Christmas Bakes - Mini Fruit Truffle Puddings

Have to share this easy way to make great chocolates, give them as presents or display at a party. Best of all, they  cost very little. You will need:

• 500g fruit cake (I just buy the cheapest of fruit loaves, two should do it)
• 2 tablespoons of dessicated coconut
• 80ml of dark rum
• 30g of almonds, crushed (to be honest, any nuts will do, use whatever's in the cupboard)
• 400g (that's four bars!) of dark chocolate
• 2 teaspoons of oil
• 150g of white chocolate
• Glace cherries
• One chocolate obsessed child (not absolutely necessary-in fact might hinder the process)

1. Tear up the cake and put in a food processor, whizz until it's crumbs. Put in a bowl with the nuts, coconut and rum. Melt the dark chocolate and pour just under half of it into the mix. Mix up and roll into balls (about 40). Place the on baking parchment. Give child some mixture to roll up and a bowl to scrape as shown.

2. Mix the oil with the rest of the dark chocolate and roll your truffles in the mixture till they are coated. Leave to set.

3. Melt the white chocolate and leave to cool a little. Spoon on the white chocolate over the truffles, letting it run down the sides. Make sure the truffles are well set when you put the white chocolate on as it will look really messy if you don't. Cut your cherries up small and put a bit on each truffle.

4. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon the give as presents or scoff them all, either way they taste good.

Christmas is coming . . .

I have been frantically making products for the Christmas Markets and have been very pleased with the new products. The cupcake candles sold well at Christmas at the Barn and am hoping my Tea Party Invites (see picture!) go down well at the next two events. I will be at the Artisan Market in Frome this Sunday (4th December) http://wegotfleas.com/ and the Bath Christmas Vintage and Antiques Market on the 18th December http://vintageandantiques.co.uk/ Both events are great for finding a unique and fabulous presents for your loved ones or of course for treating yourself! Also on sale will be my teacup candles, cake stands, jewellery stands and of course my favourite, the bird feeders! If you can't make it to these lovely Markets then please visit the online shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/TNCake 

Christmas at the Barn

I am very excited about this years 'Christmas at the Barn' at Mells. On the 26th and 27th of November. Am looking forward to spending my profits on all the lovely things for sale and getting all my Christmas shopping done before December! Rebecca is working hard to make this fabulous event event more fabulous this year and I am frantically making candles, cake stands, bird feeders and yet another new product. Candles that look and smell like chocolate cakes! Only problem is you can't eat them. For those of you that don't know Mells, it's worth going just to see this chocolate box village. Admission to the shopping event is free and there will be plenty of mulled wine and food. So, please come along and have a lovely time! http://christmasatthebarn.blogspot.com/

My new shop!

Tea 'n' Cake now have an Etsy shop! Just in time for Christmas!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TNCake

Tea 'n' Cake for Hire

I've found an excuse to buy even more great vintage stuff!! After a few requests to hire my crockery I've decided to branch out into vintage party hire. I have teapots, table linen and platters slowly filling up all available space in our storage shed. This is my favourite buy so far. Made in 1937 and still in great condition. Makes a right royal cuppa! (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

Shopping Day at Archangel

I will be peddling my wares at the Bespoke Shopping Day at the Archangel on Tuesday next week. Items I'm selling are my candles, cake stands, bird feeders and a new product, jewellery stands! Come along, eat some nice food and buy some lovely stuff! Get your Christmas shopping done early this year! http://www.archangelfrome.com/news_more.asp?news_id=38&current_id=1

My New Favourite Shop

Kiss the Frog Again, in Bath, is right next to Cath Kidston (another favourite shop) and specialises in upcycled products by local artists. The owners are friendly, approachable and can talk you through anything in the shop. You can even grab a free coffee and soak it all in. Best of all they will soon be stocking my cake stands and birdfeeders! Check it out http://www.kissthefrogagain.co.uk/