Supergolden Bakes 2017 Christmas gift guide & giveaway

Looking for the perfect foodie Christmas gift? Read the mammoth 2017 Supergolden Bakes gift guide and enter the bumper giveaway for a chance to win a selection of prizes!

Are you someone who finds gift giving a joy or a chore? I must admit I love it – finding the right gift that will delight when opened is almost more pleasurable than getting one myself. Read through my 2017 Christmas gift guide to find the perfect present, there’s something here for everyone. And one lucky reader will win a bumper giveaway so make sure to enter at the end of the post.

All I want for Christmas

1 KitchenAid Artisan Power Blender: this is definitely on top of the Santa list of many a foodie. With its beautifully crafted die-cast base and 3.5-peak-horsepower motor, it’s the kind of kitchen gadget you will proudly display and get tons of daily use out of. KitchenAid £499

2 Bamix Classic Black Hand Blender: I was introduced to this amazing little gadget at a Divertimenti event and was instantly rather fascinated by its versatility. Whip up a fresh mayonnaise in mere seconds, chop, blend and liquidise with ease. The Bamix doesn’t have much of a social presence, but it is the type of tool you will enjoy using for decades – add it to your Santa list pronto! Divertimenti £99

Instant Pot Duo: this multi-purpose electric cooker works as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yoghurt maker, steamer and warmer and has gained a passionate following with Facebook groups of devotees extolling its many virtues. I have only recently gifted one to myself so expect to be seeing some Instant Pot recipes on Supergolden Bakes soon! Available at Amazon* from £400.

Kitchen essentials

1. Staub fry pan: reassuringly heavy and with instagrammable good looks, you will find using this skillet to cook both sweet and savoury dishes a total joy. You do have to treat it with a little TLC, but it will reward you with a lifetime of faithful service. From £139.

2 Fissler SensoRed pan. This versatile little frying pan has a thermo-sensitive non-stick coating, which indicates the ideal frying temperature by changing the color of the entire inner surface of the pan.The perfect combination of non-stick, even heat distribution and unassuming good looks. Fissler also make modern pressure cookers of the stovetop variety – pretty sure my mum had one of these beasts when I was growing up. Available at Divertimenti and Amazon*.

3 Berghoff Gem cast aluminium pan with easy-click removable handle. It is impossible to fault the quality and design of this griddle pan. The non-stick finish makes it perfect for cooking meat and fish with only a tiny amount of oil and it is exceedingly easy to clean and store. Get this and more of Berghoff’s pans at Very from £59

1 Box Appetit bento box by Black + Blum. A compact Japanese-inspired bento box makes a great portable lunch box that easily fits into even a small bag. It includes a slider diver and sauce pot and even an innovative fife (fork + knife). For this and more lunch boxes, check out Box Appetit.

2 Keep your drinks perfectly cool, but not diluted, by chilling these festive soapstone shapes* in the freezer before adding to your glass. Or use granite whisky stones from Divertimenti.

3 Aladdin Enjoy multi-functional vacuum food jar with stainless steel insulation that keeps food hot or cold for over 5 hours – perfect for school lunches and snacks. Available on Amazon*

4 Zoku drinks bottle – this has been my life saver and the only way I can drink enough water while working without spilling water all over my keyboard (happens more often than I care to admit). The vacuum insulated double wall keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold so perfect for coffee also. Available on Amazon* for £24.44

5 Microplane graters are an absolute MUST for any serious cook. The Master series features beautiful walnut handles and is available in four paddle-shaped styles with the following popular blades – fine, ribbon, coarse, and extra coarse. You will need to collect them all! Available at Divertimenti, Amazon and several other select retailers.

All the pretty bowls

1 Anthropologie is probably my mothership. I buy most of my clothes and a heap ton of my props from there. Christmas sales are the best time to shop there as most items will be significantly discounted. Treat yourself to a set of pretty measuring cups which have a myriad uses.

2 I recently discovered West Elm and have fallen hard for their table and glassware. Their shops are a food bloggers’ paradise and there’s plenty of covetable furniture there too. Look our for the Christmas sale and grab some bargains.

3 { Giveaway! }  Head to Mason Cash for the most whimsical bowls in their In The Forest range. Inspired by fold tales, this range features intricately embossed forest scenes featuring forest animals.These are definitely meant to be on display and not just used for mixing!

