Blame Nancy Silverton...

Next Friday, 30th November, the Sugar Moon kitchen & website will close for good - or at least for the time being!

It's something I've thought very hard about and planned over the last few months...it wasn't a decision I've taken lightly and it's been very emotional telling my incredibly loyal customers - many of whom have ordered 5, 10, 20 or more times!

Whether you've bought multiple or just one box over the almost 5 years of Sugar Moon, you've contributed to the success of my small business and for that I'm so grateful. It's grown and grown and is now the busiest it's ever been.

So - why am I closing?! Well, that success is the main reason. Not everybody knows, but Sugar Moon is me alone. I literally do everything from the shopping to the baking to the wrapping and packing, handwriting the gift messages on the postcards (and taking the photos for the postcards and tags too) before finally seeing the boxes off at the post office. Not to mention the admin associated. I wanted it this way, and it's been brilliant - but it's all snowballed! I am extremely fussy about attention to detail and customer service (as I hope you've noticed!) and I would hate to ever have to compromise on any of that.

Why not hire someone...or several...to help? Well, here's where Nancy Silverton comes in. It was while watching her episode of the Netflix series 'Chef's Table' (third volume, if you're interested!) that I realised I felt about Sugar Moon the way she did about her La Brea bakery. She got so busy that she had to start making the bread - previously totally handmade - by machine. And when she saw the machines kneading and stirring, she knew it wasn't her business any more. I love every aspect of the Sugar Moon brownie process, and would hate to give any of it up! Plus, like many small business owners, I'm a control freak and I know (having employed people in a different past business) that no one would care the way I do about it...because it's like a baby to me!

I also decided not to sell, for a quite similar reason. The brand identity and whole ethos behind Sugar Moon are so ME...it's very special to me and I would hate to give it over to someone else and see them change anything about it (as they undoubtably would...and have every right to!)

There are other reasons. I'm currently in training to be a psychotherapist...this is hard work and will take up more and more time. And also the platform that hosts the website is shutting down soon, which would mean a complete (and expensive) rebuild. It just seemed to be the right time.

I'm stopping now, rather than at the end of the year, because Christmas is - as you can imagine -  a very challenging time!! I only just managed it last year, and this one would be busier. I would hate to ever let anyone down or compromise on standards - so...

I am keeping the kitchen on, and also the wholesale side of the business (which is more easy to predict and flexible) If you're ever in the Aylesbury area, then you will find my brownies at several places - including The Works (in High Wycombe too!)

So - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! For making Sugar Moon the joy it's been. For letting me be a small part of so many joyous (and sometimes sad) occasions in your lives and those of your friends and family. I have made so many friends through the years.

If I decide to come back - and the brand (and recipes!) are mine, so I can do that - I'll be sure and let you know.

I wish you love, luck and everything good xx

A different rhythm ...

Oooh, it's hot! We've had high temperatures (for us!) for a good ten days now, and no end in sight. It's beautiful to be out in...

 no jacket required, just a pair of sunglasses in the pocket, a bottle of water and you're good to go. It's wonderful for all the festivals, outdoor concerts, fairs and fetes that proliferate in summer but...

 It's not so great when you're in a kitchen unit with the oven on and the sun beating through the transparent roof panels!! The chocolate holds up better than I do...it's well insulated with opaque lids which keep the sun off...

 I do have a fan, but it's in the packing area and really just pushes warm air around. And I have to wear protective clothing to bake in - a full coverage apron and anti-slip clogs. Not ideal!

Something has to give! So...I've changed my workday routine for the duration of the hot spell. I get up early anyway so an extra hour makes no difference - and I get to the kitchen by 6.30am. It's a beautiful time of day...still and clear and full of birdsong. Coffee, Radio 4 and oven on ...and it's all systems go! I try and bake everything so that I can switch the oven off by 11am. Then cooling and packing. And the ideal (which I've managed so far) is to leave by 2pm, just when it's really heating up! Post office run on the way home and then I get the afternoon to do admin and hopefully spend time in the garden too!

