Trying out some new flour... produced for the WI!

Hello peeps,

How is everyone? I do believe that Spring is in the air.... somewhere.... last weekend it was so warm that Mr P was in shorts, however this weekend we've got the fire lit! Very strange! We also appear to be shrouded in fog every morning which is rather annoying! I'm used to sea fog having lived my the coast all of my life, but the amount of fog we get inland is astonishing.

There appears to be a new range of flour available on the market! You can read more here. Flour made for the WI by local producers! Oh yes! Along with a range of other goodies including biscuits and preserves which are made in the UK. You can find them in your nearest Waitrose.

The flours have not long been introduced to our local Waitrose so I popped down today and brought a couple of bags of plain and self raising flour to give them a try since they were on offer. Well it would be rude of me not to give them a go considering that I now work for the WI....

Lovely packaging (it's only flour I hear your cry.... there is flour, and then there is flour). The packaging tells you a bit about the producers and there is also a lovely recipe on the back of each bag which is handy.  WI tried and tested recipes of course!

First off I made chocolate brownies with the plain flour and then a classic Victoria sponge with the self raising flour.

The test will be in the eating tomorrow when I take them to work for my colleagues at Denman College to try! There is no pressure when I bake for work now.... who am I kidding!??!?

I've also managed to get around to take some photos of my new bowls that I won on Ebay - well, they are new to me, but they do go back a few years themselves... I've tried to look into them to see how old they are but I can't find any records at all. They are made by TG Green and I love them. I also brought the flour sifter to match. The guy who I won them off on Ebay does house clearances and they were wrapped in the original paper that they were brought in. He was clearing out an elderly ladies house. I use them all the time, but make sure I wash them by hand as I wouldn't want to damage the paint work.

Better go and make some butter cream for my Victoria Sponge ... should be cool by now!

I'll let you know how the taste test goes!

Cheerio,

Nic xoxoxo

UPDATE: Here you go....

Victoria Sponge for the Housekeeping team...

Mmm, a mouse appears to have nibbled one of the brownies!  Just letting the second one cool prior to dusting with cocoa powder.