SO many treats are elevated by a sprinkling of icing sugar, whether you like your popcorn with a good dose of sweetness, or you enjoy a Victoria sponge with a generous coating of powdery goodness. Now you can take that little dash of decadence to new heights with Cook ‘n Bake’s new range of flavoured sugars.
I was sent a selection to try, and a taste of each on their own opened a world of possibilities. The parcel also included a few Goldcrest coulis sachets, also part of the Libstar family of brands.
I dove straight in with a fresh batch of scones topped with a generous smear of butter, some tasty strawberry jam and a blob of cream. Then I topped them off with a good sprinkling of the French vanilla icing sugar. The delicate flavour went beautifully with the fluffy scones and my guests loved the interesting twist they gave to an old favourite.
Next was a pile of fresh-from-the-pan Dutch poffertjes, traditionally served with dollops of butter and icing sugar. I’ve been meaning to give them a bash since I bought a poffertje pan over a decade ago. We tried all of the flavours and while they all worked quite well, the general consensus was that the salted caramel was the clear winner.
You’d think that that flavour would also wind up being the perfect accompaniment to popcorn, but my experimentation with a bowl of buttered popcorn lead to the decadent cocoa one coming out on top.
If you’re not feeling massively inspired, each one comes with usage suggestions on the label. Sprinkle the French vanilla on biscuits, waffles or coffee. The sweet cinnamon is great with pancakes, doughnuts and, of course, cinnamon rolls. Try the decadent cocoa with pancakes, biscuits and milkshakes (and popcorn, trust me!). And finally, their suggestions for the salted caramel are to use it on ice cream, popcorn and cupcakes.
Not that I’ve made any grand new year resolutions, but I’m trying to pace myself when it comes to delicious home-baked goodies. But next up on my tea time list is a batch of mini cheese cakes topped with the mixed berry coulis. I’m reserving the granadilla for a fresh cream cake for a family member who is a huge fan, and the mango coulis will be simply fabulous drizzled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream on a warm day. Come to think of it, imagine a beautiful pavlova, piled high with fresh berries, drizzled with mixed berry coulis and topped with a generous sprinkle of French vanilla flavoured sugar.
You know what, forget pacing myself! I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me. Bring an apron.
WORDS AND PICS: TERRI DUNBAR-CURRAN ©
