BBC Maestro Bread Making Course (And #Competition) By @Cinabar

The lovely folks at BBC Maestro asked me if I wanted to try out one of the online BBC Maestro cooking courses and run a giveaway so that one of you could also win a course. There are quite a few to choose from, all presented by experts in their field:

• Modern Indian cooking with Vineet Bhatia 
• Classic French Bistro Cooking with Pierre Koffmann 
• Delicious vegetarian cooking with Marco Pierre White
• Delicious food cooked simply with Marco Pierre White
• Bread making with Richard Bertinet

As much as I was intrigued by Modern Indian cooking with Vineet Bhatia, I love baking and couldn’t resist Bread Making with Richard Bertinet, and I signed up.

The lessons are well-presented and comprehensive, and you can watch and re-watch as needed. The pace was right for me; I chose to do one lesson a week as a weekend treat. I have never used fresh yeast before and can only hope to develop my kneading skills to the level of Richard Bertinet. I enjoyed watching to the videos and learned a lot about bread too. For example, breads like Fougasse (see the photo for my effort) start with "fo" as they are derived from the word "fire" where they are baked quickly in high heat. Also, having fresh bread each weekend is an absolute treat. There was even a bonus lesson for making mince pies at Christmas.

Would you like to enter the competition to win a course for yourself? Which course would you pick?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competition Ends 21/1/23

UK entries only

Winner selected at random

Belinda Clark Gourmet Marshmallows Toast-It Kit (Competition) #Gifted By @Cinabar

We were very kindly gifted this fantastic Gourmet Marshmallows Toast-It Kit from Belinda Clark. I love marshmallows and have tried some from Belinda Clark before, this kit is something rather different though. I love the idea of a toasted marshmallow but rarely get the chance to try them. We don’t have bonfires and barbecues tend to have died down quiet a lot by the time you get to dessert and don’t quite do the job. Belinda Clark sent over this kit to help make toasted marshmallows possible at home, what better way to end an evening meal than toasted marshmallows and coffee.
I opened up the kit and inside were two bags of marshmallows, wooden skewers and a mini camp fire, ok not quite a camp fire but a burner none the less.

I opened up the tin of the burner and looked for a wick, I’m a simple girl, before realising you set light to the gel. The flame was an impressive blue which did not show up on the camera. Word of warning this seems like an adult treat to me, but if there are kids about they will need supervision the mallows get hot and there are flames about. I popped one of the marshmallows on the wooden skewer and dipped it in the flame, turning, and watching it cook. This made me smile.
The marshmallows tasted fab! The outer coating was crispy and the burnt sugar was wonderfully caramelised. The inside was sweet and gooey too. We had such fun toasting mallows, this is the perfect after dinner treat.

This is such a fun kit and Belinda Clark has very kindly given us an extra kit to give away so you can have a chance to win a kit for yourself. Please enter below using the Rafflecopter - Good Luck!

[THIS PRIZE DRAW HAS ENDED]

The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company Competition (@ChocPizzaCo) By @cinabar

The lovely folks from The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company asked if we wanted to try out one of their fantastic looking chocolate pizzas, and also said we could give one away as a competition prize! Details on this are below.
I can’t hep getting excited when the post comes and brings a parcel but receiving a pizza box in the mail really did make me smile. The box looks very authentic but you can see the chocolate pizza showing through. Although this is a chocolate pizza in name, there is not doughy base, the whole thing is chocolatey goodness. This particular one is called a Crunchy Munchy and has a milk chocolate base topped with white chocolate curls, fudge pieces and chunks of chocolate brownie.

I was worried for a second about removing the pieces from the box but was pleased to see that there was a handy thumb slot to ease the slices out and each one had already been pre-cut. You can see from the side view that the chunks of fudge are embedded fairly deep into the chocolate pizza to stop them from falling out.

I have written a few times before on here about my love of a mix of textures and this chocolate pizza completely satisfied that. The chocolate base has a thick melt that coats the tongue well, but the curls and soft fudge and brownie pieces all just mix things up perfectly. The chocolate is of a lovely quality, with a good defined taste and plenty of sweet creamy flavour. The fudge pieces are buttery and sweet and a pleasure to stumble on, as are the richer brownie pieces.
The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza brought a smile to everyone who shared it and it would be perfect for sharing with friends during a night in. It is also a bit of statement gift, sure to make the recipient smile from ear to ear.

