Review - Go Ahead bars

When you're out and about and need a quick energy boost that's going to see you through longer than the next 20 minutes of a high calorie, high octane sugar rush from a chocolate bar,  you can do so much worse than to grab yourself a pack of Go Ahead bars from United Biscuits.

These outer packs of 5 Crispy Slice deliciousness come handily wrapped in packs of three slices, contain only 57 calories per slice and come in a variety of flavours which currently include Strawberry, Blueberry, Orange, Red Cherry, Apple, Forest Fruit and Raspberry.  You'll find plenty of fruit enclosed within a crisp baked biscuity layer. They provide the texture and crunch of a biscuit with the satisfying sustainability of the generous fruity fillings.  Perfect for a quick pick me up boost of energy!

Also in the range are their Yogurt Breaks.  They have a higher calorie content of 73 calories per slice as each fruit filled biscuit slice comes enrobed in a delicious yoghurt topping.  These are packed as two per individual packet serving and currently the range includes Strawberry, Forest Fruit, Raspberry and Red Cherry.  These are great if you're in a rush and have had to miss breakfast, as we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  However, in the busy lives that we all lead, sometimes, no matter how hard we try, there are days when we have to eat on the go, and one of these little packs is surely a much better option than a chocolate bar or an energy drink as we dash about our business.

They're great to pop into the kids lunch boxes in place of a chocolate biscuit, as their cannily disguised fruit fillings ensure that they're getting at least one extra bit of fruit goodness into their diets without you having to try to hard to get them to eat it.

I was sent two packs of the Crispy Slices and a pack of the Yogurt Bars free of charge to try, however, we do regularly purchase and enjoy these as an alternative to a chocolate biscuits or other sugary snacks.

Food Review - Nairn's Oatcakes

What a lovely invitation I received - to attend The Ivy Club in London on behalf of Nairn's Oatcakes for a Cocktails & Canapés evening.  Too exciting to turn down and already a fan of Nairn's Oatcakes, I just had to say yes!

Nairn's have been baking oatcakes for over 100 years, so they know a thing or two about producing a fab product! Their oats are sourced in their native Scotland which has the perfect climate for slowly and naturally ripening the grains used to make their products.  Produced in both sweet and savoury variations, rough and smooth in texture, with or without fruit or seeds, they provide the perfect snack or base to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.  Their products come in perfectly portioned, wrapped packs making them easy to slip into your bag or lunch box for freshness on the go.  The difficult part is which one to choose as your base and what tasty topping you're going to pile it up with!

In addition to their Scottish grown oats for their general market oatcakes, they source certified gluten free oats from Wyoming from a family of coeliacs who know the importance of guaranteeing that the products grown are free from wheat.  This farming family is so passionate about their product that they walk their fields ensuring that no rogue grains contaminate the oats. Nairn's also have a dedicated manufacturing facility in which they produce their gluten free range, thereby reducing the contamination risk even further.  Great news for every coeliac!

Oats contain the highest soluble fibre of all the grains making them excellent to fill you up and release their energy slowly. They're wheat free and contain no added sugars, hydrogenated fats, artificial flavours or preservatives, making them a fabulous and healthy energy source. Great served with peanut butter, jam or fresh fruit for a sweet treat or with cheese, meats, hummus, salads or soups for a savoury feast that's not only tasty, but is good for you too.  Oats are naturally low in GI which help keep the blood sugars and energy levels even, thereby reducing cravings and helping with weight loss.  

A perfect start to the day either at home of in the office is their gluten free porridge oats which old in handy, single portion pouches, or in a tub for extra convenience, they'll ensure you're not hungry until lunchtime.

I do buy Nairn's Oatcakes ordinarily, but I'm even more of a fan of these now that I've had the opportunity to taste the entire range.

I was invited to The Ivy Club on behalf of Nairn's Oatcakes by their PR company. I was given free product samples to bring home after the event.  I was not under any obligation to review these products, positive or otherwise. 

Cinnamon & White Chocolate Flapjacks

I’ve had flapjacks in my head for a few days now but fancied baking them with a bit of a seasonal spice twist, so I changed my basic recipe a little bit.

I used Organic Green & Black’s white chocolate and FairTrade cinnamon and brown sugar.

150g (6oz) Butter
150g (6oz) Soft brown sugar
80g (3oz) Golden Syrup
300g (12oz) Porridge Oats
5ml (1tsp) Cinnamon
150g (6oz) White chocolate, chopped into chunks.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan with the golden syrup.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the porridge oats, cinnamon and chocolate.
4. Press into a 24x30cm tin, making sure the top is level.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until golden in colour.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
7. Mark into squares.
8. Allow to cool for another 10 minutes in the tin.
9. Turn out onto a wooden chopping board & cut the squares through completely.
10. Allow to cool completely (or if you really can’t wait, nibble a piece as a cook’s perk while its still warm!)

