… the wood-burning stove is finally in… just the full four months after it was supposed to be fitted and believe me when I say, it’s not been an easy journey. As you know, I absolutely love living in Lincolnshire but more often than not the attitude of the workmen is very laizze-faire or to jump European countries for a moment, they have what can only be described as a ‘maniana’ attitude. There seems to be no hurry to get anything done. As you can imagine, for a couple of guys who work in an industry where we are always under the tightest time constraints and where our deadlines are not infinite, this attitude is highly frustrating to say the least. I think i’m a little more relaxed about stuff like this but The Viking gets particularly upset but this is when he brings out the magic… you should see him work. When I am like a stupid kitten who rolls over in front of a workman and just accepts that ‘the chimney liner doesn’t fit and there’s nothing we can do for two weeks,‘ The Viking is more like a dog with a chew-toy and simply won’t stand for it. On Friday we had no stove and a tricky situation with bends in the chimney and a plumber who clearly wanted to go home early, so he called me because he knew I was a pushover. He wasn’t expecting The Viking to call him back and I hate to think what he said but today we have fire…
… Hotel Chocolat have a lovely selection of tempting seasonal chocolate treats including the very cute and extremely tasty Caramel Bunnies filled with molten caramel and the very chic Dozen Quail Eggs filled with classic Hotel Chocolat centres such as the divinely tangy Raspberry Supermilk and the richly nutty Peanut Butter Praline… this Easter they have given me a box of each to giveaway to one lucky Belleau Kitchen reader. All you have to do is fill in the little rafflecopter widget below and these chocolates could be winging their way to you this week!
confused religion gluten free chocolate cake
so as many regular Belleau Kitchen readers will know, I grew up in a relaxed but traditional Jewish household… whilst being Jewish was part of my upbringing our family was very much part of the wider non-secular world and so for me, particularly the Jewish thing was more about family and food rather than anything particularly religious. Plus what decent family is going to deny their kids the delights of Christmas and Easter, we’re not monsters! of course as a food blogger it’s wonderful to be able to draw on a bit of heritage when it comes to cooking and at this time of the year Passover is the big festival. The passover meal is a very special occasion and it was always celebrated in style by my family. The food is symbolic of the journey our ancestors took to escape the Pharos with boiled eggs served in saltwater to represent life and the tears of those we’ve lost. There is also a divine grated apple and cinnamon dish that represents the cement the slaves used to build buildings for the Egyptians. One of the things we’re not allowed eat is any leavened bread or cakes. This represents the story that our ancestors didn’t have time to allow the bread to rise so symbolically we clear our homes of any product that contains yeast and eat Matzo crackers instead. It also means that willey Jewish chefs have had to invent all kinds of clever ways to make cakes and breads which are essentially gluten-free…
This cake is a classic, adapted from a Claudia Roden recipe by way of my mum.. but of course i’ve added some fun easter elements which is why the poor thing is a little confused… It’s utterly divine and is more brownie than cake with a wonderfully fudgy and dense centre. Quite frankly in my opinion this is the best chocolate cake i’ve ever eaten, gluten-free or not so i’d highly recommended any time of the year…
175g plain GF chocolate
100g caster sugar
100g butter
50g potato flour
50g ground almonds
1 level teaspoon of baking powder
4 eggs – separated
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
for the icing
100g icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder – cadbury bourneville cocoa powder is gluten free
pre-heat the oven to 170C fan and grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin
place the chocolate, butter and sugar into a pan and gently melt until combined…once melted pour into a large mixing bowl
in another large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff
stir the egg yolks, vanilla essence, baking powder and potato flour into the chocolate mixture and once thoroughly combined fold in the egg whites until fully encorporated
pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30-35mins. leave it to cool completely on a wire rack before icing. It will crack on the top, this is perfectly natural.
to make the chocolate icing simply combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and then gradually pour on a little water, stirring until you have the desired consistency.. use this to spread around and on top of the cake. I’ve used some white and dark chocolate cigarillos and topped the cake with a selection of the Hotel Chocolat Quails Eggs
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eat and of course enjoy!
