Tag: fudge

Baking for Therapy, Cake decorating, Cakes, Bakes, and Me, Celebration, chocolate, Inspiration, Learning, Love, Recipes, Sugar and Crumbs, Valentines

Valentine’s Day Ideas

Debbie, Baking for Therapy

I have to admit, I don’t get asked for Valentine’s treats so much, which is a shame as there are so many great ideas out there ❤️

I love the idea of these cake filled chocolate geometric hearts ♥️ They could be given as they are in some pretty packaging, or as part of a treat box with other items, like decorated cookies, cupcakes, fudge, marshmallow, brownies, home made truffles etc

A lovely soft Fudge can be made in the microwave, coloured red or pink and cut with a heart shaped cutter. You could even make it more decadent by covering it in chocolate! Make sure you use a chocolate friendly colouring medium though!

https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/sugarflair-edible-chocolate-paint-pink-35g.html

Home made marshmallow is nothing like shop bought, and can also be cut into a heart shape! See tutorial below for recipes for home made fudge AND marshmallow 😋

For cookies you can’t go wrong with a delicious shortbread recipe, which you can then decorate with royal icing, sugarpaste, glacé icing and sprinkles! If you’re good at piping you could even write a message!

Or what about melt in the mouth Viennese Whirls? The following tutorial uses moulds but there’s no reason you can’t use a heart shaped cutter ☺️

Macarons can be made in any shape you like and are always a favourite. Pretty them up with some edible lustre dust for extra bling!

Chocolate lollipops are easy to make if you follow the next tutorial from ‘Oli the Choc’

As are meringue lollipops, as shown here

How about delicious, squidgy in the middle chocolate brownies? Rich and decadent and oh so easy to make 😀

And we can’t leave out the humble cupcake can we? So easy to make and decorate with a Valentine’s themed sprinkle mix, or if your piping skills allow, give as a beautiful cupcake bouquet 💐

Some cupcake bouquets I made last year ❤️

I learned how to make and put together cupcake bouquets in this class, which is still ongoing so amazing value! The next class starts on 17th February and is the first of this year’s series

https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/beautiful-cupcake-bouquets-online.html

A simple ganache truffle is absolutely delicious on its own, but can also be dipped in chocolate and decorated 😋

And did you know you can make boozy ganache? Check out Oli again below for vodka truffles, how to make a chocolate ‘Holy Grail’ bark, and some great tips on tempering your chocolate easily, just using the microwave!

Of course, you can always make your loved one a Valentine’s cake all for themselves. There are some lovely examples below ❤️

And if you have leftover cake, don’t let it go to waste, it can still be made into delicious treats!

So, there’s plenty here to give individually or to make up a delicious treat box. And I think we all need a treat don’t we? The option for a romantic evening out may not be there this year, so bring the romance to you!

I hope I’ve given you plenty to think about and that you’ll try a few of the ideas for yourself. If you do, please tag me on Facebook and Instagram, I’d love to see the results ❤️

You might find the following links useful too:

Whipping it up multimix: https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/shop-by-brand/whipping-it-up-by-sugar-and-crumbs.html

Cookie moulds: https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/shop-by-brand/karen-davies-silicone-moulds.html

Lollipop sticks: https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/shop.html?cat=44&type=189

Cupcake cases: https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/shop.html?cat=298

Cupcake, cake, macaron boxes etc: https://www.sugarandcrumbs.co.uk/shop.html?cat=48&p=2

Have fun, love and take care of each other, and, as always

Stay safe and healthy

Debbie ❤️

My favourite products

Baking for Therapy, Birthday, Cake decorating, Celebration, Christmas, Church Coffee Morning, Craft Fair, Family, Friends, Fundraising, Health, Pantomime, Therapy

And breathe…….

Debbie, Baking for Therapy

Hi everyone

I can’t believe that it’s been a month since I posted!

Preparations for the Christmas Fair went much slower than I anticipated, as my helper (Mum) ended up being ill for 2 weeks, so I just had to soldier on as best as I could.

Up to the week before, I concentrated on things that could be prepared in advance, and just took it slowly which was fine.

Of the things I had planned to make fresh…fudge, gingerbread, shortbread etc…..only the fudge got made and packaged. As I also had a Children in need cake to make, I just couldn’t find time for the others without making myself physically ill!

I had Mum to help package and label from a few days before when she had recovered, and Glen (hubby) to do the delivery and set up with me.

However, 2 days afterwards I received a call from the organiser asking for more fudge and Christmas cakes! This meant buying more supplies, making the fudge, allowing it to set, and packaging up another 6 batches to take over! And decorating another half dozen Christmas cakes!

In the end, I brought very little back home with me, which was a great result. However, it did mean making yet more fudge and reindeer hot chocolate cones for my local church Christmas fair last Saturday!

In amongst all this I also ‘tested’ 2 versions of a new Sugar and Crumbs flavoured icing (cream cheese, mmmm yummy, more on that next time) made 2 birthday cakes, and cupcakes and scones for the Ladies fellowship Christmas lunch! And had an early ‘Christmas’ celebration with my son and daughter in law as they are away in New Zealand and Australia for most of December. Add Panto rehearsals into the mix, and my time management almost went out of the window!….almost.

I managed by scaling back and doing only what was essential. As mentioned earlier, that meant not taking some of the things I’d planned to take, but it was the only way I could make it work.

