Christmas Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year again – the countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun! As December approaches rapidly, we face that challenge once again: what gifts do we buy for friends and family?

Everyone has a few friends or family members who completed their Christmas lists months ago… but unfortunately not all of us are this organised. This means we have to decide on many different gifts for many different people, which only adds to the stress of festive preparations. When faced with a crowded high street on a Saturday afternoon, the task of finding a present that will please every niece, sister-in-law, brother and grandparent can seem very daunting!

One way of narrowing down the possibilities is to think of the hobbies that the person you are buying for has: running, music, dancing, football, art and baking are all a good place to start when searching for present inspiration. Go online to research further, or go into specialist shops and see what you can find.

Because this is a baking blog, we are going to look at baking gift ideas! The best thing about baking is that everyone can try it; even if the person you are buying for has no previous experience of baking, it could quickly become their new favourite thing after receiving a great gift. Anyone from young children to students to adults who like to try new things can enjoy baking!

Cake pops are a brilliant way to get into baking, or alternatively they can provide a fresh approach to people who have been baking for years. There are hours of fun to be had baking, decorating and accessorising  your cake pops.

On the Cake Pop Heaven website (http://www.cakepopheaven.co.uk/) you can explore the fun gift ideas: cake pop kits, Christmas sweet tree kits, decorations, melts and much more. Hopefully you will be inspired!

Good luck!

Gluten Free - What is it all about?

In recent years we have been hearing more and more about the idea of gluten free diet, and gluten free foods are becoming more readily available in shops, restaurants and cafes. This week’s blog looks at what ‘gluten free’ actually means, and how it is becoming easier to avoid gluten containing foods.

The first question that many people ask on the subject is “What is gluten?” The answer is that it is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye; if you have ever watched the Great British Bake Off you’ll know that gluten is what gives dough its elasticity! Gluten is found in many of the food products we eat every day: bread, cake, pasta, biscuits and even beer.

Most people can eat gluten with no problems. However, 1 in 100 people in Britain are intolerant to gluten – this means that when they eat gluten, their bodies react badly and their immune system attacks and damages the lining of their small intestine. This is known as Coeliac disease.

The symptoms of the disease vary from person to person: while some sufferers have mild symptoms, others can experience bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, headaches, mouth ulcers, sudden weight loss, hair loss, anaemia and osteoporosis.

Sadly, at the moment there is no way to cure Coeliac disease. However there is a very simple way to treat the symptoms: follow a gluten free diet! Although this may seem like a daunting task to begin with, there are many staple foods that do not contain gluten: potatoes, rice, eggs, dairy products, fish, meat, fruits, vegetables and pulses are all suitable for the diet. In addition, gluten free alternatives for pasta, bread, cakes, biscuits and much more can be found in supermarkets and shops.

Even cake pops can be gluten free – check out the section dedicated to it on our website!

http://www.cakepopheaven.co.uk/gluten-free.html

For more information on Coeliac disease, visit the Coeliac UK website:

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/home/

A nation of bakers

Forget shopkeeping, if last weekend’s Cake International event is anything to go by, baking is now the national obsession! From what we saw, thousands flocked to the show over its three days, lapping up all the latest ideas and trends for home cooks and professionals alike.

According to Mintel research carried out in 2012, ‘cake’ is the most-searched food term on the Internet at the moment. And over 25% of adults reportedly bake at home every week (that’s men as well as women!).

But where has this interest come from? Certainly, series like The Great British Bake-off have re-ignited our love of home baking. And maybe the mood of austerity has resulted in us all spending more time at home and in the kitchen. Whatever the reason, it’s great to be even a small part of this movement.

For three days last week at the NEC, we served hundreds of customers, had a sneaky peak at other exhibitors stands, and saw just about every kind of cake and cake-making equipment you could possibly imagine. Did you see some of those competition entries? If you didn’t, take a peek on the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-24891683.

If these creations have inspired you, but you’re short on time (and kitchen space) why not try baking your very own cake pops? You can be really creative, just on a much smaller scale! Our website has all you need to get started, from kits to sticks, melts to melting pots.

And if you’re looking for recipes or ideas, just join all those people typing ‘cake’ into their browser. Just try adding the word ‘pops’ to narrow the search. You’ll be amazed at what you find!

The rise and rise of cake pops

It seems we can’t get enough of cake pops just now. Typing those two little words in Google brought up a whopping 4.5m results today.

But even three years ago, I bet not many people would have even heard of these versatile sweet treats. So where did the idea come from, and why has it taken off so hugely?

Bakers have always had little tricks for using left-over cake (doughnut holes, anyone?) – but it was only when Angie Dudley, the creative mind behind the Bakerella website, wrote Cake Pops in 2010, did the trend take hold in earnest. The book became a New York Times Best Seller, the trend crossed the Atlantic, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The popularity of these treats seems to come from their versatility and the many variations that can be created from a simple concept. From birthdays to weddings to seasonal events such as Hallowe’en and Valentine’s Day, cake pops can be ingeniously decorated for any occasion. Plus, they’re easy to make, with the equipment you need being inexpensive and simple to use.

And who would be able to resist a tiny, super-sweet, fun-packed treat on a stick, designed to raise a smile and a lick of the lips?

We reckon this is a trend that will stand the test of time (cup cakes, the older sister of the cake pop, are still just as popular as they ever were since their resurgence in the noughties). That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways of keeping our loyal customers with all the latest cake-pop accessories to keep them popping for many years to come!

Cake Pop Heaven will be exhibiting at Cake International at the NEC, Birmingham, between 8 – 10^th November 2013. Come and see our fab range of cake pop supplies!