With my downsizing to a much smaller home and there only being me on my own now, I have developed a huge interest in small batch recipes for two, or even for one. To cook more than that is just wasteful for just me, in all honesty.
I know that from time to time I will have more people to feed, but most of the time it is only going to be myself. And even when I was living in the UK, there was only the two of us and I had moved more and more towards small-batch cooking and baking.
I don't want to be that person who only buys ready made stuff from the shops because I can buy them in smaller quantities. I want to be able to make and bake my own things. I want to know exactly what is going into my food, and I want to be able to control the portions and sizes of what I make.
With that end in mind over the past year or so I have slowly been moving towards cooking and baking in smaller quantities. I thought it would be fun to share with you today some of my favorite recipes for cookies and bars that I have been able to successfully downsize.
Each is delicious and none are lacking in any of the scrummy deliciousness of their full sized versions. I can totally promise you that! You can look forward to more recipes like this in the future!
Let the baking begin!
Sweet & Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are an incredibly moreish cookie with just the right combination of salty and sweet. Crisp edged and stuffed with crunchy potato chips, broken pretzels, chewy coconut, wholesome oats and ooey gooey chocolate chips.
This small batch recipe, makes only 10 beautiful cookies. This is perfect for the smaller family or for those of you who don't want a whole lot of temptation hanging around the house! (Me on both counts!)
Quarter Cup Cookies
These were originally called Ten Cup Cookies. They were given that name because they were composed with 10 (1 cup in size) ingredients.
Butter, creamy peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, flour, chocolate chips, quick cooking oats, shredded sweetened coconut, chopped pecans and raisins. Ten simple ingredients. Ingredients most of us have on hand most of the time.
I have successfully managed to downsize this recipe so that it makes only 13 cookies. Each one is crisp edged. Each one is buttery. Each one is delicious.
Loaded Cowboy Cookies
This tasty recipe makes only one dozen (LARGE) cookies. They are lovely, crisp edged and nice and chewy in the middle.Filled with toasted pecans, chocolate chips, sweet flaked coconut, old fashioned oats . . . Perfect to be enjoyed with a glass of cold milk while you are in the throes of a colouring fest . . . or with a nice hot cuppa when you are taking a well deserved mid morning break.
Small Batch Amish Sugar Cookies
This is a cookie I used to bake for my children quite often when they were growing up. I used to try to have some kind of a treat waiting for them every day when they got home from school.
This is a great recipe. I actually won a ribbon at the county fair back home one year with them, so you know these are really good cookies.
You can leave them plain, or you can glaze them if you like. I actually really like them both ways! Delicious, delicious, delicious! Recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen.
Lydia's Junior Cookies
These delicious drop cookies are wholesome and old fashioned . . . almost like little cakes. Not greasy and filled with the homey flavours of warm baking spices . . . cinnamon, ginger . . . nutmeg . . .
They are also flavoured with molasses and brown sugar and studded with lots of raisins and toasted nuts. These scream home sweet home! You will get 2 dozen tasty bakes from this recipe.
Lemon Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Bars
These lush bars are crisp edged and chewy middled. The recipe makes exactly 8 nice sized bars. No more, no less.
I suppose you could cut them larger, but there is such a thing as too much goodness, and that would be it.
These tasty bars are buttery and flavoured with molasses and vanilla, as well as plenty of warm baking spices. I do so love the warm baking spices, don't you??
Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Allspice . . . they are all in there . . . you could also add a touch of ground cardamom as well if you wished. It would not go amiss.
Homemade Fig Bars
Let me tell you . . . these are infinitely better than the fig rolls that you buy. No, the filling isn't totally encased and rolled up in a biscuit dough . . .
These are more like a bar. There is plenty of filling to cookie dough ratio I think it is the perfect amount.
You get the sweet brown sugar dough, crumbly and buttery . . . both on the bottom as a bar and on the top as a crumble. These are moist and crumbly and incredibly moreish, from that buttery crust to that sweet and sticky filling.
This fabulously tasty recipe makes 8 perfect sized bars.
Magic Cookie Bars
These eagle brand magic cookie bars are nothing new. I've been baking them for my family for years and years. I am sure you have as well. They are delicious!
I think I got the original recipe from a magazine advert back in the 1980's for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.
