It’s our first challenge on the photo scavenger hunt which has been set by Astrid from Dragon Stitches and Stuff by Astrid.
Astrid has kindly agreed to take on the mantle of hosting of the weekly link ups and setting of the challenges to give Kate from I live, I love, I craft, I am me ... who has had five years at the helm, a bit more time for other projects.
Astrid's first challenge was a nice easy one for me ... 'chocolate' ... one of my favourite things πππ
I decided for this week's challenge I would focus on a year of chocolate themed bakes ... some of which you may have seen before ... which really span my lockdown year from just before it started to just after it ended.
I started off with a bit of a signature Easter cheesecake, which I made for Jess’ birthday. We were supposed to be visiting for a birthday tea in March of 2020 ... but couldn’t go because of the very first lockdown. I still made the cheesecake though and delivered half ...
My next was the first of a number of lockdown bakes, not all of them chocolate. This was the first time I’d made this chocolate cake but it has definitely become my ‘go to’ chocolate cake recipe ... often making an extra sponge for the freezer ...
Next up was this no bake Malteser shortbread biscuit slice concoction, which was delicious but too naughty to have been made again ...
Oh my goodness ... next up was a Twix rocky road ...
Just look at the ingredients though ... no wonder my lockdown waistline has expanded ...
That was a big problem with lockdown ... I couldn’t share my bakes ... Martin and I had to eat the majority ourselves.
In June we had a virtual baby shower for my god daughter Rachel ... Jackie made us an afternoon tea, which she dropped off, and I knocked up another chocolate cake ...
By the summer we were able to have a few 'Rule of 6' garden gatherings and this Honeycombe flapjack was next on the list for a long overdue catch up with Jo, Steve, Hannah and Meg ... I mean, Flapjack ... it's oats ... it's almost healthy ...
Oh ... and look ... another chocolate cake ... this was made from one of the layers I froze. It turned into a lovely deep half a cake ... and you know what that means ... only half the calories ...
These were my nod to healthier baking ... Skinny chocolate cup cakes ... they were OK, but I won’t be making them again ...
I didn’t make this one ... this was the dessert from out Tesco Valentines' meal for two ...
We had these dropped off by friends to cheer us up a bit after losing dad back in January ...
And last, but not least ... this year's Easter cheesecake, ready for sharing with Lesley, Tom, Lauren and Jess for a garden BBQ over the weekend ...
I didn’t make this one ... this was the dessert from out Tesco Valentines' meal for two ...
We had these dropped off by friends to cheer us up a bit after losing dad back in January ...
And last, but not least ... this year's Easter cheesecake, ready for sharing with Lesley, Tom, Lauren and Jess for a garden BBQ over the weekend ...
I have to confess I am just a little bit proud of this beauty π
It was quite funny looking back and seeing that I started with a cheesecake for Lesley, Tom, Lauren and Jess and I’ve ended up with the same ... just more chocolate ... it’s nice to know that this last year hasn’t put paid to some traditions π
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Oooh my word! Chocolate heaven!! Been baking today, cakes and biscuits all cooling while we have lunch, ππ
ReplyDeleteI think baking is most as good for the sound as gardening ... not quite as good for the waistline though π
DeleteI like the chocolate cake in the second pic, it looks lovely and moist, and the Tesco dessert looks like it would go well with a mountain of squirty cream :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a very good chocolate cake recipe and always turns out well. It’s become a real favourite π
Deletewow!
ReplyDeleteHaha ... I know ... chocolate overload π
DeleteO.M.Goodness, so much chocolate goodness! And I thought I liked to bake, ha! Your chocolate sponge looks amazing and what kind of cheesecake is the last one, it looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteHaha ... I’ve just realised I haven’t put a link to the recipe for that one ... I will add it in. It’s chocolate ... I have to say it was lovely ... so light, but sooooo chocolatey. Will definitely be added to the favourites list π
DeleteWow! Fabulous bakes. I read somewhere today that if you eat a whole cake without cutting it, technically you've had just one piece lol
ReplyDeleteNow that is a saying I could get on board with. I am starting to think that my tea room visits with cake were far better for me than baking at home ... at least then you only eat the one slice πππ
DeleteYummy Cakes
ReplyDeleteJulie xxxxxx