All was going to the ‘new’ plan, when more spanners were thrown into the works last week, with my poor hubby copping for it. Firstly by having a cluster of three migraines, and then by seriously hurting his back. Luckily family and friends rallied round to help, God bless them, but he is still in a lot of pain ☹️

My son and Mum helped set up and clear away at the Church Christmas Fair, and friends have been giving me lifts as hubby can’t even get into the car let alone drive it! My son also came to take the dog out for a proper walk, and picked up what was left of my Christmas fair stock to take to work.

I’m really hoping that Glen is well enough to attend the Panto Christmas meal on Friday evening, but will have to play that one by ear. At the moment it’s looking unlikely ☹️

Anyway, here are a few pictures of what I managed to do over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, there aren’t many of the Christmas fair goodies, as the priority was just getting stuff done!

Harley Quinn birthday cake
Pudsey Bear cake for Children in Need Panto fundraising
Christmas cake for our early Christmas celebration
Made using the fabulous Patchwork Cutters ‘Igloo set’
Small selection of Christmas cakes
Cupcakes and mini scones for Ladies Fellowship
Fortnite Cake

That’s all for now folks

Until next time

Stay safe and healthy

Debbie ❤️

Products used in this post:

Patchwork cutters Igloo Set

Renshaw premium cover paste

Select Ireland Supreme Silk sugarpaste

Renshaw emerald green sugarpaste

Renshaw red sugarpaste

Renshaw black sugarpaste

Renshaw purple sugarpaste

Renshaw Belgian chocolate white modelling paste

Renshaw flower and modelling paste

Sugarflair holly green airbrush colour

Wilton blue, pink, yellow, ivory food colour gels

Cakestar plunger cutters mini alphabet set

Sugarflair finishing sparkle silver

Sugarflair finishing sparkle gold

Faye Cahill lustre dust signature gold

Sugarflair lustre dust satin silver

Snowflake plunger cutter set

Cake decorating, Cakes, Bakes, and Me, Christmas, Health, Pantomime

And breathe!

Debbie, Baking for Therapy

What a week! Beavering away in the kitchen to get my goodies ready for the Church Christmas Fair, finally having my tooth out, plus Panto Rehearsals………I’m absolutely shattered, but glowing in a sense of achievement 😊

So, the first thing that happened was the tooth saga. This has been going on for well over a month, starting with the dreaded abscess 😔 So painful that I have a new found sympathy for anyone with toothache! Fortunately for me, I’ve never before had toothache like it, and perhaps not been very empathetic when others have described it. It’s a pain unlike any other! Unfortunately for me, it happened on a day that my dentist was closed, so I ended up in the emergency dental clinic. They patched me up and recommended extraction. My dentist wanted to try and save it, and so began root canal treatment. When the pain hit again it was weekend, so…. back to the emergency dentist again. A different one this time, but he also recommended extraction, and that it needed to be done by an oral surgeon. My dentist said no. He would extract it himself. After what felt like an hour of tugging, pulling and twisting, he gave up after only managing to remove half of the tooth! Finally, I was referred to the proper clinic, where they had to cut my gum to get the rest out. This was 6 days ago and it’s still really sore 😷 and the stitches haven’t dissolved yet. Unsurprisingly, I’m thinking of changing my dentist!

On to the Christmas Fair. I had made quite a few things in advance, but they still needed packaging up, and some things had to be made nearer the time. I ended up last minute, after planning my week so that I wasn’t doing too much every day, best laid plans eh? First the tooth thing happened, then on the Wednesday, I’d forgotten we were going for afternoon tea with my in laws as a pre Christmas treat. On Friday I delivered some cakes, which turned out to be an hour and a half round trip due to bad traffic, and I wasn’t sleeping well because of the toothache (gum ache?) so kept falling asleep during the day too! Anyway, I got there eventually, and had a lovely morning. Pantomime Society opened the fair with Christmas carols, and a sneak preview of our opening number from ‘Cinderella’, and I (just about) managed to get my stall set out in time thanks to my friend Elaine 😊

Pumpkin jam, Apple and Cranberry chutney, Mincemeat

Selection of home made fudges

Mini Panettone

Christmas Mug set (see below for snowman stirrer, then add a treat or two and package in a Christmassy mug. Wrap in cellophane and curling ribbon) I got these mugs from

home bargains

Cute little Snowman hot chocolate stirrers

Christmas Cake in a paper cup!

The whole shebang (apart from the gingerbread which forgot to photograph)

Father Christmas made an appearance, to the delight of the kiddos…..well most of them! I suppose a large chap in a red suit might be a bit scary for a toddler lol 😋

By the time I got home, I just wanted my comfy chair, Charlie on my knee, a good cuppa and a nap! After snoozing away most of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, I was refreshed enough for Pantomime rehearsal, where fortunately my task of going through the songs with the cast was quite relaxing for me 🎶

So, resting is on the agenda again today. It’s really cold out, there’s snow on the ground, the Christmas tree lights are twinkling, the fragranced candle is lit and I’m snug as a bug!

If you’re out and about today, watch out for icy conditions, and as always

Stay safe and healthy

Debbie ❤

Mini Panettone, Paper cup Christmas Cake, Pumpkin jam found on Pinterest

Apple and cranberry chutney – BBC Good Food

Snowman hot chocolate stirrers made by combining two Pinterest finds

Mincemeat – tweaked Whitworths recipe (I substituted some of the fruit with soft apricots and cranberries)