There's no point worrying about things I can't change, like the weather - I just have to adapt. And it's actually a lovely way to work while it's so beautiful outside!

Enjoy your summer xx

Behind the brownies....

 I don't normally write personal posts on this blog - I'm not sure anyone wants to read them! You can see a bit 'behind the scenes' on the Sugar Moon Instagram account most days...but I thought I'd write a little bit more personally in this one post for those that ARE interested!

 This is the little 'inspiration display' above my brownie packing table in the kitchen. The slogan postcards are from the Imperial War Museum  - reproductions of actual public information and propaganda messages during WW2. Still words to live by today (although I find that Mondays are the perfect time to take an alcoholic drink myself!!)  There are other cards from small, independent business like Sugar Moon Brownies too...I try and buy from them as much as possible and there are some great ones out there! Oubas Knitwear and Bramley (handmade natural cleansing products) are two in the picture and both recommended!

 I'm a little bit melancholy at the moment...the past couple of months have been difficult on a personal level. The home I was lucky enough to grow up in was sold just before Christmas - it was the right thing to do but after almost 40 years in the family, it was a wrench for us all...

And then, just over a week ago, my darling sister and her three children went back to their home in Australia after living a few doors from me for over a year. The best thing about them going is the peace and quiet. The worst thing is...the peace and quiet! They all brought such joy and fun to our lives and the last few weeks trying to cram in the things we hadn't done (going up The Shard and on the London Eye...the all important trip to the Harry Potter Studios....) as well as packing up a years worth of...LIFE...was incredibly draining. Little things are the hardest. Taking redundant school uniforms to the school office to be re-used...looking up at the clock at 'school run time' (we had the routine down to a fine art!!), our Friday night curry ritual and not buying The Beano every Wednesday...but it will get better.

These three and their Mum have left a big hole behind! So I'm taking a few days off to visit somewhere that always makes me feel better. The house/dog sitter is arranged (thank you Aunty Mary!) and Salzburg and - most importantly - Mozart beckon. 

The kitchen is closed until 30th January - details on our Facebook page and, of course, our homepage. I will return...refreshed, revitalised and excited by all that 2018 has to offer!!

Thank you for reading and - as always - for choosing Sugar Moon Brownies . xx

All the Sugar Moon Christmas Ordering Details...and some other stuff!!

 November 19th 2017...and I'm horribly aware that I haven't updated this blog for very nearly a whole year! Well, here I am to rectify that! 

This has been an incredibly busy and different year for me and for Sugar Moon Brownies . On a personal level, life has been turned wonderfully upside down by the fact that my beloved middle sister and her three children arrived from Australia last December. They have been living very close to us and our lives have become beautifully linked in all sorts of ways. The joy of having Esther popping in on a Sunday morning for a cup of tea is one that only those with dear relatives that have emigrated will understand. Such a simple pleasure, but one that is so precious when for so long it's been impossible. Unfortunately, they will be going back in January (which I can't now bear to think about) but it's been so amazing....

And already it's Thanksgiving in the U.S on Thursday - we shared an early celebration with our dear American friends last year before they sailed home...this was my attempt at a seasonal table!

 The year turns...the days shorten...the morning mists descend...the leaves turn all shades of red, brown and gold before they fall...

 ..and thoughts turn to cosy 'hygge' evenings...comfort foods...plates of warmed Sugar Moon brownies by the fire..

 perhaps planning early for Christmas which will be upon us in little more than a month now...

 Sugar Moon has had quite a year too! As well as sending out literally hundreds and hundreds of boxes to addresses all over the UK, we moved to our new unit kitchen in early May. If you follow our Instagram or Facebook accounts (thanks so much to all of you who do!) you will have seen more details of this...we used to share a commercial kitchen with another company which worked brilliantly at first. But as Sugar Moon has grown, it became impractical and so we have moved to a small industrial area very close to where I started baking commercially almost 14 years ago (as The Blue Angel Bakery in those days!) I used to be at Unit 7, and am now at Unit 11...so it feels like coming home in many ways! If you are ever in the Aylesbury area and would like to visit us then please do let me know - via the social media accounts linked above or through Twitter or give us a call on the number on the contact page of our website - just to check I'm around. The kettle will be on and you may even get a warm brownie to go with your mug of coffee!

