Wellington Chocolate Factory

Tucked up an inconspicuous alley (the type you might otherwise try and avoid), in 5 Eva Street, is Wellington's answer to chocolate done right.

A veritable cornucopia of delights, this bean to bar chocolaterie in the centre of Wellington's CBD is a treat.

Beans are processed, magic is made, chocolate emerges.

What more could a chocoholic ask for?

The hot chocolate (NZ $5) can be made with either cow's milk or soya milk, and you have a choice between 70% Peruvian or Dominican chocolate.

If you like a fruity, sweet taste, Peruvian is your thing.

If you prefer rich and malty (which I recommend), try the Dominican.

Believe me when I say, this might be the best hot chocolate you might ever taste.

Each cup is filled half-way with chocolate, and then steamed/frothed milk is poured over that, bringing it up to the brim of the cup. Your chocolate of choice is then sprinkled on top.

It is outrageously good. So good, in fact, that we went back for both consecutive weekends of the two weekends we were in Wellington to seek it out.

Each slab (NZ $13.50) is hand wrapped in both foil and an artistic thick paper cover, and sealed with a sticker.

We tried both the 70% hazelnut and the coconut milk chocolate (52% cocoa solids + dairy free + made with coconut sugar). Both were excellent.

It is wonderful to see the craftsmanship behind this artisanal chocolate.

If you ever find yourself in Wellington, New Zealand - find yourself in the Wellington Chocolate Factory.

Website: http://www.wcf.co.nz/

Address: 5 Eva Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

By Bus: Wellington's bus system is hard to beat in terms of cost and convenience. Safe, friendly and clean (especially in comparison to Melbourne's disgustingly dirty trams), buy yourself a Snapper card, load money on it and tag on/off wherever you feel like going. 

Catch any bus which runs past Courtenay Place. Alight at Manners Street, close to Arty Bees Books, Walk up Cuba Street, take a left at Dixon and a right into Eva Street. Look closely to find the sign for WCF. It's worth the trip.

Part 2: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Vanilla Biscuits with Lemon Curd Filling

Part 2: The Filling

Lemon curd. Lemony. Custardy. Oh so yummy between vanilla biscuits.

List of ingredients here.

Method:

1. Boil glass jars to sterilise them.

2. Grate the zest of 3 lemons + squeeze the juice.

3. Whisk egg yolks + sugar. Melt butter. Add lemon juice + lemon zest. Stir till it thickens (approx. 15 mins).

4. Decant into a sterilised glass jar. Allow to cool. Glue your vanilla biccies together. Store lemon curd in the fridge.

Part 1: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Vanilla Biscuits with Lemon Curd Filling

Part 1: The Biscuits

Credit for the framework of this wonderful biscuit recipe goes to Emily from Recipes to Nourish.

Buttery. Melt-in-your-mouth. Four ingredients. Easy peasy.

Need I say more?

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup white rice flour (Entice rice flour)
• 1/4 cup excellent tasting honey (liquid)
• 1 pinch of vanilla seeds or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

Method:

Pick subtle tasting and beautiful honey. Use vanilla seeds instead of extract if possible.

• Process ingredients in a food processor until a ball of dough is formed.

• Roll tablespoon-sized balls and flatten slightly between your palms, laying the dough on a buttered and floured non-stick baking sheet.

• If you're feeling compelled, decorate the dough with a cookie cutter imprint.

• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes.

• Allow biccies to cool on the tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Part 2: The Filling follows tomorrow...

Not Quite Nigella's Buns

Innuendo aside, Easter 2014 asked for spiced honey buns.

These answered, and answered well.

 

Spiced Honey Buns 

(Adapted from Not Quite Nigella's Spiced Honey Buttered Hot Cross Buns)

My version of the recipe contains: 

• no gluten 
• no eggs
• no refined sugar

GF Flour Mix:

• 700ml white rice flour (I use Entice Rice Flour)
• 300ml tapioca flour or potato starch (I use Nature's Choice)

Ingredients for Honey Buns:

• 2 Tbsp instant dried yeast
• 125ml honey (+ extra for honey-butter glaze)
• 375ml buttermilk (warm)
• 4.5 cups gf flour mix (1125ml of flour)
• 5ml salt
• 50g unsalted butter (melted) (+ extra for honey-butter glaze)
• 5ml ground cinnamon
• 2.5ml mixed spices
• 1.5 cups dried raisins or sultanas (preservative free)
• Optional: a few blocks of 55 - 70% dark chocolate