If you want to buy one for yourself see: http://www.gourmetchocolatepizza.co.uk

If you would like to try and win your very own Gourmet Chocolate Pizza please enter using the RaffleCopter form below - Good Luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skippy Peanut Butter Smooth / Super Crunch Competition [By @Cinabar]

I’ve seen Skippy Peanut Butter before, but only in American import stores. It's a big brand over there but not one I’ve tried. The import prices put me off! Skippy has just launched in the UK and the prices are much more in line with what you’d expect (ie £2.49 for a jar). There are two varieties, depending on the texture you prefer, Smooth or Super Crunch.

I decided to give the Smooth variety a go first, on some crunchy bread. There was a lovely pop of peanut aroma once I peeled off the cover under the lid. It was quite a thick consistency to spread, but went on easily. The flavour was very good, it had a lovely rich taste, and the best part was it didn’t feel too sticky in the mouth.

Next up I gave the Super Crunch a try on a bagel. It was thick but spread nicely, even though it had nice big crunchy nut pieces. This one was fun to eat, and the flavour and texture was full on. I think would be particularly nice on a soft bread.

I found myself to have a preference for the Smooth, which is unusual as I normally like a mix of textures. I guess the texture of the crunchy bread I’d chosen was all the texture I needed. Interested to find out which you’d prefer? The lovely folks at Skippy have some jars to give away to readers of Foodstuff Finds. To enter please use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Terms/Conditions

• Three winners will be chosen at random each winning two jars of Skippy Peanut Butter (one Crunchy and one Smooth)
• UK residents only
• Entry is by Rafflecopter
• If we can’t get in touch with each winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected.
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.
• Good luck!

Hotel Chocolat Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Egg Competition (@HotelChocolat) [By @Cinabar]

Hotel Chocolat Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Egg Competition (@HotelChocolat) [By @Cinabar]

The very lovely folks from Hotel Chocolat have sent us one of their fantastic Extra Thick Eggs to review, and we have one to offer up as a competition prize to one of our lucky readers.

The egg is presented in the most fabulous box with a big bow on top. When you open it up there is an egg in gold paper inside. It is presented in two halves, each half contains six chocolates, so there are 12 in total. Each side of the egg is different too, which is fun.

The first half we went for was the Rocky Road side. It is a milk chocolate but at 40% coca does look a lot darker than some. Packed on to the side of the egg, to make it extra extra thick if you like, is a chocolate layer with puffed rice and biscuit bits. I went to break some off and had to get my muscles moving as this is chocolate is thick, impressively so.
The chocolate had a fab rich flavour, the quality is spot on. If you’ve never tried Hotel Chocolat chocolate before you are missing out, it is in a league of its own. It is sharp to break, but a good thick smooth melt in the mouth. I loved the crunchy bits in the outer coating. The combination of this and rich milk chocolate were a match made in heaven, fun to eat with a perfect mix of textures.

The second side of the egg is the Caramel Chocolate side. It is lighter in colour and a warmer shade. I loved this too as I have a sweet tooth, so this was right up my street. The chocolate has the wonderful soothing tones of toffee and caramel wrapped into to the thick melt. It's soothing chocolate, that is an absolute pleasure to eat, perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

Some of the chocolates in the box are Easter themed, there are chocolate bunnies filled with either caramel or, my favourite, nutty praline. There is a Hot Cross Bun truffle too, which has a lovely hint of cinnamon. But there is a good selection of chocs, whether you like Salted Caramels, Orange Wafers or fun chocolates like the Billionaire’s Shortbread.

There is a lot of chocolate in the box, I know Hotel Chocolat isn’t cheap, but these eggs have a lot of contents and the chocolates themsleves are so worth it, they are really something special.

Do you fancy winning a Hotel Chocolat Extra Thick Egg for yourself? For your chance to win do enter our competition using the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Terms/Conditions
One winners will be chosen at random and win a Hotel Chocolat Extra Thick Egg
• UK residents only
Entry is by Rafflecopter
• If we can’t get in touch with the winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected. If the winner comes forward when the Easter Eggs are no longer available an equivalent substitution will be made.
If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.
Good luck!

Straight from the Heart and Competition (Hotel Chocolat) [By @cinabar]

Valentines day isn’t far away, and Hotel Chocolat have brought out the most stunning selection of chocolates I have ever seen. This is a box designed to impress. The chocolates are presented in a huge heart shaped box, and it is filled with a wonderful selection of chocolates, many keeping the romance theme and are heart shaped.
When I opened the box I found myself saying “Wow” repeatedly. The chocolates look beautiful. The colours on the fruit creams look stunning as do the chocolate hearts. There are also plenty of pralines, caramels and some with a boozy kick for good measure.

