Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Thursday 22 October 2020

Nadiya's Bake Me a Story Deluxe Baking Set Review & Competition!

Like many families, baking became one of our go-to activities during lockdown, in order to keep ourselves busy with an enjoyable activity that would usually end with a very tasty result. It is also something that Riley likes to do on a weekend and his older brother will often help him make some cakes that they can then enjoy together. 

Over the years we have accumulated a various amount of mix-matched baking products, but none of these were specifically aimed at children, so it is fair to say that our equipment was definitely in need of some replacements. We were therefore delighted to be offered the opportunity to review Nadiya's Bake Me a Story Deluxe Baking Set, which is packed full of funky coloured bakeware, that have been specifically designed with children in mind. 

Riley was really excited when the box of goodies arrived and he couldn't wait to open it up and see what was inside. The box was a lovely purple colour and featured clear images on the front of some of the products inside. A full contents list is also displayed on the reverse of the box. The full kit included:

  • A Silicone rolling pin with plastic handle
  • A Silicone whisk with metal handle
  • A Silicone spatula
  • 2.5l Mixing Bowl (Microwave Safe)
  • 12 reusable silicone cupcake cases
  • Sieve
  • 3 x Metal Cookie Cutters with safe silicone edge
  • Measuring spoons - 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tbsp and 1tbsp
  • Apron
  • 6 x Recipe Cards
All of the tools are bright and colourful, dishwasher safe and most importantly, they have been tested to the highest LFGB food standards. They are the perfect size for children, without being too heavy or large for younger ages to hold. Riley loved the idea of having his very own special set of utensils just for him, which will be perfect in the future for any baking or cooking that we do together. 


Riley excitedly took a look through the recipe cards before deciding which baked treat we were going to attempt first. After much deliberation he decided on the Very-Berry Breakfast Muffins, so we made sure we had all the ingredients required and placed them all ready in the kitchen. We then selected the baking equipment that we would need and put on our aprons, before beginning to work our way through the recipe.

You can of course use your deluxe baking set to make any of your favourite baked goodies, but the recipe cards included all featured recipes that we had never tried before, so it made sense for us to try something new for a nice change. Riley chose the Very-Berry Breakfast Muffins, but the other recipe cards featured Star Anise Gingerbread Men, Cookie Mallows, Pastry Roses, Rock Cakes and Zebra Cake.

The Very-Berry Breakfast Muffins were super easy to make and the recipe was very simple to follow. We began by making sure we had all the necessary ingredients and then having a quick read through of the full recipe. The first step was to preheat the oven to 200 degrees, so I did this for Riley, whilst he placed the cupcake cases in the oven tray. 

We then placed the flour, oats and brown sugar into the bowl. Riley enjoyed mixing all these together and started wondering what the muffins may taste like. He used the measuring spoons to get the correct amount of baking powder and he also then added this and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Again he gave it all a good mix, before we added the wet ingredients of milk and eggs.

We varied the recipe ever so slightly as Riley doesn't like the smell of banana, so we decided not to put the mashed banana as suggested in the recipe into the mix. Instead we chopped up some more berries to make sure there was plenty of flavour and after adding these and 3 tbsp of sunflower oil to the mix, we gave it one last good stir before dividing the mixture into the silicone cases.

We baked the mixture in the oven for 25 minutes and Riley kept looking through the oven window to see if they were rising. They began to rise really well and also developed a nice golden brown colour so once the time was up, we were confident that they were ready to taste and enjoy. After removing them from the oven, we let them cool for around 5 minutes before enjoying them whilst warm. They were absolutely delicious and we will definitely be making them again in the near future.


Overall we thought that Nadiya's Deluxe Baking Set was fantastic and included all the tools required to create and enjoy a variety of recipes. I felt that the set was really good quality and whilst the tools are lightweight and easy to hold, they are not flimsy at all. All the products all felt really safe to use and I particularly liked the silicone trim around the metal cookie cutters which is a great idea. The recipe cards were easy to follow and not over complicated, so this meant that Riley (who is 7) could read through the instructions himself and understand what process he needed to follow. With an RRP of £24.99 I feel that this represents good value for money and I would happily recommend this set to others. 

In addition to Nadiya's Deluxe Baking Set (£24.99), there are two other sets also available to purchase from Smyths, which are Nadiya's Simple Baking Set (£14.99) and Nadiya's Savoury Cooking Set (£19.99). Further information on all of these sets can be found over on the Smyths Toys website here.


However, if you are feeling lucky, then why not enter our fantastic competition below, where we have the opportunity for one lucky reader to win their very own Nadiya's Deluxe Baking Set. If you would like to enter then please read the terms and conditions and then enter using the gleam form below. Competition closes on the 30th October 2020, so get your entries in quick and good luck! 