Dress your table

1 Geometrico star coaster set: a modern six piece coaster made from natural wool felt. The star coaster set looks great even when not in use, and you can play around creating new shapes on your coffee table. My son is obsessed 😉 Available at Geometrico £18

2 Much as I appreciate the well-worn character of vintage cutlery I am always short of a full set when entertaining. This year we will finally have a matching set to show off! Robert Welch Hidcot cutlery set £84

The practical gifts

Von chef mixing bundle { Giveaway! } I absolutely adore this stacking set of bowls from Domu. There’s …. bowls of various sizes with non snip bases and even colour coded lids for easy storage. The largest bowl lid comes with three blade options for easily grating vegetables for without the mess. The measuring cups and spoons are essential for any baker and this set is in daily use in my house. What’s more, I have one set to give away to a lucky reader. VonShef 17 Piece Mixing Bundle £42.99 at Domu.

Terraillon partners with French chef Christophe Michalak to release a range of innovative products like this multi functional bowl kit which has several functions thanks for four accessories. The removable silicone bowl is perfect in a bain-marie and the microwave. The clever rolling pin hides a super-useful silicone baking mat inside the hollow tube and comes with plastic rings which allow for even rolling at three thickness settings. The pin is non-sticky, stays cool (you could pop it in the fridge before making pastry) and is easy to clean. Could not live without it!

Joseph Joseph Nest™ Glass Storage £35 { Giveaway!} These clever space-saving containers can be used in the oven, making them perfect for cooking your food and then storing the leftovers in the fridge or freezer. I have a set included in the bumper Christmas giveaway.

No baker should ever be without a digital scale, but Salter have gone the extra mile with Salter Cook Interactive Bluetooth Kitchen Set £100. Connect the Salter Bluetooth Cook Scale & Thermometer to the dedicated app to set targets direct from the recipe and see measurements on your smartphone or tablet. And if you’re stuck for inspiration whilst out shopping, all your favourite recipes and ingredients lists are available in the Salter Cook app.

If you are unsure of what to get your favourite foodie, or even what to invest in yourself, Buy Me Once does what is says on the tin. A collection of items you will buy once and then delight in using for a very long time. Take these Solidteknics Flaming Skillet (exclusive to Buy Me Once) an innovative vented pan perfect for grilling and roasting meat and vegetables. Nest with the original 26cm skillet for no-drip meat transfers from BBQ to oven.

Give me all the cheese

Odds are you will be serving cheese platters to your guests this Christmas. For the best and most extensive selection, head over to Paxton and Whitfield. You can order online but if you find yourself in central London a visit to the store on Jermyn Street is a must. I tend to love the ripest and most decrepit-looking cheese but it’s always good to mix it up and get something that will appeal to everyone. Add chutneys, dried fruit, grapes and lots of crackers and let everyone go to town.

Pictured here clockwise from left: Appleby’s Cheshire – the only remaining producer of real calico bound traditional farm Cheshire cheese in the UK using its own unpasteurised milk; Cote Hill Blue, a creamy blue cheese with a buttery and satisfying flavour which MUST be on your cheeseboard this Christmas; Montgomery’s Cheddar, drier than that of many other traditional Cheddars, with a distinct crumbly and crunchy bite; Pyramid shaped Cerney goat’s cheese is sprinkled with a mixture of oak ash and salt which gives the cheese its striking black appearance. The taste is mild and fresh and once you start eating you can’t stop!

Time to indulge

Christmas is the best excuse to indulge without remorse. Chocolate for breakfast? Let me grab my advent calendar.
1 Cadbury’s have a huge selection of festive-themed products and my favourite is the mousse-filled eggs which you won’t see pictures of because we are them all -oops!
2 Marzipan and chocolate is my idea of heaven and Niederegger makes the best of the best. Niederegger Marzipanerie Marzipan Gift Box £12 at John Lewis
3 The Lily O’Brien’s desserts selection has gone down very well in our house. Buy a box for someone willing to share with you!
4 Dorset-based, artisan chocolatier Chococo has created a tempting festive range for chocoholics to enjoy, like these chocolate baubles and Nutcracker tubes filled with festive shapes. Or give the ultimate chocolate gift: a subscription to their Chocolate Club!
5 Lindt make excellent chocolate and their festive range is always in my kid’s stockings.
6 Doisy and Dam partners superfoods such as baobab, lucuma and goji berries with the highest quality organic chocolate and wraps it up in beautiful packaging. Perfect stocking fillers or gift their Ultimate Chocolate Christmas Hamper to the chocoholic in your life.
7 Arden and Amici have a range of festive Italian products including panettone, cantuccini, ricciarelli and  panforte. Their range is available at several major supermarkets.

I have a soft spot for Walkers shortbread – and their festive range make great gifts. Walkers Christmas Wreath, filled with extremely chocolatey cookies (£12); Christmas Mincemeat Tarts spiced with  Glenfiddich Malt Whisky (£4.60); and Mini Gingerbread Men Shortbread Biscuits (£2).

