Narnia library giveaway (c/d 12 July 2013)

In conjunction with the fabulous Narnia food and feasts competition (you can read all about it in my previous post Are you a Narnia cooking star?) Harper Collins kindly offered a beautiful Narnia book set for one of my blog readers.

The Narnia library includes one copy of each of the following:

1.       The Magician’s Nephew

2.       The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

3.       The Horse and His Boy

4.       Prince Caspian

5.       The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

6.       The Silver Chair

7.       The Last Battle

If you would like to win this prize, please fill in the Rafflecopter form.
T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need is answer the question by leaving a comment.

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily and do a bonus click entry daily as well to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflcopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within a week, the prize will be allocated to another person.
The giveaway will close on 12 July 2013 at midnight.
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

White Witch Cake

You might have seen my post about the Narnia cooking competition launched by Harper Collins (see Are you a Narnia cooking star? for all the details, terms and conditions).
This is my own creation, a cake inspired by Narnia.

White Witch Cake
Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 bananas
200g self-raising powder
1 tsp baking powder
200g golden caster sugar
50g butter, unsalted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp cinnamon
2tbsp ground almonds

For the icing
2 tbps cream cheese, low fat
50g icing sugar
30g butter, unsalted
1 tbsp brandy

For the decorations
3 tbsp Dr Oetker Apricot glaze
Dr Oetker Ready to Roll White Icing
Dr Oetker Soft Silver Pearls
Queen Writing Icing
Ready-made merigues (small size)
1tsp of softened butter

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease the sandwich tins and line with the baking parchment (or use the cake release spray, then you don't need the parchment paper)
2. In a big mixing bowl sift the flour with the baking powder.
3. Mash the ripe bananas with the fork and whisk together with the sugar.
Whisk the egg yolks until the mixture is pale and creamy. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Add the eggs to the big bowl with the flour and ground almonds and mix well, adding cinnamon and vanilla extract too. Fold the egg whites in the mixture, using a large wooden spatula.
4. Spoon the mixture into the sandwich tin and smooth the top with the spoon.
5. Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes or until it feels firm. Using a wooden skewer, check that the cake is done.
6. Leave the cake out for about 10 minutes, then carefully move to the wire cooling rack and leave there until completely cool. Carefully cut into two layers using a thin long knife.
7. Prepare the icing by mixing the cream cheese with the icing sugar in the bowl, then add the softened butter and the brandy, mix until it is smooth and shiny. If the icing is too thick, add another spoonful of brandy.
8. Spread the icing on top of the first layer and sandwich the two layers together.
9. Using a knife, spread the Apricot glaze over the top and sides of the cake.
10. Roll out the Ready to roll icing on a non-stick board to 5mm thickness. Drape the icing over the cake carefully. Use the rolling pin as a support tool to move the icing onto the cake without tearing it. Gently smooth the icing across the top of the cake, using your hands. Be careful not to leave the fingerprints, so don't press to hard. Smooth the icing down towards the base of the cake and trim any excess at the base with the knife.
11. Leave the cake for a day before decorating.
12. Using the writing icing, carefully draw your design. Add the silver pearls at the end.
13. Press each meringue in the softened butter, slightly, just to make it easy for the meringues to hold onto the sides of the cake.

Are you a Narnia Cooking Star?

HARPER COLLINS ON THE HUNT FOR A NARNIA COOKING STAR

HarperCollins are launching a global competition – Narnia Food and Feasts – giving fans the chance to feature in The Official Narnia Cookbook ebook. If you’ve ever wanted to sample Edmund’s Turkish Delight, satisfy your sweet tooth with Mr. Tumnus’s sugar-topped cake, or enjoy roast apples with Lucy, then HarperCollins invites you to bring the magic of Narnia to life in your own kitchen with Narnia Food and Feasts!

White Witch Cake (by Galina Varese)

Maybe you’ll create a lamppost liquorice straw treat, a White Witch egg white omelet, Reepicheep’s bite-sized cheese hors d’oeuvre, or a foraged foods salad from the Narnian forest floor! Take inspiration from the stories, characters, or events of The Chronicles of Narnia, and let your imagination run wild.

Fans could win a prize fit for Aslan:

A one night stay and meal for two at The Goring Hotel in London – where Kate Middleton stayed the night before her big day
A food foraging Taste the Wild day course for two from Countryfile presenter Chris Bax
A beautiful complete colour Narnia library
Plus, the chance for their Narnia themed dish to star in our new recipe collection in ebook!

Judged by a top chef from The Goring Hotel, food foraging expert and Countryfile presenter Chris Bax and stepson of C. S. Lewis – Douglas Gresham – the competition will be launched to the 3.7 million fans on the Official Narnia Facebook page on June 17th.

To enter, fans must go to the Facebook tab at TheChroniclesofNarnia from June 17th and enter their recipe and a photo of their creation. Deadline for entries is 10am on 1ST July, when there will be a two week voting period.  All the entries will be subject to the public vote from launch, our judges will then pick their five favourites after the entry period closes and the one with the most public votes will be the winner!
The winner will be announced with a special media event at The Goring in August.

White Witch Cake (detail)