The end ...

Hey people!  I know I haven't posted for ages and ages so thought it was about time I brought you up to date with the latest happenings.  After a lot of soul searching, gin drinking and restless nights, I have decided to close The Bakehouse.  It is no more! 

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has supported me during its' life, from friends and family helping out when the chaos hit (and feeding me crisps and beer to keep me sane!) to my lovely customers.  I couldnt have done it without you all!

I love the blogging so you never know, it may remain, though in a slightly different format.  Watch this space!

So thank you one and all. It has been fun but the time has come to move on ......

Fife's bountiful larder

I've been thinking that, as I live in an area over flowing with amazing produce, I should really make the most of it and use it regularly.  I'm all for seasonal produce too - I mean, who eats turnip-like strawberries in January when you can wait until June for the treasure that is the Fife strawberry - juicy, sweet, bright red and to die for: perfection indeed! So, I'm going to begin a series of blog posts highlighting some of, as I perceive it, the wonderful products from the Fife larder.  I'm going to look at the suppliers, how I've used their products and also, sometimes, some of the local ingredients I've been able to forage for or grow myself.  It'll be an ongoing series with posts littered in between my cakes and other activities.  I'm a non meat eater so be warned, veggie recipes and baking only will feature.  I make no apologies, veggie is the way I'm going with special diets thrown in for good measure - be that gluten free, vegan or whatever!

What prompted this then, I hear you ask?!  Simple, a trip to Cupar Farmer's Market on Saturday alongside a weekend spent in my garden and at my allotment, preparing my veggie patches whilst dreaming of the delights I'm going to grow this year.  

Cupar Farmer's market is a joy to visit.  http://www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk/ Stalls over flowing with amazing bounty - from the fruity vinegars of the Little Herb Farm in Pittenweem http://thelittleherbfarm.co.uk/blog/to the jar-ed delights of Trotters Independent  Condiments  http://www.trottersindependent.co.uk/Condiments/Trotters_Independent_Condiments.html and a million and one things beside.  I was inspired.  (And the distinctive smell of Smokies filing the air with their billowing smoke reminds me of home as a bonus!)

A visit to Ardross farm shop http://www.ardrossfarm.co.uk/ simply sealed the deal.  Again, I came home with a basket laden with goodies - Anster cheese, St Andrews Brewing Co beer and Ardross honey to name but a few.  Tea involved purple sprouting broccoli doused in garlicy rapeseed oil, yep bought at the Farmer's Market, and Jersey Royal spuds - not technically grown in Fife but bought from the local Farm shop and a treat non the less!

Things to be enjoyed after a hard day in the garden, digging, weeding and despising raspberry canes which get everywhere if left unchecked.  My seeds are in trays whilst I patiently wait for the magic to begin and I can plant my beetroot, broad beans, salad leaves, cabbages and on and on in the garden.  In the meantime, blog posts will appear as I sample and experiment so watch this space!

Red Vespa cake

It really has been a good, creative couple of weeks cake wise! I love the challenges that go along with designing a cake for someone - and then re-creating it in sugarpaste.  Here's the 21st cake from a couple of weeks ago, complete with red Vespa.  It was a lovely traditional vanilla sponge with buttercream and jam filling.  Can't beat the simple!  

21st Birthday cake

Vespa detail

It was a Mini adventure!

Had a lot of fun in the last week or so making novelty cakes.  Here's another - my Mini cake made for a 17 year old's birthday!  It was a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling and a chocolate ganache layer under the sugarpaste.  Yum!

The Mini adventure

back detail

Bonnet detail

Black & White wedding cake

It has been a busy week with cakes - great news and lots of challenges that I love!  Here are pictures of the wedding cake to start with.  It was made up of mini cakes in black and white with a large cake on the top.  Lemon drizzle, toffee and vanilla sponge where the flavours used.  Turned out pretty well I think!  More cakes to come so watch this space!

the cake

Top tier detail

Oaty, fruit goodness

I think I'm developing an obsession for flapjacks.  I love the oaty, sticky, comforting, almost predictability of them.... and the fact that I feel like I'm eating something healthy even though I know, in my heart of hearts I'm not!

