Tag: Christmas Tree

❄️❄️❄️ Christmas Treacle Market Part 2 – The Finale!! ❄️❄️❄️

On By CocoaNokoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Christmas is Coming

As I write this I’m watching  Morcombe & Wise Christmas Special, kipper ties, wide lapels & Des O’Conner, oh & Angela Rippon now, its definite throw back to the 70’s, (not that I remember the 70’s of course, I’m purely guessing here you understand…) Either way, it definitely means Christmas is almost here! It’s very nearly almost time to hibernate & I really cannot wait!! But before all that (&  several more vintage Christmas Special of years gone by), there’s the very serious  business of the final, the very best till last, the amazing finale of the year, the last Treacle Market of 2014 & it’s going to be MAGNIFICENT!! It will be a perfect ending to a very busy year! So you’d best get out the trundles & trollies, bags & baskets, & fill your boots, you’re going to need it!

So if you’ve not been before & you’d like a heads up to Magnificent Stalls & local businesses (obviously I include myself in this list!) here’s a few of my absolute favourites!!

❄️ On Chestergate there’s the wonderful treasure trove that is Deja Vu! It’s a shop full to the brim with the curious, the gorgeous & the must haves, but hands off the cake plates – they’re ALL MINE!!! Mwhahahahaa!

❄️ Next is the wonderful Fudge Box to be found on Castle St, you’ll get the most amazing Cheshire fudge, the a tasty gift for Christmas!

❄️ The best Cafe by far is Plums Kitchen on the Market Place (opps the Library), the best food in Macclesfield in my honest opinion & they currently have the cutest Gingerbread House that ever was! (Ok, I admit to being utterly biased but it is cute don’t you think!!)Home Sweet Gingerbread Home

❄️ My lovely friend Doodle Lou is so very talented & she has a stall along with other very talented artists/designers, just out the entrance to the Grosvenor Centre, beautiful, quirky jewelry , cards & gifts!

There are so many more wonderful business I could go on all day & night & longer, but a few to look at anyways!

Right then.. CAKES!!!!!!

So Fairy Cakes & morsels are priced at £1.50 each or the special Treacle Market Box Price of 4 for £5.00, gingerbread priced individually.

FESTIVE FARE

St Clements Cake – Oranges & Lemons – lovely zesty sponge with

Cosy Spicy Apple & Cinnamon – Moist & Spicy sponge with delicate vanilla buttercream dusted with cinnamon & a Christmas shaped Gingerbread Biscuit!

 Orange, Chocolate & Cinnamon – The King of the Christmas Menu, Zesty, aromatic & utterly Wonderful!

Mince Pie Cake – Warm & spicy Mulled spice & Mincemeat Christmasy Sponge – Christmas Perfection!

Vanilla & Nutmeg – subtly Spiced & slightly exotic – delicately flavoured buttercream – topped with perfect Gingerbread biscuit!

Christmas Trees – Decadent Chocolate Sponge with perfectly poised Christmas Tree Buttercream & Sparkly Sprinkles! (Natural food colouring)

GLUTEN FREE FAIRY CAKES

Gluten Free Simples – Wonderfully Moist Chocolate Sponge with voluptuous Vanilla Buttercream – Gluten Free Perfection!

Double Trouble – Divinely moist Chocolate Sponge with rich chocolate buttercream with a top of sprinkles & chocolate stuff!

Doodle Lou’s Victorious Sponge – layers of gorgeously light Victoria sponge & raspberry jam, Vanilla buttercream & dusted with golden caster sugar! NEW!!!

FAIRY CAKES

Karl’s Crazy Caramel – Delicious rich Caramel Sponge with home made caramel buttercream, with drizzles of dark chocolate & caramel

Silly Vanilly – Simply the simplest flavour there is but oh so yummy, Vanilla Sponge topped with the whippiest lightest Vanilla Buttercream ever

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake– Sticky toffee sponge with oodles of dates, liberally swirled with crunchy brown sugar, toffee buttercream

Luscious Lemon – Lovely Luscious Lemon Sponge with zesty lemon buttercream – Lemon Lovers Heaven!

Double Trouble Chocolate – Divinely moist Chocolate Sponge with rich chocolate buttercream with a top of sprinkles & chocolate stuff

FlutterBy Choc – Delicious Chocolate Butterfly Sponge with raspberry jam secret centre & fluffy vanilla buttercream

Deepest Darkest Chocolate – Divinely moist chocolate sponge with seriously dark chocolate ganache! Only seriously chocoholics need apply!