At the base of the heart are two Praline Oysters. They are coated with a fabulous mix of dark and milk chocolate, which encases the rich praline centre. The chocolate shell is thick, but the praline is silky underneath. This is perfect for the nut fans.

On a theme of oysters and champagne another romantic chocolate in the box are the beautiful Pink Champagne truffles. They have a dusty pink colour, and are made with thick milk chocolate. The spark of champagne in the truffle is offset by a hint of strawberry, giving this a warming but sweeter kick.

The heart shaped chocolates have a variety of fillings, from Amaretto Almond Kiss to the Blood Orange fruit cream. The orange fruit cream was a favourite of mine, I do like fruity chocolates. The orange taste was zesty and strong and balanced perfectly by the milk chocolate.
For white chocolate fans I thoroughly recommend the Blueberry chocolate. Underneath the high cocoa white shell is a wonderful burst of berry flavour, again so perfectly balanced.

Fancy trying some Hotel Chocolat chocolates for yourself? For your chance to win do enter our competition using the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Terms/Conditions
One winners will be chosen at random and win Hotel Chocolat Valentine’s Chocolates
• UK residents only
Entry is by Rafflecopter
• If we can’t get in touch with the winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected. If the winner comes forward when the Valentines chocolates are no longer available an equivalent substitution will be made.
If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.

Hotel Chocolat - Patisserie Sleekster and Competition [By @Cinabar]

Hotel Chocolat asked me if I wanted to try out their Patisserie Sleekster, a box of chocolates all recreating the wonders of desserts. What could be more perfect.
When I was browsing the menu card, deciding where to start, I couldn’t help but think about what a lovely mix of flavours and unique combination there were all in one box. Every chocolate in the box has something special about, something which maked it stand out. There are no dull fillers in this set, I wanted to try all of them! I’ll mention some of my favourites:

My first choice was the Carrot Cake chocolate, it just sounded like such a fun flavour combination. The chocolate was covered in milk chocolate and shaped a little like a cup. Once bitten the orange colour filling showed through. The taste was awesome, full of autumnal spice, warming but sweet, and with a hint of nut.

The Apple Strudel chocolate was another favourite, with its natural apple flavour, juicy and sweet with a lovely warmth of cinnamon. I do so love my cinnamon.
For the white chocolate fans the Strawberry Cheesecake will be a delight, the berry flavour is quite zingy, but the white chocolate had a lovely creamy edge, and the texture has a nice crunch from the biscuit bits.
The wafers are a nice touch, available in Blondie (white chocolate), Brownie and Orange; all had a nice texture and good flavour.
If you are a fan of caramel you have to check out the Billionaires Shortbread. The caramel flavour is spot on, sweet but oh so smooth. No added salt here, just pure rich flavour. The biscuit bits on top were a lovely touch, it's the kind of chocolate you could just eat a box of on their own!
I thought the section of chocolates were very well put together, and just something a bit different from the usual high street offering. Ideal if you need a box of chocolates for a special occasion, which will stand out.
The lovely folks from Hotel Chocolat also have a box of these fabulous chocolate up for grabs for one of our readers. Please se the Rafflecopter box below and enter to be in with a chance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Terms/Conditions
• One winners will be chosen at random and win a Hotel Chocolat - Patisserie Sleekster (As pictured)
• UK residents only
• Entry by Rafflecopter
• If we can’t get in touch with each winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected.
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.

Chocolate Dipping Adventure (@HotelChocolat) [By @Cinabar] #HCHero

Hotel Chocolat are currently celebrating their Hotel Chocolat Heroes, product which are just the best of the best. As part of this opportunity they very kindly sent us one of their products to test out, this Chocolate Dipping Adventure.
This set is very clearly aimed at the dinner party market and is the perfect solution to a fun dessert to share. Inside the box are four tubs of chocolate to melt, and various goodies to dip in. The chocolate seems very solid in the tub but we followed the microwave instructions and they melted perfectly. I checked them part way through and they seemed solid but by the end of the time I was left with hot (but not too hot) liquid chocolate. They can then be placed back in the box they came in, for that after dinner show piece.

Everyone grabbed the neat and tidy wooden tongs provided and we started out on our dipping adventure. Some of the items seem a little strange in the context, for example the chocolate nuts. My initial though was why would you want to dip an already chocolate covered nut into more chocolate. Well let me tell you that more chocolate makes it truly luxurious. It was fun dipping them in the dark and white pots too, to mix things up. I loved the marshmallows, and all the different biscuits type.

The biscuit sticks were plain in flavour but this really showed off the quality of the chocolate in the pots. Dipping the ends in dark chocolate made them look like cute edible match sticks.

