One big catch-up!

 I haven't posted in way too long...my apologies for that...life has been very hectic in all sorts of ways ...mostly work but others which I won't go into here (there's more personal stuff on my other blog should you so wish!) Anyway, back to the cake!
As you know, Sugar Moon has a stall on our monthly Farmer's Market and I thought you might like an updated look at that? I posted about it a few years ago but due a fresh look I think!

 The market takes place on the last Tuesday of the month, between 9-2...although in practise we all get there much earlier to arrange our wares and we often have customers from at least 8.30am, on their way to work. the actual stalls are supplied and put up by the council...we just have to bring tables and produce!

 I have been on the market for almost 9 years now and have built up a lovely group of regulars. It takes time and patience to do this. And much standing about in the freezing cold of winter. But it reaps rewards and friends. I have a core of cakes that I MUST bring to avoid disappointment - these always include 3 types of brownie (Double Chocolate, Walnut Fudge & Salted Caramel), Dark Sticky Gingerbread and Almond Bakewell Slice as well as a mountain of Cheddar Scones...

 But it's also a great opportunity to try out new recipes and ideas. The feedback is immediate (I provide generous bowls of samples!) and I love this aspect of it. I also have a Brownie of the Month...below you will see the divine Hazelnutella!

 Preparing for the market is hard, hard work. Of course, there is other baking to fit in too. And due to the nature of the beast (cake) it's impossible to make too much in advance. I like everything to be fresh so that the customer can freeze if they wish...which means a couple of 18 hour days in the kitchen to fit everything in. Presentation is also really important I find....I try and make my stall pretty and seasonal...daffodils and easter chicks in April, carved pumpkins in October, bunches of garden flowers in the summer months and oh-my-goodness lights and tinsel trees at Christmas!! But it's all worth it in the end. And I've made many good friends in my years here (mostly I know only their first names!)

This is Chris from New Creation Farm...who brings beautiful home-made apple juice and gorgeous English apples in season....

 And my favourite of all stallholders is one of the newest! One of my very best friends...Charlie Massey...the Coffee Man but also one half of the fab Grumpy Bakers who bake probably the best sourdough loaves I have ever tasted...

 ...as well as stunning viennoiserie...french baguettes...rye bread...

 ...and focaccias topped with seasalt & rosemary or caramelised red onion...

 He is a breath of cheerful fresh air and we've known each other and our products for so long that we can look after each other's stalls with no problem at all (important if you want a loo break!) I'm lucky to have a similar relationship with the lovely Barry...

 King of Honey from Parslow Apiaries . He is a second generation honey man (his  Dad, John, mans the stall in the busy summer months while Barry tends the hives) and keeps 6 hives on my parents farm, so it's personal too!

 His beeswax polish and hand cream are brilliant, as well as the home-made candles and the honey, of course...
My friend Debbie Grant makes wonderful ready-meals which are particularly popular with older customers...

 ...as well as cracking sausage rolls, scotch eggs, savoury mini quiches and bread puddings!

 My brother-in-law David has just stopped coming to Aylesbury market, sadly...but here he is on his last one!

 He and my youngest sister, Lucy, raise home-bred rose veal calves (do think about buying rose veal if you don't already...very different from the continental milk-fed crated calves which have rightly attracted so much protest. These are free to roam the fields and have lovely lives full of sunshine and grass!) as well as beef and lamb...

 They live at my Mum and Dad's farm....you can read about them here and see where to buy their amazing meat...and Lucy also makes a range of ready meals and gorgeous pasties too!

 Caroline sells vegetables, eggs and fruit from her family's farm...

 ...and beautiful jams and preserves that she makes herself...

 ...there are other stalls too...some of them come and go quite quickly. It's proved important - certainly for me - to plug away and stick it out, through cold, rain, wind and - sometimes - snow! It can be difficult to stand there, watching people stream past with not even a glance at us and our hard work...it's easy to be cheerful on the ancient cobbles when the sun shines and the breezes gently ruffle your apron! But the tenacity builds loyalty and it's the only way I've found to guarantee that the takings increase each time. And that, in the end, is why we're all there!

 These Valentine brownies were bestsellers in February....

...and Sugar Moon bakes and sends five delicious flavours all week long...direct to your door with free first-class UK postage! But you are also more than welcome to come and see the other delights on offer on the market on April 28th.....!

Keep watching the blog because the next post will contain a brilliant giveaway as well as a recipe to try...until then, have a wonderful weekend!

Where it happens...& giveaway results!