Another innovation this year has been our hand drawn and painted seasonal recipe gift cards...a snippet of the Autumn version above! The Christmas ones will be ready soon. Just a little extra from us to you...because we really do value our customers above everything else at Sugar Moon ...

And now to those Christmas ordering details...(deep breath!!)

PLEASE, PLEASE be aware that the post is incredibly busy throughout the whole of December - I know that sounds obvious, but packages that usually arrive next day can often be 4-5 days at this time of year. IF YOU NEED THE BROWNIES TO BE THERE ON A CERTAIN DAY...or even just WANT them to be...PLEASE consider using our 'Guaranteed Date' post option. Yes, it does cost more this way. But we don't make any money from it at all...we just pass on the actual cost. And it's the ONLY WAY to make sure that the brownies are where you want them when you need them to be! You can select this option when you check out - just click on the drop down and select the delivery date you'd like (from the box to the right) and the postage will be added on automatically. We HATE anyone to be disappointed and we'll do our very best to get the brownies to you or your recipient as quickly as we can - but we need your help to do this!!

For Christmas delivery : LAST ORDERS ARE AT 10AM on MONDAY 18th DECEMBER. All orders will then be baked and sent out in time for Christmas. Don't forget to include a gift message for your lucky recipient if they're for someone else! 

REMEMBER - YOU CAN ORDER AT ANY TIME FOR DELIVERY IN CHRISTMAS WEEK - JUST LEAVE US A NOTE IN THE 'SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS' BOX AT CHECKOUT (OR EMAIL US) TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY ARE FOR CHRISTMAS AND IT WILL BE DONE! YOU CAN THEN TICK SOMETHING ELSE OFF YOUR 'TO DO' LIST!

Throughout December - if your order is NOT for Christmas, then PLEASE DO LET US KNOW by emailing or leaving a note to us in the gift message box. Otherwise your brownies will be packaged in festive wrapping which may not be appropriate if they are for a birthday or other occasion! We'll check with you anyway in our acknowledgement email, but the more information you can give us the better!PLEASE ALSO BE AWARE THAT IN DECEMBER ONLY, IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO BAKE AND SEND ORDERS THE SAME DAY AS WE USUALLY DO IF ORDERED BY 10AM - WE WILL, OF COURSE, DO OUR VERY BEST AND IF POSSIBLE WE CERTAINLY WILL - BUT IT CAN'T BE GUARANTEED ABSOLUTELY AT THIS EXCEPTIONAL TIME OF YEAR!!

I hope that all makes sense - if you have any more questions or anything at all, then please do let us know. You can email us at : hello@sugarmoonbrownies.co.uk 

You can find us on Facebook HERE 

and we are on Twitter @SugarMoonUK and Instagram @SugarMoonBrownies ....

As always...thanks to EVERYONE who has ordered from Sugar Moon Brownies during 2017. We truly wouldn't be here without you, and we are more grateful than you will ever know for your support and, in many cases, friendship. The world of a small independent business can be a difficult and sometimes lonely one. But the pleasure of supplying and interacting with so very many wonderful people truly makes it a very special experience!

Enjoy what remains of the Autumn and 2017 xx

It's the most wonderful....

...time of the year. And it's almost here!! ....

 ...time to update you on this years Sugar Moon Brownies Christmas ordering & delivery details!!

 Curl up with a mug of tea...or a big glass of red.... by a roaring fire...and read on..

 PLEASE, PLEASE be aware that the post is incredibly busy throughout the whole of December - I know that sounds obvious, but packages that usually arrive next day can often be 4-5 days at this time of year. IF YOU NEED THE BROWNIES TO BE THERE ON A CERTAIN DAY...or even just WANT them to be...PLEASE consider using our 'Guaranteed Date' post option. Yes, it does cost more this way. But we don't make any money from it at all...we just pass on the actual cost. And it's the ONLY WAY to make sure that the brownies are where you want them when you need them to be! You can select this option when you check out - just click on the drop down and select the delivery date you'd like and the postage will be added on automatically. We HATE anyone to be disappointed and we'll do our very best to get the brownies to you or your recipient as quickly as we can - but we need your help to do this!!

