It's hard to believe that The Great British Bake off has been in our lives since the summer of 2010! Like the majority of people I've been a fan since the start and the love for Bake Off is still going strong!
There's been a huge rise in subscription boxes in the last few years, and so when it was announced at the end of 2020 the Bake Off Box was happening it was fair to say I was super excited! However, with so many subscription box services out there you really have to pick and choose and weigh up which ones are worth it.
With it being Bake off I thought I would at least try the first box, completely swayed by the fact you receive a gorgeous duck egg cake stand in the first box! The first bake is the signature chocolate cake you see in the opening credits, yes the one with the one missing raspberry on the edge!
So what comes in the box?
Each box comes with:
- A piece of bake ware - First box included a cake stand made from bamboo
- A postcard with those famous illustrations of the bake by Tom Hovey
- A recipe card with full instructions and step by step photos
- A card with the fresh ingredients you will need to buy as extra
- All of the dry ingredients for the bake
The good and bad:
Firstly the packaging was beautiful, just look at the colour! Everything was ECO friendly, recyclable and there is a nice touch where they include where all the ingredients come from. The recipe card also includes the full ingredients list and measurements. I love this as it means you're able to make the cake again in the future, which isn't always the case with some kits. The cake stand is beautiful and of good quality although I'm not sure you could put a heavy, tiered or big cake on it.
Included is all the dry ingredients which are basic household items, meaning there are still numerous extras you have to buy, the most expensive ingredients at that! I'm a little on the fence about this one. Mostly because its understandable having to buy ingredients like cream fresh, but if other subscription boxes such as Hello Fresh and Gousto manage to send fresh ingredients, it makes me wonder why the Bake Off Box can't? For this bake you have to buy cream, raspberries and there's a few other extras needed. Making the cake a tad pricey to make when you've already spent £20 on the box. I guess this will differ month to month depending on what that months bake is. Compared to other baking kits I've seen I can't decide whether the price is worth it. Or whether the recipes could simply be found in the various Bake Off Books, but then I guess it's not as fun as receiving the box each month!
How much does it cost?
There are 3 subscription options: A monthly rolling subscription costing £19.99, this is the one I chose. Or you can buy 3 month or 6 month subscriptions. There's no discounts for subscribing for multiple months at a time and all prices include delivery. I like that you aren't completely tied into the subscription if you choose the monthly rolling, you can cancel and rejoin. Choosing the bakes you'd like to do as they tend to post on social media what the next box will be. It's hard to judge value for money without knowing how much the bake ware would cost on its own but I'm glad the box price includes delivery. Always a bonus!
The Bake Itself
Now I've waffled on too long, its time to bake! It was great fun to make and I think any skill level could make it, even as an activity to do with the kids. There's a great feeling of nostalgia, I was definitely humming the Great British Bake Off theme a few times!
The cake itself is quite dense but moist. I found that it had a good balance of being chocolatey but it's not too rich that its sickly! The instruction leaflet is very good, easy to follow with great photos to help.
I went for a smooth chocolate ganache finish rather than the textured finish they suggested. All I will say here is that I left my ganache a lot longer than the instructions stated, around an hour to let it thicken up. I was a little worried putting the ganache on that it would look messy and run all over the place! However I persevered and kept adding and smoothing the sides of the cake. I'm so happy with how it turned out! I love how the raspberries set it off, simple but so pretty!
And there you have it!!
I enjoyed this and have decided to try the next few boxes to see what they are like. The next box being Mini Banana and Walnut Loaf Cakes, something I've never made before. If you're interested in this subscription find below the link to the Bake Off Box website.
www.bakeoffbox.co.uk
I spend a lot of time sewing and baking but papercraft is where it all started for me. Every now and again I come across a project that unearths that love for card and paper and this is one of them!
After scrolling through Cricut Design Space I found this beautiful framed layered Rose art by Anna Griffin and just had to give it ago.
