As Coeliac Awareness Week draws to a close, I've been thinking about the theme for this year. 'Gluten Free Guarantee' calls for better availability of gluten free food in stores. While all larger supermarkets have a free from section in some form, most smaller stores (especially metro/express/local branches in small towns and suburbs) have a tiny amount of gluten free products, if any. I'm fortunate enough to live within 5 miles of all of the Big 4 supermarkets, all with small but well-stocked free from aisles. I know from past experience, though, how frustrating it can be to want to pop out for bread, pasta or flour and instead having to get in the car and drive to the next town to a supermarket large enough to stock the gluten free items I need.
Since the birth of my son, 14 weeks ago, I've never needed quick and easy gluten free food more! I applaud Coelic UK's effort to get core items stocked in every supermarket, but I want lunch, too! If you're lucky enough to be in one of the selected M&S or Waitrose store that stock gluten free sandwiches, then you're sorted, but I'm, rather inevitably, not near one when I need lunch! Of course, there are always coffee shops. Starbucks, Nero and Costa all offer a gluten free option.
Here's the thing, *whispers* I don't really like sandwiches. I know, that's odd. Not all sandwiches, I should add, just ones made a few hours in advance of eating them. It's a texture thing. That's why I was so excited to learn that Costa Coffee were launching a gluten free wrap!
The wrap, using Newburn Bakehouse's seeded wraps, is a lovely combination of chicken and basil salad. The wrap holds up well with the filling without becoming soggy or falling apart. The filling itself is gently pesto-esque with a good crunch from the salad. My only criticism (and this is a personal thing, really) is that the filling is a little dry, I'd have liked a little more mayonnaise. I expect, however that more mayo would lead to the aforementioned soggy bread issue! When it comes to lunch on the go, I'll be heading to Costa in the future.
At £3.75 each, the wraps are comparable to the rest of Costa's sandwiches and paninis. The size is comparable, too - the gluten free wraps sat next to some (non gluten free) pulled pork wraps on the shelf and they weren't dwarfed by their wheat-y equivalent.
(I sampled Costa's new gluten free wrap at their branch in Bluewater. I was invited to do so by Costa and my wrap was complimentary. All opinions in this post are my own.)
Pages
- Home
- About Me
- Recipe Finder
- Blogs I Read
- Links I Love
- Places I Eat
- Free From & Festive!
- Contact
- Rainy Days & Sundays
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Saturday, 17 May 2014
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
2013. The Best Bits
Happy new year! I do hope you're all getting used to writing 2014, instead of 2013. I'll still be getting it wrong in April, but that's nothing new! Before I rush, head first, into the brand new year ahead, I thought I'd take a moment to look back at the highlights of 2013. Predictably, my favourite bits are all food related.
The absolute best bit of 2013, for me, was my trip to River Cottage for their gluten free cookery course. As well as completely changing the way I approach my baking, it showed me how removing the gluten from something doesn't automatically require me to add loads of rubbish in its place. I've embraced many more grains and different gluten free flours than before, and I've even made my own sourdough starter! I'm dropping serious hints to my family about the advanced course that's running in August (coincidentally, just after my birthday)!
The most moreish cake of the year was Honeyrose Bakery's Banana Cake. They sent me a sample back in April and I'd eaten the entire thing before I had a chance to photograph it! In fact, I've bought many more banana cakes since then, and they all seem to magically disappear in a matter of minutes. The Husband doesn't even like banana, so I can't blame him - this cake really is good! Actually, all of the free from products I've tried from Honeyrose Bakery are excellent. I particularly love their individually wrapped brownies and macaroons, I can pop a couple in my bag for peckish moments when I'm out and about!
Back in Spring, I started to notice that Asda's distinctive yellow and black free from packaging was being used for non-gluten-free products, and wondered what was going on. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I work for Asda, but until 2013 I had very little in the way of praise for their gluten free offerings.) I was delighted to discover, however, that they were phasing out the old packaging to make way for an extended range of free from products, in new purple packaging! As well as their own-brand products (of which, the cheese sauce mix and cous cous are my personal favourites) they have introduced an increased range of products from other producers, like Isabel's and The Good Little Sausage Company. Well done, Asda! Now when people ask me what I think about my employers' own gluten free effort, I don't have to change the subject.