 For Christmas delivery : LAST ORDERS ARE AT 10AM on MONDAY 19th DECEMBER. All orders will then be baked and sent out in time for Christmas. Don't forget to include a gift message for your lucky recipient!

 Throughout December - if your order is NOT for Christmas, then PLEASE DO LET US KNOW by emailing or leaving a note to us in the gift message box. Otherwise your brownies will be packaged in festive wrapping which may not be appropriate if they are for a birthday or other occasion! We'll check with you anyway in our acknowledgement email, but the more information you can give us the better!

t

I hope that all makes sense - if you have any more questions or anything at all, then please do let us know. You can email us at : hello@sugarmoonbrownies.co.uk 
You can find us on Facebook HERE 
& we are on Twitter @SugarMoonUK & Instagram @SugarMoonBrownies ....

We'll be in touch again just before Christmas with a festive recipe...until then, thanks so much for your great support & have a great few weeks (we'll be in the kitchen if you need us!!)

Uniform...

September.....already! How did that happen? It's been an incredibly busy summer here at Sugar Moon  ...brownies parcels flying all over the country plus lots of wholesale orders to cope with the school holiday rush. We've enjoyed every minute - and managed to grab a few days away too, which you can read about soon on my personal blog. 

As most of the UK schools went back today (I know that Scottish ones have been back for a while already), I thought that it might be fun to reflect on my uniform. 

Now, I must confess that in the unit kitchen my outfit is strictly practical and neither fun nor photogenic! It consists of an all encompassing white coat and closed toe heavy duty clogs. Nothing to see there!

But as I do a lot of cooking and recipe testing and experimenting at home, I thought I'd show you what I wear there. I'm quite fussy about aprons. I really don't like cutesy, fussy ones with frills and furbelows. I like a nice functional shape with a big deep pocket - or pockets- at the front. And it has to look good, because I spend so much time in it, as well as being hard wearing and easy to wash at high temperatures. In short, it has to withstand a bit of bashing!

 If you have been to our website, you may recognise this apron. Unfortunately, I think it's been discontinued in this form. It's from Simon Johnson in Sydney - a fab small chain of high-end delicatessen and kitchen supply shops. I've always loved it as it's more like a pinafore dress...

 ...with really easy ways to adjust the waist and shoulders. They do sell another colourway (dark grey & pink) on their website, but it's hard to see from the photos whether the fastenings are the same as these ones. The next one is my absolute favourite apron of the moment!

 It's handmade by Victoria Whitfield of Field & Found. I think this denim version was a special edition for the Hay Festival (Field & Found has a retail outlet at The Old Electric Company in the town of Hay-on-Wye), but she has some beautiful similar ones on her website.

 They aren't cheap - but they are handmade and quality utilitarian garments. This one washes brilliantly too and is easily adjustable - the pocket at the front is perfect for tucking recipes or tea towels into. I wear it so often and love the heaviness of the gorgeous denim. If you wear aprons a lot, I'd really recommend having a look at the site.

 This one is an indulgence, pure and simple. But I adore it. It's by Toast and comes in several colours...I have almost bought the orange one too, but I'm trying to be good! It's more like a dress really - made from heavy linen, and it feels luxurious and special.

 I must confess that I don't wear it that much though - it looks fabulous, but I'm a bit scared of making it dirty and greasy! When I cook, I cook. And I'm just nervous to really let go in this apron! So I really reserve it for presentation and finishing off.

 This one is bearing a few marks I'm afraid, as I wore it all weekend and it's just about to go into the wash. But I probably wear it as often as the Field & Found one, I alternate them really. It's just a normal 'butcher's apron' from a catering supplier. Nothing special about it BUT there's a reason that these are so ubiquitous. So practical - plenty of material to wrap around, plenty of tie to secure the waist, plenty of length to cover.

