Carole Matthews's Blog, page 9

Chocolate Lovers’ Club All Systems Go!

Hi Ladies

Hopefully, the people who’ve been chosen to join The Chocolate Lovers’ Club will have started to receive their welcome packs. Hurrah!  You’ll also be getting info on how to share on social media, but I’ve also put it here to help!

I’ve got my membership pack. How do I get to the next level? 

Everyone who shares pictures of their membership packs five times on social media (including Facebook or Twitter) using @CaroleMatthews #ChocolateLoversClub prior to midnight 18th October will receive the Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers’ Club Tier 2 Prize.

All you have to do is simply send in a screengrab to prove your shares to: Carole.Matthews@littlebrown.co.uk by midnight 18th October along with your name and postal address. Everyone who shares and emails the evidence by this date will automatically be sent the Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers Club Tier 2 Prize.

What’s in my Tier 2 Prize?

This is so lush! This fabulous prize will have everything you need to host your own Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers’ Club evening so that you can share the love with your friends too! You’ll receive five copies of The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas paperback, a big box of chocolates, and even a tiara for you and friends to wear! (Well, not a real one with gemstones and everything, but they will add a bit of sparkle to your evening!).

You’ll also receive an exclusive seasonal short story, just for you, titled Let it Snow. This short story will only be available to read via a password protected page on my website and is for members only. Full details will be sent out with your prize.

When will I get this fabulous prize?

The Tier 2 Prizes will be sent out w/c 26th October.

And there’s a Tier 3 Prize that’s even better?

Yes! I’m spoiling you! All you have to do is share pictures of your own Chocolate Lovers’ Club evening five times on social media (including Facebook or Twitter) using @CaroleMatthews #ChocolateLoversClub by midnight 22nd November and you’ll unlock the Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers’ Tier 3 Prize.

Sounds exciting! So what’s the Tier 3 Prize?

You’ll receive a gorgeous Chocolate Lovers’ Club advent calendar which just might contain chocolate PLUS an early, signed copy of my novel, The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding in hardback before anyone else has a chance to get their chocolatey mitts on it!

One lucky person will also receive a Golden Ticket in their advent calendar and they’ll have the special honour of having a dedication to them in the paperback edition of The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding! It doesn’t get better than that!

When will I get my Tier 3 Prize?

The Chocolate Lovers’ Club advent calendars will be sent out w/c 23rd November. Copies of The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding will be sent out shortly afterwards and will be with you in time for Christmas.

What happens next?

Everyone who reaches Tier 3 will automatically be invited to receive a new membership pack in 2016 and take part in sharing the love to win new prizes for The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding. Further details will follow in the New Year.

What If I don’t get chosen this time? Will there be another opportunity to join?

Don’t worry, I’ll be inviting new people to join in time for the launch of The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding in 2016! There’ll be a new call-out on the Carole Matthews’ newsletter and social media pages in the New Year. And there’ll be lots of other lovely giveaways before then too. Stayed tuned!

Much love and happy chocolate eating! C : ) xx

All this fabulousness is going to be organized by my lovely publishing team so, if you have any other questions about the Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers’ Club, please email: Carole.Matthews@Littlebrown.co.uk

So very sorry, but this is for UK readers only.

For full terms and conditions click here.

My very first grown-up papercraft design!

Much excitement! A few weeks ago I was accepted for the Hopes and Chances design team. Go me.

As a newbie to paper crafting, I was really thrilled to be chosen. Now the pressure is on! Every month I get to create a new project with a Spellbinders die and I can’t wait. Plus I get the most excellent title of being one of Elliott’s Angels.

My very first project has just gone live on the Hope and Chances blog and I really hope that you like it. It shows that you can use your dies in many different ways and it’s given me the opportunity to try new things too.

To have look at my design in full and my thinking behind it, pop along to the Hope and Chances blogetty-blog and say hello to us all.

It would be even better if you could sign up to the blog and make encouraging comments for all the new Angels. A post comes out every day with fab paper craft ideas.

If you don’t know anything at all about paper crafting, you have no idea what joys you are missing out on! Come and join the fun.

Much love. C : ) xx

My very own Chocolate Lovers’ Club and you can join too!

