Chocolate Orange Easter Nests

When I was at uni I had a lot of free time so I used to go all out and buy pretty much every treat in the shop at Easter, for friends and family (and myself, heh), but this year it really crept up on me and before I knew it there were no good eggs left in the shops :(

However, I managed to grab a few bags of mini eggs, creme eggs and Lindt bunnies for the weekend, as well as a few ingredients to make something to celebrate the holiday. I love Easter. I love chocolate, I love eggs, I love chocolate eggs... I love lambs, chicks, all things spring. I love Jesus too, which is the reason we celebrate Easter at all, so make sure you don't forget about that part ;)

I am a big fan of the creme egg/caramel egg cupcakes and brownies, but they require more time than I have (sigh – no four day weekend for me) so I decided to go old school and make some chocolate nests... with a twist.

Dark chocolate orange Easter nests. These are so easy and quick to make, not to mention really yummy. They are a little bit more sophisticated than the ones you made in pre-school, and quite rich. I used sweet freedom and Green & Black's Maya Gold chocolate to add an orangey-fruity kick to these nests. Making these reminded me of being a chubby little four-year-old. I don't remember shredded wheat ever having any other purpose than to be used for chocolate Easter nests.

Recipe for Chocolate Orange Easter Nests

Ingredients:

• Five nests of shredded wheat
• A bag of mini eggs
• 200g Green & Black's Maya Gold chocolate (or whatever chocolate you fancy)
• 2 tbsp sweet freedom (or honey/golden syrup)

Method:

Break up the chocolate and add to a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water (or use a microwave) with the sweet freedom and let it melt, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, break up the shredded wheat with your hands in a bowl 

Add the melted chocolate and syrup to the shredded wheat and mix it all up.

Spoon the mixture into paper cases.

Press three mini eggs into the top of each nest.

Pop the nests into the fridge for half an hour and bob's your flippin' uncle.

 

Reckon you'll have a go at making these? What's your favourite Easter treat? I'm using this blog post as my entry for a competition over at The Pink Whisk and Two Little Fleas where hundreds of pounds worth of John Lewis vouchers are up for grabs. The closing date for entries is 20th April so if you've got an Easter treat worth sharing, get on it and write a blog about it. I know if I won I would have no hesitation in blowing the whole lot on a Kitchen Aid (dreaming).

Happy Easter! N xo 

My Happy Place: The Hummingbird Bakery – Islington

If I had to give up writing, I would bake for a living. All day, every day, I wouldn't mind the early starts if it meant filling a kitchen with the sweet smell of freshly baked cakes. Is there a better way to start the day? Probably. But when I visit The Hummingbird Bakery in London, I wander off into my dream world for a little while and imagine a life completely different to the one I actually lead...

I imagine the kitchen to be a place of deep concentration, yet satisfaction as each product is finished and ready to be taken down to sit in the window, where eyes pass by, wide and adoring. That's me on every approach to a branch of The Hummingbird Bakery.

Before I had ever visited The Hummingbird Bakery, I simply read the recipe books and enjoyed making many of their treats, including a blueberry pie, the fluffiest vanilla cupcakes, and a juicy hummingbird cake.

But there is nothing quite like tasting the real thing – a cupcake that has been baked and iced to textbook perfection, and every time I visit, I am always amazed at how wonderful everything looks and tastes.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit the Islington branch twice, so, naturally, I bought two different treats. They were both, unsurprisingly, decadently delicious.

Out of all the branches I have visited, the one in Islington had the biggest range of cakes and bakes to choose from, and this made me very happy. Just writing this blog is making me drift off into my dream land of spending my days with other cake lovers in a sweet pink shop filled with colour and sugar. 

I picked up a piece of the grasshopper slice on Friday – a minty, soft brownie which was just incredible, but far too big, even for me ;) I must have a go at making a tray myself, as chocolate and mint is one of my favourite combinations and HBB hit the nail on the head with their grasshopper slice.

On my second visit, the shop assistant persuaded me to buy a nutella cupcake – one of their monthly specials. I waited til I got home on Monday to eat this (I had a long weekend off lent, shh) and it did not disappoint. I didn't expect anything less, but this cupcake was just... perfect. 

Inside was a glorious gloop of nutella, encased in a chocolate sponge and topped with buttery chocolate frosting and a sprinkling of crushed hazelnuts. If you love nutella as much as I do, go and get one of these cupcakes right now.

The Hummingbird Bakery is my absolute favourite place to go when in London and I am so pleased that more and more of them are popping up all over the city. I hope that they'll soon branch out a little further and come closer to Wales! Have you ever been? What's your favourite cupcake? I do love the classic vanilla cupcake, but the black bottom cupcake is probably my all time favourite. You can find out more about The Hummingbird Bakery here :)

Breakfast at Carluccio's - Cardiff

I had my first taste of Carluccio's breakfast two years ago, around Christmas time, and it has since remained my number one spot for eating out for breakfast. The pastries are sweet and fresh, the bacon is crisp, the eggs have just the right amount of wobble and the bread - well, I could write a whole post about the bread. We paid under £10 each which included a drink, and depending on what you order your bill could come to under a fiver.