Eating pizza has never been better for us gluten free types, has it? Pizza Express and Pizza Hut showed the rest how it should be done, and Dominos did all they could to encourage us to eat our pizza at home! I don't know what 2014 holds for Coeliacs eating out, but the brand new Free From Eating Out Awards are sure to reveal a few gems.
Speaking of the Free From Food Awards (at least, indirectly), one of the highlights of last year's awards ceremony was the opportunity to try the Indian Coeliac's fabulous parathas. They are available to order, and I really do recommend you try them too. As the judging starts soon for this year's awards, I'm excited about what brilliant products I'm going to discover this time!
So, what were your free from highlights of 2013? Was it the chance to eat a decent bagel again? Maybe it was gluten free pasta turning up in the fresh food aisle of the supermarket? Could it have been the much discussed quarter final of The Great British Bake Off and its free from elements? Or, was it something else altogether? Let me know in the comments section!
Labels: asda, FreeFrom Food Awards, gluten free, highlights, Honeyrose bakery, pizza, review, River Cottage
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Gluten Free Cookery at River Cottage
When I was invited to River Cottage HQ to review their gluten free cookery course I didn't need to be asked twice! As a bit of a River Cottage groupie, I was thrilled with the idea of visiting the iconic farm and delighted that they were offering something for the Coeliacs.
Chocolate chip cookies came next. As someone who "accidentally" licked her fingers after mixing the dough, I'm not sure if much of this mix would actually make it to the oven at home. Ours were rather bigger than the rest of the room's so took a little longer to bake, a few minutes that seemed like hours just before lunchtime! These cookies are set to become a common occurrence in my kitchen, they were absolutely delicious.
Labels: gluten free, gluten free cookery course, review, River Cottage
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Fruit is Not a Pudding!
Have you checked out the brilliant Fruit is Not a Pudding blog yet? Carly (the wonderful Gluten Free B) started this blog to celebrate great naturally gluten free puddings and to name and shame those restaurants and caterers who think that fruit salad is an appropriate gluten free dessert.
We've all been there, haven't we? At a function or dinner and everyone else is enjoying a plate of profiteroles, summer pudding or cheesecake and you're brought a fruit salad. (What's that? Yes, there is melon in there! Isn''t that from the starter?) It's maddening, especially since there are so many delicious desserts out there than are naturally gluten free.
I recently shared my panna cotta recipe with FINAP and it's in great company with fantastic pudding recipes like Hokey Pokey Knicker Bocker Glory and Black Cherry Meringue Parfait. It's a great resource, especially for friends and family of Coeliacs, who want to make them something that's gluten free, but doesn't involve shelling out on specialist ingredients. Go check it out yourself, then send everyone you know!
If you have a Pudding Hero to recommend to others or a rubbish dessert to nominate for a Sad Banana Award, visit the Fruit is Not a Pudding Facebook page, or .
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
New Arrivals from Newburn Bakehouse by Warburtons
Yesterday, Warburton's gluten free bakery, Newburn Bakehouse, launched four new products. Baguettes, fruity muffins, a seeded loaf and (drum roll, please) wraps. That's right, the much longed-for and oft-fantasised wrap is now a gluten free reality! Or, at least, it's on a trial basis. These limited edition 3-packs of square, gluten free wraps are available in selected Tesco stores for you to buy and try. If you like them and want Warburton's to keep making them, you can vote to "Save Our Wrap' on Facebook or Twitter (using the hashtag #saveourwraps).
The wraps are soft with just a hint of sweetness and they taste really good. They're smaller than their wheaty equivalent (but, what's new there?) and they'll roll or fold well without breaking or cracking. You could easily top these to make a quick and easy pizza or use them in place of flatbreads, tortillas or pitta bread. They'd be great sliced and toasted with hummus, or wrapped around chicken and peppers as fajitas. Newburn Bakehouse even suggest folding one around a filling to make a toastie, something I would definitely try. [UPDATE: The postcode checker doesn't appear to be working yet for the new products, check this list of stockists for a Tesco near you.}]
Sadly, there isn't a single stockist of the wraps within a thirty mile radius of my home, so it was fortunate that Newburn Bakehouse sent me one to try. If you want to find out where you can buy yours, head over to the Newburn Bakehouse website and enter your postcode. The rest of the new products are more widely available, so even if you can't find the wraps you will be able to buy the baguettes, seeded loaf and fruity muffins at a variety of stockists.
