Easy Easter

 

I love baking but freely admit I'm rubbish at it. (Enter the 'boob cake' that I made for my daughter's 6th birthday party - it was actually a pale pink crown with a jewel on the top but as my darling husband pointed out was more mammary than majestic).

I can spend hours drooling at bakery windows and at this time of the year we get to see Easter biscuits in all sorts of seasonal shapes, iced to perfection in pastel colours - cute little chicks and fluffy bunnies it seems a shame to eat them (but head first is best).

Our efforts are a little more rustic here at My Secret Kitchen but still as scrumptious and always reliable. I thought I'd share with you a really simple idea using our Mochaccino Cookie Mix. There is no shame here on using 'packet mixes' especially when our packet mixes are simply perfect ingredients, perfectly weighed and measured to take the time, stress and worry out of baking. Just add the eggs and butter for perfectly crumbly melt-in-the-mouth cookies every time.

You can find the recipe for Mochaccino Easter Nests here and more about our Mochaccino Cookie Mix here.

So as we count down to Easer, you'll find me daydreaming about egg custard tarts, Simnel cake, hot cross buns and all things sugar and spice thanks to all you inspirational bakers out there (and not a boob in sight!).

Clare
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Magical Mums

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent when servants were given the day off to return home to their families and their ‘mother church’. Food was often central to the celebrations and it is likely that the rules of Lent were relaxed for this week-end, so that simnel cake and the lesser known ‘mothering bun’ (a simple yeast risen bun with icing originating in Bristol) could be enjoyed.

Whatever your spiritual beliefs, this coming Sunday will be a chance to celebrate all kinds of mothering. Being a strong female orientated business, we relish the thought of getting in touch with our feminine side at My Secret Kitchen and since today is also International Women’s Day I’ve been chatting to some inspirational mums…

Nerys is our consultant in North Wales, who is a wonderful Mum to her two children aged 14 and 10. She has been a My Secret Kitchen consultant since February 2011 and like many Mums, is multi-talented since she also works full time as well as supporting her husband and the children is their active lives. She uses week-ends and school holidays to conduct her MSK business and it is often a family affair with her daughter helping out to earn extra pocket money and both kids are happy to be tasters after product launches or if she tries out one of our new recipes.

In Nerys’ words, “Being a My Secret Kitchen consultant gives me the chance to meet new people with a common interest in trying new foods - one of the best feelings is helping customers restock with the products they had enjoyed previously.”

Nerys came to join us because she loved the idea of hosting a tasting; she instantly saw that food tasting parties was a great way of combining an evening at home with friends enjoying amazing foods and flavours. It is through Nerys that I got to chat with her host Claire, another magical mum who loved the tasting that Nerys ran at her sister’s house and wanted to host a tasting for her own friends.

Having never hosted a party plan event before there were the initial nerves about promoting My Secret Kitchen but having met Nerys and seen our way for herself she knew the evening had the “wow factor”. Claire has now hosted several tastings and likes supporting Nerys as mums often do. Claire works part time too but found inviting friends and colleagues to her tasting a breeze as they were intrigued to come along and find out more about our foods. Claire’s daughter Hannah also helped by handing out the invites and was a keen taster on the night too.

Hannah loves baking and so our Beer Bread Mix is a favourite and of course Maple Caramel Sauce. The Cheese Ball Mixes are also useful standbys which they often use as dips for entertaining. Claire keeps a keen eye on the kitchen activity but loves our products for the reliability and ease they give to the whole family. It was also great to buy her husband the Jumping Jack Chilli Jam with her host credit.


In our client newsletter last week we ran a fun competition for all mums out there – 10 Mango Mojitos to give away to 10 Magic Mums. All the entries were amazing to read and it was really tough to pick just 10. Thank-you to everyone who took part and here are the winning entries (please have tissues to hand for laughing and crying!)

My mum is magical because she manages to find everything I have 'lost' straight away!

My mum is magical because she knows when I'm upset or worried even when I don’t realise I am. Whenever I have a problem, she is always the first one there for me and always sorts things out for me. She always puts everyone else first and deserves a little treat.

My mum is magical because she is always there with the most amazing home cooked meals when a "food hug" is the only cure Xx love you mummy.

My mum is magical because... she is always there for me and my children, e.g chicken pox this week and she looked after them for me whilst I went to my new job!

My mum is magical because she gave me a fantastic childhood full of happy memories and experiences, which has made me the best mum I can be to her beautiful grandchildren.

My Mum is magical because: She still hides and jumps out at me in the middle of the night, then laughs! I'm 22!

My mum is magical because.... she always knows when something is wrong just by looking at me or even just talking on the phone!

My mum is magical because she always makes me a sausage sarnie when I visit her. Blood is thicker than vegetarianism.

My mum was magical because...she taught me how to cook. As she has now died I now use those skills to teach my dad to cook! (Dad would get the present as I no longer have a mum)

My mum is magical because she can create the illusion that she is fine when she's actually in a huge mood about something.