Simon’s Coffee Cake – Rich Coffee layer cake, with a tiny hint of Vanilla topped with wonderful Coffee Buttercream & chocolate coated coffee beans!

ChoccyCaramel Cake – Moist chocolate sponge, a centre of creamy caramel, topped with Vanilla Buttercream & oodles of chocolate & caramel drizzle!

SLICES 

Lemon Drizzle – The Infamous & Legendary Luscious Lemon Drizzle, one slice is never enough!

Vicki Victorious Sponge – layers of gorgeously light Victoria sponge & raspberry jam, dusted with golden caster sugar!

Batty Battenburg – Gorgeously moist almond sponge with oodles of raspberry jam & cosily wrapped with marzipan

Sticky MaccTreacle Cake – Deeply dark treacly, orange & ginger cake, utterly gorgeous!

MORSELS

Coconut Macaroons – Utterly Moist & seriously flavourful Macaroons, liberally draped in Dark Belgian Chocolate! £1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Best recipe ever!! 50p each!

GINGERBREAD

Gingerbread – Secret Recipe Gingerbread, extensively taste tested as only the best will do!

Please feel free to sample the specially created Treacle Market Gingerbread Festive Mittens that will only be available while stocks last!!

Buttons, Moustaches, & Baubles 

Christmas Tree Lollies

(All Gingerbread are priced individually)

Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday, a Very Merry Christmas to you All!

A Very Merry Christmas

 

 

Advertisements

Christmas Treacle Market Part 1

On By CocoaNokoIn Christmas, Food, Markets, SeasonsLeave a comment

Christmas is coming

 

So it’s the first Festive Treacle Market on Sunday, how wonderful!! That means 2 chances at getting your mittens on some rather wonderful festive fare, heaps of treasures, cart loads of beautiful pressies, there’ll be festive music, a carousel & oh so much more! But to keep your spirits up & your energy levels high you’ll some to keep you going, which brings me neatly to this months menu!

 

So it’s going to be busy & if you see something you fancy but aren’t planning to get to the market till later, you can reserve your order, so you don’t miss out! email me on cocoanokos@hotmail.co.uk or message me on Facebook, easy peasy! (I don’t get much in the way of signal at the market so best to reserve your goodies before midnight Saturday)

So Fairy Cakes & morsels are priced at £1.50 each or the special Treacle Market Box Price of 4 for £5.00, gingerbread priced individually.

FESTIVE FARE

Cosy Spicy Apple & Cinnamon – Moist & Spicy sponge with spicy warm buttercream with suitably Christmas shapes Cinnamon Biscuit!

 Orange, Chocolate & Cinnamon – The King of the Christmas Menu, Zesty, aromatic & utterly Wonderful!

Mince Pie Cake – Warm & spicy Mulled spice & Mincemeat Christmasy Sponge – Christmas Perfection!

Vanilla & Nutmeg – subtly Spiced & slightly exotic – delicately flavoured buttercream – topped with perfect Vanilla biscuit!

Christmas Trees – Decadent Chocolate Sponge with perfectly poised Christmas Tree Buttercream & Sparkly Sprinkles!

GLUTEN FREE FAIRY CAKES

Gluten Free Simples – Wonderfully Moist Chocolate Sponge with voluptuous Vanilla Buttercream – Gluten Free Perfection!

Double Trouble – Divinely moist Chocolate Sponge with rich chocolate buttercream with a top of sprinkles & chocolate stuff!

Doodle Lou’s Victorious Sponge – layers of gorgeously light Victoria sponge & raspberry jam, Vanilla buttercream & dusted with golden caster sugar! NEW!!!

FAIRY CAKES

Crazy Caramel – Delicious rich Caramel Sponge with home made caramel buttercream, with drizzles of dark chocolate & caramel

Silly Vanilly – Simply the simplest flavour there is but oh so yummy, Vanilla Sponge topped with the whippiest lightest Vanilla Buttercream ever

Sticky Toffee – Sticky toffee sponge with oodles of dates, liberally swirled with crunchy brown sugar, toffee buttercream

Luscious Lemon – Lovely Luscious Lemon Sponge with zesty lemon buttercream – Lemon Lovers Heaven!