If you have never been to Carluccio's for breakfast - or any meal - you are missing out. Save up your pennies, find your nearest branch and make a trip out of it. Eat at all the Italian bread your stomach will allow. Then, enjoy browsing the sweet and savoury treats available to buy in the shop. It is generally an amazing experience, just to visit the place. The one in Cardiff is located underneath the library in the city centre, and on Tuesday I went with my friends Rich and Rhi for breakfast before embarking on a day of last minute Christmas shopping in the Welsh capital. 

When you walk into a restaurant and the first thing you see is this, you know you're in for a treat. We were too hungry to stop and browse so we decided to eat first.

I knew what I was having even before looking at the menu; pancetta (posh bacon) and eggs on Italian toast. Rhi chose the same and Rich the breakfast bread tin which would have been my second choice.

 

Shortly after our food was brought to us, our drinks arrived along with an extra egg on a separate plate for me; apparently the chef had only given me one egg - I hadn't even noticed.

Little lonesome egg on such a large plate. Best orange juice, by the way. Sweet, tart and fresh. Yum.

I am always tempted to buy a panettone from Carluccio's, but at nearly £17 I don't think I can justify it. They look so so good, though. You can get the traditional fruit one or a chocolate one - I would be happy with either.

Rhi picked up a few gifts from the festive display of treats but I was in the mood for browsing, and tasting...

These chocolate dipped bread sticks were stunning. The slight saltiness of the bread added a wonderful depth to the chocolate and I was impressed by the idea of combining foods you might eat before and after your main meal. Again, I would have loved to have bought some but at £10.95 a packet, I resisted.

Before we left, I took a few photos of things I particularly liked the look of:

Chocolate coins - perfect for stockings. It is so worth buying good quality chocolate coins - no one likes cheap chocolate.

On a hot day a can of San Pellegrino hits the spot. There's something about the packaging and design that I love, too. Italians get it so right, you know?

These lemon tarts looked like they might have tasted like actual heaven - so yellow and creamy looking - but after an indulgent breakfast we had had enough to eat and were ready to make our way to the shops. It was such a busy day and although I got a few great items for Christmas, I can safely say I will never be going Christmas shopping the week before ever again.

Have you ever been to Carluccio's? The waiter took the menus away before I had a chance to take a photo but there were so many delicious things to choose from - you can check them out here. Carluccio's is amazing for lunch and tea, too. I have fond memories of trips to London with my parents and going to eat at a bustling branch in the heart of the city. It is a restaurant I will always be glad to go to, but especially for breakfast. Are you hungry yet?

Easy Chocolate Sauce

When I was little, in my house chocolate sauce was one of the most exciting parts about having ice cream for pudding. I didn't know how my mum made it, but she did it well, and it made tea time that little bit more exciting.

When I got a bit older I learned that it was in fact the easiest thing in the world to make and only required TWO ingredients. Chocolate and cream.

The best thing about this chocolate sauce is that if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, it hardens in the fridge and turns into a a giant truffle that melts in the mouth when eaten with a spoon. YUM.

Pour over your favourite ice cream, fruit, or enjoy it on its own. But don't forget to pour some in your bowl in the shape of your initial - it's tradition ;)

Recipe for Easy Chocolate Sauce.

Ingredients:

Bonfire Night Treats - Chugh

Everyone's tried, or at least heard of Kellogg's Squares. Well what if I told you there was a cheaper and tastier version that you can make yourself? Add a cup of hot chocolate and you'll be all set for Bonfire Night.

A similar concept to Squares; Chugh is made out of rice krispies, marshmallows, butter and toffee. Pronounced exactly how it is spelt 'Ch-ugh,' has been a favourite in my family for as long as I can remember. It was a hit with my flatmates while at University and I'm sure with you too, if you'll give it a go. 

Recipe for Chugh, courtesy of my mum.

Ingredients:

• 200g butter
• 200g toffees
• 200g marshmallows
• About 250g rice krispies

Method:

1. Put the toffees, marshmallows and butter in a deep saucepan on a low heat. Stir until completely melted and combined.

2. Add the rice krispies and stir into the marshmallow mixture.

3. Pour the mixture into a lined baking tray.

4. Spread out and press down with the back of a metal spoon to create an even surface. Leave to set for an hour, or pop into the fridge for half an hour if you're hungry.

5. With a sharp knife, score the chugh into squares then cut it up and serve.

Will you be making some Chugh this Bonfire Night? Let me know if you try out this recipe in the comment box below, or tweet me @hello_flower.