Goodbye 2013...

Afternoon Foodies,

So Christmas has sadly passed, but clearly making way for an amazing year ahead! I celebrate Christmas with plenty of food this year (check out the pictures below) with plenty of cake orders, a dinner party and some dessert table loving! Hope you had a good one!

 Our family sure know how to do pudding...

 Fruit Pavlova

 Horlix Malt and White Chocolate Cheesecake

 Chocolate and Salted Caramel Torte

 Double Chocolate Fudge Brownies

 Rocky Road

Table Full!

I also did one final cupcake order for my old English teacher :)

Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut & Lemon/Lime

On Christmas day, Christmas pudding takes the main stage, but I do have to say - I prefer my alternative!

Chocolate Roulade with White Chocolate Cream & Fresh Raspberries

Over the festive period it was my mum's birthday and a close family friend was also celebrating her mums 75th! Simple but effective, highly feminine cakes!

 Two tiers: Vanilla base and Lemon Syrup Top

 Aqua iced Vanilla sponge cake.

Also, to celebrate festivities I got my chef whites out and rustled up a little something special! This below is a montage including hibiscus champagne, caramelised red onion thyme targets with goats cheese, roast crown of lamb with a herbed mustard crust, dauphinoise potatoes and finishing with dark chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and ganache side. Great feedback is all I can say!

2013 was an amazing year and I hope you ALL had a fantastic year, finishing with some superb food! Heres to the year ahead, what are your plans? Keep posted to learn all about the future at Red Velvet Baking HQ.

Keep calm and carry on eating...

Jessica, 

xo

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well hello there foodie, excited for Christmas?

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I am sure my waistline thinks differently, however what is better than drinking spiced, mulled wine, the smell of gingerbread wafting through the house and plenty of chocolate to give you a sugar headache, whilst watching films under the duvet. Sadly, being a baker, I am usually creating the treats, so I spend less time snuggling and more working up a kitchen sweat, but I still love it! Orders have been pouring in for the festivities, have you got your desserts and sugary show pieces planned?

These beauties went out last week for local journalists. My 'boss' commissioned me to showcase my scrumptious cakes and I am very pleased to say they made a great impression and did not last long!

The ones below here were made as samples, trialling some Christmas ideas. As a perfectionist the only way is up and there is always room for improvement. My clients are happy,  I am clearly just too tough to please - but I am not the one paying ey!

To get into the Christmas spirit, me and my boyfriend, Georgey, got Christmas jumpers. I normally do not follow the trend, but felt this year I just had to get involved. He wears a snowman jumper from Burton and I have a slightly more sophisticated option, from Dorothy Perkins, with Reindeer antlers in a silhouette. 

We are rather cheesy, I know!

Leaving the retail world behind and being part self employed, I was slightly disappointed, knowing I had no Christmas party plans. Fortunately for me, I received a spontaneous call, offering a meal at Kenwood Hall, expenses paid as others had dropped out. As you can see the blueberry cheesecake below, I certainly enjoyed the evening. With a looming order the next day, I did dabble in a naughty glass of red, white and rose! BUT...I did pull it back, as you saw the cakes further up ;)

I was able to take my friend Mish and took funny pictures with the cracker prizes, as you can see me making a fool of myself below. The following day I had another Christmas meal, at the Women in Steel festive event, with Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. It was such a lovely, inspiring event, celebrating women in business and women succeeding especially in manufacturing and engineering, which is mainly dominated by the males. A very uplifting celebration for the season of family, love and harmony.

Remember, whatever happens, you will never look as silly as me here!

More to come on the Christmas period, as you can imagine my diary is full. I have a fab family meal and I have two big events that I am cooking for, so watch this space.


Keep calm and get festive!

Love Jess xox

2012 RVB...

2012 has been a big year for RVB, seeing the launch of my official business and starting to progress forward. The year of getting the ball rolling and sizing up the opportunities available to me and my passion. My biggest tip from this experience, would be to never let your ambitions die. No matter your age or circumstance, it is possible.

Last year I experienced my first market stall in Bakewell, trained in hygiene, insured a business and started taking more official orders. Towards the latter end of the year I produced some well received halloween themed cakes (below), made links with a local children's charity in Sheffield and started the official design of my website (which is soon to be released!!).

2013 has big things in store for Red Velvet Baking, so watch this space!!

Below are a pictures of my favourite pieces from  Christmas 2012. At Christmas I enjoyed indulging in a little me time, which is time in the kitchen for all of you that don't know me! I made a beautiful set chocolate custard tart, with sweet vanilla pastry and a gorgeous milk chocolate roulade, with caramel and white chocolate cream. I can assure you, both were devoured!

Feel free to get in touch with any questions or requests...my repertoire is gradually building and you are my inspiration!