Double Trouble Chocolate – Divinely moist Chocolate Sponge with rich chocolate buttercream with a top of sprinkles & chocolate stuff

FlutterBy Choc – Delicious Chocolate Butterfly Sponge with raspberry jam secret centre & fluffy vanilla buttercream

Deepest Darkest Chocolate – Divinely moist chocolate sponge with seriously dark chocolate ganache! Only seriously chocoholics need apply!

Simon’s Coffee Cake – Rich Coffee layer cake, with a tiny hint of Vanilla topped with wonderful Coffee Buttercream & chocolate coated coffee beans!

ChoccyCaramel Cake – Moist chocolate sponge, a centre of creamy caramel, topped with Vanilla Buttercream & oodles of chocolate & caramel drizzle!

SLICES 

Lemon Drizzle – The Infamous & Legendary Luscious Lemon Drizzle, one slice is never enough!

Vicki Victorious Sponge – layers of gorgeously light Victoria sponge & raspberry jam, dusted with golden caster sugar!

Batty Battenburg – Gorgeously moist almond sponge with oodles of raspberry jam & cosily wrapped with marzipan

Sticky MaccTreacle Cake – Deeply dark treacly, orange & ginger cake, utterly gorgeous!

 

MORSELS

Coconut Macaroons – Utterly Moist & seriously flavourful Macaroons, liberally draped in Dark Belgian Chocolate! £1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Best recipe ever!! 50p each!

GINGERBREAD

Gingerbread – Secret Recipe Gingerbread, extensively taste tested as only the best will do!

Please feel free to sample the specially created Treacle Market Gingerbread Festive Mittens that will only be available while stocks last!!

Buttons, Moustaches, & Baubles

Christmas Tree Lollies

(All Gingerbread are priced individually)

Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday, bright & early!!!

 

 

Christmas Treacle Market Sunday 23rd December 2012

On By CocoaNokoIn Christmas, FoodLeave a comment

Christmas is Coming!Christmas Menu
This is the intended menu for the very last Treacle Market of 2012! Boxes of 4 (£5.00) & 12 (£15.00) will be available & can be ordered ready for collection & payment on Sunday!

Fairy Cakes

Gluten Free – Wonderfully Moist Chocolate Sponge with voluptuous Vanilla Buttercream – Gluten Free Perfection!

Double Chocolate – Divinely moist Chocolate Sponge with rich chocolate buttercream with a top of sprinkles & chocolate stuff!

Crazy Caramel – Delicious rich Caramel Sponge with home made caramel buttercream, with drizzles of yumminess!

Simon’s Coffee – Rich Coffee with a tiny hint of Vanilla with wonderful Coffee Buttercream!

Silly Vanilly – Simply the simplest flavour there is but of so yummy, Vanilla Sponge topped with the whippiest lightest Vanilla Buttercream ever!

Luscious Lemon – Lovely Luscious Lemon Sponge with zesty lemon buttercream – Lemon Lovers Heaven!

I Should Coconut – Unbelievably moist Coconut Cake with lashings of Coconut Buttercream with Christmassy white Sprinkles!

Fluttery Butterfly – Lovely Vanilla Sponge, with yummy Organic Raspberry Jam, a little swirl of Buttercream, sprinkled with snowy icing sugar!

Lemony Ginger – Zesty, spicy Lemony Ginger sponge with equally yummy buttercream, topped with a cute a button Gingerbread Mitten!

Apple & Cinnamon – Moist & Spicy sponge with spicy warm buttercream with suitably Christmas shapes Gingerbread Biscuit!

Orange, Chocolate & Cinnamon – The King of the Christmas Menu, Zesty, aromatic & utterly Wonderful!

Minty Chocolate – Minty Chocolatey sponge with seriously lush buttercream adorned with chocolatey mint stuff!

Mince Pie Cake – Warm & spicy Mulled spice & Mincemeat Christmasy Sponge – Christmas Perfection!

Vanilla & Nutmeg – subtly Spiced & slightly exotic – delicately flavoured buttercream – topped with perfect Vanilla biscuit!

