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That's Christmas: Embracing Tradition: A Traditional Christmas in Ir...: This time That's Christmas takes a look at a traditional Christmas in Ireland. As we near the festive season, many countries around the ...

New Delicious Spreads from Bonne Maman

It's always a good day when Bonne Maman announces new products! 

Complementing their delectable Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, these new Bonne Maman products form a sophisticated new range of delicious spreads from the top specialist French conserve brand. 

Carefully crafted using only simple ingredients and thankfully containing no palm oil, each of the flavours can instantly transform an everyday snack, -maybe a plain brioche or a shortbread or digestive biscuit, -into an absolutely indulgent, special moment all of one's own.

Inspired by the French Orangettes (candied orange peel) new, smooth and indulgent Chocolate & Orange Spread is made with 39% crushed oranges and orange zest stirred into melted dark chocolate and, as we say, contains no palm oil. 

The tart citrus contrast of the bitter orange flavour with the deep, dark chocolate means the Chocolate & Orange Spread can be delightful spread onto a shortbread biscuit or a slice of madeira cake for a delectable little treat. (Or on some freshly baked French sticks?)

Only made with 80% apple plus fresh butter and no palm oil, new Caramelised Apple Spread is like a classic homemade French 'tarte tatin' in a jar – deliciously rich and buttery in texture with a deeply satisfying apple taste and scent of an Autumn orchard. Caramelised Apple Spread pairs beautifully with toasted fingers of brioche and makes a perfect, indulgent snack for the afternoon when topping crumpets, pikelets and fruity tea cakes or malt loaves. 

Presented in striking glass jars complete with the iconic Bonne Maman red gingham lid, the new spreads are available nationwide from mid-October, sitting alongside Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread at Sainsbury's, Waitrose & Partners, Morrisons and ASDA nationwide plus Ocado.com. Chocolate & Orange Spread can also be found at the Co-op. Caramelised Apple Spread 275g jar and Chocolate & Orange Spread 275g jar both at £2.90 rrp.

Once opened, both new spreads should be refrigerated and consumed within three weeks. Both products are made with simple ingredients, contain no palm-oil, are suitable for vegetarians and the packaging can be widely recycled.

(If they last three days in our home, I'd be shocked, to be honest, let alone three weeks!)

FACTFILE: For further information, tips and recipes see www.bonnemaman.co.uk.

ERDINGER offers you the fantastic chance to attend Jürgen Klopp Q&A

ERDINGER Weissbier, the classic wheat beer brewed in Bavaria since 1886, is offering one lucky winner and a guest the chance to attend a question and answer session with Jürgen Klopp. The winner will also enjoy a two night stay in Liverpool whilst a further 1,500 competition entrants will receive a special edition ERDINGER pint glass.

Jürgen Klopp was named as an ambassador for German wheat beer brewery ERDINGER Weissbräu in March 2020 and has starred in a series of adverts for ERDINGER Weissbier. In the adverts, Jürgen implores people to 'Never Skim an ERDINGER' and not to forget 'the best bit' the last few drops in the bottle that complete ERDINGER's unique flavour, cloudy appearance and lively aroma. 

The competition to join Jürgen for a Q&A will run on neck collars placed on 500ml bottles of ERDINGER Weissbier in grocery stores and supermarkets until 12th November, or until the stocks run out.

Launching the promotion, Peter Gowans, who is UK Country Manager for ERDINGER explained “Since announcing Jürgen Klopp as an ERDINGER ambassador we have come to realise just how well loved he is and how he is respected by people around the UK, even by some of the most fervent opposition football fans. 

"He connects with people because of his easy-going and pragmatic approach to life and we hear time and again that he's one of the people would most like to have a chat with over a pint in the local pub. Now ERDINGER can make the dream of joining him for a Q&A session a reality for one lucky fan who will also spend two nights in Liverpool to soak up the atmosphere and culture of this exciting City.”

To enter the competition, people must buy a 500m bottle of ERDINGER Weissbier on sale in supermarkets around the UK (but not Northern Ireland), scan the QR code on the neck collars placed on the bottles and complete an easy to complete entry form. One winner will be drawn at random after the closing date of 12th November, with proof of purchase required to claim the prize.

A further 250 runner-up entries will be drawn weekly throughout the competition, with each receiving a special edition glass featuring an image of Jürgen Klopp pouring out 'the best bit' from his bottle of ERDINGER.

“This ERDINGER Weissbier competition really does offer a money can't buy experience for the winner” continued Peter Gowans. “If anyone has ever wanted to ask Jürgen about the benefits of the 4-4-2 system, how the off-side rule works, what he loves about British pubs or why you should never skim an ERDINGER this is their chance to get an entry in whilst enjoying a refreshing glass of ERDINGER Weissbier.”

