Category: Baking

Quick Chocolate and Candy Cane Fudge

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Christmas, Cooking

I have had so many fudge setting disasters it feels laughable I have a fudge recipe to share that actually worked out 🙂 But this is so quick and tastes pretty good 🙂 It is quite soft and should be kept in the fridge, or add more chocolate if you want it to be more solid in the centre.

Ingredients

1 can of condensed milk

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 Candy Canes
Method

Grease a baking tray and line with baking parchment. I used quite a small, deep tin. If you’re using a larger one, you might want to double the quantities.
Empty the tin of condensed milk and all the chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl. Heat for one minute. Stir well and heat for another 20 seconds until melted. Heat in 10-20 second increments if it needs extra time, so it doesn’t burn.
Whip the mixture with a metal spoon. Apparently using a metallic one helps it solidify.. I have no idea why.

Put candy canes in a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin. You can keep the pieces chunky or beat into tiny shards. I chose to leave the pieces a bit larger. If I had been in a bad mood, I probably would have opted for the latter.
Pour fudge mixture into tin and sprinkle candle canes on top. Allow to set on counter and when cooled keep in fridge. Cut into squares and serve. Give as presents to other people, or to yourself 🙂

Cheap Cheesy Biscuits Recipe

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Budgeting, Children, Recipes

This recipe was quickly thrown together and it worked out to be edible so thought I’d share it. It might not be the healthiest snack for kids, but at least there are no unknown ingredients or sugar in it 🙂 It also makes a good activity for kids eager to cookie cut 🙂

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/2 cup chilled, cubed butter

1 egg

Splash of milk

Shake of salt (optional)

Method

Measure flour into a bowl and rub in chilled, cubed butter to make breadcrumb-like consistency. Add grated cheese, egg and milk. (Salt too if you like.) Mix to combine but don’t over-mix.  Shape into a ball and chill in fridge for 1/2 an hour. Roll out the pastry. Your hands might work better than a rolling pin because of the crumbly texture. Cut out cookies and place on baking parchment/ greased tin. Put in preheated oven at 180c for 10 minutes. Enjoy 🙂

Courgette Cake/ Zucchini Bread Recipe

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Budgeting, Cooking, Recipes

Today I was in the mood for some baking and I recently remembered I used to make zucchini bread and how addictive it is. It sounds strange but the courgettes cook down into a treacly consistency, so it just tastes like a sweet, caramel-type cake. I decided to make two loaves since this always goes down well in our house.

(Makes two cakes.)

Ingredients

3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
3 tsps. vanilla extract
2 cups of grated courgettes

Method

Sift the flour, salt, cinnamon, backing powder and bicarb of soda together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla extract. Combine the wet and dry ingredients well. Add the grated courgettes and mix well. Put in two greased loaf tins. Cook at 160c for 45 minutes, covering with tin foil halfway through to stop the top getting too crispy.

Cinnamon Buns Recipe

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Budgeting, Recipes

This recipe was a bit of an experiment but worked out well. My kids devoured them which is a good sign since they turn their noses up at most homemade treats. I guess the absence of plastic packaging and artificial flavours makes them less appealing. But they were begging me for more of these and they are so easy to make 🙂

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 packet of yeast

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp butter

Filling:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Heat butter, milk and water in a pan until butter is just melted. Mix with dry ingredients and knead for a few minutes. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for an hour or two.

Roll the dough out as flat and long as you can. Spread butter for the filling all over the dough and then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll up like a Swiss roll and then slice into 1 inch pieces. Grease the tray well because the butter melts and then hardens on it. Put into a preheated oven at 180c for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Recipes

My kids asked me to make banana bread this week. I’m convinced they only offer to help so they can lick the bowl and wreck the kitchen with my permission. I decided to sneak some chocolate into the recipe to spare my sanity during the flour explosion clear-up afterwards. My kids keep asking for a second slice of this, so I guess it must be alright.

Ingredients

4 bananas (this might sound excessive but they make it extra-moist)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup veg oil

1tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 3/4 Cups flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda

Handful of milk chocolate chunks (or in my case, halved chocolate buttons)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 c

Mash bananas with a potato masher.

Whisk in the oil, milk, vanilla, eggs and sugar. I find whisking by hand works best. Don’t be too thorough – leave some banana chunks if you like.

Mix in flour and baking soda. Add chocolate at the end and stir in so it is dispersed evenly. Put mixture in a greased loaf tin.