The addition to the range that's excited me most of all is the baguettes. Warmed in the oven, they're soft and fluffy on the inside with a crisp crust, just like my memory of french bread. You can eat them straight from the packet, they're still soft, but the crust is soft (and a little bit squeaky). Suddenly bruschetta, crostini and garlic bread are back on the menu. It's £2.29 for a pack of two baguettes, which I think is quite reasonable.
The seeded loaf is the same great quality as the other Newburn breads so it's soft, not crumbly and stays fresh for a good few days. As every Coeliac knows, adding fibre to your diet isn't easy and a bread packed with millet, linseed, sunflower and poppy seeds is always a bonus! On the opposite end of the scale, the fruity muffins are packed with golden syrup, so they're deliciously moist and sweet. Probably not a nutritious breakfast, but they're so tasty I think I'd probably justify one for elevenses.
I'm very impressed with the new offerings from Warburtons, they seem to have listened to customers and have brought us products that fill a need. How many times have us GF-ers bemoaned the lack of a great sandwich wrap or soft baguette? Well done to Newburn Bakehouse for listening!
(Newburn Bakehouse very kindly sent me samples of all of the items above to taste. As always, I only review items I genuinely love.)
Labels: bread, muffins, Newburn Bakehouse, review, Warburtons
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Rebel Bakery Cupcakes
'Contains cocktail stick' |
I paid my first ever visit to Whole Foods Market last week. The lovely Alex (@HealthJourno) invited me to join him, Gluten Free Mrs D and Gluten Free B at a gluten free tour of the Kensington branch. It was a really interesting tour and Krystal, our guide, knew her stuff when it came to nutritional advice and gluten free diets. She showed us where the various gluten free products could be found in the store and even chatted about sources of extra dietary fibre and the best way to prepare grains and lentils.
An abundance of gluten free goodies! |
After the tour left us all rather peckish, we headed upstairs for a vegan dinner at Saf Restaurant and to catch up on each other's news. Even after an enormous helping of massaman curry and being practically force-fed half of Alex's cheesecake (forced, I tell you! I would never steal someone's dessert), I was still thinking about all the exciting baked goods downstairs. With delicious treats from my favourites, Sugargrain and Perk!er, on offer I couldn't leave empty-handed. Thankfully, we all felt the same way and we spent a happy ten minutes picking up new finds and showing each other interesting cakes, all accompanied by a soundtrack of "ooh"s and "yum"s. I finally left the store with (among other items) a cupcake from gluten free Rebel Bakery, a new product for me.
Decisions, decisions... |
I opted for the Old Fashioned cake, in part because of the warning on the packaging, which read, "Contains cocktail stick," and it tickled me. Mostly, however, it was because the combination of whisky, orange and cherries was just too good to turn down.
The very exciting inside of my cake! |
When I tasted the cake, I knew I'd made the right decision, it was fantastic. The orange flavour was very clear and it was definitely enhanced by the whisky in the icing. Biting into the cake was a wonderful surprise, because the centre was filled with cherries! The cake was moist and not too sweet and there was just the right cake-to-icing ratio. I am really impressed by these cakes and I will be making another pilgrimage to Kensington to get my hands on some more! Unfortunately for all you nut-allergic people, these cakes aren't for you (but in my house that just guarantees that The Husband can't steal it before I get a chance to eat it!).
Labels: cake, Coeliac, gluten free, orange, Rebel Bakery, recommendation, review, Whole Foods Market
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Atkins & Potts Gluten Free Sauces
I have been a fan of Atkins and Potts for a while, their syrups and glazes are an essential baking and cooking ingredient in my kitchen. When they asked if I would like to try some of their gluten free range, I jumped at the chance! The choice of interesting and exciting GF sauces out there is somewhat limited; usually you'll find a korma and probably something tomato based in the freefrom aisle... and that's about it. Not any more.
White Wine Sauce with Smoked Garlic and Thyme is a perfect accompaniment to chicken. The smoked garlic is brilliantly smoky (natch) and mellow, it adds a wonderful twist to the traditional white wine and thyme sauce. This is a finishing sauce, so after cooking your chicken or pork, you use it to deglaze the pan and pick up all those tasty bits of meat and the juices into the sauce. It's the kind of sauce that taste like it took ages to prepare, but really it's as easy as snipping the corner off the pouch!