 Not particularly pretty, but it WORKS!
And talking of pretty - there's this...

 You can see that I favour the cross-back apron. I think it's because they are so easy to take on and off without using hands - I also love the look of them (influenced too, I think, by my love of Ma in the '70s tv show 'Little House on the Prairie' who always seemed to wear one!)

 This one is lovely, although more lightweight - good for summer days. It's pure cotton and made by Ulster Weavers who carry a huge range of home and kitchen textiles. I bought it at the wonderful Foodie Bugle shop in Bath. They are currently situated in Margarets Buildings, right by the Royal Crescent but will be moving next week further into the centre of the city, right near the Abbey (Abbey Green to be exact!)

 This is how the shop looks now from outside...

...and I'm sure that the new one will be equally, if not more, beautiful! Full of treasures, vintage and new - and a great place to stop for coffee or a pot of tea together with a slice of cake or a light lunch.

So...a brief look into my working wardrobe. And now, back into that un-beautiful white coat!!

Hope you all had a brilliant summer...I love the warmer months, but I must admit that I think there's something very special about the autumn. Excitement and new beginnings - anything and everything is possible!

Brownie love from Sugar Moon and me! x

The Great Cream Cheese Mystery...

My friend and Sugar Moon customer Deborah - you can read her beautiful blog here , where she writes about her life in West Wales (and takes fabulous photos!) - recently set me a challenge. She wondered why she (and several of her friends and neighbours) could no longer obtain good results when using Philadelphia cream cheese to make cream cheese frosting and recipes from U.S cookbooks, such as cheesecake. There was no problem with U.K recipes, just American ones. She wondered whether there was a different formula to the British product (and suspects it has changed recently, although she had no answer from Kraft when she contacted them to ask!) This really intrigued me, as I have never had a problem. At Sugar Moon , we don't use cream cheese in general...but I do when baking for friends and family and I almost exclusively bake from U.S cookbooks too. So I decided to experiment!

I made my usual cream cheese frosting - a staple of the Blue Angel Bakery repertoire, essential for Carrot Cake, Mango & Coconut Cake and many others. I used full fat Philadelphia ('light' versions just will not work as there is too much water and other ingredients in there...you need the fat!)

I always make the frosting in my trusty Magimix Pro food processor. I started with softened unsalted butter...

...added icing sugar....

...then I processed the two together to mix thoroughly before adding the cheese...

...now, it does tend to go a little runny to start with. But I just left the motor running and pretty soon (within a minute or two), it all came together to make a thick, smooth and shiny frosting...

Voila! As a balance, I also made exactly the same recipe but used a tub of Sainsbury's own-brand full fat soft cheese. Although this actually had a slightly higher fat content (25% as opposed to 21.5% in the Philadelphia) it didn't work nearly as well...

As you can see from the photo above, it 'split' slightly and had a grainy unpleasant texture.

Back to the Philly version. I wanted to check that it would pipe well and stand up as a proper frosting, so I filled a disposable bag and...

...it did the job perfectly. So I hope that helps, Deb? It kept well and was just as good texture-wise three days later (kept in a lidded plastic container in the fridge). I would say that several things definitely help; use a food processor if at all possible, because it works so quickly and seems to help with the mixing and texture of the finished frosting. Also, I think mixing the butter and sugar together first helps too. And lastly, perhaps, the proportions? The temptation when it's a bit runny is to add more icing sugar to stiffen it up, as this works so well with fondant or glace icings. But more sugar just makes cream cheese frosting runnier. It's the fat content that keeps everything firm...

The proportions I use are:

butter - 50g
icing sugar - 125g &
cream cheese - 1 family size tub which is 280g (and yes, Philadelphia, I have noticed that it used to be 300g for the same price....!)
Scale up as necessary depending on how much frosting you need!

I will test a US cheesecake recipe next and post it on our Facebook page for all those that are interested!

