A dear friend of mine has had a granddaughter serving a Mission for her church over here in the UK for the past almost 18 months. She is due to return home soon.
I can remember talking with my friend about my sending her some sort of treat while she was here from time to time, but somehow the time got away from us. It is surprising how quickly 18 months passes!
Today I had the opportunity to bake a sweet treat for this lovely young Sister Missionary. It is now making its way down to the London mission for she and her Sister companion to enjoy.
Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies. I hope that they like them! I hope that they arrive in on piece!
These are fudgy like a brownie. They are incredibly rich and chocolatey. Admittedly that is a tasty thing in and of itself.
But what if there is more? Can you take it? Let's see . . .
The dough is also studded with chopped toasted pecan nuts. I always toast my nuts before baking. It doesn't take long. Five to Eight minutes in a moderate to hot oven.
Mmmm . . . I love nuts . . . especially toasted nuts. But again, what if that's not all . . . Can you take it? Let's see . . .
This moreish fudgy dough is wrapped around caramel stuffed milk chocolate rolo candies! Milk chocolate. Caramel. Scrumdiddlyumptious!
But that is not all. Nope. That is not all. Can you take it? Let's see . . .
Then the tops of the cookied are dipped into a sugar/nut mixture prior to baking. Yes, a sugar and nut crust.
I love anything with a crunch. But if it has a sugary nutty crunch, I am all in! But yes, once again, that is not all. Can you take it? Let's see . . .
A white chocolate drizzle finishes them off . . . what can I say? Even Cinderella had a tiara to wear when she went to the ball.
Think of the white chocolat drizzle as being this fabulous cookie's tiara. What girl doesn't love a tiara. Indeed!
OH MY GOODNESS! I had to test one to make sure that they were alright. Todd and I shared one.
True confession here. I was so glad that they were going to be living somewhere else. These little babies are SERIOUSLY SCRUMMY YUMMY!
But don't take my word for it. Bake them for yourself and see if I'm not right! Adapted from a Recipe taken from the cookery book by Pillsbury entitled, "Best of the Bake-off Cookbook."
I love those Pillsbury books. I have several and they are all filled with gems. I have quite a few of the supermarket booklets as well, collected through the years. I can't always get the ingredients I need here in the UK, but I have learned very well how to adapt.
*Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies*
Makes 48
1 tsp white vegetable shortening
I really do hope that Sister Lawler enjoys these tasty cookies. It's a good thing they have lots of opportunity for walking!
I have an idea however that they will be shared and appreciated by more than just them. Its the missionary way. Bon Appetit!
Apparently this is a very popular dish amongst the Amish. They supposedly serve it on all sorts of occasions and even for Christmas dinner! I am not surprised really. It is delicious. It is simple. It is very easy and quick to throw together!
The original recipe was very plain. It had no onion, or herbs. I like onion and I like herbs. I also love stuffing, so my adaptions included ways to make it taste more like stuffing.
Whatever . . . stale bread, butter softened celery and onion, a variety of herbs, seasoning and tender poached chicken mixed with a tiny bit of stock and baked to give you one very delicious and simple entree.
I like to make some gravy to spoon over top and serve it with some simple boiled baby potatoes and mixed vegetables for a complete and most delicious simple supper. The family will love this. I guarantee.
*Old Time Chicken Roast*
Serves 4 to 6
1 medium loaf of sturdy stale white bread
225g of butter (1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp salt
With drier and warmer days in the offing, its time to think about cracking open the BBQ. There is nothing to get the taste buds tingling than the smell of charcoal briquettes in the BBQ wafting on the breeze! There is something almost primeval about cooking our food over an open fire! I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy food which has been cooked in this manner!
I love a good steak, burger or hot dog done on the BBQ, but there is really so much more that can be done with a BBQ that that. I Love My Barbecue, the latest book in the I Love series from Nourish Books is the perfect resource for anyone who wants to enhance and expand their grilling techniques and repertoire or recipes! Written by Hilaire Walden, this is a book that focuses on fresh ingredients and ingenious ideas from a wide range of cultures and cuisines there is a dish to suit everyone and every occasion!