Chocolate 🙂
Definitely chocolate.
Always chocolate!
Absolutely lovely confection!! Hurrah for heat!!
Best,
Bonnie
CHOCOLATE! 🙂
Chocolate.
Cheese!
Chocolate! x
That's a difficult question at I love both & it would depend on the type of chocolate & cheese. If you put my favourite chocolate and cheese side by side then I think it would probably be the chocolate
Chocolate
chocolate
Chocolate wins
Margaret Clarkson
Chocolate.
Chocolate
OMG do you have to ask CHOCOLATE X
As much as i love good cheese especially Wensleydale I would still have to choose chocolate.
Chocolate, nothing better.
Definitely chocolate
Chocolate wins everytime
cheese would just to say win!
Chocolate
That's a hard one but chocolate as its Easter
Chocolate
Oh no what a hard question,I love both! I'll say chocolate.
Cheese! But I only eat either at Christmas and special occasions 🙂 One has to look after ones waistline ha ha! If I win I know lots of people I can treat with the prize x
Love chocolate
Sadly I can't have either, as caffeine and sugar doesn't agree with me, but neither does dairy. I'd love to win the chocolates for my husband, who would definitely always go for—chocolate lol 🙂
Chocolate!
Definitely chocolate, I've never really been a fan of cheese.
Chocolate
Chocolate without a doubt (although I do have a significant weakness for cheese). Weirdly, I seem to have a need to eat chocolate after cheese!
I am so pleased to see such an amazing GF chocolate cake here Dom! 'The best chocolate cake you have ever eaten' is seriously high praise! Claudia Roden has some amazing recipes, so I am not surprised it was that good. Must try this one xx
Chocolate – milk, dark, white – I love them all.
chocolate for me everytime
Chocolate!
Hazel Rea, @beachrambler
Chocolate top of my list
depends on my mood. love both
That's a tough one! I'd go for cheese 🙂
It would have to be cheese but its very close!
Cheese I think but dark chocolate is very close behind
Tough one but I think I'd have to say cheese
gosh, the two favourite things in our house, took a vote and got cheese
chocolate thankyou
CheeeEEEEEEeeeese!!!!!!!
chocolate
Chocolate!
Chocolate ????
Chocolate, always x
I'd say chocolate but hubby would say cheese.
i love both but chocolate slightly wins
Really like both chocolate and cheese, but I have a big sweet tooth so answer is chocolate!
Chocolate!
Chocolate
Chocolate! But I do love a bit of Scottish Cheddar….
cheese! creamy, plastic, hard love it all
Cheese
the answer is chocolate!
Chocolate everytime!
love both, but would choose choc 🙂
love both, but would choose choc 🙂
Tough choice, but Chocolate wins for me! x
Chocolate every time 😉
Chocolate each and everytime x
Chocolate for me! But my other half would definitely say Cheese!
Chocolate each and everytime x
Chocolate everytime x
Fantaistic cake. I need to make one. I need to use my potato flour x
Chocolate – no competition!
Cheese
Chocolate ????
Chocolate ????
Noooooooo, don't make me choose ???? If I'm totally honest it would have to be cheese.
Chocolate for sure. I can give up cheese but not chocolate :0)
Chocolate!
Chocolate 🙂 Thanks 🙂
No it's too tough a choice but I think I would have to go with cheese
Not sure I'd like to have to choose, but if pressed: chocolate.
Chocolate every time
For me it would be Chocolate, I couldn't live without it! 🙂 x
CHOCOLATE 🙂
Chocolate!
Chocolate
Chocolate all the time
Chocolate
Chocolate 🙂
Chocolate
Ooh this is harder than I thought it would be! Hmmm… chocolate! But I do love cheese
Chocolate 🙂
Chocolate
chocolate wins for me
Now thats an easy question chocolate of course
chocolate, although i do like cheese too 😀
Chocolate. I think….
