Fun Friday.... Chocolate on my mind!

Ok so it's friday! YAY and what better to do on friday than think of one of my fave foods.... Chocolate! Well let me re-phrase that! "WAS" one of my fave foods until I was diagnosed with Lactose Intolerance. I seem to have has a CHOCOLATE craving today and alas no way to stem that craving. You can buy "dairy" free chocolate but it's just not the same. *Sigh* may as well go and chew on a carrot stick! HA. Anyway in leu of my chocolate cravings i thought that is what the FUN Friday collage can be about!

One of my favourite desserts..... that is when i eat dessert, which is not very often is a gorgeous, simple chocolate self saucing pudding that my sister whips up for family dinners. It's from TASTE.COM.AU and it is just spoon sucking YUM! It has a gorgeous chocolate sauce at the bottom and a simple fluffly chocolate cake at the top. I find it pure heaven when i eat it!

{Picture & Recipe from Taste.com.au}

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

Preparation Time

15 minutes
Cooking Time

45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 6)

    * Melted butter, to grease
    * 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
    * 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
    * 2 tbs cocoa powder
    * 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
    * 50g butter, melted
    * 1 egg, lightly whisked
    * Thickened cream, to serve

      Chocolate sauce
    * 155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
    * 2 tbs cocoa powder
    * 375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water


Method

   1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity ovenproof dish with melted butter to lightly grease.
   2.Combine the flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine the milk, butter and egg in a large jug. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared dish and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.
   3.To make the chocolate sauce, sift the sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Sprinkle over the pudding mixture in the dish. Gently pour the boiling water over the cocoa mixture.
   4.Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake-like top forms and a skewer inserted halfway into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve with thickened cream, if desired.

This dessert is perfect on those cold blustery winter nights and nothing better than to follow up after this dessert is with a nice warm cup of tea. 

Simply Tea Recommedations: Cafe Latte - A luscious mixture of milk granules, cocoa bits, chocolate chips and fine coffee bean pieces, all blended with black tea.

This tea is just devine - you may be put off by the thought of tea tasting like coffee but you have to give it a go before judging. It is a chocolaty, mocha taste and nothing tastes wrong about it at all! In fact once people have tasted it they can't get enough!
So this friday treat yourself to a chocolaty treat and give our Cafe Latte tea a go!


Happy Sipping


Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~

Recipe Wednesday!

Well I had a great time at the Toowoomba Hospice Camellia Show on the weekend. Lots of great landscape displays, plant sales, beautiful camellia show - over 200 varieties on show there! They also had some gorgeous flower arrangement competition a scrumptious high tea held every day. My "Tea" talk went really well on Sunday afternoon. I had about 30 people in my session and all got a free sample of our tea at the end. I had a blast and hope that they learnt a little something new about tea!

{The Simply Tea Stall}

Now i did promise you that i would get those recipes up for those scrumptious Fruit Chew Slice and Angel Cakes. So here they are:

Angel Cakes

*This recipe is allergy friendly for those people who are gluten intolerant & lactose intolerant*

Ingredients:

3 eggs (separated)
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup Castor Sugar
2/3 Cup Cornflour (white wings - is gluten free)
1 Slightly round tablespoon of Plain flour (use gluten free plain)
1 Level teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)

Passionfruit & Lemon Butter:

Recipe Here:

* In the recipe add an extra 1/4 cup of passionfruit pulp
* For lactose intolerant - use nuttelex instead of butter.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time, then continue beating until stiff.
2. Add egg youlks and vanilla essence; beat until combined.
3. Sift together 3 times - cornflour, plain flour & baking powder, then add to egg mixture. Carefully and lightly fold mixture together using a wooden spoon or spatula. DO NOT STIR.
4. Divide batter evenly between cupcake papers and bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown.
6. Make passionfruit and lemon butter.
5. Once the cupcakes have cooled cut a hole out of the top and remove inner piece and cut in half. Fill hole with passionfruit and lemon butter and put two halves of cake on top to resemble wings. Sift with icing sugar and decorate with cauchous balls and ribbon.
6. Enjoy!


Simply Tea Recommendation: I think a nice herbal infusion would go well with this cupcake. Our Lemon Tang tea would compliment this nicely. It is a  blend of lemongrass, chamomile, ginger, hibiscus flower, rose petal and rose myrtle. However if your not into herbal infusions I would go with a nice simple black tea such as our "Prince Of Wales". It is  light tea with a superb flavour and delicate aroma, making this a great blend for afternoon tea - which these angel cakes are perfect for.... Afternoon Tea.

 ______________________________________________________________

 Fruit Chews

 Ingredients:

 90g butter, chopped coarsley
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1 egg yolk


Topping:


2 eggs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 Cup coarsley chopped raisons
3/4 cup sultanas
1 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarsley
1 cup desiccated coconut.