{ Giveaway!} Spice up your Christmas with three delicious, and fiery, central African chilli sauces from Neema Food.  Neema sauces are versatile and can be used as a cooking sauce, condiment, table sauce and even on a cheese board. Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a gift set.

If you prefer milder condiments, then Rosebud Preserves have a beautiful range of marmalades, jams and chutneys. The Cherry & Amaretto Jam is especially delicious, or try the fig chutney or Port and red onion marmalade. I suggest you buy one of each of their festive range.

Drink and be merry

1 The Espensen Spirit range includes Gin Genie Blueberry Gin, Ruby Cuby Rhubarb & Custard Vodka and Pump Up The Jam Raspberry Gin. All products use fresh fruit and contain no added preservatives or colourings.

2 Firebox have a huge range of festive gifts including Phoenix Tears, a premium Caribbean Rum that sparkles with shimmering golden embers when shaken. Maybe one for Harry Potter fans? £39.99 at Firebox.

3 This bottle of Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky was another guide item I could not help but dip into. Beautifully packaged and bottle this is a gift to impress your boss or father in law (or just to gift to yourself). Currently on sale for £35 at Ocado so grab a bottle while you can.

4 Demijohn have a range of elegant gift boxes containing their delicious artisan gins, spirits and liqueurs. Demijohn gifts is that they can all be personalised with either a complimentary handwritten message on the bottles or for an additional fee, an engraving of choice can be marked in the actual wood.

5 Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur lets the coffee bean do the talking, without the need for the usual additives and flavourings.  Delicious on its own over ice or use in cocktails. Available at The Whisky Exchange and selected other retailers.

6 Kraken Black Spiced Rum is made with a secret blend of herbs and spices and aged in oak casks for at least two years. With flavours of liquorice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, ginger and orange, this is a warming, rich and smooth spiced rum. Grab the Kraken Rum with Mason Jar Gift Set which features a 37.5cl bottle of the iconic rum and a branded mason jar glass at 31 Dover.

7 Four unique bourbon recipes are used in the production of this small batch bourbon from Four Roses, one of Kentucky’s most famous distilleries. A small number of barrels are expertly selected by Four Roses‘ Master Distiller Brent Elliot at the peak of their maturity. Channel Dan Draper and make an Old Fashioned or three. Available at Marks and Spencer.

8 The Tia Maria gift pack is perfect for the coffee lover in your life and can be enjoyed in coffee cocktails or simply mixed with tonic water or ginger beer. The gift pack comes complete with chalk and chalk board, meaning the packaging can be used to leave personalised messages and drink requests.

9 Vodka made from milk doesn’t sound possible… Black Cow vodka is made entirely from the milk of grass grazed cows and  nothing else. An exceptionally smooth vodka with a unique creamy character,delicious to sip neat, or mix in a long drink or cocktail. Sainsbury’s £28.

Throw a gin party!

Gin is having a big moment right now with new artisan brands popping up daily and exciting flavoured gins making a splash. I suggest you grab a bottle of each of the following and have a gin tasting party.

1 Hayman’s Sloe Gin is a traditional English liqueur made to a long standing family recipe that had previously only been available for private use. Sip over ice or mix in cocktails.

2 Rock Rose Winter Edition – a returning favourite on Supergolden Bakes. The limited edition features seasonal additions such as local spruce tips which give it fresh lemon pine notes. From around £37.

3 Martin Miller’s Gin uses pure Icelandic water for a smooth, rounded finish and uses 10 botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica root, orange peel, Lemon Peel, Lime oil, orris root, cassia bark, ground nutmeg, liquorice and cucumber distillate. Available on Amazon*

4 For fans of cucumber why not try Cucumber Gin? This aromatic premium gin is the essence of an English summer. The cucumber’s sweetness subtly compliments the vibrant botanical ingredients resulting in a delicate and unique taste experience. Available direct from The English Drinks Company.

5 The Botanist Gin uses 22 hand-foraged botanicals local to the Island of Islay as well as 9 more traditional gin botanicals. It is a beautiful gin that comes packaged in an equally beautiful bottle – well worth seeking out.

7 The Lakes Damson Gin Liqueur is a smooth spirit with a fruity taste that contributes to a delicate sweet flavour. This carefully produced gin liqueur uses the uniquely based gin distilled in the Lake District flavoured with damsons.

8 Elephant Gin produces award-winning handcrafted premium gin products made with rare African botanicals. All ingredients are hand-selected, bottles custom-made, labels hand-written and production efforts controlled by working in small batches. What’s more, with every bottle sold, Elephant Gin contributes 15% to three foundations that are devoted to the conservation of wildlife in Africa.