The florentines were fun and sticky, and we all enjoyed trying out the chocolate dips with the interesting ingredients. Everything in the box had been carefully chosen and worked beautifully with the chocolate. We also added a tub of strawberries, because that works so well too and there was plenty of chocolate to go around! I was impressed by how long it stayed in liquid form too. It is the perfect after dinner dessert to enjoy socially and chat with while you dip luscious ingredients in melted chocolate. Heaven. This is definitely my Hotel Chocolat Hero product.
If you fancy giving this a try yourself you can enter below, as there is a set avaialble as a prize to one lucky of Foodstuff Finds reader.
Simply fill out the RaffleCopter form below to be in with a chance of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good Luck!!

Terms/Conditions
• A winner will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• If we can’t get in touch with a winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below

This and more great competition are available at: http://www.theprizefinder.com and www.competitionhunter.com

Win a set of Hotel Chocolat - Chocolate Egg Sandwiches!

I was lucky enough to go to a bloggers event at Hotel Chocolat and have a preview of all the wonderful Easter goodies coming out. One of the novelty items that caught my eye were these Egg Sandwiches, I just love the idea and the packaging is super cool. Something a bit different, but still perfectly themed for Easter. The lovely folks from Hotel Chocolat said they would offer up a full set to one lucky reader of Foodstuff Finds as a competition prize!

Yes one lucky winner will receive all four egg sandwiches as pictured above there is a Milk, Dark, White and Caramel!

The full selection of Easter goodies from Hotel Chocolat can be found on their website: http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/easter-eggs

If you want the chance to get your hands on the Egg Sandwiches from Hotel Chocolat, simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

Terms/Conditions
• A winner will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• If we can’t get in touch with a winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below

This and more great competition are available at: http://www.theprizefinder.com and www.competitionhunter.com

Win a Hotel Chocolat Valentines Goody Bag

If you read the review for the Hotel Chocolat Valentines Goody Bag you will have seen a what gorgeous gift set it is, and how the chocolates inside are just divine. The lovely folks from Hotel Chocolat are offering up a Valentines Goody Bag to one of our lucky readers as a competition prize.

If you want the chance to get your hands on the chocolates from Hotel Chocolat, simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

Terms/Conditions
• A winner will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• If we can’t get in touch with a winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below

Competition - Win a Brain Box Candy Apron and Tea Towel (@brainboxcandy)

The lovely folks from Brain Box Candy have got in touch and have offered up this fabulous competition prize to Foodstuff Finds readers. They specialise in making all sorts of fun cards and novelty items, perfect for gifts at this time of year. They all have a fun sense of humour, and the slogans will make you smile.
Have a look on their website to see what I mean: http://brainboxcandy.com
If you want the chance to get your hands on an Apron and Tea Towel from their site, simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good Luck!!

Terms/Conditions
• A winners will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• If we can’t get in touch with each winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below

Win - Thorntons Chocolate Hamper!!!

The lovely folks from thorn tons wanted us to highlight their fantastic range of hampers available on their website. There is something for everyone, with different occasions and different budgets. They have also very kindly offered to give one away as a prize for Foodstuff Finds readers as a competition prize. In order to enter you need to follow this blog via Email, Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook (all the links are on menu on the right).
Then send an email to admin@foodstufffinds.co.uk with COMP in the subject line, AND let me know how you follow us (i.e. your name on Facebook, your email address that subscribes or your @name on twitter or your name on Pinterest).

Competition closes 2nd Oct 2014

Terms/Conditions
• A winners will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• Competition closes 8pm on 2nd Oct 2014
• If we can’t get in touch with each winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected.
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.

Good Luck Everyone!

WIN: Clarks Maple Syrup and Clarks Honey

The lovely folks at Clarks have been in touch, and have offered up a Foodstuff Finds readers competition.

You can win a great selection of their syrups and honeys. Have a look at the piccie and see what you could be topping your ice cream with or indeed drizzling on your toast!

In order to enter you need to follow this blog via Email, Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook  (all the links are on menu on the right). 

Then send an email to admin@foodstufffinds.co.uk with COMP in the subject line, AND let me know how you follow us (i.e. your name on Facebook, your email address that subscribes or your @name on twitter or you name on Pinterest).

Competition closes 1st June 2014

Terms/Conditions
• One winners will be chosen at random
• UK residents only
• Competition closes 8pm on 1st June 2014.
• If we can’t get in touch with the winner in a reasonable amount of time to obtain an address another winner will be selected.
• If you have any questions about this competition, please send me an email or leave a comment below.