Method:

1. In a bowl, stir the warm buttermilk, honey and yeast together. Set aside to froth for a few minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, melted butter, spices, raisins and yeast-buttermilk-honey mixture.
3. Use your hands to press the dough together and cover the bowl with some cling wrap while it rises. 
4. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper and form little bun shapes.
5. Bake the buns in a pre-heated oven of 180 - 200 degrees Celsius for 20 - 30 minutes (depending on the size of the buns).
6. Glaze the buns with melted honey and butter, or try inserting a piece of dark chocolate into the centre of the bun just as it gets out the oven. The result is a spicy honey pan au chocolat wannabe.

P.S. Dogs will want to eat these yummy tasting buns but raisins are SUPER TOXIC for dogs, as they can cause kidney failure! Keep watch over your furry friends around raisins (and grapes) please.

*Sponsored GIVEaway* and *Recipe*

I've been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage to the Core, in which Hugh "wants to sow the seeds of change and revolutionise the way [people] use fruit in Britain." He reckons that Brits have a fairly solitary view on the use of fruits, and wants to shake things up a bit. 

Watching these episodes has got me to thinking how my own tastebuds have changed of late, and in the past few months (especially in this hot Summery weather), I find myself craving fruit and savoury pairings.

A slice of Italian smoked provolone cheese on a bed of peppery wild rocket with slices of juicy, tangy nectarines.

Roast chicken with sweet, fresh mango pieces.

Salads with salty feta cheese, radishes, bell peppers and golden delicious apples.

I do so love a good apple. 

Sadly, apples are a Winter fruit, and are a little past their freshest and crispiest best at the moment. However, they are still available to buy and are still fantastic for cooking with!

Favouring the sweet and salty, I prepared this recipe based on what I was craving for lunch.

Enjoy.

Apple-licious sautéed Onions with 

wilted Baby Spinach on

Basmati Rice, served with

fresh Radish slices and

home made Yoghurt

Steps to follow:

Step 1: Pick your cooking apple of choice. For savoury dishes, I prefer Granny Smith apples, as their tart acidity and subtle sweetness holds up admirably against stronger savoury flavours such as cooked onions.

Step 2: Sauté three small onions and one large Granny Smith apple, chopped, on medium heat in some fruity olive oil until the onions are soft and transparent. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside to cool.

Step 3: Wilt some baby spinach in a pan (with a lid) over high heat. Season with a little salt and set aside to cool.

Step 4a: Simmer some Basmati rice with some coarse sea salt and a fresh bay leaf until ready (follow the instructions on the packet as cooking times vary according to brand).

Step 4b: Dish up some Basmati rice in an individual serving bowl.

Step 5: Add some wilted baby spinach leaves.

Step 6: Spoon on some sautéed Granny Smith apple and onions.

Step 7: Garnish with a few thin slices of fresh radish.

Step 8a: Serve with some fresh plain yoghurt (buy your favourite or try making it at home - it's a manageable and rewarding experience)...

Step 8b: ...and a sprinkle of black pepper.

* All fresh produce used in my recipe courtesy of Spar's Freshline range of produce, and all ingredients were bought with a two-hundred rand (R200-) voucher kindly provided by Spar.

Voucher giveaway:

Spar have generously donated a three-hundred rand (R300-) voucher which one lucky South African reader can win and enjoy in any of the many, many branches of Spar spread across our country.

To enter, simply leave a comment (or a simple "me too" if you don't feel like being verbose) in the comments section below. Please include your e-mail address so that I have a way of contacting you should you be the lucky winner!

Entries close at midnight on 30 November 2013. 

The winner will be drawn on 1 December 2013.

Good luck! 

Update: And the winner is...

Congratulations to commenter Yoga ist Toll on winning the Spar voucher. I'll be in touch to organise your prize getting to you.

*New Section: Q and A*

I've received a lot of questions regarding allergen-free living, products and recipes specific to the South African context over the years of this blog's life. I don't know why it hasn't occurred to me to start a Q & A section ages ago (?!) but now that has been rectified and here it is:

Q and A

The questions and answers listed here are directly related to my recipes listed on this site. I will add questions I've been asked on a broad range of foodie topics in the coming months.