Giveaway! Falcon Enamelware Review + Chocolate Pots De Creme with Himalayan Pink Salt

 

Giveaway Closed! 

We have a winner. Congratulations commenter number 48, Minna. You have won my set of Falcon Enamelware mini-tumblers. I have emailed you for your details, please respond as soon as possible. Enjoy! 

Thank you so much to everyone who commented. Keep an eye out, I have a few more giveaways coming up this December for you to enter, and hopefully win. You guys are wonderful!

I am a sorry excuse for a food blogger. Other than a rather impressive collection of motley props, I don't really have very many useful gadgets. I'll be honest. I am gadget girl. I love gadgets of all kind, the electronic versions, the photographic ones, the computers, the phones... but kitchen gadgets? Erm, not so many. 

I don't have the de rigueur stand mixer, no food processor, no coffee machine (does the French press count?), I am babysitting a pizza stone (and yes, I do have to give it back) and my oven is ancient. I am lucky my mom made me carry back her mixer-grinder back from India, so at least I don't need to find a spice blender, and my parents-in-law gave me their (really) old, silly powerful blender that I use for everything.

So as you can see, I am a 'tried and trusted' kind of person, rather than go for the new and fancy kind (and if I want new and fancy, I just wait for my friend Diane to get her gadgets first, because eventually they will get passed down, cough, cough, nudge!!)

And this is why I want to tell you about a few of the best and hardest working kitchen sets I own. Which are - my classic prep set, my beautiful red baking set and my adorably cute mini tumblers from Falcon Enamelware.

If you read this site often enough, you will know that I very rarely make outright recommendations for products, and I am also particular about the products I review. In fact, the last time I reviewed something was way back in July and I can't remember if I reviewed anything before that. My website is not my business, and I don't make very much money from it (ahem, I live off my husband instead, wink). Its a personal choice that I made a while ago, and while I work freelance in the writing/ food writing/ recipe development area. My website is my personal space, a place where I share a lot of what makes me 'me'. Its about my family, my friends, my hopes, my dreams and a lot of these stories revolve around food. So when I make a recommendation, it is because I have used the product for a long time and I love it, and I think that you will love it too.

Falcon Enamelware is a cult British company that specializes in making their distinctive blue rimmed white enamelware. Porcelain is fused on to heavy gauge steel, giving these pieces durability and strength. Falcon has been slowly revitalizing their products and redesigning their site, and now comes in a beautiful range of colours and new products are being added to their range all the time.

I was offered the chance to check out their Prep Set last year. Having used it for a few weeks, I was so impressed with the versatility of the set, that I also ended up withe their classic Bake Set, in a beautiful fire engine red. These two sets are a constant in my kitchen. The prep set pretty much sits on the counter all the time, and its one of my most used items in the kitchen. I use it for baking, cooking, prepping, washing and even serve food in it. I look after it carefully, don't use abrasive cleaners and like to use non-metal utensils, just the same as I would look after a piece of cherished cookware. Its a breeze to clean and still looks brand new after almost a year, and I can totally see it being a set that I will pass down to Adz.

Prepping vegetables for my Sambar 

Its the same with the Bake Set. The bake set consists of three bake pans and two pie dishes, and its incredibly versatile. It looks beautiful, and you can take it from oven to table. Enamelware is oven safe up to 270 C (an incredible 530 F) and can be used on the hob too. Its easy to clean, and any stains come right off.  I love serving in these dishes, and you can do a full festive menu with these gorgeous dishes.

Again, I look after them quite carefully, and as a result, they still look stunning after almost a year's heavy use, from roasting to baking to simmering gravy.

My friend Neko was so impressed she also ended up buying a set for herself :) I think she may be a little addicted to these guys!

Baking up some Mango Ginger Crumble 

When Falcon Enamelware contacted me this year, to check out their new range of mini tumblers, I think I might just have bitten their hands off :) These little mini tumblers are adorable, and they are a result of Falcon's collaboration with the fabulous French homeware and fashion company Merci. These mini tumblers come in two sizes, and the usual Falcon colours of white/ blue, red, grey and beige/ grey. The larger ones also come in two limited edition colours.