It starts off with an in-depth introduction to the art of Barbecue which is very informative as far as equipment, techniques, safety advice, and how-to's go! What follows is six beautifully photographed chapters containing more than 100 delicious and diverse recipes including . . .
Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about cooking Poultry . . . .
Delicious meats . . .
Fish and shell fish . . .
Tasty dishes for the Vegetarian in your life . . .
A variety of sauces, salsas and marinades . . .
More than 100 delicious and divers recipes, including new takes on traditonal dishes, such as Indonesian Pork Burgers and Chicken, Mango and Mint Kebabs, as well as more exotic dishes like Salmon with Spiced Tea Marinade . . . vegetarian and vegetable dishes that will wow even the most sceptical carnivore ad many vegan recipes as well, so that everyone can join in on the festivities!
There is no better time than now to transform your barbecue skills with techniques, equipment essentials and recipes for amateurs and experts alike. No matter the audience or occasion, this book has the recipes and know-how to impress and fire up your confidence as you fire up the grill! With beautiful photography and great sounding recipes, this is a book which will open up cooking possibilities for you that you never knew existed!
- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Nourish (20 April 2017)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1848993196
- ISBN-13: 978-1848993198
This recipe today is one of those economical dishes that is not only quick and easy to make but which are real family pleasers. The original recipe comes from a cookery book that I have had since I was seventeen years old and since I am now sixty-one, that is a very long time! This is truly a recipe which has stood the test of time!
My last year in High School there was an offer in a magazine to purchase the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook library. You would get one book a month, which would arrive via the post, which you could then pay for at a fair price by return post. I collected all of the volumes.
This one comes from the volume entitled, "Good Food on a Budget." I have adapted it a bit through the years by adding some oregano and onions to the sauce, and the way I layer it together. I like to have the cheese on the top. In the original recipe they have the sauce on the top.
I have also cut down the servings of the recipe because there are only two of us now in this house and one of us is not a real pasta lover. SO instead of serving 6 to 8, it now serves 3 to 4.
Other than that it is basically the same recipe as the original. It is quick and simple to make and goes together in a flash. It is also a dish which most people love. With its hearty meat sauce and simple cheese filling/topping it is a real pleaser! All you need on the side is a salad and some garlic bread if desired.
You will want to use a sausage in this that has plenty of flavour! Over here I favour Cumberland Sausage because it is nice and peppery, but you can use whichever sausage meat you like. A sweet italian would go very well.
*Mock Lasagne Casserole*
Serves 3 to 4
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
225ml tomato passatta (1 cup, tomato sauce)
60ml water (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp each dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic granules
salt and black pepper to taste
100g dry macaroni (Uncooked, 1 cup)
Because the passata/tomato sauce for this is such an integral part of the recipe, you will want to use one which has nice flavours. I use Cirio and I know you must be tired of me saying this, but it is a well favoured Passata made with only the finest fresh Italian Tomatoes,ensuring that your dishes will have a full bodied and rich Italian flavour! It also comes in a new PET bottle which means you can use as little or as much of it as you like, simply popping the lid back onto the bottle and refrigerating the rest for another day, which works well for this recipe which basically only uses 225ml/1 cup of passata/tomato sauce. The PET bottles are also recyclable and unbreakable. I used the Passata Classica for this recipe.
I really hope you will give this a go and that if you do your family really enjoys it. Bon Appetit!
One of my favourite things about having a food blog is that occasionally it affords me the opportunity to try something new that I might not have tried otherwise. I was recently contacted by The Skinny Bakery and asked if I would like to try some of their cakes. Cakes which have less calories, fat and sugar than regular cakes. As a diabetic I am always on the lookout for a sweet treat that I can enjoy on occasion and so I said sure, send them along!
I was sent a delectable assortment, including:
- Skinny Chocolate Pearls (chocolate sponges piped with their signature tofu-chocolate frosting. Low
fat and a good source of protein. 21% tofu, 25% low fat yoghurt. 208cals per pack)
-Skinny Sweet Potato Brownies (sweet potato brownie bites, gluten and dairy free recipe, made with 46% sweet potato and sweetened with dates. 189calories per pack)
-Skinny Coconut Bites ( vegan coconut balls with only 5 ingredients. No added sugar and wheat free. 212 calories per pack)
-Skinny Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies ( Chocolate cookies made with egg whites and dairy-free chocolate. Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. 141 calories per pack.)
