creation

Pomegranate

More tasty cakes! This time a lemon and cranberry muffin at Pomegranate in Solihul.

The bell

On Thursday I went wedding dress hunting with Sarah, Juul, Lotte and Laura. As a treat afterwards we all went to the Bell near Alderminster for lunch, and what a treat it was!! We had yummy starters including a smoked mackerel pate, then roast partridge and finally I had chocolate brownies for dessert, though really that could have fed all four of us!! The decor was delightful - I simply loved the reindeer horns strung with Christmas baubles and feather boas!