The Chasseur Cooking Sauce is delicious and deeply flavoured. Ok, it is a tomato based sauce, but this one is so much more than your run-of-the-mill tomato and basil, this is complex and rich enough to stand up to the game casserole we had it with.
Is it just me, or do all restaurants seem to put flour in their peppercorn sauce? I have never made it with any thickener so I'm always disappointed when waiting staff tell me I have to eat my steak plain, again. Thankfully, Atkins & Potts have a gluten free Three Peppercorn Cooking Sauce that's restaurant quality that's quick and simple for cooking at home. I can't help you with the steak, although cooking it Heston's way has always worked for me.
You can buy the sauces at stockists across the country or you can shop online at atkinsandpotts.co.uk. Don't forget to check out the rest of their ranges, many of their products are made without gluten.
Labels: Atkins and Potts, Coeliac, gluten free, review, sauces
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Qsilica Skin Care
Free from skincare? Really?
Well, yes. Over the years since my Coeliac diagnosis, I have noticed many discussions of forums, Twitter and Facebook groups about the gluten free credentials of various lipsticks, lipbalms, moisturisers and the like. Why the concern, I wondered. After all, your don't actually eat your skincare products, do you?
Do you?!
And yet. If you spend time thinking about what you put into your body, why shouldn't you be equally careful about what you put on to your skin? If your have sensitive skin, ezcema, psorisis or your Coeliac Disease presents as Dermetitis Herpetiformis, I'm sure you will agree. The FreeFrom Skincare Awards certainly do agree; it was launched this year to find skincare products that were free from as many allergens, chemicals, fragrances and artificial additives as possible. And the winner is..?
Qsilica Skin Care range is made from natural nutrients and contains an easily absorbed form of silica, which provides antioxidants and vitamins to your skin. All their products are free from chemicals, parabens, sulphates, petroleum and synthetic additives. The ingredients lists are full of words like jojoba, avacado, lime, shea butter and coconut (maybe I could eat it...? I won't). The big question is, though, is it any good?
I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of the FreeFrom Skincare Awards overall winner, Qsilica Remove Make Up and Grime Cleansing Gel. After using it for a couple of months now and I'm convinced by its merits. My skin, which is sensitive and prone to dryness has been much clearer and smoother since using it and that 'tight' feeling that I get after using most cleansers is no longer a problem. The ultimate test (for me) is that I can open my eyes whilst the cleanser is still on my face and not do the "ouch it stings" dance that had become routine during my cleansing ritual. The big question is, will I buy it once my freebie has run out? Yes! I love how my skin feels after using this product and I will definitely be purchasing it. Qsilica Skin Care range is available from Planet Health and the Remove Make Up and Grime Cleansing Gel is £15.95.
For more information on the FreeFrom Skincare Awards check out the 2012 list of winners and Alex Gazzola's review of the first year of the awards.
Labels: FreeFrom Skincare Awards, review
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Mrs Crimble's Macaroons
Anyone with Coeliac Disease will have heard of Mrs Crimble's, from baking mixes to savoury snacks, I'm a fan of their products. Until now, I've never really tried their macaroons.
Cranberry Macaroons |
I've not been able to eat coconut for years, thanks to Crohn's Disease, but since my Ileostomy surgery, I've rediscovered foods that were previously off the menu. Imagine my delight when the wonderful people at Mrs Crimble's sent me a box of their macaroons to try. I particularly enjoyed the Cranberry Macaroons, which were surprisingly sweet and soft and overpoweringly tart, like cranberries can be. If you love chocolate and orange, you have to try the Mini Choc Orange Macaroons, but be warned - they are incredibly moreish!
Mini Choc Orange Macaroons |
Something you might not know about Mrs Crimble's is their wonderful Share the Love scheme. You can nominate someone who you think deserves a treat and Mrs Crimble's send 1,000 lucky people a free teatime treat, every month! I'm sure we can all think of someone who we don't get in touch with often enough, that we'd like to surprise with a wee treat. If you want to nominate someone, you can do it at www.letsbakelove.com.
Labels: chocolate, coconut, cranberry, gluten free, macaroon, orange, recommendation, review
Monday, 14 May 2012
Fria Gluten Free
The Holy Grail of gluten free bread is one that has a soft, but slightly chewy, texture and tastes like 'real' bread, not that generic, bland starchy flavour that many of the usual suspects have. Oh, and one that doesn't disintegrate when you dip it in soup or a boiled egg. Well, such a bread exists! Fria Gluten Free have achieved, in my opinion, the ultimate in gluten free bread.