-Skinny Mini Flapjacks ( 5 mini flapjacks, with dates, a hint of coconut and sea salt. 202 calories per pack)
-Skinny Beetroot Pearls (beetroot sponges piped with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting. 169 calories per pack.)
-Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies ( Pack of soft dairy-free chocolate chip biscuits – only 37Kcal each)
AND my absolute favourite . . .
-Skinny Carrot Cake Pearls ( Carrot cake sponges piped with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting.)
OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!
All of them were delicious. And it was nice to feel like I was actually putting something a bit healthier into my mouth, instead of a whole pile of sugar. I really, really enjoyed them, and I think it is something which I will buy myself in the future, especially since most of they can be frozen for up to six months, which means I can stock up, pop them in the freezer and then just enjoy as and when.
They have free world wide delivery on any order over £29.99 and here is a list of the countries they deliver to, along with estimated delivery times:
And I can also offer you, my readers, a Coupon worth 10% off
just enter the code marie10 at the checkout
You can order from their website: https://skinnybakery.co.uk/#shop
Their products are also available in Selfridges.
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Many thanks to The Skinny Bakery for sending me these delicious cakes to try. Although I was sent them free of charge, I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are completely my own. I quite simply love LOVE them! (Especially the Carrot Cake ones!)
I was going to make Dauphinoise Potatoes to go with our Easter ham, but then I decided to make a potato dish instead that I had not made in a very long time.
This is something I used to make quite often when I lived in Canada, but have not made that often here in the UK.
A fabulous buffet dish that goes down a real treat at the holidays or for pot luck suppers! Simple to make and delicious.
6 large potatoes, unpeeled
60g butter (1/4 cup)
1 tin of cream of chicken soup
120g sour cream (1 cup)
240g of strong cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
2 TBS butter
45g cornflakes, crushed (2 cups before crushing)
Place
the potatoes into a pot of boiling water and cook just until fork
tender, but still firm. Drain well and set aside to cool. (I usually do
this the night before and put them in the refrigerator overnight) Peel
and then grate them on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl.
Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Preheat the oven
to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Melt the 60g/1/4 cup butter in a skillet
and saute the onions until softened and turning golden brown. Scoop
into a bowl. Whisk in the soup and the sour cream. Stir in the cheese
and then fold in the potatoes to combine thoroughly. Spread into a
large shallow buttered casserole. Melt the remaining butter and stir it
into the crushed cornflakes. Sprinkle the buttered cornflakes over top
of the potatoes.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and heated through.
Funeral Potatoes, so named because they are very popular at Buffet Suppers and Pot Lucks. Normally you use frozen loose pack hash browned potatoes to make this.
You cannot find the loose pack hash browns over here, just the ones that are shaped into patties already or triangles.
Its a recipe that makes good use of store cupboard ingredients . . . frozen hash browns, tinned cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese . . . sauteed onion and buttered cornflake crumbs.
Everyone loves them.
Over here I have learned to use grated cooked potatoes instead of hashbrowns, and I can tell you it tastes just as good as it does with the hashbrowns, in fact you cannot tell the difference.
It is a bit more work however, and does take some planning, as you need to cook the potatoes well ahead of time, let them cool and then hand grated them.
It is well worth the effort however because they are always welcome everywhere I take them. They go down a real treat, and I think they make a great holiday buffet dish.
You could cut the recipe in half as well to serve it during the week or at other times when you are not feeding a lot of people.
The leftovers are also very tasty heated up in a lightly buttered skillet until they are golden brown . . . just sayin' . . .
I know, I'm telling on myself and now you know why I look the way I do! Ahem!
*Funeral Potatoes*
Serves 6 to 8
salt and black pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
This isn't something you would want to eat really often as it is rather calorific, but for the holidays and every now and then it is a real treat! Bon Appetit!
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