CHOCOLATE
Has to be chocolate!
Ashleigh
Has to be chocolate for me
chocolate
chocolate
chocolate
I cant imagine life without…Cheese !
Chocolate for me 🙂 Cheese for my kids, mostly!!
I'm a rebel, so..cheese!! But everyone else in my family would go for chocolate 😉
ahhh i'm known for loving cheese but i think i would have to say chocolate because i'd miss choc brownies!
Chocolate all the way 🙂 x Thanks so much for the chance x
Definitely chocolate
Definitely chocolate
Chocolate for me!
Chocolate! for sure.
Chocolate
Chocolate 🙂 x
cheese
chocolate . although it was a very cose desicion
that is such a hard question! cheese just wins it though
Chocolate
chocolate!
choclate
Chocolate
chocolate!
What a silly question, chocolate of course 😛 <3
Goes without saying – chocolate!
Chocolate
Cheese any day of the week
Always Chocolate xx
Hard decision. I love both equally but if I had to give up one I would give up chocolate & stick with cheese!
Chocolate!
Cheese
I love both, but choose chocolate today
cheese
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate
Chocolate!!! xxx
Tough question I love both but if I have to make a life or death choice it would have to be chocolate
Chocolate for me!
chocolate cheesecake! the best of both worlds 😉
chocolate x
Ooh definitely chocolate x
Chocolate for sure!
That's a really tough one but I think chocolate!
Chocolate – every time!
Chocolate!
Chocolate flavoured Cheese ? oh ok – Chocolate it is then
Can I have a bit of both? 😀
It's very close but I'd choose chocolate
Oh difficult! If I really had to choose it would have to be cheese
Chocolate!
Most definitely chocolate
chocolate xxxx
Chocolate
Chocolate 🙂
Chocolate! 'Cheese' could be any type of cheese, not all of which I like. All chocolate is good!
Tricky question, I like both a lot! Would probably have to be chocolate though.
Chocolate
Chocolate I think!
For me, it's ultimately cheese but for all my family and friends it's chocolate so I love to be able to share!
Chocolate
tough one Chocolate wins though
Can I have both? It really depends on the occasion and my mood.
Cheese please.
I like both but chocolate wins most of the time!
chocolate all day long x – leanne w
chocolate or chocolate – cant decide
Chocolate
@rachiegr
chocolate of course!
Chocolate
chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate for sure! And WOW what a cake! x
chocolate!!!!
Both, but if you force me make Sophie's choice, it would have to be chocolate 🙂
No contest as I loathe cheese! Chocolate all the way!
Definitely chocolate.
always chocolate
Chocolate
Cheese
Chocolate,chocolate and more chocolate….most definitely,always…chocolate!!
Chocolate,chocolate and more chocolate….most definitely,always…chocolate!!
Caramel. Just kidding, chocolate FTW.
Chocolate
Chocolate
chocolate
chocolate
chocolate all the way!!
chocolate everytime
ohhhhhhh now then!!! One of my favourite things is Gorgonzola on a milk chocolate digestive, so that's both lol!!!!
Chocolate!!! Yummy 🙂
Chocolate!
Has to be chocolate… everytime.
Hard but white chocolate
Cheese, but chocolate a close second!
chocolate
cheese 🙂
Chocolate all the way!!
Chocolate
Nothing but Chocolate
OMG I love them both. But if I had to choose I would go for chocolate
CHOCOLATE FOR SURE
chocolate all the time
Chocolate 😀
cheese!
Cheese…but I'd be so sad to give up chocolate!
I think it would have to be chocolate
Chocolate
chocolate
Cheese.
Chocolate for me!
chocolate
chocolate!
Chocolate especially this time of year
It would be chocolate for me every time.
Chocolate!
(melissa crowe) choclate!!!
chocolate x
Chocolate everytime!
chocolate
That's just a VERY mean question. Gotta say chocolate haven't I?
Chocolate
choccie obvs