Fria products come pre-frozen so you can store then in your freezer and only defrost what you need, ideal if you are the only Coeliac in the village because you'll never have to contend with the age-old race to finish the bread before the mould gets it.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a huge box of goodies from Fria Gluten Free and I have been dutifully greedily working my way through the products ever since...
The breads I received were, Limpan, Vita and the award winning Grova, and all were outstanding. All defrosted at room temperature within 30 minutes and made fantastic, soft sandwiches.
Limpan is a light brown Swedish style loaf that has the most delicately sweet hint of orange that makes a great addition to the breakfast table. Vita is a white bread that is better than any other white bread available, (and high fibre!) it is so soft that it seems a shame to toast it, but it does make brilliant toast, too. Grova, winner in this year's bread category at the FreeFrom Food Awards, contains linseed and caraway seeds, so it's packed with flavour and has a texture that would fool any non-coeliac!
The Minibaguette and Grov Minibaguette are just like those part-baked baguettes you probably remember from your pre Coeliac days. Warmed in the oven, the crust becomes crispy, combined with the fluffy insides, these are the best gluten free rolls I have tried yet.
If you fancy something sweet, Kladdkaka, the chocolate brownie cake, thoroughly deserved it's commendation in the FreeFrom Food Awards! Oh, and thanks to Caroline from Sweetcheeks for recommending Kanelbulle, the delicious cinnamon buns.
You can buy Fria Gluten Free Products at:
Scandinavian Kitchen, 61 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7PP
TotallySwedish, 32 Crawford Street, London W1H 1LS
TotallySwedish, 66 Barnes High Street, London SW13 9LD
GFF Direct (delivered nationally) – www.gffdirect.co.uk
TotallySwedish (delivered nationally) – http://www.totallyswedish.com/en
Labels: bread, FreeFrom Food Awards, gluten free, recommendation, review
Monday, 2 April 2012
Foodamentalists - Gluten & Wheat Free Vegan Pastry Mix
When the fantastic Foodamentalists sent me some of their Gluten & Wheat Free Vegan Pastry Mix to try, I was rather intrigued. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool, all-butter-pastry kinda girl so I was interested to see how this would turn out.
The instructions on the packet surprised me as you melt the vegetable shortening before adding it and I am used to rubbing the fat into the flour, in addition - the pastry dough was very soft before chilling and I wondered how easy to roll it would be. Actually, the method meant that the whole process was very simple and less messy than usual and I was happily surprised by the result! The pastry was smooth and pliable, rolled well and caused no problems when I lifted it to line the tin. You do need to dust your rolling pin and work surface well with flour - I used arrowroot flour - to stop the dough from sticking, and work quickly as the fat seemed to soften faster than butter, but that might have been due to the temperature of my kitchen!
Apple and Coriander Tart |
The packet makes enough pastry for a large pie and if you are making a tart, as I did, you'll have plenty dough left over - I made 12 mini quiches in a shallow bun tray and still had some left, which I have frozen. The final result is excellent; a crisp, slightly chewy pastry that is perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes. I would definitely buy this mix myself, and at £2.99 per pack I think it's good value for money, especially when you consider how much pastry it makes! It is an incredibly versatile mix and I would like to try to make rough-puff and suet pastry with it as I think I would get great results for them, too.
Mini Mushroom Quiches |
Mini Mushroom Quiches
I know that these aren't vegan, but I came up with this recipe as a way of using up the leftover scraps of pastry. It is vegetarian and can be easily made dairy free.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
125g mushrooms, cut into 1cm pieces
a handful of fresh herbs (I used thyme and parsley), chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Foodamentalists' Gluten & Wheat Free Vegan Pastry Mix, made up according to packet - you'll need about 1/3 of it
2 medium eggs
150ml double cream (for dairy free, try Sojasun Organic Soya Cream)
- In a shallow pan, heat the oil and add the red onion, sauté oven a medium heat until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and continue to gently fry for about 4 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir in the herbs and set aside to cool.