What a week it's been so far...although the last one really didn't end for me until yesterday afternoon! It was a 9 day week, strictly speaking. That's because yesterday was my monthly Farmer's Market day, here in Aylesbury. I've had a stall on this market for almost 8 years....and I love doing it, although it means a lot more work than usual. I start baking on the Saturday before (earlier in Winter, when it's cooler & I make more items that benefit from maturing, like fruitcake and sticky parkin..)

 And of course, it's not just brownies on the stall...so I get to be really creative and try out all the recipes that I find or devise & ache to bake! This was a divine Saffron Lemon Cake, from the book I told you about a couple of posts back...Honey & Co ...

 those are tiny strands of saffron above...they add such flavour & colour to this gorgeous confection. In the book, Sarit Packer (whose recipe it is) describes it as glowing..and it truly is!

 The cake above was a Fresh Apricot & Hazelnut one....I replaced almost all the flour with roasted ground hazelnuts. I love to be seasonal in my choices for the market, and in my opinion apricots are one fruit that tastes so much better cooked than they do raw, when they can be disappointingly 'woolly' in texture. I sell these cakes by the slice...and they sold out by lunchtime, I'm happy to say (the market runs from 9am-2pm.) I always have big towers of bestselling Double Chocolate & Walnut Fudge brownies for sale...but I l have always also had a 'Brownie of the Month' for regulars who like to taste something different. July's flavour was Fresh Raspberry Meringue....here is a tray before baking...

 that's freeze-dried raspberries on the top, which gives a beautiful 'zing' of pure berry flavour. They were a hit!
I'm happy to say that Sugar Moon Brownies are proving very popular already, even though it's early days...one recipient of a birthday gift pack (the 'taster' option, which offers 3 random flavours to try) posted this wonderful montage on her Twitter feed...

 It made me very proud...& thrilled that she enjoyed them so much!

As it's been so hot here in the UK, I thought I'd show you how delicious a brownie can be, even on a sultry day...

 ...this was a Toasted Pecan, slightly warm...with clotted cream ice cream & homemade caramel sauce....who could resist that?!

I wonder whether you might like a glimpse of the kitchen where I bake these delights? Many people assume that I use our kitchen at home. This would be virtually impossible! I bake so many trays that my domestic oven, great as it is, would just conk out...

No, this is where it all happens! I am very lucky to be able to rent a beautifully equipped kitchen unit that has everything I could possibly need, including storage for my essentials...including the chocolate that I use in vast quantities (it comes in 25kg sacks!)

 This is the view...farmland...& LOTS of rabbits!

 Outside is calm & peaceful...red kites nest in these trees...

 The unit is based on a former WW2 airfield...it's a heritage site, and although there are many businesses based here (including a rocket testing facility!) you can still see many fascinating traces of the history of this place...

 Bunkers, mess rooms, even the control tower still stands...

 ghosts everywhere! Recently, a memorial was unveiled to commemorate a US bomber crew who crashed on this site...the pilot bravely diverted to avoid coming down onto a nearby town, and therefore saved many lives. Stories all around me as I work. It makes it even better, I think.

 Plenty of space to fill the trays...(they are made in batches of 4)..

 And a brilliant oven that can hold 16 of them at a time. However, once I have made the 16th I usually find that the first 4 are ready to come out...

 The oven is a Unox BakerLux ...an amazing piece of equipment that injects steam or dry heat...whichever is appropriate for the recipe...

 brownies need dry heat. Then they are cooled, before the worst part of my job....

 putting the lids on the trays! Tedious & wrecks the finger pads. But my hands are terrible looking anyway after 20 years of professional cooking...and the radio eases the boredom!

Then they are labelled with flavour & baking date and stacked for (brief) storage.

So, a glimpse at where it happens!

And now, those giveaway results - apologies that they are a little late due to the market preparations. My approach is very unscientific...I write out all the names on strips of paper, put them in a large mug & pick one out! For the brownie pack, there were only 3 eligible entries....& the winner is ANNE HAMILTON! Anne, if you email your address (or the name & address of your recipient if you would like them sent as a gift, together with any message you would like to include) to me at hello (@) sugarmoonbrownies (dot) co (dot) uk ...(obviously I have doctored the address to prevent spammers!) then I will send out a box of 12 brownies in 3 assorted flavours asap!
The winner of the 2 beautiful books (lots of entries for these...I'm so sorry there's only 1 winner, I will hold another International giveaway soon!) was SYLVIE who is in France! Sylvie, please email me at the same address & let me know yours!

Thanks so much to all who entered and to all who read and enjoyed the posts and left such great comments. They are all very much appreciated!

Until next time.....x