Ladies! Want to join my very special Chocolate Lovers’ Club and spread some chocolatey love?

To celebrate publication of my two new Chocolate Lovers’ Club novels, The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas and The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding, my publisher has created my very own Chocolate Lovers’ Club!

Are you a chocolate lover? Do you love my Chocolate Lovers’ Club books? Do you have your own Facebook or Twitter account? Do you want to win some fabulous, exclusive prizes? Then join my Club!

I’m looking for fifty fans who will help me to create a great buzzy atmosphere for the new Chocolate Lovers’ Club books. I want everyone to know about the loves and lives of Lucy, Chantal, Autumn and Nadia and what goes on in Chocolate Heaven! In return, you can join the Carole Matthews’ Chocolate Lovers’ Club. As a member, you’ll receive an official certificate, a free paperback copy of my new book, The Chocolate Lover’s Christmas (prior to official paperback publication!) and of course, that all important ingredient, chocolate!

When you become a member, there’ll be some extra great prizes that you can earn by sharing on social media. It’s as simple as that. There are three different tiers to the Club and the more you share, the more fabulous prizes you can win!

Up for grabs are an exclusive free short story from yours truly for members only, an early, signed hardback copy of my 2016 publication, The Chocolate Lover’s Wedding. You can also win enough books and chocolates to host your own Chocolate Lovers’ Club evening. Oh, and there’s a Golden Ticket in there somewhere too to unlock an especially great and unique prize! All that and more!

All the details you need to enter are here! But you only have until 30 September to become part of the club.

Join now!

Look forward to catching up with you soon. Happy chocolate eating.

C xx

T&Cs apply. So sorry, but this is for UK readers only!

I made the team!

A bit of excitement at Matthews’ Towers this morning. I just heard that I’ve been accepted on the design team for Hope and Chances creativity. I’m a newbie to the world of paper crafting, so I’m very excited to be on board. I’m now officially one of Elliott’s Angels! I don’t think anyone has ever called me an angel before…

It means that I’ll produce a project each month for them to my own design. Quite anxious now! I’d better get practising! You can find out more about Elliott’s Angels here and our projects will be on the blog every month.

I was given a Spellbinders Artisan X-Plorer as a present last Christmas which unleased a paper crafting monster! I love it. Now you can’t move in my conservatory for stacks of dies and boxes of paper. My most ambitious project to date has been a scrapbook for my friend’s newly-opened wedding boutique. I’m still trying to get the glue off my dining room table. I’d say my style is contemporary and minimalist, but we’ll see! I’m looking forward to creating my own projects and being part of the team. Fingers crossed!

Happy crafting!

C : ) xx

Celebrate Bake Off with Brownies

You should never watch The Great British Bake Off without some cake to hand and here’s a really easy recipe for brownies for you to try.

I pinched this recipe for gorgeous, gooey brownies from one of my cake gurus, Jamie Bakes Cakes, who is a totally fabulous lady. They’re not the prettiest brownies you’ll ever see – we tend to call them drop brownies at Matthews’ Towers as they do, generally, come out looking as if they’ve been dropped on the floor. They taste amazing though!

Totally Gooey Triple Choc Brownies

275g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

185g butter

185g dark chocolate

85g self raising flour

40g cocoa powder

100g milk chocolate, chopped

Heat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 160 degrees fan oven and line a 23cm x 23 cm tray bake tin with baking parchment.

Place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Heat until melted. Set aside to cool.

Beat the sugar and eggs together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. This take about 3 minutes.

Slowly add the cooled chocolate and butter to the egg mix. Then gently fold in the flour and cocoa.

Finally, stir through the chopped milk chocolate.

Pour in to tin and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the middle has just a slight ‘wobble’.

Leave to cool completely (preferably overnight) before turning out and chopping in to either 16 or 20 squares. (Lovely Kev complains if I cut them too small!)

This is a very gooey brownie to cut so have a bowl of boiling water to clean your knife with as you go. Whatever you do, the top will crack!

Sprinkle with a generous coating of icing sugar (to hide the cracks!) before serving.