So, with a project in mind, I raided Hobbycraft for supplies:
I picked up a 10 x 10 inch Shadow frame ( I prefer these to the box frames). A range of 12x12 card in pinks, greens and glitter card. I love the card that has a slight texture to it. I opted for silver glitter for the background instead of the champagne the design suggests.
I also used the greens from this Hobbycraft Bright Colour Spectrum Paper Pad (A4 24 Pack). These packs are amazing and great value, if you're lucky you can find them on offer. They have various packs in different colourways and effects, including foil, glitter and even marble so well worth stocking up on.
Cricut Design space makes it super easy! It lays everything out for you and takes you through every step of the project. Once all the layers have been cut simply layer them together in the right order and stick together using sticky foam squares. The foam squares create the depth which makes this project pop!
Once all stuck together, place it in the frame and its done! This would make a beautiful present for someone especially for Mother's Day or it would be great decor for Valentines Day.
This project is the first one I've done of this kind. I'm blown away by how easy Cricut makes it. To make it from scratch and papercut this kind of project with a craft knife would have taken hours and hours! You mostly see vinyl being the main material used when looking at Cricut projects on YouTube and blogs. But Cricut is a game changer for papercrafts! I'm definitely going to make a few more of these!
- Mosaic Tiles
- Glue
- Grout
- Grout Scraper
- Plain tray
You get a good amount of all the supplies, I was a little worried about the amount of grout but it was enough to complete the project. My only slight dismay with the contents was the tray being plain. The picture on the packaging shows it as white, which is a bit misleading! So, you do need to get yourself some acrylic paint and give the tray a couple of coats before you can start. This isn't a big thing of course, but personally, I wish more blanks came in white to save time!
Now I've never grouted before, and it was the part I was most worried about! But it was so easy. I followed the instructions but did find I needed to add more water than it stated to get the grout to a toothpaste consistency. From here it's just a case of filling the gaps between the tiles with the grout. The scraper tool is very good although I found using a clean lollipop stick better for doing the edges and slightly fiddly areas.
After around 15 minutes using a slightly damp cloth clean up the tiles, the grout will come off easily and reveal the beautiful mosaic underneath.
And there you have it! I love it and will definitely try more mosaic projects now I know how easy it is. I would recommend this kit if you want to give mosaic a go. The box doesn't look like much but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. You can create some beautiful pieces for the home using mosaic. Go and try it!
It wouldn't be Easter in our house without making these Easter Biscuits. They are easy to make and you'll no doubt make multiple batches! I find these are a nice treat if you fancy something that isn't chocolate. Yes, you can have too much chocolate sometimes! They are also fab to add to an Easter Hamper if you plan on making a gift for someone.
Find the recipe below!
Ingredients
- 4oz - Soft Butter
- 4oz - Caster Sugar
- 1 - Free Range Large Egg
- 8oz - Plain Flour
- ½ tsp - Cinnamon
- 2-3oz - Currants
- Pinch of Salt
- Milk to Glaze
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 3 or Fan -325ºF. Line a baking tray at the same time with some baking paper.
- Either by hand or in a freestanding mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, currants and salt.
- Now add the egg and bind together to make a stiff dough.
- Knead lightly until you have a nice ball of dough.
- Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle a little flour on your surface to prevent the dough from sticking and roll-out the dough. Cut out your biscuits with a cookie cutter and place them on your baking tray.
- Glaze with some milk and bake until just golden brown.
Enjoy!
I can't remember a year our family hasn't made a batch of these Christmas butter biscuits! Super simple to make and a nice basic biscuit to nibble on that isn't rich and fun for kids to make as well.
You can use any cookie cutters you like but my family have always stuck with this classic look. I picked up this great set of reversible cutters by Tala a little while ago in a baking shop, but you can find them in many places including Amazon for around £5.50. The scallop edges are so pretty!
To create the holly impression on top I used a small metal holly leaf cutter and a piping nozzle for the berries. Just be careful not to press all the way through the dough when making the impression.