Promotional bottles of ERDINGER Weissbier are already on sale will be on sale. Full T's & C's are available here https://uk.erdinger.de/brewery/conditions-of-participation-nec-collar-promotion.html

https://uk.erdinger.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erdingerGB

Instagram: erdinger.uk

Distillerie De Grandmont Makes Its UK Debut

You may have heard of Distillerie De Grandmont, but you wouldn't have been able to purchase their sprits in the UK. Until now, that is. 

Because Speciality Brands, the award-winning drinks distributor, has signed an agreement with French spirits producer Distillerie de Grandmont and will exclusively distribute the brand's range in the UK from this October onwards.

Distillerie de Grandmont was founded in 2018 in the Haute Vienne by Karim Karroum who discovered a passion for vintage, artisanal spirits. 

Karim then went on a mission to rediscover liqueurs of the past using old-fashioned methods of production and on the way unearthing forgotten French spirit-making traditions.  

Speciality Brands is introducing three spirits to trade and consumers this autumn: Distillery de Grandmont Amer Gentian, Liqueur de Grandmont and Triple Sec Curacao Blanc.

Amer Gentian starts with a base of organic grain alcohol, before fresh and dried gentian root grown in the unique terroirs of the Massif Central for over 25 years are added. Wild, natural herbs and fruits are used in the recipe to accentuate the bitter florality of the gentian. This creates an incredibly complex and refined liqueur which can be enjoyed as an aperitif, digestif or served long with tonic water and a slice of grapefruit or in classic cocktails mixes/

Distillerie de Grandmont Liqueur de Grandmont Le Chemin des Moines (Monks' path) is a herbal liqueur offering a silky smooth texture with delightful notes of angelica, wildflowers, fresh grass, zesty verbena and honey, along with a subtle hint of turmeric, culminating in a subtle smoky camphor finish with hints of blackcurrant leaf. 

This complex liqueur is meticulously crafted using organic grain alcohol and a blend of wild herbs and spices. It works well as a digestif, revealing its medicinal and digestive qualities, but also lends itself to very well to classic cocktails such as The Last Word or Bijou.

Distillerie de Grandmont Triple Sec Curacao Blanc showcases bright and elegant citrus notes, primarily orange and tangerine, gracefully balanced with juniper and with a subtle bitterness. The process begins with organic grain alcohol as a base, enhanced by a secret blend of citrus fruits, peels, natural plants, spices, and herbs. Versatile and timeless, this triple sec elevates classic cocktails like Margaritas and Sidecars or can be enjoyed simply over ice with a splash of soda.

Chris Seale, who is the Managing Director, Speciality Brands says: “We were blown away by the quality of the spirits crafted by the Distillerie de Grandmont. These truly artisanal drinks revive traditional French recipes and production processes, and offer a rather unique tasting experience. Karim's passion for quality spirits is remarkable and these liqueurs fit perfectly in our range of premium, artisanal spirits. We're really excited to be presenting these to our customers for the first time.”

Distillerie de Grandmont's range will be available to all channels. Amer Gentian, 32% ABV, 70 cl, RRP: £31, Liqueur de Grandmont 55% ABV, 70 cl, RRP: £47 and Triple Sec Curacao Blanc 40% ABV, 70 cl, RRP: £35.

To learn more please visit https://specialitybrands.com

Five spooky Ocado recipes for your Halloween feast

With over 604,000 TikTok views on the hashtag #HalloweenRecipe in the last 30 days alone, Ocado has revealed five unique ideas to bring to the table for the ultimate spooky feast!

As we head towards spooky season, many will be starting to plan their celebrations for the ultimate Halloween party - in fact, search interest for ‘Halloween party ideas’ has gone up by 53% in the past 30 days.

From cute-looking Cat Face Toasties to a not-so-pretty (but very tasty) Eyeball Spaghetti and some sweet Smore Spiderweb Brownies, there’s a Halloween treat for everyone to enjoy this October.

Surprise Mini Pumpkins

Whether you’re a pumpkin fan or not, you’ll love these autumnal, pumpkin-shaped parcels. Filled with sweet, spiced apple, they’re the perfect bite-sized treat for the table.