Method:


1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan.
2. Stir butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in sifted flour and egg yolk. Press mixture over base of pan.
3. Bake for about 10 min or until browned lightly.
4. Meanwhile make topping: Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until it changes to a pale colour and thickened slightly; stir in sifted flour. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in remaining ingredients.
5.Spread topping over cold base and place in oven and cook for about 30 min. Cool in pan before cutting.


Simply Tea Recommendation: A great tea to go with this slice would be a Darjeeling 2nd Flush. It is from the best Darjeeling tea estates, and has a very smooth liquor with a slight muscatel flavour. It would compliment the nuttiness flavour of this slice but also cut through the sweetness.




I hope that you give these recipes a go - they are super easy to make and would make a great afternoon tea with the girls! 

Happy Sipping


Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~

Fun Friday.... (Slightly Early)

Hi All,

Thought i would post my fun friday pic.... a tad early! It's a inspired vintage "high" tea. I would love to hold one of these in spring time with a "Tea Tasting" of Simply Tea products. I hope to have a bit more information in the future ! Love to hear an comments or idea's for it! Let me know.

Also don't forget.... Simply tea will be at the Toowoomba Hospice Camellia Show this weekend the 17th & 18th of July at the Tafe on Lindsay street between 10am - 3pm! Come down and check out some great displays, garden tips and gorgeous camellias... AND some great tea products! Hope to see you there!

Happy Sipping


Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~

Samples In Teacups & Twigs

 I have been quite busy over the last week getting organised for the Toowoomba Hospice Camellia Show this weekend the 17th & 18th of July. There is going to be a High Tea in the Potting Shed showcasing our Tea. So come along and get involved for a great cause raising money for the Toowoomba Hospice.

Simply Tea has is coming to the shops in Toowoomba. We have currently have a sample counter display at Teacups & Twigs at 9 Russell Street, Toowoomba. 

 { The sample counter display}

You have to check out this gorgeous shop - FULL of gorgeous french provincial and shabby chic items for your home at reasonable prices. It has just opened so come on down and check it out... and while your there snap up one of our samples for $2.00!

I have been doing a bit of baking lately and since moving into our new house haven't had the chance to get them up on the blog! I will give you a sneak peak of what i have been cooking - recipes to come later!

 {Chewy Fruit Slice}

 

{Lemon & Passionfruit Curd Angel Cakes}

Love to hear feedback or any questions relating to tea or baking! Hope your all have a great week!

Happy Sipping!

Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~

Simply Tea Makes The Newspaper!

Hope you all had a great weekend! I had a pretty busy weekend as i had a stall for Simply Tea at the Lifestyle markets on saturday from 10am - 3pm. The day went fairly quickly as we had a pretty constant flow of people through. It was the perfect day for a warm cuppa though and many people took advantage of our $2 samples to go home and try. The chronicle newspaper even stopped by to do an article on the markets. I was lucky enough to be one of the stalls to have a photo taken. The story featured in Monday's newspaper on page 3. I will try and scan the clipping when i can and post it -  i was quite excited to see it in the paper!

One of our popular products that sold  very well at the markets is our Tadpole tea infuser. This is a great infuser for those people who are on the go. It is a great little infuser to fill with your favourite tea and take to work Suits being used in a tea cup or a mug and is no mess and no fuss and is a great price of $4.00!

 {Tadpole Tea Infuser}

I currently don't have these on our website but if you would like to order one CONTACT US and we will happily organise a order for you!

I am now in the throes of organising and stocktaking for the stall we will have at the Camellia Show on the 17th & 18th of July at the Tafe in Toowoomba. Simply Tea will be one of the speakers for the weekend hosting a information session on Tea. We will be speaking on the Camellia Sinesis Plant (Tea Plant), History and Benefits of Tea and a short spruik of our products on the 18th of July at 2pm. So make the effort and come on down to say hello and check out the wonderful displays that will be at the show, also make sure you stop for a cuppa (Simply Tea's) and a bite to eat at the High Tea that will also be running over the weekend!

Hope your are keeping warm in the cold weather - the only way to keep warm is a cosy blanket and a warm cup of tea! :-)

Happy Sipping

Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~

Keeping Calm.....

 I came across this poster in a blog that i follow. I thought it was cute so i thought i would share it with you all. I am off to do the Lifestyle Markets othis saturday morning, so if your in the vincinity the Greek Orthodox Hall at 240 Hume Street between 10am - 3pm come on in and say hello and check out some of the other stalls. We will be having a end of year special where if you buy two 100g bags of tea you receive a 10g sample bag of your choice for free! Anyway hope you all have a great day friday and even better weekend!

Happy Sipping



Visit Us At: The Simply Tea Shop ~ "For The Love Of Tea" ~