Cronuts are going to be the new cupcake.  Dominique Ansel bakery in New York has created the Cronut.  Half croissant, half doughnut. Customers are queuing for two hours to get their hands on one. My money is on Pump Street Bakery in Orford to be the first in Suffolk to have some on the shelf.

 

        

I just got in from a day at The Suffolk Show and have to tell you about E8, a new Suffolk street food trader. I had the shoulder of lamb in a rosemary brioche bun with homemade relishes, salad and pickled shallots.  The only thing that came in on the back of a lorry was the Colmans mustard, and even us Ipswich Town supporters can just about allow that. You'll find them in Eat Street at the show tomorrow.

Elmswell W.I have held their first Pop-Up Village Cafe in the Wesley Hall at Elmswell. The small village hall looked  stylish with gingham tablecloths and hand made bunting.  The W.I know how to do things well. Not only were there homemade cakes, soup, quiches and sausage rolls but also the daily newspapers, magazines and even paper and crayons for the children.  I hope they do another one because this is where we get the best home baking - who wouldn't travel to Elmswell for a Janet Baker sausage roll?

This request has come into the suffolk foodie hq, although we are a bit late in putting it up here because we missed the e mail, because we were traipsing around the tropics. But can anyone help?  

"We are holding a good old fashioned fayre on Finningham village green on Sunday August 25th 2013.  We are looking for a traditional pie 'man' to sell his wares.  We are expecting about 300 people.  There will be stalls, hog roast, candy floss, charity stalls and hopefully jugglers and magicians. Anyone out there?"  If you are a pie man with wares to sell  email your details and we will pass them on.

Once a month Shauna Tate invites keen bakers to join her at The Beaters Hut Bakers Club.  Shauna started the club last July and each month she comes up with a theme for the baking.  Last month I went along to Cheese. I ate so much and came away with enough food for the next day.  No judging takes place and all you need to do is bake or make something that can be shared beweent 8 to 10 people.  Next months meeting is on Monday May 27th and the theme is Picnic. All are welcome to attend although spaces are limited in order to allow everyone to get to meet each other.  I think this could become the perfect dating agency?  

Cheryl creates a wonderful range of chocolates, scrumptious cakes and brownies at Artistry in Cocoa. Newmarket which we mentioned earlier.  And here is her recipe:

Chocolate Cake with Ganache topping and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

For the Chocolate Victoria sandwich:
4 eggs
Softened Butter or margarine or a mixture of both
Sugar (granulated)
Plain Flour
Cocoa powder
Baking powder
Milk or water

Weigh the eggs.

Weigh out the same weight of butter/margarine and place in your mixing bowl.
Weigh out the same weight of sugar and add to the mixing bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Weigh out the same weight of flour, then remove a tablespoon and replace this with cocoa powder. 

Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and a teaspoon of baking powder together.
Break the eggs into a cup or jug and beat into the creamed mixture one at a time, adding a little of the flour mixture to prevent curdling as necessary. 

Fold in the rest of the flour with a metal spoon. 

Add a tablespoon of water or milk and mix in gently.  Dip your spoon in the mix and hold it above the bowl. The mixture should drop off your spoon to a slow count of 3.  If it takes too long add another spoon of liquid.  If you have accidentally put in a little too much liquid add a small spoon of sieved flour/cocoa.
Bake in greased and lined or greased and floured tins at   190C/fan 170C/gas 5   until the cake springs back to the touch.
Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the tin if necessary and invert onto a wire rack to cool.   

For the chocolate ganache coating :

200g- 300g milk or dark chocolate and an equal amount of cream.

Break up the chocolate into small pieces, bring the cream to boiling point and pour over the chocolate. 

Allow to rest for about 5 minutes to soften the chocolate then whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy.  If the ganache is very runny you may wish to leave it to cool further before you cover the cake with it.  This can be done by pouring or spreading. Do not cover your cake until the cake itself is cold.

Melt some extra chocolate gently until it is almost, but not entirely, liquid and stir well to melt out any lumps until the chocolate looks smooth. 

Dip your strawberries holding by the stalks and place directly on the cake.  Please note that the strawberries should be dry or the chocolate will not stick.  If you wish to dip your strawberries in advance then place them onto greaseproof paper so that you will be able to remove them once set.

If you wish to pipe on the cake with the ganache you can make it with a little less cream so it will be thicker and whip it before use.  You can fill the cake with a layer of ganache or you could use sliced strawberries and whipped cream and top with ganache.

The Wingspan Bar is open! This new bar at The Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds has been created in the vaults; the secret tunnels providing the perfect intimate spaces to enjoy a drink. The Angel (in Bury) isn't shy when it comes to decor, and the decadent finish - complete with aircraft engine bar, tables from  airplane wings, bespoke furniture, interesting artefacts and curiosities, is stunning. Chef Jay Scrimshaw pulled out all the stops for the opening party on Thursday.  Fellow foodies enjoyed a fabulous selection of canapes, including these Quail Scotch Eggs with Black Pudding crust, Bacon and Maple syrup doughnuts and Oysters from Pinneys - served with buttermilk .

 

 The bar is open daily from 5pm - just allow time to try the new afternoon tea from 2.30pm before hand!

Steve sells his own farm-reared pork at local farmers markets and he was at the new Elmswell market last Sunday. He doesn't have a website and only uses the internet to check the tide tables when he wants to go fishing, so Google Clavering Pigs if you want to find out where to find him.

Wow!  I just ate Plaice Florentine at Zest; the training restaurant attached to West Suffolk College. It was absolutely perfect.  They have a sweet trolley too, and today it featured a Malted Chocolate Tart, Strawberry Bavarois, Rose scented Creme Brulee and a hot option of Sticky Toffee Pudding.  You can't buy the ingredients for the £9.50 charged for 3 courses. Book a table and see for yourself.  They also do a fabulous new takeaway menu.

Quirky Black Lion Hotel in Little Walsingham, Norfolk has a menu especially for dogs.  It also has a Stitch 'n Bitch Knitters Anonymous evening on a Wednesday night. I ate there last week, in the middle of the afternoon and the only person in the place.  I had the fresh sea bass as I didnt fancy the rawhide chew. It was very good.