Iron Cupcake Challenge – Maple Syrup

This Saturday was sweet! Sean and I met my friend Karen for breakfast at The Toddle Inn. If you have never been to this little cafe, you have to make a breakfast date and get there. It is located on Richmond near Pall Mall and it has been there forever. The Toddle Inn is a London landmark – steeped in history and full of great breakfast and lunch,  make sure to try the homemade spiked marmalade. By chance, an old friend of mine (Brad) sat beside us and a new friend (Mel). Mel is an up-and-coming Food TV celebrity chef (she told me to say that), but she really could be! Karen and I had plans to go the Western Fair Market for the Iron Cupcake Challenge and told Brad and Mel about it and they were in! The Iron Cupcake challenge is held monthly upstairs at the Western Fair Farmers Market. Each month they pick an ingredient superstar and each month people from London and surrounding area can enter into the baking challenge – or if that is not your forté, you can just show up and shove a lot of cupcakes in your mouth, all in the name of charity. Of course, we chose the latter. At this particular cupcake challenge there were seven contestants and the money raised went to The Heart and Stroke Foundation. The maple syrup for the event was sponsored by The Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush. All the cupcakes were sweet – every single one of them. For a few short minutes I thought I may not be able to make it through all seven of my mini cupcakes, but then I remembered who I am, shook off that nonsensical thinking and plowed on through. The cupcakes and the displays are amazing. All of the bakers put a lot of energy, creativity and heart into these bake-offs and you can see and taste it! The donation is only $5, which is a really sweet deal, because trust me – you will have a huge sugar rush to last you throughout the day or at least until you wander through the market and pick up some fresh vegetables and baked goods. There is a wonderful coffee shop called The Fire Roasted Coffee Company that deals in Fair Trade, ethically produced coffee and chocolate right upstairs beside the Iron Cupcake Challenge. I wonder what March”s secret ingredient will be – any guesses? I am thinking rhubarb! Iron Cupcake Challenge for February.  Read More