Saturday, April 30, 2016

Alphabakes Roundup April 2016 - T

 
 
We didn’t have many entries for this month’s Alphabakes, but I’m certainly not complaining as wedding planning hasn’t left me much time! I have been baking a bit this month though as several people have had birthdays (myself included!). The letter we were using this month was T.
 
I took part in a chocolate truffle-making workshop with Farfetch a few weeks ago which was good fun (and the cocktails they made us were to die for), so I decided to share the result with this challenge. You can see my truffles and how I made them here.
  
 
The second entry into this month’s Alphabakes challenge was also one from me. My fiancé loves chocolate so I made him an indulgent chocolate birthday cake, filled and covered with chocolate ganache, and decorated with Cadbury Twirl Bites (which was my letter T). The cake contained some unusual ingredients – Coca Cola and melted marshmallows – and it tasted amazing!
 
 
  
 My mum Jacqueline made a tangerine pound cake, which she says is like an orange drizzle cake, with grated tangerine rind in the cake mix, and a drizzle of butter ,sugar,brandy and tangerine juice on top, which soaks into the cake.

 
Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker is my co-host for Alphabakes; she made these Toffee Crisp cookies baking one of my favourite chocolate bars into a cookie, and says they were so good she had to make two batches as they disappeared so quickly!
 
 
 
This Darjeeling pecan tea loaf comes from Shaheen at Allotment 2 Kitchen. She initially chose the recipe to use up some marmalade and substituted a different type of tea; she says the result is 'subtly scented'.
 
 
 
I’ve only used tahini when making houmous before so was interested to see this recipe for a date and tahini slice from Suelle at Mainly Baking. She says the slice was pleasant to eat, and the flavours of dates, coconut and sesame seeds blended together well, but the amount of ground ginger used was hardly noticeable, and it might have worked better as a cookie. Still looks good to me!


 
These mini Toad in the Holes are gluten free – Kate at the Gluten Free Alchemist used sorghum, tapioca and corn flours, which she said are easy to source. She also points out that gluten-free sausages tend to have a higher meat content!
 
 
 
 
Another savoury dish now from Charlottes Lively Kitchen – wild mushroom and garlic tagliatelle. It’s really quick to make so great for a mid-week dinner and under 250 calories per serving.
 
Gennaro Contaldo's delicious recipe for tagliatelle with a quick and easy wild mushroom and garlic sauce. Ready in just 15 minutes so perfect for a quick mid-week dinner and under 250 calories a serving.
 
 
Finally we have these unusual purple matcha nanaimo bars from Stuart at Cakeyboi. Matcha is a type of tea which is where the letter T comes in. Nanaimo bars have a biscuit base, covered with coconut, cocoa and nuts with a custard filling; Stuart added the matcha into the custard which he says imparted a delicate tea flavour to the mix.

Thanks to everyone who entered; Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker is hosting our final alphabet letter in May - can you remember what it is?