Steeliac

Category: Product review

  • Chocolates By Design

    Chocolates By Design

    How lucky am I, that this wonderful box of chocolately goodness dropped through my letterbox before the bank holiday weekend? You’ll know from the (in)frequency of my posts that keeping this blog going is a very side-of-desk gig for me. One that’s been increasingly challenging to fit in around the chaos of a full-time job, raising teenagers, and, added into the mix over this last year, training a puppy. But no matter how busy life gets, the gluten thing never goes away, does it? It’s always lurking, always in the background, ready to provide you with an extra layer of hassle at any moment.

    So I was very excited when a treat popped through my letterbox from Chocolates by Design, and with it, an opportunity to promote a small, Sheffield-based, gluten free creator without having to leave my sofa. I don’t often get sent freebies, so when I do, it’s a bit of an occasion.

    What arrived was a carefully packaged, simple but robust box:

    A rectangular, textured black box lid with purple writing saying Chocolates by Design

    But inside the box, oh my goodness, a riot of colour and design. Just look at these – twelve chocolates, all individually crafted and meticulously decorated; some of them looked like miniature planets. It was almost a shame to eat them, really.

    A rectangular box containing twelve really quite spectacular chocolates in different shapes (heart, sphere, square) and all brightly decorated with colours, prints and swirls

    Jo and Tony, the chocolatiers, have put together a fairly extensive menu of flavours and designs, split into three collections: cocktails, desserts and experimental, all made in their completely gluten free chocolate workshop. My box contained six from the dessert collection and six from the experimental collection.

    From the dessert collection, I had a tiramisu, Black Forest gateaux, sherry trifle, creme brulee, lemon meringue and cherry Bakewell. They were almost like a tasting plate of desserts, all with distinctive but gently balanced flavours, no one flavour shouting too loudly. They were as enjoyable to eat as they were to look at.

    My experimental selection included pistachio, rose and cardamom; raspberry, lilac and lychee; acorn, coffee and macadamia nut; tonka bean; sweet miso and hazelnut; and lemon thyme. These were all fairly novel combinations for me and it was a bit like doing the ingredients test on Masterchef testing my palate with what flavours I could identify! Again, all were very delicious, but I think a few of the flavours could be bolder – the miso, the cardamom and the thyme, to really push the boundaries.

    I’m very tempted to place an order for some of the cocktail collection, which includes some of my all time favourites: espresso martini, amaretto sour and pina colada, amongst classics like mojito, negroni and old fashioned. One for the birthday or Christmas list..?

    So where can you buy these tempting treats? Chocolates by Design have an online shop and they also attend events including markets such as Sharrow Vale, Fox Valley and Graves Park. Take a look on their page for more opportunities to find them. In 2025, they deservedly won a gold medal from the Free From Awards, which is testament not only to the quality of the product, but also the confidence in their allergen control.

    Buy local, support your local makers, and treat yourself.

  • Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu

    Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu

    Gluten free tiramisu is an extremely rare occurrence, so I was fascinated to try the offering from Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu on Sharrow Vale Road. This business has grown from being a conession in Krynkl, the shipping container development, to having their own premises.

    Tiramisu is one of my absolute favourite desserts. I used to work in an Italian restaurant as a teenager (waaaay before my Coeliac diagnosis) and I developed a fondness for it there. It’s not difficult to find brilliant gluten free Italian food in general, but the GF desserts in Italian restaurants sadly almost never feature tiramisu.

    I make a big gluten free tiramisu myself once or twice a year – always at Christmas and sometimes in summer if there’s a worthy occasion. It’s a bit of a labour of love, as I like to make my own Savoiardi biscuits rather than use cake, so the texture is perfect. I soak my biscuits in a mixture of espresso and Kahlua (or rum), and I use mascarpone, eggs and sugar for the silky cream. It’s absolutely wonderful! (Recipe here if you want to try it)

    So I was very excited to call in at Paradiso this afternoon to pick up some takeaway tiramisu to try out, without all the effort!

    A view of the shop front of Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu on Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, with some pots of tiramisu visible in the window and a few people queueing outside

    There was a real buzz around the shop on Sharrow Vale Road, with a gaggle of people waiting outside. There are a few tables at the back of the shop where you can eat in – coffees and cannoli are on offer as well as the tiramisu – but most people were taking away, like us.