So a huge happy mother’s day and thank-you for all your magical mothering, have a lovely day,

Best Wishes

Clare
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Ultimate Brownie Bliss

March is here and it feels kind of good to have January and February under our belts. If you have been literally watching your belts perhaps you are also looking forward to Easter and saying yes instead of no! Traditionally at My Secret Kitchen we celebrate chocolate in March and with Easter and Mother's Day around the corner I have some brownie based inspiration for you.

Our Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix was the first product I developed several years ago for what was then, a developing dream of our own food tasting business. My philosophy was simple, to create recipes and products that I would make at home in a way for everyone to taste and use in their homes.  The values that were built into every recipe are as true and relevant today as they were back then and are what I believe also make our brownie mix the ultimate and here's why....

1. SECRET INGREDIENTS.
We only use naturally processed cocoa, and we're careful not to add too much sugar. We also use just enough flour to hold the brownies together. Belgian chocolate chunks and natural vanilla add the finishing touches. It’s also about what you will not find in our mix – there are none of the synthetic diglycerides, fillers or artificial flavours you might come across elsewhere. I also believe that adding real fresh eggs and natural butter are what makes a brownie and brownie so no water, oil or dried egg here!

2. PACKING A PUNCH
Many brownie mixes are on the small side, but we have purposefully made ours a large 500g pack. This lets you make 16 thick, squidgy, fudgey browines, or split the mix between two pans for 32 thinner squares; the photo below illustrates this point when compared to other brownie mixes.

3. RECIPES FOR SUCCESS
Inside each box is a set of recipes to help you create a whole host of blissful brownie creations – including a low fat version which substitutes the melted butter for apple puree and the whole egg for whipped egg whites, which results in a really intense chocolate flavour and 70% less fat. Don't forget our recipe site too with White Chocolate Macadamia Brownies, Cheesecake Brownies and my favourite, Brownie Nut Torte, perfect for Easter Sunday entertaining.

4. EACH PACKET IS KIND TO YOUR POCKET
The finished brownies work out at around 54p each – which is a fraction of what you can pay in certain coffee shops and cafes - see our recent taste testing below where we discovered you can pay up to £2 for a brownie in a coffee shop!

5. FREEZEY DOES IT
Our brownies also freeze brilliantly, so if you can resist the temptation to scoff the lot, you can save some for another day!

So here you can see some of our research in action and just a selection of the browine mixes we have been benchmarking our own recipe with. The white flags are all brownies made with other packet mixes (made according to the instructions). Each range in size from 35g to 60g per portion. The dark blue flag is our very own Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix and you will have to take my word for it that the taste test was no contest!

With the brownies below, the light blue flags are from well-known coffee shops as well as a local independent cafe. You certainly get more in a pre-prepared brownie (70g - 80g portion) but also be prepared to pay £1.45 - £2.00 for sadly, a very dry and grainy product. The dark blue flag at the end is again, our very own fudgy squidy amazingly chocolaty brownie!

So when time doesn't allow to bake brownies from scratch I am more than confident that our mix is worth every chocolaty penny.
Happy March, I hope its a fabulously chocolaty one for you too,

Clare
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Its a curry thing

 

We all know we are a nation of curry lovers. Many of you have indeed fallen in love with our Brazilian Moqueca Curry Paste with its spices and creamy coconut and its great to hear you have been trying out our recipe for the Brazilian fish stew, Moqueca de Peixe. But if you are not a massive fish fan or just want some alternatives to an Indian curry we’ve got some great recipes for you.

A takeaway has become a bit of a treat in our house – the expense alone feels a little extravagant and we have certainly cut down on the amount of visits to our local (and very good) Indian restaurant.  I also find that we tend to buy the same dishes and afterwards feel as greasy and full as the brinjal bhajee and peshwari naan themselves when all that is left is some empty foil containers and stains on the table.

So making your own curry at home certainly has its appeal (especially as you can guarantee exactly what is in it!).  As our children are getting more adventerous we like to introduce them to more flavours so these recipes can also be adapted for chilli lovers or not as the case may be. So there is the opportunity to make something for everyone using the same Moqueca paste but still give a diverse range of flavours.

A quick word about portions – these recipes are for a 300g per person and I’ve allowed slightly less meat than usual – you can of course increase the amount of meat but in these animal conscious days I have been working on recipes that use more vegetables or protein alternatives to supplement the meat so you will see chick peas, cashew nuts as well as aubergines, potatoes and spinach but feel free to substitute at will!

All recipes should feed 6 and are great served in a bowl to eat with a spoon with a side of something to mop up the juices. You can of course thicken the curry if you like with a little corn flour (mixed with water first) or reduce the liquid over high heat if you prefer a thicker, dryer curry. Also switch the Secret Firecrcacker Spices to Secret Wild Garlic Spices if you prefer a mild flavour and vice versa to spice it up!