Keep calm and get back in the kitchen!


Love RV xo

Double Chocolate Roulade :)

When I first started baking, the reason I decided to get hands on in the kitchen was watching food programs. Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to do more research. I started doing some recipe searches online, and when Christmas came round and I was elected as family dessert chef, I had to find something to suit all the family.

This is one of my favourite and most trusted recipes. It's fantastically simple, tastes divine and is so versatile to suit the situation!

Ingredients
200g (7oz) plain chocolate (54% cocoa solids plus preferably), broken into pieces
150g (5oz) golden caster sugar
5 medium eggs, separated
1tsp vanilla escence
2-3tbsp icing sugar, sifted
100g (4oz) white chocolate (Green & Blacks works fantastically)
284ml (10floz) double cream
150g (5oz) raspberries or blackberries for decoration
Extras may include white or dark chocolate curls/stars

Magical Method

1. Heat a fan assisted oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Melt the plain chocolate in a bain marie (bowl over a pan of simmering water). In a separate bow whisk the sugar and egg yolks for around 4 minutes, until pale and thick, before folding in the melted chocolate.

2. In another separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Then, carefully beat 2tbsp of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Proceed by gently folding in the remainder egg whites, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

3. Line a swiss roll tine (33 x 23 cm/ 13 x 9in). Pour the mixture onto the parchment and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch.

4. Whilst the meringue roulade is baking, melt the white chocolate in a bain marie and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then, whisk the cream until forming soft peaks.

5. When the roulade is ready to be taken out of the oven, prepare a large sheet of greaseproof paper sprinkled with icing sugar, for the roulade to be turned out onto. Once turned out, cover with a clean damp tea towel and allow to cool.

6. Return to the cream and white chocolate and combine. Sometimes you may need to rewhip the cream slightly to keep the stiff texture.

7. Once the roulade has cooled, remove the tea towel and smoother with the white chocolate cream. Some people like to add some raspberries/blackberries at this stage to the filling of the roulade, however it is just as delicious to use them more for decoration.

8. Using the greaseproof paper as a guideline, roll the roulade from one short end to the other. Don't worry if it cracks - this is a rustic dessert!!! Finish the roulade with fresh berries, chocolate curls and stars - to suit the occasion.

To show off a roulades versatility it would be rude not to show off some variations...


White Chocolate & Raspberry
If you replace the dark chocolate with white chocolate and use creme freche and crushed raspberries for the filling...a lighter delight!!

Black Forest Roulade
Make the chocolate roulade as above. Once cooled drizzle two tbsp of Chambord (raspberry liqueur) or Kirsch (cherry liqueur) over the roulade. Use double cream, whipped like before but scatter 100g of chopped morello cherries over the cream before rolling. Decorate with morello cherries and dark chocolate curls.

Dare to try a different version....


Stay calm and give it a gander,


Red Velvet <3

Back & Meaning Business...

Hello again my fellow foodies!

I guess you can say long time, no blogging and I am sorry for my lack of food support over the last few months. It really has been a hectic few months, with starting university and moving out etc - but it's a NEW YEAR, now, and a better time than any to get on with spreading my love and passion for all things foodie :).

I hope that you have spent a lot of time cooking up Christmas and New Year delights! Over the next week I will be posting some of my favourite little miseltoe muffins and deliciously dark chocolate roulades, for you guys to try at home and develop into family favourites over the course of this wonderful year ahead.

Christmas and New Year have been the most exuberant yet, this year - I think people are really going all the way with food, celebrations and SPENDING! I mean I can honestly say that my first Christmas as a student, has been by far the most expensive!! How ironic! But...I did get some beautiful gifts; including a blow torch (how unberlievably exciting...can you wait for creme brule?) and a new Whoopie Pie book. Do not fear, I shall be sharing my exciting new kitchen experiences with you guys too!

Also, this Christmas, I finally bought my Dad a mini blender thingy, for shreding stir fry vegetables and making pestos and soups. It is amazing, however, within a few days of having it my Dad has already managed to slice his hand up!! Be careful in the kitchen kids! Even spoons, these days, seem to cause some form of damage, aha!

As for future blogging plans...I think it's fair to say you'll be hearing a lot more from me :). I can't wait to get baking and experimenting and would love to hear your feed back or recipe responses - so get messaging! Any ideas or requests are also welcome. In the next few months I am subjecting myself to a little further food educating, hoping to master the art of chocolatiering and branch out in to the wonderful world of artisan breads. I have read many articles on baking schools but if you're familiar with any super schools - get messaging too.

As for now i'd like to hope you've all made some epically original and spicy New Year foodie resolutions and would love to wish you the best with baking this 2012.

Keep calm and eat a cupcake kids and lets get baking,

with love,

Red Velvet <3