    As well as their ‘Classico’ tiramisu, there are a variety of flavours on offer such as pistachio and biscoff, although understandably, the gluten free version is the classic one. We kept it simple and bought a Classico one for my husband and a GF one for me, then went home to enjoy them with a coffee.

    A brown paper tub with a lid containing tiramisu with stamped lettering on the tub saying Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu
    Top view of the tiramisu tub, with a transparent plastic lid, cocoa powder visible in the tub and a gluten free sticker
    A brown card tub of tiramisu without the lid, next to a cup of coffee, both on a tablecloth

    So, what’s the verdict? As with many free from foods, the GF tiramisu is also vegan, as well as being free from coffee. And all of Paradiso’s tiramisus are alcohol free. It was a lovely afternoon indulgence, with a very light and sweet cream, and a flavour of coffee – but without the booze and the dairy, it didn’t quite pack the same punch as my own. I’m sorry it’s not a rave review from me, but it’s still great that they’ve gone to the trouble of making a gluten free option and it’s worth a go if you’ve been missing tiramisu, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

    Paradiso Artisan Tiramisu
    345 Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield S11 8ZG

  • Ferrero Rocher ice cream!

    Ferrero Rocher ice cream!

    This was rather a good find in the Tesco Local near me. These are about the size of a Mini Magnum and there are four in a pack. Whilst the Ferrero Rocher chocolates aren’t gluten free, these ice cream bars don’t have any wafer in them, and there isn’t a ‘may contain’ statement on the ingredients either – winner!

    A gluten free chocolate and nut covered ice cream on a stick
    A gold coloured packet containing an ice cream bar
    A packet of Ferrero Rocher ice cream bars, which happen to be gluten free.

    Inside the chocolate and nut exterior, they have a hazelnut flavoured ice cream with a chocolate and hazelnut swirl through it – a welcome treat in the garden last weekend.

  • Magpie’s Secret

    Magpie’s Secret

    Very occasionally, Steeliac gets me a treat. I’ve had the odd free meal when a new gluten free menu has been launched or trialled, but 99% of what’s on the blog is just my own experience as a consumer. However, this week, a pleasant surprise dropped into my inbox, from Rosie at Magpie’s Secret, asking if I wanted to try out her cupcakes. Obviously, being keen to support local gluten free business, it didn’t take me long to say yes. And a couple of days later, these vanilla and chocolate beauties turned up.

    Rosie is a specialist gluten free baker based in Sheffield. Her main focus is to make gluten free cakes and treats just as exciting and fun as regular ones. She’s a big foodie and gets really annoyed at having to expect lower quality treats due to being on a gluten free diet, so she’s taken matters into her own hands.

    We dived into the cupcakes after our tea – always best as fresh as possible – and they were every bit as good as they look. The sponge was remarkably soft and there was just the right amount of frosting (for me! – I reckon the kids could take more.)

    The cupcakes can be found in the Gallery page on Rosie’s website. They start at ÂŁ30 per dozen, and come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and flavours. Also in the gallery are some rather delicious looking brownies (ÂŁ20 for 9, also vegan) and a couple of celebration cakes.

    Magpie’s Secret also currently sells hot chocolate in a variety of flavours (including Irish cream, raspberry, caramel and peppermint) and two types of cookie: chewy chocolate chip and zesty lemon. I like the sound of the lemon cookies! Everything on there is gluten free and most things can be dairy free or vegan as well.

  • Coop Coconut & Chilli King Prawns

    Coop Coconut & Chilli King Prawns

    I recently discovered this little gem in the Coop – king prawns in a coconut and chilli crumb, which is great for a quick lunch for two with a bit of salad. The Coop have several breaded items in their standard range that are gluten free, which is great, and means the price is reasonable. They have some brilliant melting middle fish cakes as well, which are great for an easy kids’ tea (or indeed an easy grown ups’ tea).

    I think there were about ten decent sized prawns in the pack. They bake in the oven for about 10 mins and we drizzled a bit of sweet chilli sauce on and had them with some salad for a weekday lunch. (#workingfromhome) They were a bit of a treat and made a nice change from the usual leftovers/salad.