Ingredients:

40g salted butter, at room temperature

40g light brown soft sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ orange, zest and juice

30g raisins

4 bramley apples, peeled

2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting

350g ready-made puff pastry

6 drops orange food colouring (vegetarian if required)

1 large egg yolk, beaten

100g icing sugar

Method:

Place the butter in a mixing bowl with the sugar, spices and orange zest. Beat together with a hand mixer till smooth, then stir in the raisins using a wooden spoon. Remove the core from each apple with an apple corer or a paring knife, to create room for the filling.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Cut the puff pastry into 4 equal pieces, then roll each into a 20cm x 15cm rectangle. Slice each piece into 4 long strips. Cross 2 of the strips to make a cross. Place the remaining 2 strips on top in an ‘X’, so you have an 8-pointed star. Press down the middle where they join to thin the pastry a little. This allows the apple to sit firmly and helps the pastry to cook.

Place an apple on top, then spoon in one-quarter of the spiced raisin butter, pressing it into the hollowed-out core. Bring both sides of one of the strips up, so they meet at the top of the apple, and press together, so they point upwards like a stalk. Stir a couple of drops of orange food colouring into the beaten egg yolk, then brush a little over the pastry. 

Repeat with another strip; they will overlap a little on the sides – you may need to stretch them a little so that you get full coverage. Brush with egg. Finish with the remaining 2 strips and brush again. You should have a striped effect on the sides. Pinch the tops together to finish the stalk shape; cutting off any excess. Brush all over with egg, and transfer to the lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining pastry, apples and raisin butter. Place the tray in the fridge and chill for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins, or until the pastry is golden. Halfway through, brush the pastry with a little more of the orange-tinted egg. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add just enough orange juice to make a thick glaze. Stir in a few drops of orange food colouring and mix until smooth. When the pastry apples have cooled for 20 mins, spoon the icing into a piping bag and snip off the end so you have a fine point. Pipe stripes down the side of the pastry, running along the pastry strips, and leave for 5 mins. These are best eaten soon after baking, with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Freaky Faces

Let the kids be as creative as they like conjuring these Freaky Faces cracker ghouls out of veg, cheese and houmous. You can also mix up the toppings, using both fresh and tinned ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 (300g) pack oat cakes, rice cakes or crackers

1 (300g) tub houmous

1 (200g) tub guacamole

1 (160g) pack cheese slices

1 (340g) jar pitted black olives

1 (200g) pack radishes

1 (195g) tin sweetcorn

1 red pepper

1 (150g) pack sugar snap peas

85g tub peeled edamame soy beans

2 carrots

¼ cucumber

1 (200g) pack baby corn

1 (100g) pack pumpkin seeds

Method:

Spread oat cakes or crackers with houmous and guacamole.

For eyes, use a small bottle top to cut circles from cheese slices; and make pupils from pieces of black olive or radish (you can use the end of a metal straw to cut them out) or peas.

Make mouths from odds and ends, such as sweetcorn kernels and trimmed pepper – create toothy grins with sugar snaps opened to reveal their peas.

Edamame beans make good noses.

Add finishing touches – pointy ears, eyebrows, horns and hair – using sugar snaps, chopped pepper, radish, carrot, cucumber, baby corn and pumpkin seeds. Best eaten the same day.

Eyeball Spaghetti

This gruesome-looking but very tasty dish is perfect as a quick meal before trick-or-treating, or is great served hot or cold as part of a Halloween buffet.

Ingredients:

20 mini mozzarella balls

10 stuffed olives, halved

350g spaghetti

1 tub of fresh pesto

4 squirts of tomato ketchup

Method:

Cook the spaghetti according to the pack instructions.

Meanwhile cut a small hole into each mozzarella ball and push in half an olive.

Drain the spaghetti and then stir through the pesto.

Divide between 4 bowls and top with splodges of tomato ketchup & mozzarella eye balls. Serve.

Smores Spider Web Brownies

These yummy vegan brownies are topped with fluffy melted marshmallow to create the spider web effect.

Ingredients:

165g plant-based butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

175g plain flour

75g cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

325g granulated sugar

100ml almond milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

70g dark chocolate, finely chopped

70g vegan biscuits (we used Lotus Biscoff), broken into small chunks

40g white marshmallows (vegan if required)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease a 23cm square cake tin with butter and line the bottom with baking paper. Use a balloon whisk to whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and fine sea salt and set to one side.

Use a freestanding mixer or electric hand mixer to beat the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the almond milk and vanilla extract, then add the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until smooth. With a spoon, stir in the chocolate and broken biscuits; dollop into the tin. Level the top and bake for 25-28mins, or until just set with a crust but still a bit gooey.

