The past month has been so busy for me. We have been celebrating birthdays and trying to buy a house so baking has taken a little back seat. I have however tried some new products and done a little bit of special baking so here is a little update of what has been going on in my kitchen.
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I have been really struggling with my scales. The batteries constantly need replacing and eventually the link between the scales and the batteries packed up. I was in need of some new scales so I could continue baking when Judges offered me some Solar Kitchen Scales to review.
I loved the idea of these scales with no batteries. They are priced at £24.99 a little bit more expensive than bog standard scales but not after you have bought all those replacement batteries! These scales need 30 seconds to power up if they have been kept in a dark drawer so remember to make sure the display has kicked in before starting to weigh. These scales won't work very well in dim light so are probably only good for you if you bake in a nice, brightly lit area. I also found the scales take a little while to update so pouring in slowly is recommended. The scales have different settings for different weight measurements and can weigh both liquid and solids. I am continuing to use these but do sometimes struggle in low light and would love them to come in different colour options.
I loved the idea of these scales with no batteries. They are priced at £24.99 a little bit more expensive than bog standard scales but not after you have bought all those replacement batteries! These scales need 30 seconds to power up if they have been kept in a dark drawer so remember to make sure the display has kicked in before starting to weigh. These scales won't work very well in dim light so are probably only good for you if you bake in a nice, brightly lit area. I also found the scales take a little while to update so pouring in slowly is recommended. The scales have different settings for different weight measurements and can weigh both liquid and solids. I am continuing to use these but do sometimes struggle in low light and would love them to come in different colour options.
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I made this tiered berry Victoria sponge for my Mum's birthday and used this Nielsen- Massey Vanilla Bean Paste to flavour the sponge. It added a lovely authentic vanilla flavour to the cake and was much admired by everyone who had slice of cake.
I also tried my hand at some more macarons and this is definitely something I need to perfect but everyone loved the flavours. I used this recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons and some Tangy Lemon Macarons which I made using this recipe and adding lemon zest to the egg white mix and lemon curd filling.
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Higgidy kindly sent me some vouchers so I could try some of their new quiches and pies. First up I tried the Spinach, Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche. I tried this both cold and hot from the oven and really enjoyed it both ways for a tasty lunch. I especially like the poppy seeds worked into the pie crust. The only thing I would say is be careful to check your teeth for spinach and poppy seeds after eating!
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Next up my eye caught the Slow Cooked Steak and Red Wine Pie in the supermarket and this little pie did not disapoint. We have had a bit of an odd and stressful month but we enjoyed this little gem for Greg's birthday quick lunch and it was absolutely lovely. The beef was very tender and pastry was flaky and yummy. A perfect little treat.
Thank you to Judges, Nielsen-Massey and Higgidy for sending me products to try. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
Thank you to Judges, Nielsen-Massey and Higgidy for sending me products to try. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