So here is a quick curry guide and the links to the recipes:

 

 

The Hot One: Moqueca Chicken Curry- recipe here
Hot and fruity with coconut milk - try this one if you like a Chicken Ceylon or Madras.
Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp Thai Dressing with Kaffir Lime + 1 tbsp Secret Firecracker Spices

 

The Medium One: Moqueca Lamb Curry - recipe here

Rich and savoury with potatoes and spinach - try this one if you like Bombay aloo or Bhuna

Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp Miso Dressing with Ginger + 1 dsp Secret Firecracker Spices

The Mild One: Moqueca Mushroom Curry - recipe here

Mild and creamy with chick peas and roasted cashew nuts - try this one if you like Korma
Uses: 3 tbsp Moqueca Curry Paste + 2 tbsp White Wine & Porcini Finishing Sauce + 1 tsp Secret Wild Garlic Spices


Enjoy!

Clare
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Sweet Heart Honey Buns

Pancake day and Valentines day in one week - aren't we lucky! Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent and pancakes originated as a way to use up ingredients that would traditional be avoided for the next 40 days and nights (butter, sugar, eggs). Valentines day has its origins in a fertility festival and feast so what better reason to make something lovely for your lovely?

Somewhere between a crumpet and a pancake, these soft fluffy buns are made with our Original Beer Bread Mix and new Secret Honeycomb Spices and then doused in our new Hibiscus and Rose Nectar.  Really easy to make, they can be whipped up in a jiffy and made to whatever shaped metal cutters you have at home.

Sweet Heart Honey Buns
Makes at least 4 buns - depending on the size of cutter used
1/2 pkt My Secret Kitchen Original Beer Bread Mix
1 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Secret Honeycomb Spices
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg
1/4 pint milk
Vegetable oil / butter for frying
My Secret Kitchen Hibiscus & Rose Nectar, to serve

In a large jug, stir together the Beer Bread Mix, Secret Spices and sugar.  Add the egg and milk and whisk together to make a smooth batter.  Heat some vegetable oil (or butter) in a frying pan and place a metal cookie cutter (heart shaped if you have it) in the middle of the pan. Pour the batter into the cutter until it is half full (the batter will expand and bubble up on cooking).

Reduce the heat (watch they do not burn on the bottom) and continue to cook gently until the top of the bun looks dry and is ready to be turned over. Quickly flip and cook for a few seconds just to lightly brown the top. Whilst still warm, spoon over the Hibiscus & Rose Nectar.

And for those of you with less of a sweet tooth or if you and your lover are cheese lovers, we have some perfect partners to these mini camembert hearts - clockwise from the top, Tapenade with Smoked Garlic, Balsamic Reduction, Fig Pudding Pickle, Jumping Jack Chilli Jam.  All make great accompaniments for a range of cheeses and a hearty red wine (excuse the pun) or bubbly - lay down a rug for an oh-so-romantic indoor picnic.

So whatever the origins and meanings to the celebrations this week, Happy Pancake Valentines and here's to great reasons to love yourself and others with My Secret Kitchen.

Clare
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Nibbles in Norfolk

Its has recently been team meeting time again for our lovely consultants.  Around the country our teams of pasionate and friendly foodies have been gathering to swop business tips and of course share a tasty nibble or two.  This month we have showcased a recipe from Terri Rhind (our team leader in Wiltshire) with Juliette Kidd and her team in Norfolk.

Jumping Jack & Potato Bread Puddings may sound a little unusual but I can assure you they had us all coming back for more at our recent recipe testing session. They feature one of our best selling yummy products Jumping Jack Chilli Jam and the individual savoury bread puddings make a great addition to lunch boxes (they freeze brilliantly too). The recipe also uses our extremely versatile Beer Bread Mixes and with wintery chills in the air and the darker nights, a little homely and wholesome bread baking is just what the oven ordered. You can find the full recipe here and no doubt you can come up with your own ingenious twists on this recipe. 
Happy baking!

Clare
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Coffee Monster

Its no secret that I am the coffee equivalent of the cookie monster when it comes to my morning brew. Don't even think about talking to me until the kettle is on and I do not share. Yes I also take my own coffee pot and coffee wherever I go.

As a cooking flavour, coffee is more of an acquired taste. Enter My Secret Kitchen Mochaccino Cookie Mix. It is a brilliant cookie mix bringing coffee together with chunks of white and dark chocolate.  It was developed orignially as a biscotti mix (and you can still make fabulous biscotti with it - find the recipe and here) but in a simpler fashion it also makes fabulous soft bake cookies - amazing warm and gooey straight from the oven as well as chunky scones and to-die-for mini pecan pie coffee cookies
 
So I thought I would try to create a coffee cup cake with one of our most versatile products.  The results - the Caramel Latte Cup Cake.

Its a coffee and chocolate cup cake, doused in coffee liqueur and topped with maple caramel buttercream, sprinkled with cocoa and a coffee bean.  You can find the full recipe here and try your hand at any of the gorgeous recipes using our Mochaccino Cookie Mix.

Enjoy!

Clare
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