Happy baking! C : ) xx

 

Fun and Fizz in Sherborne

Want to join me in Sherborne for some fun and fizz? I’ll be attending the literary festival there on Sunday 18 October and will be hosting an event at the lovely Eastbury Hotel from 3-5pm. I’ll be talking about The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas, answering questions and there’ll be plenty of time to chat. There’ll also be chocolate! What’s not to love?

Tickets are £15.00. Be quick!

http://www.sherborneliterarysociety.com/product/event-21-carole-matthews-james-crowden/

Hope to see some of you there.

Love C : ) xx

Merry Christmas!

I know that might be a bit early for some palates but I have a new book out today – my 27th novel.

May I present for your delectation, THE CHOCOLATE LOVERS’ CHRISTMAS. Ta-dah!

The story follows on from my previous novels The Chocolate Lovers’ Club and The Chocolate Lovers’ Diet. If you’ve read them before, it will be like hooking up with old friends. If you’re new to their stories, then I hope you enjoying meeting the ladies.

It’s published in hardback and ebook today with the paperback to follow in a slightly more seasonable October.

Happy chocolate reading!

C : ) xx

 

Christmas is just around the corner, but the women of The Chocolate Lovers’ Club have more to worry about than present shopping …

Lucy loves running Chocolate Heaven but she hasnt spent time with her boyfriend, Aiden in weeks. And then her ex-fiance turns up and things become even more complicated!

Nadia hasn’t let herself get close to a man in a long time, yet she can’t help feeling drawn to Jacob. will he be her last chance for a happy ending?

Chantal and her husband, Ted , are besotted with their baby daughter Lana – but Chantal isn’t sure that’s enough to base a marriage on.

Autumn is dealing with a tragedy that has hit too close to home. But when she doesn’t get the support she needs from her fiance, will she look elsewhere for comfort?

Can friendship overcome all in … The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas

It’s Biscuit Week on Bake Off!

Second episode of The Great British Bake Off tonight and it’s biscuit week. This recipe is from my friend, Fiona, and they’re the most delicious biscuits ever. She makes a pretty mean scone too.

Scrumptious Choc Chip Shortbread

250g/9oz butter, softened

100g/4oz caster sugar

250g/9oz plain flour

125g/4.5oz cornflour

100g milk chocolate cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Sift the flour and cornflour onto the butter mixture and mix until you have a smooth dough.

Sprinkle on the chocolate chunks and knead into the dough until they are evenly spread.

Shape the dough into a long fat sausage (whatever size you want the biscuits to be), wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Unwrap the dough and cut into slices of about 1.5cm thickness.

Place onto a greased or silicone lined baking tray and bake until pale and golden for about 20-30 minutes.

Cool on a wire tray.

Enjoy!

Carole : ) xx

The Cake Shop in the Garden – out now!

“I’m a Carole Matthews’ addict! Mary Berry’

 

The Great British Bake Off is back!

To celebrate the return of The Great British Bake Off, here’s my recipe for a delicious Pistachio Rocky Road. I’ve made some for snacking during Bake Off as it always makes me want cake! Enjoy. C : ) xx

Pistachio Rocky Road

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, chopped

400g plain chocolate, chopped

6 tbsp golden syrup

250g rich tea or digestive biscuits, broken into small pieces

75g peeled pistachios, chopped

150g roasted hazlenuts, chopped

90g small pink and white marshmallows

Method

Line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Melt butter, chocolate and golden syrup together in a glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir together.

Mix broken biscuits, chopped nuts and marshmallows. Combine with the chocolate mixture.

Pour into the prepared tin and press down using a wooden spoon or spatula. Chill in the fridge until firm.

Cut into 2cm pieces.

Simples! Enjoy!

Love Carole  : ) xx

 

Wondrous Words of Art!

Hi everyone!

I have a fantastic giveaway this month, a lovely picture from Claire at Words of Art. All you have to do is sign up to my newsletter to be entered for the draw. Ends midnight 31 August and one winner will be drawn in his usual random manner by Lovely Kev.

Check out all the fab pressies on Claire’s website. She has some gorgeous goodies. Words of Art.

Sign up to my newsletter here!

If you’re already signed up to the newsletter, then just read it to find out how to enter!

Love C : ) xx