  • Amazing GF focaccia

    Amazing GF focaccia

    This focaccia might just be my new favourite gluten free bread. The texture was wonderful and softly chewy on the inside, the outside had a lovely crunch, it had amazing flavours on the top and the trademark focaccia dimples. It even met with approval from the house’s gluten eaters. The only drawback? You have to make it yourself! But it’s very easy.

    I bought the mix early on in the first lockdown to go with a home made lasagne but that was when you had to re-mortgage your house to buy yeast and flour, so it sat in my cupboard for quite a while. It’s a Davinia Steel mix. I’ve not used any of her other products, but there’s a scone mix, a pizza mix and a loaf mix as well as this one. I’ve just had a look at the website and discovered they have recently launched a ‘dipping and dunking snack range’ of (pre-made) biscotti and crostini, which look rather fine!

    Apologies for the next photo – evidently taken after opening!

    Once I did get hold of some yeast, the mix was really easy to make. This kit comes with a flour mix and two packets containing rosemary leaves and garlic powder. To make the bread, you just need to add water and salt (and the yeast, of course) to the bread mix, and you need to have a 20cm, cake tin, oiled. With a generous amount of oil on your hands, it’s fairly easy to flatten the top of the mix and make the dimples with your fingers.

    After an initial proving, which I did in the oven at about 50C, it had doubled in size and I was pleased that the dimples were still there. At this point, the rosemary leaves (provided) can be sprinkled on. I also added a bit of garlic powder and extra salt on the top, and then baked in the oven for about 25 minutes.

    Once baked, you leave it the focaccia in the tin to cool and the steam helps it come out. You’re supposed to leave it to cool completely before eating, but as I botched my timings, we ended up eating it much sooner than that.

    We ate it with carbonara but it would go well with any pasta, with soup or just with antipasto.

    It was so good, I’ve already bought another one for myself and one as a present!

  • Pizza Time!

    Pizza Time!

    Hi, I’m finally back!!

    We found an amazing pizza from M&S food, which we have been ordering from Ocado. It had a really good pizza texture [ one of the BEST I’ve had!]. It also tasted phenomenally good for a gluten free base!!

    We have our suspicions that it may be the same recipe as Pizza Express!!

    And, as it is only a base, you can put whatever you want on it! [I wouldn’t recommend a sweet pizza though!]. Overall, it was great for a Friday night tea with sweet potato fries!

  • Gluten free sausagefest

    Gluten free sausagefest

    Inspired by the (not GF) bangers and mash ‘your way’ menu option at a recent pub visit, we had a crack at our own, gluten free version when we had a house full of family the other week.

    There are tonnes of gluten free sausages available in the supermarkets these days, including many own brands. Sadly, I’ve rarely found gluten free sausages in the butchers, but there are still plenty to choose from.

    I’ve tried quite a few brands, and the Black Farmer sausages are always a favourite, but I can usually only get their plain pork ones. I was over the moon to find these Jolly Hog sausages with gluten free black pudding and apple. It’s not too difficult to come across GF black pudding, but in a sausage! The Porky Blacks were fab, and even a hit with people who aren’t into ‘neat’ (?) black pudding. Tonnes of flavour.

    So we cooked three kinds of sausage (baked in the oven). Alongside the Jolly Hog Porky Blacks, we had Jolly Hog with caramelised red onion, and plenty of Black Farmer pork and herb for the less adventurous.

    We cooked a big pan of regular mashed potato and another of carrot and sweet potato mash. Top tips for making mash for a crowd:

    1. I used an electric whisk to do the mashing – this gave a great texture.
    2. For the sweet potato and carrot mash, chop the carrots much smaller than the sweet potato as it takes longer to cook.
    3. Plenty of butter and cream in the potato mash, but just butter in the carrot and sweet potato.
    4. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.

    While the potatoes were boiling and the sausages were cooking, we made two sauces – onion gravy and cheese sauce.

    When there’s no meat juices to add, I make an onion gravy by caramelising finely sliced onions in oil and butter, with a touch of sugar. Stir in some flour to soak up the oil, then add beef stock, a generous glug of red wine and plenty of Hendo’s. Bubble away until the desired thickness is achieved.

    For the cheese sauce, I melt butter in a pan, then stir in some gluten free plain flour to soak it up. Add cold milk, whisking all the time, then plenty of grated cheese. Once the cheese is added, don’t let it boil, otherwise it will split.

