dessert

Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company

The best part of our day is treating ourselves to something sweet – especially if it happens to be confectionery! We’re not ashamed to admit our penchant for all things chocolate - after all they say 'a little bit of what you fancy, does you good'. So when we at The Amazing Blog had a delivery of a Gourmet Chocolate Pizza, let’s just say, it didn’t last long…the team devoured it within seconds, and we’re not joking!

Based in Nottingham and started by Helen Ellis in 2007, the Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company’s sole purpose is providing those with a sweet tooth, like us, with a delectable chocolate treat. The bases of their chocolate pizzas use handmade Belgian chocolate, with an assortment of toppings. Whether you have a fondness for milk, dark or white chocolate, their 21 different flavours will undoubtedly satisfy all of your cravings. To top it off, the pizzas come in a variety of sizes (4”, 7”, 10” and 12”) making them a perfect gift for any occasion. Additionally, you can customise each of the pizzas to suit your preferences: see hereWe love the fact that you can design this chocolate gift from scratch. The process is simple, just click and select the chocolate you want, then choose the toppings and the size etc. 

The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company sent us their Strawberry Sensation, a delicious pop of fruit flavour on a creamy base. As we devoured the slices, the chocolate melted and the fizzing popping candy awakening our taste buds! The Strawberry Sensation is made from smooth Belgian milk chocolate, topped with chocolate curls, freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate rice balls. We highly recommend this chocolate pizza - it was truly moreish. If you’re now suitably hungry, you can purchase one here: 7” for £10.50, 10” for £14.50, or 12” for £17.50.

Whether it's a birthday, anniversary or to wish someone congratulations for a job well done - we think these Gourmet Chocolate Pizzas are rather a novel way to say 'I'm thinking of you'.

 

Belinda Clark Gourmet S’mores Kit

We all know that the best memory from camping in our younger days was when we got to sit around the campfire roasting marshmallows. These irresistible treats always make us reminisce here at The Amazing Blog, so when we received the Belinda Clark Gourmet S’mores Kit, we were instantly transported to sweet summer days.


The reason we adore this kit is that it has everything you could need to make s’mores wherever and whenever you need to indulge just a little bit. Of course, these aren’t the s’mores you would remember from your childhood because Belinda Clark specialises in unique gourmet marshmallow flavours. This kit combines 12 of her scrumptiously hand-crafted salted caramel marshmallows that would make your mouth water on its own, but when combined with slightly melted Belgian dark chocolate thins on gourmet almond biscuits, you will never want to go back to your basic s’mores again. The kit is also equipped with 6 sticks to toast the marshmallows as well your own odourless gel burner that lasts two hours so that you can toast your marshmallows at any moment you desire. Go ahead and enjoy a bit of summer year round. The Belinda Clark S’mores Kit is available for purchase here for £18.50.    

 

Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

After a busy workday, cooking can be put on the back burner of our to-do list. We gravitate toward meals that are most easy and convenient, often eating the same foods over again. That’s why we have made it our mission to revitalize the way we perceive cooking by searching for cookbooks that are equally as unique as they are healthy. Say goodbye to monotonous cooking with the help of these four books, handpicked by The Amazing Blog.

Plant-based cooking has gained its popularity, but have you ever thought of incorporating flowers into your recipes? The Fragrant Pantry by Frances Bissell uses flowers as its main ingredient. While flowers are commonly featured as decoration in cookery, Bissell shows how its delicate scent and flavour can take the place of herbs or spices. Although this seems like an unconventional approach, don’t mistake it as a fad or fashion. Instead, Bissell pays homage to English culinary traditions through her use of flowers. Her recipes include jams, spreads and pickled foods with easy-to-follow instructions. You can purchase The Fragrant Pantry here for £11.99. To get a 20% discount use the discount code FRAGRANTP at purchase on the Serif Books website. 

Interested in more of Bissell’s recipes? Check out the other two volumes in her acclaimed trilogy: The Scented Kitchen and The Floral Baker.

Calling all Mediterranean lovers! Get prepared to transport yourself to Greece with Mazi Modern Greek Food’s vivid imagery and authentic dishes. Co-authors, Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré’s goal are to revolutionise Greek cuisine by combining genuine flavours with a modern twist. The recipes are ingrained with a trendy tapas vibe and cover cocktails, hot plates, signature dishes and desserts. You can purchase the book here for £17.99.