Terms and Conditions
  • There is 1 (one) prize of a Nadiya's Deluxe Baking Set
  • Entry is open to UK residents aged 18 years old or over
  • Competition closes on the 30th October 2020 at 23:59
  • A winner shall be drawn within 7 days of the closing date and notified via email.
  • The winner will have 7 days to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entries.
  • No bulk or third party entries
  • The winners details shall be shared with the promoter for the purpose of prize fulfilment and permission shall be obtained from the winner prior to doing so.

*Disclaimer - We were gifted Nadiya's Deluxe Baking Set in exchange for writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friday 1 December 2017

Letterbox Cakes by bakerdays - A Review & Competition!

For the next 12 days we will be bringing you some fantastic competitions! Each giveaway will run for 7 days and you have a great chance to win some lovely prizes this December.

The first competition we are bringing to you, is thanks to the lovely people over at bakerdays, who have kindly offered my readers the chance to win one of their personalised letterbox cakes. If you haven't heard of bakerdays before, then read on and take a look at the beautiful cake that my children chose for our family.


The wonderful cake company bakerdays, create delicious and personalised cakes for all occasions. Their cakes are available in a range of sizes and not only do they look fantastic, but they are extremely tasty too! Our favourite product that they offer is the innovative letterbox cake, which is a fantastic and unique gift idea for friends, family or even work colleagues that you may want to surprise. Measuring at approximately 5 inches in diameter (12cm x 2.5cm), they fit nicely through your letterbox and can provide 3-4 nice sized portions.


The bakerdays website is really easy to use and features a huge selection of different cake designs to choose from. Everything is clearly displayed and you can navigate through the website, simply by selecting one of the categories at the top of the page. Once you have found a design that you like, then you simply select the size you want, decide on the flavour and then add a special message of your choice. Some cakes can even feature one of your very own photographs, for that added personalised touch!


Due to the process being so simple, I decided to let Emma and Ben choose which cake they would like. After much deliberation they chose a fun festive reindeer design and wrote a personalised message to their little brother Riley. My children thought that the reindeer was really funny with its big wooly socks and they knew that Riley would love it! For the flavour they chose rich chocolate chip, which sounded delicious.


We completed our order and Emma and Ben were very excited to wait for it to arrive in the post. Fortunately they didn't need to wait for too long, as our cake came in the post the very next day, which I thought was extremely efficient.


The website offers a range of delivery options and bakerdays assures customers that your cake will arrive fresh and in perfect condition. They have created special packaging to protect the cake which makes the product suitable for both national and even international delivery. Our cake arrived in a sturdy box, along with a lovely card and mini cracker. It was carefully wrapped and enclosed within a mini cake tin, which made the product look really presentable, which is exactly what you want when purchasing as a gift for someone.


There was a sticker on the inside of the lid which provided a full list of the ingredients, so you know exactly what has gone into your cake and I also really liked the fact that I would be able to re-use the tin again in the future. Even though we had seen a preview of the cake when ordering on the website, we were surprised by just how fantastic it looked when it arrived and the kids couldn't wait to get tucked in.

The image on the cake was very clear, as was the text and the whole presentation of the product was lovely. The cake tasted just as good as it looked too and despite the guide being for 3-4 portions, we managed to have a nice slice each between the five of us. The cake was excellent quality, with delicious chocolate chip sponge and icing.

Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the bakerdays service. The ordering process was extremely simple and I loved the wide range of designs on offer. There really is something to suit everyone and I saw so many designs that I know my family members would love, so I will definitely be purchasing more in the future.

To find out more about the great range of cakes that bakerdays offer, then you can visit their website or social media channels on the links below:

Website - www.bakerdays.com/
Facebook - facebook.com/bakerdays/
Twitter -  @bakerdays
Instagram - @bakerdays

If you would like the chance to win your very own Letterbox Cake from bakerdays, then please read the terms and conditions and enter our competition using the gleam form below. Good Luck!

Win a Letterbox Cake from bakerdays
Terms and Conditions
  • There is 1 (one) prize of a bakerdays Letterbox Cake
  • The approximate prize value is £14.99 & no cash alternative is available.
  • Whilst every effort will be made to have your prize with you before Christmas, this cannot be guaranteed, so please allow up to 28 days for delivery.
  • Competition is open to UK entrants aged 18 or over.
  • No bulk or third party entries.
  • Competition closes 8th December 2017 & the winner shall be drawn at random and contacted within 2 working days.
  • The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entrants.
  • The winners details will be shared with bakerdays, for the purpose of prize fulfilment.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a complimentary letterbox cake for the purpose of providing an honest review of our experience. All opinions and photographs are my own, unless stated otherwise.