For the colour, I used Rainbow Dust Pro gel. Its concentrated meaning you only need a small amount to get a bold colour. These food gels are much better than liquids which my mum and I used to use for years. Liquid food colour had a tendency to fade when the biscuits were baking however these gels really hold their colour.
Of course, you can create any design and use any colours you like. This technique is easy but very effective. Scroll down for the recipe and method...
The Recipe:
Makes: Roughly 12 depending on the size and shape you go for, I often double the mixture to make bigger batches.
Ingredients
- 75g or 3oz - Butter
- 50g or 2oz - Icing Sugar
- 1- Egg Yolk
- 175g or 6oz - Plain Flour
- A Pinch of Salt
To Decorate
- 2 -Egg Yolks
- Red and Green Food Gels
Method
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar together until pale and fluffy. Tip: If you like you can also add the finely grated rind of 1 small lemon for added flavour.
- Beat in the egg yolk and then sift in the flour and the salt. Knead together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to roughly the thickness of a pound coin. Tip: Use a rolling pin that has guide rings to ensure the dough is evenly rolled out.
- Now cut out your biscuits and transfer to baking trays lined with baking paper. Repeat until you've used all the dough.
- Make the impression on the tops using the holly cutter and piping nozzle for the berries. It's not necessary but sometimes it helps to chill the biscuits for 10 minutes next.
- Meanwhile, prepare the colouring by putting each egg yolk into a small cup or dish. Mix a colour into each egg yolk.
- Using a small clean paintbrush, carefully paint the colours onto the biscuits.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they begin to colour around the edges.
Tip: The original recipe for these state 10-12 minutes but I find biscuits bake and can burn quickly! So depending on how hot your oven is, check on them around the 7-minute mark, and then keep an eye on them from there. - Leave to cool on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
And that's it. Enjoy!
Fully dusted in icing sugar this spruced-up vanilla cake recipe is definitely a show stopper! As impressive as it looks it's more down to the tin used than any masterful baking skill. The recipe is from Nigellas Christmas book and you can also find it in on her website. I’ve made a number of recipes from this book over the years and I’d highly recommend it. This cake is made with natural yogurt making it nice and light. Perfect for when you’ve already overindulged!
The tin used is expensive there's no denying it. It's the pine forest bundt tin from Nordic Ware, they create the most amazing high-quality baking tins that last for years. You can find a number of them on places like Amazon and even eBay. Although pricey they are worth the splurge for special occasions. Of course, you can just use a normal 2.5-litre bundt tin.
So without further ado here's the recipe:
Makes: about 12 slices
Ingredients
- 225g - Soft Butter (plus more for greasing)
- 300g - Caster Sugar
- 6 - Free Range Large Eggs
- 350g - Plain Flour
- ½ tsp - Bicarbonate of Soda
- 250g - Plain fat-free yoghurt
- 4 tsp - Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp - Icing Sugar
To turn this into Spruced-Up Spice Cake halve the vanilla and add 2 teaspoons each of ground cinnamon and ginger and a half teaspoon of ground cloves.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF and put a baking sheet in at the same time. Butter or oil your large, regular or fir-tree shaped bundt tin (2.5 litres capacity / 2½ quart capacity) very, very thoroughly. Tip: I prefer to melt a little butter and use a pastry brush to ensure all crevices are greased.
- Either by hand or in a freestanding mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking each one in with a tablespoon of flour.
- Fold in the rest of the flour, and add the bicarbonate of soda, the yogurt and vanilla extract. Don't overbeat or the cake will rise too much, giving an overly-domed bottom later - though it's not the end of the world, as you can always trim it if necessary.
- Pour and spoon the mixture into your greased tin and spread about evenly.
- Place the tin on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and cook for 45–60 minutes until well risen and golden. After 45 minutes, push a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Let it sit out of the oven for 15 minutes.
- Gently pull away from the edges of the cake from the tin with your fingers, then turn out the cake, hoping for the best.
- Once cool, dust with the icing sugar pushed through a small sieve, to decorate.
Enjoy!
Additional Information
FREEZE AHEAD TIP: Make, wrap and freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in a cool room.
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