The mini tumblers hold the perfect serving of dessert, and I also love using them as espresso cups too. They are heavy, well made and look beautiful, as well as being their usual hardworking selves. You can bake in these, and my head is already spinning with visions of delicate souffles and creams. 

I decided to make these simple chocolate pots de creme, to showcase the elegance of these little tumblers. This recipe is super easy, yet the results are just incredibly delicious. My husband (who's gotten a little blase, him) LOVED these. Rich, dark and light chocolate combines with indulgent cream, and a light sprinkle of my favourite Himalayan Pink Salt just finishes this dessert off perfectly. 

You can add a festive twist by splashing in a couple tablespoons of of your favourite liqueur. I usually add my homemade Baileys Irish Cream, but I wanted to make this kid friendly for now :)As this recipe is all about the chocolate, you do need to use the best quality chocolate that you can find, it really makes a difference. My personal preference is for lighter chocolate, so I used a combination of Godiva's milk and dark bars, but you can go all dark for a really intense, indulgent dessert.

Now that you have the recipe - scroll down for a giveaway from the nice people at Falcon!

Recipe: 

(Printable Recipe)

200g best quality dark chocolate (or a combination of 100g dark and 100g milk chocolate)

Pinch of sea salt (you can use the Himalayan Pink, if you want)

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream (35 %)

1/2 cup half and half cream (10%)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Sprinkle of Himalayan Pink Salt

Method: 

Chop chocolate coarsely, and place in a blender or food processor, along with a pinch of sea salt. Blitz until finely chopped.

Heat the cream and half and half, until just steaming. Do not boil.

Pour the hot cream into the blender, and let it melt the chocolate for a few seconds. Blend for about 45 seconds,  until the chocolate mixture is creamy.

Beat the egg and egg yolk lightly, and with the motor of the blender running slowly, pour it into the chocolate cream. Blend for 30 seconds.

Pour the chocolate cream into your mini tumblers, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until set.

Sprinkle over coarse Himalayan Pink Salt to serve.

GIVEAWAY! 

See, this time around I decided not to be greedy, and asked if I could have a set of mini tumblers to give away to my lovely readers. So, as an early Christmas present, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Falcon Enamelware, one lucky reader will get their very own set of these beautiful mini tumblers.

To be in with a chance to win, please check out the rules below, and enter accordingly. 

Rules: 

One reader will win a set of four mini tumblers (two beige/ grey and two grey).

To participate in this giveaway, please do the following - head over to the Falcon Enamelware website, here, and take a look at their beautiful products. Then come back and let me know what your perfect Christmas present from them would be, and what you would prep/ bake/ cook/ serve in it. Please note, that only comments that answer these questions will be in the draw for the giveaway.

For an extra entry, 'Like' the Falcon Enamelware page on Facebook, and come back and leave me a comment saying you have done so. A 'like' for my page would be a bonus, but won't count as an entry... that's just be you being nice to me :)

Please leave an email address or a way for me to contact you if you win. This is really important. 

This giveaway is open worldwide and you can enter from any country, as long as its legal.

The giveaway ends on December 4th at 8 PM MST. I will pick a winner and contact them shortly afterwards. Please respond to the email as soon as you can. If I don't hear back within 2 days, I will choose an alternate winner.

I will post the tumblers to the winner using Canada Post's parcel services. Please note that I will mark the package as a gift, but you will be responsible for an taxes or customs duties that your government levies on the package.

Good luck :) 

Disclosure: I was not paid for this review. Falcon Enamelware provided me with a prep set (last year) and a  set of mini tumblers to review and a set of mini tumblers to give away. I love the products so much, that I have invested in my own sets too. I was not obliged to review the products, and I chose to do so on my own. All opinions are absolutely my own.