And after my last post ended with my lunchtime sourdough & tomato bruschetta, I thought I'd end this one with my Saturday (and many other) breakfast! More toasted sourdough - I really adore it - with homemade hummus (chickpeas soaked and boiled,plenty of flat leaf parsley, tahini, garlic and lemon juice) sprinkled with a little Maldon seasalt , lots of black pepper and a glug of olive oil. My favourite summery way to start the day (preferably eaten outside!)

We baked, packed and sent a LOT of Father's Day brownie boxes today...so their should be many smiling and chocolate-filled Dads on Sunday! If your Dad is still with you, or your children have a lovely one, or you have someone you think of as a Dad - make sure to give him a VERY big hug on Sunday. They are precious things!

Have a great weekend! xx

Summer Treats...

 To celebrate the real start of Summer (and as I write this, the sun has just broken through the clouds at last!) I thought you might appreciate a new recipe. Sugar Moon has just taken a week off to rest and recuperate...you can read more about where we went here....and, as usual I came home itching to get into the kitchen straight away! Work doesn't begin properly until tomorrow, so these were made at home, and use the best of the current fruits - you can easily adapt this recipe to use whatever you like best. Raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries will all work well here - perhaps adjusting the sugar levels in the topping if the berries are very tart.

Apricot & Blueberry Bars

Base:

150g wholemeal spelt flour (you can use regular plain flour or even gluten-free if you prefer)
1 (preferably free-range) egg yolk
150g butter
100g ground almonds
20g whole hazelnuts (or whole almonds if you prefer them)
75g light soft brown sugar
pinch Maldon or other sea salt flakes (optional, but so good!)

Additional ingredients for topping:

50g wholemeal spelt flour (or other flour as above)
50g whole hazelnuts (or almonds as above)
1 tbsp light olive oil (or other vegetable oil if you don't like the taste!)
50g soft light brown sugar (optional, depending on tartness of your chosen fruit)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180c
Line a 23cm square foil tray (or equivalent tin) with baking parchment

For the base: pulse ground almonds and whole hazelnuts for a few moments in a food processor until whole nuts are in small pieces...

 Add the rest of the base ingredients to the processor...

( This is the spelt flour we usually use...I love its nutty flavour and great texture...but do feel free to substitute as it won't make much difference to the finished bars!)

 Pulse until the ingredients form clumps....then press around 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared baking tray (leaving the remaining mixture in the processor bowl)...

 ...bake the base for about 10 minutes, until it turns a light golden brown....

 ...this will help prevent a soggy bottom! Then cover the base with your chosen fruit. As a guide, I used 5 apricots (stoned and roughly pulled apart) and 150g fresh blueberries...

 Add remaining topping ingredients to the rest of the mixture left in the processor and pulse to combine. It won't clump together as much, but will start to stick together if squeezed between your fingers. Scatter over the fruit...

 ...you want it to just about cover, but I always like to see a little of the berries peeping through the crumb! That's just personal preference though. Flatten the top slightly with your palms to help it stick together a little. Then bake for around 30 minutes, turning the tray halfway through the baking time to ensure an even colour...

 Cool thoroughly (preferably overnight in the fridge) before lifting from the tin using the edges of the baking paper and slicing into bars. They will crumble a little at the top, but just scoop these up with your fingers and enjoy!

 Apricots are one of the only fruits that I think are better cooked than raw...I just adore them in season.

 These bars would actually be gorgeous eaten slightly warm as a dessert, with cream or ice cream, too! Feel free to experiment and enjoy them. I thought I'd finish with one of my absolute favourite Summer lunches - this is usually what I would eat during the week, on a baking break (probably listening to The Archers!)

A toasted slice of good sourdough (I love Richard Bertinet's loaves available from Waitrose, if I can't find any handmade) rubbed with a raw garlic clove and topped with fresh, ripe tomatoes...here I added fresh marjoram from the garden and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes. And always, lots of freshly ground black pepper. Heaven on a plate! Enjoy the summer and all it offers food-wise....it won't be here for long! Sugar Moon is now back in full production...so do visit our lovely website if you haven't already.

Happy June xx