Christmas Trees – Decadent Chocolate Sponge with perfectly poised Christmas Tree Buttercream & Sparkly Sprinkles!
£1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal) or 12 for £15.00

Slices
Lemon Drizzle – The Infamous & Legendary Luscious Lemon Drizzle, one slice is never enough!
£1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

Muffins
Triple Chocolate – Bursting with decadent Belgian Chocolate – perfect partner to a steaming mug of Hot Chocolate!
£1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

Morsels
Coconut Macaroons – Utterly Moist & seriously flavourful Macaroons, liberally draped in Dark Belgian Chocolate!
£1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

Gingerbread
Gingerbread – Secret Recipe Gingerbread, extensively taste tested as only the best will do!
Please feel free to sample the specially created Treacle Market Gingerbread Mittens that will be available while stocks last!!
Tree Ornaments – 6 Designs 75p each, 3 for £2.00 or 6 for £4.00
Christmas Tree Lollies £1.50 (or 4 for £5.00 Deal)

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL ON SUNDAY!!!

And don’t forget First Up gets the cake – only crumbs if you’re late!!

xxxxx

Christmas Is Coming!!

12 Days Left Till Christmas… DON’T PANIC!!!!

On By CocoaNokoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

cropped-dscf65823.jpgSo me hearties, today is the 12th Day, of the 12th Month of 2012, an auspicious day.  A date the likes of which we’ll not see again for another 89 years… Wow… In the meantime and more importantly there are only 12 days left till Christmas, time to put the sprouts on I think!

I’m guessing most you out there will have completed you’re Christmas shopping, wrapped & labelled it, trimmed the tree, the house and basically anything that was in your eye-line at the time; food has been ordered, festive drinks have been settled into the drinks cupboard (after a thorough taste testing of course or is that just me?)) and all you’re waiting for is the children to finish school, make some last-minute mince pies, tie a ribbon in your hair and wait for the Big Man himself to arrive.  If this is you, well there’s nothing for you here. Run along with you, with your perfect life! Those of us who are not you have some work to do!

I’m currently decorating the dining room and a wall in the front (2 currently painted, the other can wait!) like you do 2 weeks before Christmas.  This means the tree purchased lovingly from the forest on Sunday, is currently lay on the patio, covered in hoar-frost, most probably home to some wildlife or other soon to be homeless.  My gorgeous parquet flooring looks as though we’ve been visited by a flock of pigeons with the novaris virus and the front room is still covered in boxes filled with toys I optimistically hoped to sort out long before now.  This is all before I start preparing for the final Christmas Treacle Market of 2012, and I’m sad to say the holly is still firmly attached to the tree as is the laurel and fir bows, all the Christmas lights & decs are still carefully wrapped and filed from last year and the Christmas cards, erm well they are written out – I did that last year…  Panic is beginning to settle in for the long-term…

I feel I’ve been a little ambitious this year.  I do have a wonderful mantra though which I frequently offer to others and occasionally use myself  ‘All will be well’.  I think I may have been saying this in my sleep of late, even my subconscious is yet to be convinced!  And when I am awake, I’m alternating between stressful weeping (quite pathetic!) to hysterical laughter (scary…)!  But you know, things WILL get done! The original plan may be a little different in the end, there will be an element of not opening certain cupboards (in case of avalanche and injury) until after the holidays, the ironing pile filed somewhere unusual and the garage stacked with things that really should not be in there but really do I care?  Well yes I do now, but come Christmas Eve, when we plate up the Big Man’s Mince Pies, a small port and carrots for the Reindeer, I will have (hopefully!) resigned myself to what hasn’t been done, can either wait or be added to the ‘List of Things I WILL Do Next Year’.  I (hopefully) will not care a dot and not because I taste tested the whole bottle of port just in case.

So in the meantime, I’m going to battle with that last patch of dining room ceiling, plan some very swift and unfortunately necessary trips to busy shopping places, plan some enjoyable shopping visits to some lovely shops in Macclesfield, Make, Bake, create myself into Christmassy Frenzy and at the end of the day ALL WILL BE WELL!

So bloomin nerrrr to you of the organised inclination! I’m taking a rollercoaster to Christmas this year and it’s going to a fantastical, hysterical and a somewhat bumpy ride, and that’s just fine by me!

So Merry Christmas to Everyone!  Have a good one, be loved, be merry and be very jolly this Christmas! Only 19 days till New Year!

Love CocoaNoko

x

Traditionally Christmassy Yours

On By CocoaNokoIn Christmas1 Comment

Deliciously moist apple & mincemeat, encrusted with lovely crisp pastry!
Deliciously moist apple & mincemeat, encrusted with lovely crisp pastry!