The latest foray into the flapjack produced a nut, seed and fruit laden delight.  Perfect for breakfast, mid morning snack, midnight nibble  .... actually, any time of day!  I'm having to show restraint and hold myself back from the tin!   The latest version to grace my cake tin was crammed full of sesame seeds, pumpkins seeds, almonds, pecans, coconut, dried cranberries and sultanas: what isn't to love?!  It was a brunch style granola bar, if you will!  The possibilities are endless.  I'm thinking I need to experiment - a vegan version, a gluten free version, a chocolatey version, a plain and simple version for the purists out there.  And, for those virtuous moments when I need to eat only salad (doesn't happen often!), a healthy version with less butter, sugar and syrup.  Hmm ....  Anyway, need I go on!  Are you getting the picture and understanding my obsession?!!

The flapjack in all it's sticky, oaty, goodness laden glory!

Saying all this, I am picky with my flapjacks.  They must be deep, dense and moist.  Not overly huge and overpowering, yet not tiny and bite-sized.  What use is that to man or beast?! Not overly sticky and not too dry.  Nothing worse than ploughing your way through a bar of sawdust.  A good ratio of nuts/seeds/fruit to oat is vital - nothing too overpowering.  It is all about balance.  Not too well fired and crispy, just lightly toasted with a crunchy edge and soft middle.  And, home-made only please!  In an emergency, a Fabulous Baker Boys or a Stoats Porridge Bar option will just about suffice but really, only in an absolute emergency, thank you very much!

I'm dreaming of an apple and cinnamon version, or, apricot and ginger, or, a simple honey and sesame one, or a maple and pecan, or, a toffee and chocolate chunk, or a white chocolate and raspberry one  .... yum, yum, yum! At the core, a lovely oaty mix resplendent with jumbo flakes which still have just a little bit of bite left.   What could be finer?!  If you haven't dabbled in the flapjack world for a while, may I suggest you do.  Like cornflakes, have you forgotten how good they are?!

On that note, I think it could be time for tea and perhaps just a wee nibble of a flapjack, a fruity, nutty, seedy one ... well, a cuppa is too dry without one!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just around the corner .... Sunday, 18th March to be exact.

No inspiration hitting you for a suitable gift? 

What about Cupcakes??!

pretty Mother's Day-style cupcakes

Mother's Day cupcakes come in boxes of either 6 or 12,    will be a mix of lemon and vanilla flavours and will be decorated in pretty pastel colours with various flowers, hearts and all things nice as decoration. Special diets can be catered for too.

£7.50 for 6 or £13.50 for 12. 

You can either collect from me at home or I can deliver for a small charge dependent on location. 

Call me (0791 695 8010) or email me thebakehouse2@hotmail.co.uk to place an order.

(delivery in Angus and Fife only please.  Minimum order 6 cupcakes.)

Follow the yellow brick road ...

... and my latest cake creation will appear!  That'll be my Wizard of Oz cake, made by special request for a 30th birthday party.  I had a lot of fun creating this, I have to admit.  It was a great excuse to spend much time online looking at Wizard of Oz websites for inspiration and then returning to my childhood as I modelled figures from sugarpaste - beats playdough!.  Was very pleased with how this cake turned out - and the birthday girl seemed happy, which is the name of the game. Next project is a vinyl single for a 50th birthday!  Photos will follow of that too.  In the meantime, here are the Wizard of Oz cake pics - Let me know what you think!

My Wizard of Oz cake

Detail of Dorothy, Toto and the rainbow

Shame the cake squished the Wicked Witch of the West!

Rainbow coloured cake!

Your testimonials please!

I've spent the last couple of days on Business Gateway courses - on finance and selling skills.  Check out their website if anyone is interested in learning more about the Gateway.  They are a treasure trove of useful business information, covering every angle you can possibly think of.  Though persevere, there is so much information on the site, it is easy to get sidetracked and sometimes frustrated with it:   http://www.business.scotland.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?site=202 

My brain is over loaded, my to do list has reached new lengths but I'm inspired to have a good year and make The Bakehouse bigger and better (with outstanding, organised financial paperwork to boot. Hmm...!).  More courses to come in the next few weeks on marketing, social media and other such fun things they don't tell you about when you set up a business!

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone can help.  Customers, past and present, do you have any words of wisdom about my cakes, the business, the service you have received and such like that you'd like to share?  I'm looking for testimonials I can use on the blog, on Facebook and on any marketing material I produce, from a cake portfolio to flyers.  I'm assuming if you send me any comments, that you will be OK with this.  If you would like to help, you can post comments on here, on my Bakehouse Facebook page or you can email me thebakehouse2@hotmail.co.uk

Thank you very much for being supportive and helping a new business owner stay sane in moments of chaos and keep her faith!

