The Splat Cooking Blog

For the past few years, probably about 4 years, we’ve been toying with the idea of setting up Splat Cooking as party plan.  When I first launched I used to go round to friends houses armed with a stack of homemade biscuits and copious amounts of icing and sprinkles to get them to decorate biscuits with the concept that they’d buy stuff too and I’d promote the workshops and parties.  It worked to a certain degree but I found that it was costing me more in icing and sprinkles than I was making, especially when a lot of guests took the mickey with  how many biscuits they iced.  Really down to bad planning on my behalf, should  have rationed them!

With the franchises launched we’ve taken another look at this as it’s the perfect model to promote the parties and workshops for new franchisees and also gives them the opportunity to sell stuff and get a foot in the door of possible schools and toddler groups.

So I did one last night and this morning.  I made cupcakes and iced them and then had the ladies making sugarpaste roses which they put on top of a cake and could either eat there and then or take home with them – hah, rationing in progress, one cake each!  It worked a treat, last night there were only 3 ladies that I know, the majority had been told by word of mouth so immediately I have 8 new customers, two of them are on the PTA of their schools and are going back to discuss having cooking clubs, at least 4 of the ladies want cupcake coffee mornings, one lady is involved with three toddler groups and took away our cards to give out at these and talk to the playgroup leaders about me or one of the team coming in to do some cooking with the children and I’ve had at least 3 workshop bookings.  All in all, a huge success.

If anyone would like a cupcake coffee morning and you’re in Bucknghamshire then call me in the office to arrange on 0870 766 8290, if you fancy running these yourself, have a school you think would like a cooking club or even feel that you’d like to work for us running cooking parties or classes then call us too, any potential franchisees reading this – IT WORKS.

Sid has slept through until 6.25am the past two mornings, bless him, he’s a feisty little puppy.  Loves Jasper to bits and constantly wants to play with him, jasper is very much the top dog and that’s how it should be but when Jasper ignores Sid, Sid jumps up after Jasper’s tail and bites his bum, poor love, Jasper takes all in his stride and starts playing again.  I’ve just split them up for a sleep and they’re spark out.  This is sooo like having a new baby, Sid gives amazing puppy cuddles.

Easter Baking – Tuesday 6 April 10am-1pm

Our classic Easter Baking workshop with the wonderful Kate from The Chocolate Source, we’ll be helping the children make a range of Easter goodies including hot cross buns and the traditional Easter Egg with choccies, the children can stay all day and take p art in our Italian Cookery afternoon too if you wish.

Italian Cooking – Tuesday 6 April 1.30-3.30pm

Traditional Italian Cooking including making pasta from scratch, biscotti, pesto swirls and salad and dressing  to go with it, we’ll give you 10% discount if you book your child on both courses, remember to send them with a packed lunch.

If you fancy doing some cooking with your child then come along to our Mummy and Me Cupcake Workshop on Thursday 8 April, this is an adaptation of our classic Fantasy Cupcake workshop so you can work together or on your own cakes (saves arguments)  and learn new icing and baking techniques using fresh seasonal fruit to colour and flavour the cakes and icing.  We’re also running a Fantasy Cupcake Workshop for adults on the same day, especially for teachers and other people who can’t usually get time off during the week.

Sid slept until 6am last night, I was, of course, up at 2am checking on him when he was fast asleep then stayed awake until 3am thinking that he’d wake up in a minute……oh, back to babyhood.

He had his first visit to the vet’s this morning for his jabs, he was very brave, carried him in a rucksack, couldn’t help thinking that someone should invent a front facing rucksack carrier for puppies.  While they’re at it, how about a remote control ball that runs away from you when you press a button, fantastic gadget for dogs in the woods, could have done with one today.

Boy, I’m tired, early bedtime tonight and hopefully Sid will sleep  until gone 6am tomorrow

I love dumplings, baked in the stew so they go crispy on top rather than boiled like my Mum prefers them, however, they always feel like they’re sitting at the bottom of my stomach for the rest of the day and the guilt of how much fat is in them takes the edge off the enjoyment. So I made a classic ‘chuck it’ beef stew today and used my herby farl recipe instead of classic suet dumplings – they were lovely.

Herby Farls

350g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

half a teaspoon salt

284ml buttermilk

2-3 tablespoons skimmed or semi skimmed milk

chopped fresh herbs – chives, thyme, rosemary – about 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese (optional, leave it out if you don’t like cheese with beef)

Cook the stew as  usual, to make the farls mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, adding a little extra milk if you need to until it comes together as a soft dough.  Knead for a minute or two until smooth then break off balls, roll roughly and lay on the top of the stew, leave gaps in between as they will expand as they cook.  Pop the casserole back into the oven on 180oc/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes until the farls are golden brown. Eat