You may have noticed that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Even those with the most Hum bug and Scrooge like tendencies can’t have failed to see the twinkly lights, the jollity in the air and there’s even been snow in some parts of the country (sadly not in my neck of the woods just yet, but all appendages are crossed for some soon!) And with this comes the roll out of I’m sad to say cringe worthy, sickly sweet, predictably asinine drivel that come under the genre of the Christmas Film Season.  I’ve just watched two in a row, and I find myself craving  something slightly darker & possibly confrontational with a little violence thrown in like Fawlty Towers Christmas Special or The Nightmare before Christmas…  It’s a miracle I can even think for myself now! Don’t ask me why I didn’t change channels, I can’t answer that other than despite the inevitable dross, they are addictive viewing!  I am so ashamed…  But it is the tradition of the Season I suppose – there that’s my excuse!!! (Lame and insipid but sadly true.)

So it makes me wonder about the Traditions we set ourselves, despite the vague possibility that we don’t actually enjoy them, particularly need them, can’t remember the initial reasons for them beginning, due to this being lost in the annuls of time.  Of course there are those Christmas Traditions that are purposeful and very necessary and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without them.  For us and many people who live in the wonderful town of Macclesfield, it’s driving up to the Forest and buying your tree.  It’s a joyous time!  I admit we are fairly new to this tradition but I’ll never change it now, it’s part of our Christmas! Many a time we’re been up there and we see friends doing exactly the same thing.  It’s wonderful – there’s a dialogue, a script to why we go there too, a sense of responsibility, of local love as the trees all come from the surrounding forest, as nature intended which can mean some raggedy affairs if you leave your tree buying a little too late!  It gives me a warm glow knowing our tree comes from our local forest and has been cut down to help maintain the ancient woodland, fuel costs are also at a minimum!  There’s even the tradition of how we dispose of it afterward, it’s collected along with a donation (and always some biscuits or cakes), to be mulched (the tree – not the cakes!) to be used again and the money raised goes to our local East Cheshire Hospice.  It’s a win win tradition if ever the was one.  Simple, purposeful and beneficial I think.

Another fabulous tradition is that my lovely Mum & Dad always buy a chocolate advent calendar for each of us – adults & children alike! It’s so exciting and it’s really does form part of the festivities! Each one tailored to our personalities – sometimes it’s the little things!

This year we’ve decided controversially, to look at changing a few traditions.  Massively!! Some people will possibly relate to our proposal, others will be shock – nay horrified!! We’re thinking of doing away with Christmas Dinner… (GASP!!!)  I know!! Ok, I must admit not entirely, just moving it from Christmas Day is all. Now hear me out, there’s good sound reasons for it, even though I know it goes against convention.  Christmas Day is a busy affair, present unwrapping, playing with all the fab new toys, looking and reading all the new books, watching the decent(ish) Christmas tele. It’s something of a feat just to change out of your pyjamas!  So on top of that, to cook lets face a HUGE meal that takes ages to sort out & by the time it’s ready, you’re so stuffed from eating chocolate, Quality Street, peanuts, pancakes, Chocolate Orange, bacon butties, mince pies and all the other assortments of Christmas fare that is freely available, that to eat a HUGE amount of traditional Christmas Dinner is sometimes a little over-facing… So what about having that on Boxing Day, for some the damp squib day of Christmas when you’re not quite sure what to do with yourself, due to the high-octane excitement of the day before.  Less pressure, more time to spend relaxing, less family politics (a well trod situation, when in-laws are concerned…) I’m quite looking forward to it if I’m honest!  In actual fact it could be created on any day between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve Eve for me.  It’s going to be quite interesting viewing the reaction of folk when we’re asked if we had a nice dinner and we reply ‘Don’t know – not had it yet!’.

I say all this knowing full well that it’s all under the auspicious label of ‘Subject to Change’.  And if I’m honest in-built flexibility suits me fine at the end of the day.  I can think of nothing worse than having my entire Christmas mapped out minute by minute, I think I’d rather eat frog spawn!  And anyway, it’s Traditional!  (To be flexible, not to eat frog spawn – that would just be weird don’t you think..?…)

So to conclude, it is my humble opinion that whilst for the most of us there’s rhyme & reason for our collection of Christmas Traditions, there’s also a fundamental rhyme & reason to discard the outdated, the redundant & sometimes collective thinking type of Traditions.  Give them a thorough shake down and embrace the new with inbuilt flexibility to cope with the fast pace world we live in.  And eat chocolate & cake for breakfast of course! #Christmas Is Coming