The not so humble pasty

I've been experimenting with one of my latest cook book purchases, River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  It is a real change for him as no meat features at all.  A good thing for me!  I haven't purchased a cook book of late where I'm inspired to cook something from virtually every page.  Although, the book may be simple at times, and indeed perfect if you are a new veggie, it has inspired me to make use of ingredients I forget how much I love.  And, I want to cook rather than bake.  Unusual!

The first recipe I ventured into the kitchen to try was his swede and potato pasties.  Let's face it, who doesn't love a pasty!!  And, as a bonus, I had both veggies in the kitchen that needed a good dish so was a perfect recipe!  It was also a first for me as I made the rough puff pastry he offered as the crispy, flaky packaging for the simple yet tasty filling.  The Great British Bake Off (oh, how I miss that programme!) had planted the seed for trying to make my own rough puff - and can I say, it was simpler than I thought and so worth the effort.  So yummy I'm going to make it more often.

Anyway, a subtle almost Cornish pasty-type filling -without the meat - was the central focus of the pasty.  Cubed potato, swede (or turnip if you hail from Scotland!), onion and carrot - and that was it with just a wee bit o' seasoning to enhance the flavour.  Doesn't have to be complicated to make a fantastic supper.   Served with a green salad, it was lovely.  Going to make it a regular occurance on the dinner table - and, those who know me well will not be surprised by this, but I'm going to fiddle with it!  I'm thinking a wee bit of curry powder would be grand or maybe a change of veg to include leek, sweet potato and maybe a mushroom or too would be tasty.

Here are the pics to get the taste buds working (hopefully!):

the filling!  Lovely swede, potato, onion and carrot.  It's all about the veggies!

all egg washed and read to bake

lovely!

I survived December....

It was an insane end to the first year of trading for The Bakehouse.  A busy, chaotic December!  It was all about cupcakes, Christmas fairs and festive cheer.  Feels like a lifetime ago now!

Dairsie Does Different @ Christmas was the event to start the festive period.  As marketed, it was full of Christmassy cheer, unique present ideas and new stall holders.  As always, the locals amongst others turned out in force to support us and we all had a really great day.  Couldn't do it without you guys! The range of items for sale exceeded expectations.  We had paintings and prints, knitted bunnies and photographs, aliens and bunting, jewellery to die for and origami amongst other things.  The cakes went well as did the jams, marmalade, shortbread, mince pies ...... the list goes on!  Roll on the next one in Spring of this year!  Watch this space!

My wee corner.... right at the beginning of the day!

Next was the Musa Cupcake Masterclass.  Musa is the Museum of the University of St Andrews - http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/musa/ -  a fab wee museum which looks at the history, development and culture of the university with lots of lovely things to look at and a very friendly staff who are always happy to chat!  I did a Masterclass demonstrating how to decorate cupcakes and make them all festive.  I love meeting new people at events like this - and always love working with the Musa gang.  Any excuse to talk cake and share tips!  

 Cupcake perfection at Musa!

Keen students, one and all!

In between all of this galavanting, was the day to day co-ordinating of orders.  Cakes, mince pies, brownies, cupcakes, shortbread ... the list goes on... don't make themselves you know!  And, to make my year complete, all of my Christmas Cakes found homes.  Hope they were suitably enjoyed!

Christmas Cupcakes - candy cane & vanilla simplicity Christmas trees

Christmas Cake

Final event of the month was The Big Pink Christmas Fair in Arbroath.  It was organised as a charity fundraiser for SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and was a lot of fun!  Yet more fantastically talented people showcasing their amazing wares.  I have a new felted Christmas tree decoration in the shape of a wee bird and a lovely cupcake fridge magnet to show for my attendance!  Oh, and I met lots of great people, supported a worthy charity and can't wait to do another event!

My willing helper for the day!  Couldn't have done it without her! 

So, now it is calmer and all about catching up on paperwork and admin not to mention starting planning for a new year of Bakehouse activity!  A wee bit of experimenting is being thrown in for good measure too.  Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry are all helping with that!  (Or their books are!).  Watch this space for the results!!  Bubble and squeak courtesy of Hugh tonight for tea.  Yum!

Finally, all I have to do is say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has supported this insanely mad venture of mine this year.  From customers to friends and family and everyone inbetween ..... thank you, thank you, thank you.  I wouldn't be here without you!