The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks by Michael Isted offers non-alcoholic plant-based drinks. Isted offers careful alchemy with each recipe that acts as cleansers, restorers, energisers, brain boosters and more.  The cookbook includes step-by-step directions in processes like hot & cold brewing, fermentation, distillation, juicing and tincturing. The first section provides a brief informational introduction to the plants used throughout the book and the second section includes 58 different recipes serving different functions for the body.   Isted uses ancient practices as the foundation of his creations. This guide brings purpose and intention to the kitchen by uniting intuitive and healthy eating. You can purchase The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks here for £12.90.

Whenever starting a new diet, snacking is an inevitable part of the process. Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell, founders of Squirrel Sisters, have created a range of all-natural bars that will satisfy your cravings. In their book, Naturally Snacks & Treats: Over 100 Healthy Recipes, the sister duo has formed over 70 recipes using ingredients found at your local supermarket. The on-the-go snack is easy, convenient, and accessible. The Tyrrell sisters reassure their readers that eating healthily can be fun! Recipes range from sweet roasted almond and cinnamon butter to sushi rolls.The beautifully illustrated book is separated into four chapters where you will find breakfast recipes, snacks and lunches for on-the-go, sharing plates and, our favourite, sweet treats. Cocktail-lovers will even find low-calorie options. We can’t wait to try more recipes. You can purchase your own book here for £9.99.  

 

Let us know what your favourite recipes are!

 

Vandotsch - Speculaas Spice Mix

Who doesn’t love biscuits, especially around Christmas time? Here at The Amazing Blog our Dutch colleague introduced us to The Speculaas Spice Company and its Vandotsch Speculaas Spice Mix, and we may never look at Christmas biscuits the same way again.

Steven Dotsch, director of The Speculaas Spice Company, was inspired to launch the company using his Dutch grandmother’s recipe of delicious, warm and sweet tasting speculaas, because he missed the flavour and scent after moving to the UK. And we're so glad that Britain can now get a taste of the delicious Dutch delicacy.

The company prides itself in supplying people with only the finest spices in their speculaas spice mix, which does not include any artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. The spices are either organic, Fairtrade sourced or both.

The Vandotsch Speculaas spice mix consists of a perfectly balanced mixture of nine spices, including real, high grade, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, cloves, ginger and six other spices that give the mix a unique kick. The spice mix can be used in most recipes where regular cinnamon is used as a main flavouring ingredient.

Traditionally, speculaas biscuits come in the shape of a windmill or male or female figurine, known as ‘lovers.’ However, these days they can take any shape. If you’re going to order the mix, you should definitely consider ordering the mould, because speculaas biscuits are supposed to be the mirror image of the carved wooden moulds they are baked in. Plus, we always find it more fun to bake in shapes.

You can discover a variety of recipes that use the mix here. Check out the website and order the Vandotsch Speculaas Spice Mix and a mould for £9.99. It’s the perfect time of the year to chow down on some delicious Christmas biscuits.

Carib Gourmet – Coco Gourmand

COCOFUDGEIn need of an exotic sweet treat following lunch or dinner?  As you know we love our sweets here but sometimes due to the ingredients we know some of our readers cannot share in our delight. We here at The Amazing Blog  have uncovered delicious treats using exclusively the sweetness of coconut milk, making some of these treats gluten free and suitable for vegans. Using coconut as an alternative to sugar, Carib Gourment shows their sweet-side with their Coco-Gourmand line of sweets for all to enjoy!

 As a Caribbean based fine foods specialist, Carib Gourmet offer an array of foods from chilli sauces to confectionary desserts fit for food connoisseurs. As dessert lovers ourselves, we were eagerly excited to try the Carib Gourmet Coco Gourmand selection including Coconut Fudge, Coconut Brittle and Coconut Drops.  When we received this sweet assortment of Coco Gourmand desserts, I immediately indulged in a piece of Coconut Fudge. Coco Gourmand combines the softness of fudge with the flaky texture of coconut to create an exceptional delicacy. Their Coconut Fudge is lighter and slimmer than most fudge bars, avoiding that dreaded heavy feeling of sugar in your stomach or overconsumption in my case.  We definitely recommend these treats not only as a pick-me-up but also as a gift, a party dessert and even to share at work! The Coconut Fudge is only £3.50 and can be found here  while the other treats can be found here.

Also if you’re interested in learning authentic Caribbean cooking style or you want to create these delicious Coco-gourmand delicacies yourself, Carib Gourment has cookery classes just for you! Caribbean cooking representative, Vanessa Bolosier teaches techniques to mastering Caribbean cuisines and desserts. This course, designed for beginners, offers attendees personalized hands-on learning while indulging in scrumptious treats. This allows you to be able to cook up a batch of these amazing treats for your family and friends.  Sign up for a Caribbean cooking experience from  and feel free to send some our way once you’ve become a master Caribbean chef!