The Crabtree & Evelyn blog

Wonderful wedding favour ideas…

May 20th, 2013 | 0 comments | permalink

It’s that time of year when confetti whirls around country lanes and bunting dances in the summer breeze. If you’re getting hitched and in need of some wedding favour inspiration, from pretty pearls to posh pouches and plump marshmallows, we’ve got it covered. Plus, with 4 for 3 offers on all Crabtree & Evelyn mini products there’s no better time to shop for thank-you gifts.

Check out our selection of beautiful buys to suit any wedding colour scheme…

Green dream

Snap up some seed packets from www.notonthehighstreet.com to give your table settings a rustic feel, and when planted they will give guests a lasting reminder of the big day. Alternatively, why not peg these wedding favours onto a tree for guests to help themselves? They could return the favour by writing down a wish or advice for your future together and pegging it to the tree in place of the seed packet.

Gift it with… give your guests the gift of super soft hands with our new mini Somerset Meadow Hand Therapy.

Life is peachy

Sugared almonds might be traditional wedding sweets, but they can be cruel if you’ve got baby teeth or dentures. Instead, why not consider some soft and sumptuous marshmallows? Edinburgh based confectionaries Zukr Boutique Ltd can be commissioned to personalise sweet treats with colours and flavours. How about peach and pansy petal? We love the look of their apricot and saffron marshmallows, which would work brilliantly for any mellow colour themes.

Gift it with… a mini Summer Hill Bath & Shower Gel – after the petits fours are served and the dancing is done – guests could relax with a luxurious bubble bath.

Pink princess

Bridesmaid favours don’t come much cooler than this cute pouch from Alphabet Bags – which could be filled with lots of little treats. There are plenty of different designs so you could use them as gifts for flower girls, pageboys, the best man and ushers. Plus, wedding-themed shopping bags are also available, which would be great for using as goodie bags for larger pressies.

Gift it with… pop a mini Rosewater Body Lotion inside the pouch for a pampering treat fit for a princess.

Snow White

We adore these personalised freshwater pearl bracelets from www.theletteroom.com. They would make a gorgeous gift for bridesmaids, or anyone who has helped out in a big way. The pearls could be worn on the special day or draped over a place setting or wrapped around the stem of a champagne flute as a surprise.

Gift it with… inspired by seaside summers, a mini Nantucket Briar Body Lotion is the perfect pairing for a pearl bracelet.

Purple passion

Creating show-stopping table settings with pots of lavender and let guests take them home after the wedding. This pot of French lavender available at www.notonthehighstreet.com looks blooming lovely and will also smell amazing. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties so could help calm your frazzled mother-in-law.

Gift it with… continue the theme by tying a mini Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Bath & Shower Gel to the pot with some purple ribbon.

Are you getting married soon? Share your wedding favour ideas in the comments box below or on our Facebook page.

Rise to the challenge for World Baking Day!

May 14th, 2013 | 1 comment | permalink

Dig out your favourite apron, dust off those scales and raid your store cupboard. World Baking Day is almost here (19 May) and encourages people to step out of their comfort zone, by choosing to bake one of the 100 cakes on the event’s website, which have been submitted by cooks from all over the globe. At no. 1 on the list, Banana Muffins are for the kitchen novices, while the show-stopping Cream Puff Cake at no. 100 is for those very brave bakers.

The Vanilla, Strawberry & Rose Victoria Sponge took my fancy (level 66), but I decided to add my own take on it. Yes, I have baked many sponge cakes in my time. However, I must confess that recently I’ve been suffering from the curse of the dreaded soggy bottom! That’s why I wanted to go back to basics. For ease, I did an all-in-one recipe and my unique twist on the cake involves a blueberry jam filling and drizzle.

I’m proud to say my Blueberry Jam & Drizzle Victoria Sponge was a resounding success (next stop Cream Puff Cake?). Here’s how to make it…

You’ll need…

Cake

4 eggs (weighed in their shells)

Soft margarine (same weight as the eggs)

Caster sugar (same weight as the eggs)

Self-raising (same weight as the eggs)

Drizzle and filling

Half a jar of Crabtree & Evelyn Blueberry Preserve

1 tbs margarine

2 tbs Belvoir Blueberry & Blackcurrant Cordial

50g icing sugar

A handful of rose petals (or you could use fresh blueberries)

Make it…

1. Set the oven to Gas Mark 4, 160C (fan oven), 180C or 360F. Grease and line 2 x 8inch sandwich tins.

2. All the cake ingredients need to weigh the same amount. First weigh the eggs in their shells. I used duck eggs fresh from the farm and they weighed 8oz, so I made sure the margarine, sugar and flower weighed 8oz, too. The beauty of using duck eggs is that they have bigger yolks and make for a delicious golden sponge.

3. Make life easy for yourself by doing an all-in-one cake mixture. Crack the first egg in to a small bowl to make sure it’s a good egg, and add it to a food processor, KitchenAid, or a large bowl (you’ll need an electric whisk to beat the ingredients together). Repeat until all four eggs are cracked, then add the margarine, the sugar and sieve in the flour.

4. Mix all the ingredients together until they are pale, light and fluffy as a day old chick!

5. Using a large spoon dollop the cake mixture into the tins so it’s equally distributed. Smooth over with a spatula.

6. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes until they are golden and spring back to touch.

7. Leave the cakes to cool in their tins and then press them out onto a wire rack for further cooling.

8. Once the cakes have reached room temperature, put one half on a lovely large plate and spread half a jar of C&E Blueberry Preserve on to it (use more if you’re feeling lavish). Place the other half of the sponge on top.

9. Now for the really fun part, the drizzle! Pop the margarine, icing sugar and cordial into a bowl and whisk until all of the ingredients are combined. Pour onto the center of the cake and let the drizzle work its magic. To make the Victoria sponge look super-pretty and fit for a queen, scatter rose petals on top and dust with icing sugar.

Will you be taking part in World Baking Day? If so, tell us all about your cakey creations in the comments box below or on Crabtree & Evelyn’s Facebook page.