My KitchenAid: Not Just a Pretty Face

Here it is, my pride and joy, my KitchenAid. Still stuck for names, all suggestions welcome, but I have finally got to use this baby, and I am oh so happy with the results. I’d been lusting after this particular piece of kitchen equipment for a long time, and I can’t quite believe it is now sitting on my worktop in all its red shiny glory. Thankfully, she’s not just about the looks and the first recipe I tried, Chocolate Orange Cupcakes from the second Great British Bake Off book (also available on the BBC Good Food website), certainly lived up to my expectations (I used only milk chocolate throughout the recipe, hence the discrepancy with the original recipe photographs!). 

The KitchenAid standmixer is supremely easy to use, consisting of just two levers, one to lift and set down the head and the other to adjust the speed of the mixer. The bowl is easy to fit into place, and although I have found the attachments a little tricky to fit, I think this will get easier with practice. The pourer/guard attachment that came with my KitchenAid is a godsend, and fits easily over the bowl.

As I added the ingredients and beat according to instructions I became more and more confident with using a higher speed setting. I’ve only gotten up to 5 so far and think if I pushed it any higher the thing might actually take off, its just so fast. I might seriously have to reconsider my January healthy eating regime, because making cake just became dangerously quick and easy. What would have once taken a good 20 minutes of hard graft can now be completed in under 5, and the result is far more professional, smooth and lump-free then I could ever achieve by hand. After baking for the allotted time, the cupcakes turned out uniformly perfect, with a light fluffy texture.

But it was in the making of the buttercream that the KitchenAid truly shined. I do not get on with frostings, and have never been able to get mine to the correct pipeable consistency. That is until now, because with a quick flick of the switch I made smooth and thick buttercream for the first time. So thick it started to ooze out of the seams of my piping bag, but what did make it on to the cake looked professional and stayed in place. I managed to make peaks, peaks I tell you!!

Piping bag fail.

So what can I say except that I am totally and utterly in love with my beautiful red KitchenAid. You’re not just a pretty face after all!! 

Review: Laura Ashley's New Tea and Biscuit Range

I think I can safely say that a good cup of tea and a biscuit or three is a highlight of pretty much anyone’s day. Well, you can imagine my excitement when Laura Ashley asked me if I would like to sample their new tea and biscuit range; I leaped at the chance. Having been a fond fan of the high street brand for many years, perhaps known best for its beautiful fabrics, women's clothes and furnishings, I couldn’t wait to try their new range. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the huge box that arrived on my doorstep, for inside was not only some Orange and Chocolate Chip Biscuits, some loose leaf English Breakfast tea with silver plated diffuser but also a beautiful ‘tea for one’ floral pot, cup and saucer. At £4, £12 and £25 respectively, they don’t come all that cheap, but would make the most fantastic presents for any aspiring domestic Goddess. The beautiful packaging is almost too pretty to cover with wrapping paper!!

Now lets get down to the nitty gritty, and talk about the biscuits. This being a food blog, I tend to try and make mine at home, but if you are going to shop buy, these are the kind of thing you want to go for. I love the flavour combination of chocolate with orange and these little biscuits, the perfect size for dunking, did not disappoint; the moment you open the tin you get this deliciously strong smell of orange. The biscuits have the right amount of crunch and a good oaty texture too.

I always like giving loose leaf teas away as gifts, particularly in the hamper I make for my parents each Christmas, and with Laura Ashley’s addition of the silver plated diffuser, this tea is elevated from small token to proper gift, and would surely go down well with any tea lover.

And finally, the ‘tea for one’ pot. With a vintage feel that would suit any girly girls kitchen, the pot is a good pourer and its compact design and size make it a suitable choice for anyone short on space.

The new Laura Ashley tea and biscuit range is available soon, and the 'Tea for One' pot is available now (just in time for Christmas). Visit lauraashley.com.