- On a well dusted surface, roll out the pastry to about the size of your (12 cup) bun tray - if the tray is not non-stick, you should oil the cups for easy quiche-removal later! Cut out rounds of pastry to fit each cup and gently place the pastry into the bun cups. Chill for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Break the eggs into a measuring jug, and top up with cream to make 250ml (you might not use the full 150ml), season and beat together until well mixed.
- Once the pastry cases have chilled, remove from the fridge and place heaped teaspoons of the mushroom mixture into each case. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the cases, leaving about 1/2cm room at the top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes at 190°C, until golden brown. Transfer cooked quiches to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
Labels: dairy free, gluten free, pastry, review, vegan, vegetarian
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Hotel Chocolat - The Eggsibitionist
As a child, I faced the annual disappointment of opening my easter egg to discover that it was really just a thin shell of chocolate with a tiny bag of chocolates inside. How did some kids make them last for weeks?! Mine were finished about ten minutes after opening them! When the lovely people at Hotel Chocolat sent me an extra thick easter egg, I was prepared for the anticlimax of another - slightly thicker - thin shelled egg, but my cynicism was short lived...
When Hotel Chocolat say "extra thick", they mean it! The shell was two substantial chunks of milk chocolate, each containing six mini eggs, with delicious salted caramel, praline, mango, ginger and raspberry fillings. That's twelve scrummy egglets as well as the thickest easter egg I have ever seen!
The chocolate shell meets Hotel Chocolat's usual high standards and the egglets, with their exciting insides, are positively dreamy. And, all gluten free! The website and catalogue are well labelled with the many gluten free options available.
At £26, it's a pricey option, but I think it's worth it. The quality of the chocolate and the egglets speak for themselves and the beautiful presentation in the attractive box, tied with ribbon make it a brilliant gift (for a loved one, or yourself!).
Labels: chocolate, Easter, gluten free, review
Friday, 13 January 2012
Sakata Crackers
When the lovely people at Sakata sent me samples of their great gluten free cracker range I was delighted! I love a cracker, but the choice of gluten free ones is limited and I am always willing to try something new.
Sakata's crackers are Japanese rice crackers that are light, crisp, and tasty. They come in four great flavours, original, barbecue, cheddar, and sour cream & chives and are available from Waitrose, Ocado, and Sainsbury's.
I must warn you, theses crackers are incredibly moreish! I opened the pack of barbecue flavour, "just to try them," and before I knew it, they were gone... The flavouring on the cracker is not too heavy or overpowering, so that even though I don't usually like cheese flavoured snacks, I found the cheddar crackers were delicious! Similarly, the sour cream & chive crackers were delicate and didn't fall into the too-oniony category.
These crackers are perfect with dips. Try the sour cream & chive flavour with salsa, original flavour with hummus, or barbecue flavour with sweet chilli sauce for a delicious alternative to crisps. (I ate the original flavour crackers with a bowl of chilli and they worked as well as any saltine cracker you'd find in the USA.)
I would definitely recommend these crackers to you, they make a brilliant snack for anyone, whether they follow a gluten free diet or not. Sakata crackers are now a permanent addition to my gluten free survival kit!
Labels: Coeliacs, gluten free, review
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Hotel Chocolat Alternative Mince Pies
According to my Husband - Christmas begins when the first mince pie hits the supermarket shelves. I don't have the same opinion - mince pies just aren't my bag. I don't really get the whole mincemeat thing, and that's before we even reach the gluten issue! Not eating mince pies at Christmas can make one feel somewhat Scrooge-like so I was delighted when the lovely people at Hotel Chocolat sent me some Alternative Mince Pies.
Hotel Chocolat is a store that I could browse in all day. It has a brilliant mix of quirky concoctions and products for chocolate connoisseurs that I could drool over for hours. When these chocolates arrived they were opened in seconds, and it took all the self-control I had not to eat them all before I photographed them!
These little chocolate cups are filled with salted caramel and praline and are a lot more special than a boring old mince pie. No dried fruit, no soggy pastry, hallelujah! They are seriously decadent but, hey, it's Christmas! Their size makes them a perfect after-dinner-coffee accomaniment (or a sneaky wee before dinner snack!) These would be a great secret Santa gift, or stocking filler, and I fully expect to be unwrapping a box of these on Christmas morning (hint, hint.)
If you look on the Hotel Chocolat website, these chocolates are labeled with the crossed grain, in store they are marked as gluten free, and I have checked and double-checked the ingredients to confirm. Enjoy!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)