Bake for about 40 mins in the middle of the oven. Add a layer of foil halfway through cooking so the outside doesn’t become over-crisp.

 

 

Budget Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

The Easiest 10p Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Budgeting

These cookies are so easy to make that it probably takes less effort than it would to go to the shop to buy a pack of them.

Preheat the oven to 160c. Grease a large baking tray. Actually, realistically, this will probably take two trays.

This makes a batch of 10 cookies for £1 (this price based on all value range items, excluding standard baking powder and free range eggs.)

By the way, I like to measure in cups because I’m not a fan of precise measurements in cooking and scales are annoying to use. I don’t use spoons when I’m cooking; I just throw stuff together and hope for the best. Generally it is edible.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of melted butter
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 2 cups of plain flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • A Pinch of salt
  • One egg
  • Half a cup of chopped up white chocolate (half a value range bar)
  • Half a cup of chopped up dark chocolate

Mix the sugar and melted butter together slowly with a wooden spoon.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Add the sifted ingredients to the sugar and butter.

Chop up the chocolate into tiny cubes and add to the mixture.

Stir in an egg and combine with your hands.

Roll into balls that are about the size of golf balls. Place on trays and flatten them out with the palm of your hand.

Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes and take them out when they are as chewy/crunchy as you like.

I find the process of making these really therapeutic. My kids like helping too and it isn’t overly complicated so doesn’t result in disastrous spillages when they grab the bowl. They make the house smell amazing as well, like one of those cookie scented Yankee candles, except it is actually ok to eat them.

Ways to Feed a Family for £30 a week.

by Keelan LaForge, posted in Baking, Budgeting, Food, Single Parents

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OK, so I might not have the conventional family set up: we are a family of one adult and two children, but I have the appetite of a married couple, at least for chocolate anyway. So, I’m sure my weekly food budget is achievable by most families, or at least something similar to it.

I have had a trying time expense-wise due to a house move and a car accident, so I decided to revert to my £30 Lidl food shops to try and regain control of my finances. I was getting too easily lured by pretty displays and seemingly cheap offers in a shop I shall not name and have had to remind myself of my thrifty capabilities.

I thought I would challenge myself to live in a more frugal way without the need to sacrifice my sanity-restoring rewards and decided to share how I achieve this with others on a limited budget.I’m starting with food since it sits squarely in first place on my list of priorities.

Here are some tips on how to stick to £30 a week:

  • Pick two breakfast options and one weekend treat. For example, porridge, one cereal and make pancakes at the weekend.
  • Always have flour, baking powder and yeast. You can make pancakes, bread, pizza dough and baked treats really cheaply.
  • Invest in spices and dried herbs. You will use them to liven up every meal and they will save you money on pre-made sauces. The same applies to honey, peanut butter and sultanas. They will save you buying flavoured oats and you can use honey instead of maple syrup on pancakes and French toast.
  • Don’t buy snacks specifically for kids. Buy a bag of own brand raisins and some miniature tubs for snacks when you’re out or a standard box of breadsticks. Use crackers and cheese instead of flavoured kids’ crisps and biscuits.
  • Save leftovers and use them for lunches, adding additional ingredients or using them as a base for other dishes. For example, make a large batch of pizza sauce and then add some of it to meat to eat with pasta or rice.
  • Buy a cafetière and some fresh coffee. Own brand coffee grounds are good and often taste better than the coffee in coffee shops. I always look forward to café coffee and quite often find it to just be bitter and disappointing. Bring a travel cup when you go out instead and if you go for a walk you have a drink already prepared to save you from being tempted by certain drive-thru coffee places.
  • Only buy juice as a special treat for yourself and your kids. Drink water or make iced tea for a cheap, sweet drink. I will include a recipe for this soon.
  • Buy common ingredients for meals. For example, cook sausages and use them in a casserole with beans, use the leftover beans to make homemade baked beans with sausages and chips or wedges made from potatoes. Use the last of the sausages with fried potatoes for a breakfast treat.
  • Don’t be tempted by offers if there is a cheaper unbranded item on display. Look at the top and bottom shelves, since the more expensive items are generally placed in the middle, exactly where you are going to spot them first. It’s supermarket trickery.
  • Try to go shopping only once a week so you are less likely to be tempted to buy additional items you don’t need.

I will add some budget recipes soon, as well as the unbranded items that I have been impressed with.