    Feel free to ask in the comments if you’re interested in a more detailed recipe for any of this, but I’m not generally one for much measuring!

    We served the bangers on a big platter, the mash in two big dishes, and the sauces in two gravy jugs, and let people help themselves. It was grand.

  • Coeliac UK food fest & The Box Bakery

    Coeliac UK food fest & The Box Bakery

    I went to the Coeliac UK Food Festival in York at the end of June. It was a great event, with about twenty food stalls/catering outlets, some fun cooking demos and great speakers. There were lots of nibbles on offer, to try and buy some new and some familiar gluten free products.

    Notably, one of the speakers was Dr Hugo Penny from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, who did a really interesting talk on what’s happening when you’re still experiencing symptoms despite following a gluten free diet. We were also introduced to the new chief exec of Coeliac UK, Hilary Croft, who did a cooking demo with Masterchef winner, Jane Devonshire.

    My star find of the day was an innovative product from a brand new company called The Box Bakery.

    The product is a minimal effort bake-at-home gluten free bread. The concept is great – the mix comes in a small box, and you just add water, proove and bake in the box. It’s that simple! There were two flavours of bread – a whole grain and a white, both with seeds, and a chocolate cake mix. The company is accredited with Coeliac UK, and the boxes carry the crossed grain symbol.

    I bought a few of these nifty little packages to try at home, and got round to making one last weekend. As I expected, it was incredibly easy. All you have to do is peel away the corner of the box to reveal a stopper, which you take out. Add water and give it a really good shake (with the stopper back in!) Then remove the lid and ensure it’s all mixed together, before prooving in a warm oven for half an hour, then baking for 50 minutes.

    Voila! A perfect little loaf. The only downside is it takes about an hour and a half to make from start to finish, and then needs a bit of cooling time. So you need to be a bit prepared. I made mine on Friday evening so we had fresh bread for Saturday morning, which was a real treat.

    The loaf is a lovely, seedy bread, which held together well when sliced, with no ridiculous holes in it! I’m looking forward to making another this weekend. You can buy them from the online store at theboxbakery.co.uk – I’m not sure if they’re stocked in any supermarkets yet. But they will have a stall at this weekend’s Allergy and Free From Show in Olympia, London (5-7 July).

    Incidentally, whilst we were in York, we tried out the 100% gluten free cafe, 2 Oxford Place, on Gillygate. I had southern fried chicken and it was AMAZING. Out of my range for a review, but it was ace, and definitely worth a visit if you’re in York.

    Disclaimer – This isn’t a sponsored post. I came across this product and bought it myself. I’m promoting it because I think it’s great. 🙂

  • Rule of Crumb – frozen treats!

    Rule of Crumb – frozen treats!

    I love cooking, but sometimes it’s nice to slack off and take the easy option.

    I have deployed these gluten free profiteroles from Rule of Crumb a few times now for a Sunday dinner pudding, a birthday treat and even on Boxing Day. They are the perfect cheat dessert, as you keep them in the freezer until the morning you need them, then get the box out to defrost. It takes about 5 minutes to assemble them in a bowl and drizzle over the chocolate and salted caramel sauces, then ta-da!

    The great thing is, they do look just like the photo on the packet. (I should say there are two boxes worth in my photo.) And they taste fabulous, if you have a sweet tooth. At ÂŁ2.99 per box, it’s not even that expensive. Highly recommended!

    Also from Rule of Crumb is this pre-prepared gluten free Chicken Katsu Curry, which I think is a fairly new product.

    You have to make the accompaniments for this, but for the chicken, it’s a case of baking it in the oven for 20 mins or so and microwaving the sauce. You’re supposed to defrost it overnight in the fridge, but we didn’t realise so we cooked it from frozen for a bit longer, and it was fine.

    Great flavour, nice bit of heat, crispy chicken. Lovely.

    This is a great treat meal for those occasions when we really fancy a takeaway but just not another curry, which seems the only takeaway we can easily get these days.

    Rule of Crumb foods are stocked by Sainsburys, Morrisons, Booths, Wholefoods and Ocado, according to their website. Or you can buy directly from their online shop, where you can see their other products.

    Disclaimer: I bought (am still buying) these myself and genuinely think they’re great – this isn’t a promotional post 🙂