Friday 21 February 2014

Review: Sugar and Crumbs Flavoured Icing - Coffee and Salted Caramel

"Sugar and Crumbs™ is a family run UK Company with a strong emphasis on convenience without compromise. We offer a range of 24 naturally flavoured icing sugars and 5 cocoa powders that are suitable for every baker at affordable prices. We pride ourselves on our uniqueness within the baking industry and our unrivalled flavour portfolio."
 
So, how could I resist a tweet which offered some samples of such delicious sounding products in return for a blog post? I mean, that's what I DO! They very kindly sent Coffee-, Salted Caramel-, and Coconut-flavoured icing sugar, and a Chocolate-Coconut flavoured cocoa powder.
 
In this post I am talking about the coffee and salted caramel. The first thing you think about is: why has nobody thought of this before? Ok, we all use vanilla extract or cocoa, or perhaps lemon zest in our buttercream, but this naturally-flavoured icing is so simple to use, it's quite surprising it's not more readily available. However, S&C seem to have cracked it. The flavour already integrated, you simply use it as you would normal icing sugar. With 1:2 butter: icing sugar ratio (as you do for the usual buttercream recipe) and a splash of milk, it turns out deliciously creamy and subtlety flavoured.
 
 
Chocolate cupcakes, ready to ice...

I made my usual chocolate fudge cupcakes, some in silicon tea-cups, some in regular cupcake cases. Using the coffee flavoured icing, I made enough buttercream with 125g to ice 6 (quite large) cupcakes. The smell while mixing was gorgeous, a real coffee cake aroma. Even if you don't like coffee, which my kids don't (that they know of, yet...), this flavour will appeal - my 8 year old loved it! My 7 year old, not so much, but she's not big on icing anyway. Both Himself and I thought it was sumptuous.

 
Coffee Cupcakes
 
 
Next up the salted caramel. I have to say, this is probably my favourite flavour of anything sweet, so expectations were high. And it didn't disappoint. A hit with all four of us, even the icing-shrugging little one. Again the aroma during the mixing was so enticing. The 250g made enough for 12 generous cupcakes. 
 
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
 
 
Overall, I think it's an excellent product. Simple to use, and the flavours are strong enough to be identifiable, yet subtle enough not to be overpowering. You can of course used half flavoured, half regular icing sugar to reduce the strength of flavour (and make it go further!) but I think S&C have got it just right. Price-wise, it's slightly more expensive than normal icing sugar, but the packaging is excellent, and it makes flavouring your buttercream a breeze. For the variety of unique flavour available, I do think it's worth it, especially for that special occasion bake. 
 
 Big thank you to Sugar and Crumbs for sending me the products, and watch this space for chocolate-coconut cupcakes with coconut icing... I, for one, can't wait!
 

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