Your Sommelier wine subscription: discover, taste and learn about the finest French wines, with three bottles delivered straight to your door each month (subscription available in 1, 3, 6 or 12 months). Once you discover your favourites you have the option to reorder them at an exclusive 20% member discount.

 

Prosecco cocktail selection from World of Zing includes: Bitter Orange, Strawberry & Ginger Spritz, Blackberry & Tamarind Spiced Rum Spritz, Bordeaux Wine Cask Aged Negroni and 200ml Bottle of award-winning Terra Serena Prosecco (£19.95).

GiftPup offer personalised gifts – this Cider gift box comes with three premium quality ciders in a traditional wooden carry box with a personalised lid (£24.99).

1 Bloom Ultra Cleanse Matcha combines organic Japanese Matcha with yerba mate and milk thistle for a detoxing green tea powder that’s naturally high in fibre, naturally low in sugars and salt and naturally fat-free (£16.99)2 Ahmad Tea English Breakfast loose leaf tea, the quintessential ‘British Cup of Tea’, a classically strong and full-bodied blend that goes well with milk and sugar.

3 Clipper limited edition tea caddies (£10) are beautiful and reusable – available in Green Tea, English Breakfast and Snore & Peace – I need a few of those please…4 For serious tea lovers, the Jing Matcha Set (£60) includes all the essential tools you need to make the perfect matcha, in the traditional Japanese style. The set includes an elegant “Kazuho” bamboo whisk hand-made by one of the most renowned whisk makers in Japan, a bamboo “chashaku” tea spoon, a beautiful deep black and rich red-brown bowl and 30g tin of Matcha green tea.

Cookbooks galore

1 The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer, includes 75 delicious one-dish dinners ranging from chicken traybakes to supergrains. The concept is simple: fresh, easy ingredients, a few minutes prep, and let the oven do the work. Each chapter also includes a helpful infographic for how to build you own roasting tin dinner using whatever is in your fridge tonight. Tons of stellar reader reviews on Amazon* show just how popular this book is.

2 Rick Stein’s The Road to Mexico*: another beautiful book and companion to the Tv series. Rick starts his culinary journey in San Francisco and works his way down to the southernmost tip of Mexico experiencing Mexican food at its very best and most diverse.

3 Wild Honey and Rye, Modern Polish Recipes* by Ren Behan is the perfect gift for lovers of Polish food. The book offers a modern twist on traditional favourites and the recipes are accessible and delicious. Highly recommended!

4 The modern kebab* – forget greasy takeaways, this book is packed with over 60 accessible recipes including ideas for Mezze, Basics, Kebabs, Mains and Cocktails, these dishes can be made at home and paired together to create a feast for your family and friends and fit for any occasion.

5 The Soulful Baker* by Julie Jones – is full of incredible recipes and also full of heart. Julie learned baking from her mother and after her mother was diagnosed with dementia she started to bake with her as a form of mutual therapy. Julie’s beautiful creations can be seen on Instagram, make sure you give her a follow.

6 I’m just here for dessert* Another Instagram sensation, Caroline Khoo of Nectar and Stone, brings together her love of baking and styling to create a stunning guide to building your own dessert design. The book is full of her delicate signature creations, from macarons to mini meringues and it will definitely inspire you to bake pretty!

7 Linda Lomelino combines sweet recipes with photography and styling tips in her book My Sweet Kitchen*. One to gift aspiring food bloggers!

8 Veggie desserts + cakes* – Kate Hackworthy has produced a beautiful first book of bakes which use vegetables in creative and unexpected ways.

 

 

1 & 3 Australian Women’s Weekly Everyday Vegetarian* and Vegan Kitchen*– these is a massive, heavy books full of great recipes that you will make again and again. Excellent photography throughout, recipes that are triple tested – I really cannot praise these books enough and they make fantastic gifts.

2 MasterChef Kitchen Bible* { Giveaway } cook like a MasterChef champion following the recipes and techniques in this new edition. Enter the giveaway at the end of the post for the chance to win a copy.

4 Cook Yourself Happy the Danish Way* is full of Danish recipes you will want to make – I have cooked at least three and they were all delicious and easy to follow. The book is as gorgeous as its author Caroline Fleming who is a model and TV personality.

5 The modern preserver* by Kylee Newton  { Giveaway } if you want to try your hand at classic chutneys and jams, pickles cordials and compotes then this is the book for you. Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a copy AND a Thermapen which is essential in preserving, baking and cooking.

6 The flexible vegetarian* – I am a big fan of Jo Pratt and this book offers more of her accessible, easy recipes. You have the option to add meat or keep the recipes in this book 100% vegetarian and the flavour combinations are always winning.