Remove from the oven; leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Melt the marshmallows in a microwave for 30 secs, then stir with a fork. Allow to stand for 2 mins or so, until cool enough to handle, then stretch the mixture over the brownies, pulling and draping it to create a spider web effect. Then leave to cool completely before slicing and serving the brownies. They’ll store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Witch's Cauldron Cheesecake with Jelly Sweets

This gloriously ghoulish Halloween dessert is perfect for a party! Oreo biscuits are used to make the chocolate crumb base, with a creamy cheesecake filling and orange jelly topping. This recipe uses wriggly snake sweets to decorate the cake, but any spooky jellies would work well.

Ingredients:

170g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease

308g Oreo biscuits, blitzed to a fine crumb

60g light brown soft sugar

300ml double cream

680g full fat soft cheese

80g caster sugar

4 tbsp soured cream

½ lemon, zest and juice

270g orange jelly, broken into cubes

80g jelly snakes

Method:

Start making the cheesecake the day before. Lightly grease a 23cm springform round cake tin with butter. In a bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the melted butter, Oreo crumbs and light soft brown sugar. Evenly press into the tin so it covers the base and the sides (this is your cauldron). Use your knuckles to really compress the mixture to stop it from crumbling. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Using a hand mixer, whisk the cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Place the soft cheese and caster sugar in the bowl of a freestanding mixer, and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth, or use a hand mixer. Add the soured cream, 1tbsp lemon juice and the lemon zest, and beat for 2 mins, until smooth. With a metal spoon, gently fold in the whipped double cream.

When the cheesecake base has chilled for 30 mins, remove it from the fridge and spoon in the soft cheese mixture. Smooth it over; place the tin back in the fridge and leave to set overnight.

The following day, put half the quantity of jelly cubes in a measuring jug and top with 170ml boiling water. Allow the jelly cubes to melt, then top up with 170ml cold water. When the liquid jelly is room temperature, pour it over the soft cheese filling. Pop in the fridge and leave to set for 1 hr. While you’re waiting, make up the remaining jelly in the same way and leave to cool again.

Remove the tin from the fridge, dot over most of the jelly sweets, leaving some sticking up so that they look like they’re crawling out of the jelly, then pour over the cooled orange jelly and place the tin in the fridge for at least 4 hrs to set completely. When you’re ready to serve, arrange the reserved jelly sweets on top and slide a knife around the inside of the tin to loosen it, then release. It will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For more halloween recipe inspiration, visit Ocado’s library here: https://www.ocado.com/content/halloween-recipes-203361

We'd like to thank Ocado for helping to prepare this post.

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Co-op's The Apiary secures nationwide listing for Manchester's Northern Quarter-based dessert café, Black Milk

Manchester's Northern Quarter-based café, Black Milk, has secured a listing for its products in Co-op stores all over the UK after working with the convenience retailer’s accelerated support scheme for suppliers, known as the Apiary.

Located at 88 Oldham Street, Manchester, Black Milk will see products including its award winning Hazelnut Cream; Pistachio Cream and, White Chocolate sweet spreads stocked in approaching 300 Co-op stores nation-wide, including stores in the North West located in Manchester; Oldham, Ashton, Stockport, Bolton and Rochdale.

Co-op’s Apiary programme searches for new purpose-led small businesses with a unique point of difference. Successful applicants receive valuable tailored support, mentoring and advice on all aspects of the product journey towards gaining a listing in store.

Oliver Taylor who founded Black Milk said: “We're obviously really pleased to work closely with Co-op, especially as a fellow ethical Manchester-based business. This listing sees our spreads stocked in more communities than we have ever been in before, including here in Manchester and across the North West, and it has the potential to significantly raise awareness of our products.

“Since March 2015, our secret sauces and spreads have been developed in our café at the heart of the Northern Quarter, Manchester. These spreads have always been the most popular part of our menu. One day, whilst serving our luxury hazelnut milkshakes a customer asked for an extra shake jar filled with only our hazelnut cream – and we knew then that we had the perfect product to sell. Made with the finest of nuts, these spreads are truly memorable indulgences, we suggest serving them on top of bread, crumpets or croissants, baked into treats or even just eaten off the spoon.”

Kelly Orme, who is the Co-op Community Buying Manager for Local, World Foods & the Apiary, said: “We are really delighted to work with Black Milk, as the dessert café has developed an impressive reputation and following from its Northern Quarter base, and through our Apiary programme we have been able to spend time with owners Andy and Oliver and work closely with them to bring their sweet nut spreads into our stores. 

"We are thrilled to reach this key milestone where the product is now on our shelves - we believe these spreads offer a real point of difference to interest, enthuse and excite Co-op Members and customers in our communities.”

For more information about Black Milk and, to find your local store selling its sweet spreads, visit: blackmilkcereal.com

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