Ndali vanilla gift swap

I’ve been invited to take part in the Ndali Vanilla Swap that’s taking place at Fortnum & Mason’sprestigious store in Piccadilly, London on Monday 24th September. The event is also in association with Kenwood and The Fair Trade Foundation and has been organised by Vanessa Kimble, Goddess on a Budget, and author of Prepped.

The criteria of the afternoon involves us making or baking a product, or products, in up to 4 categories:
1. Biscuits
2. Cake/cupcakes
3. Sweets
4. Preserves

I’ve chosen to enter the biscuit & the cake categories with two recipes that I will share with you here.

For my biscuit recipe, I’m making a rustic vanilla, oat, cranberry & white chocolate biscuit. Whilst my cake is a rich vanilla infused elderflower sponge with a vanilla bean frosting and decorated with fondant.

As the name suggests, it’s a gift swap in as much as we produce our creations to go in to a draw, according to the category entered. We are then lucky enough to draw an equivalent gift which has been lovingly created by a fellow attendee which we will no doubt marvel at and possibly enjoy on the train home later that evening.

We each have some wonderful Ndali vanilla product to use in our creations. I really can’t recommend their vanilla powder enough! The fragrance is sublime, whilst the taste is incredibly intense, yet gentle at the same time; a truly amazing product! Along with the Ndali vanilla, we will be using Fairtrade products where possible.

To give you a potted history of Ndali vanilla; Lulu Sturdy inherited a former tea plantation and, after experimenting with other crops, settled on vanilla. She now grows premium quality Fair Trade vanilla on her organic 1,000 acre mixed tropical farm, Ndali. She also processes the individual vanilla crops of hundreds of small farmers who she has helped to gain Fair Trade deals. Growing, hand pollinating, harvesting and processing are all highly labour intensive. The cream of the crop is packaged under the Fair Trade ‘Ndali’ brand for retail. There are still a lot of farmers in the area who do not have Fair Trade deals.

Fair Trade makes an incredible difference to the lives of producers; it’s not just a brand. Learning about these growers has convinced me that the deals brokered through Fair Trade make a huge difference to the lives of the farmers and their families. Many are subject to exploitation by unscrupulous traders.

You can’t fail to be moved by one farmer’s statement: “We don’t want charity, we just want a fair price for what we have grown”

Demand for vanilla outstrips the supply of vanilla beans and, sadly, most UK vanilla flavouring is synthetic with the vast majority of it going into manufactured foods. In home baking, we can avoid this ‘vanilla essence’ and buy pure vanilla in pods, extract and powder form. Of course, its more expensive than it’s synthetic substitute, but in terms of quality and flavour, there really is no substitute worth considering. Next time you shop for vanilla please consider not only the quality of the product that you’re buying, but also the life changes you are helping to make for the Ugandan vanilla growers and pay a fair price.

Rosie's Chocolate Tiffin

This recipe is incredibly moreish and really quite fattening, but it's absolutely gorgeous too!  Don't worry about buying expensive ingredients because if your house is anything like mine; it won't last very long when it's made, and to be honest, I've tried making it with branded ingredients and it really doesn't taste much different either, so basically it can be a cheap and cheerful treat!

The ingredients list for this is great too as they're all pretty much approximate values.  No need to be precise with your measuring, which means it's great to make with the kids.

3/4 (ish) large pack of Digestive biscuits
2-3oz (BIIIIG handful) of sultanas
2 x 100g bars of milk chocolate
1 x 100g bar of dark chocolate
3oz butter
2tbs golden syrup

Topping:
2 x 100g bars of milk chocolate

Foil tray bake - they normally come in a pack of 4 for about £1.50 ish as they're disposable.


1. Place the digestives into a large bowl.

2. Crush roughly, leaving a few larger pieces to add 'crunch' to your Tiffin.

3. In a saucepan, place your 200g of milk chocolate and 100g plain chocolate, the butter and the golden syrup.  Melt GENTLY over a low heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile add the sultanas to the crushed biscuits.

5. Mix thoroughly.

6. Stir the ingredients in the saucepan to ensure they're thoroughly mixed while heating.

7. When the chocolate is melted, add this mixture to your biscuit and sultana mix in your bowl.  Mix well  until it's all combined.

8. Pour the mixture into your tray and spread out to an even depth (don't worry about a perfectly smooth surface; life's too short to worry!)

9.  Leave to cool while you melt the remaining 200g of milk chocolate GENTLY.

10. Pour the chocolate topping over your tiffin base and cool until set.

11. These foil trays are marked 3 across by 5 down but I find if you cut it into 15 pieces it's far too rich, so I tend to cut each square of Tiffin in half diagonally to give 30 pieces.

Again, enjoy my recipe and if you do follow it and like the result, then please return and leave me a comment.

Thanks


Rosie
x