These are so easy to make and always a hit. They are a classic dessert which everyone loves. I believe they are also called Hello Dolly Bars.
The original recipe makes 16 large bars. I have downsized it to make only 8, and actually you could probably cut them in half and make 16 small bites if you wanted to. They are delicious any way you cut them!
And finally . . .
Jam Crumble Bars
These Small Batch Jam Crumble Bars are the bomb! With their plain cake bottoms, sweet jam filling and crumble topping, they never fail to please!
You can use whatever jam you want in the filling. On the day I baked these, I used Bonne Maman's Berries and Cherries. But we also love Strawberry Jam in it as well as Raspberry Jam. OH and Peach . . . Peach Jam is lovely when I can find it.
This delicious recipe recipe makes 8 bars and depending on how greedy you are, they will you last up to a week when stored in an airtight container!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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Banana Bread Crumb Cake. If you are a fan of brunch cakes, moist cakes and banana cakes, I have the cake for you, and this is it! This delicious cake is the perfect weekend cake!
This Banana Bread Crumb Cake recipe is a delicious twist between banana cake and banana muffins, with some scrumptious streusel thrown in for good measure. You can't lose! You really can't.
Admittedly its one of my older recipes which I am re-sharing with you. Some things are so good however, that I think they bear repeating. This is one of those things.
I don't think anyone will argue with the fact that I am a prolific blogger. For over 10 years I have been sharing recipes on this page with you almost every single day. That's a whole lot of cooking to say the least.
When I first started, I used google sites to put a printable recipe on, redirecting you from this page to that one. People really like to have a recipe that they can print out. I totally understood that, and that was my solution to that.
As of July 1st, Google is converting all of its sites to a new format. I hate change, but was willing to convert my site to the new format. One big problem.
I have been such a prolific blogger that my existing site will not convert. Its too large. I have too much on there. Why, oh why did I have to share so much with you!
Because I never do anything half way. I am not sure what I am going to do. The recipes will remain on here of course, but you won't be able to click on the print link for those older recipes and go to an easy print page.
I am going to have to go back and convert all of my recipes that I did in that format to my new Recipes Generator format. I started using that two years or so ago, so no problem. I only have about 3000 recipes to convert.
😳😳😳 I am up to the task. I want you to know that. It just may take me some time.
And in the middle of all that I am in the process of moving house. (Nothing is ever uncomplicated for me, nothing.) So you will have to bear with me in the meantime. Those older recipes you may need to copy and paste into a word document to print until I get them all switched.
And I hope you will, bear with me that is. I really do. I work ever so hard on this page, trying to bring you delicious and fresh content as often as I can. This last year has been so difficult for me.
Losing my husband, home, etc. Having to move halfway across the world in the middle of a pandemic. Having to start over again from scratch with zippity do dah!
Have I mentioned that I never do things half way? haha In any case, do stick with me. This will all work out in the wash and I am really hoping that things will be back to normal soon.
As far as this cake goes. ITS DELICIOUS! Ooops sorry for shouting. Its delicious. I am not one to grab a banana out of the bowl and eat it, but when it comes to baking, ripe bananas are one of my favorite ingredients to bake with.
Lovely goodies such as Banana, Cranberry and Walnut Loaf. (This is so good that my next door neighbor in the UK asked me to bake him one each Christmas.)
Sour Cream Banana Loaf. So moist and delicious. My ex boss wanted me to bake it for him every week. He loved it toasted and buttered for breakfast.
And those are just a few of my baked banana goodies.
I just love this Banana Bread Crumb Cake. It's moist and delicious and has a ribbon of scrumptious crumb which runs through the centre.
This layer of centre crumb kind of turns caramel-like . . . oh so delicious.
It is topped with a crunchy crumb topping (same mixture as the centre crumb.) This crumb is moreishly buttery.
Put the two together and you have a real winner on your hands.
It makes a largish cake. You bake it in a 9 by 13 inch pan. It only keeps a couple of days though, because it is so moist.
If you have a large family won't be a problem as this disappears like water, But, if you are an empty nester (like me) or if there are only two of you, you will want to cut it into single servings, wrap well and freeze.
Wrapped well, it will keep frozen for up to two months or so, maybe a tiny bit longer. The recipe can also be cut successfully in half. (Good to know.)
If cutting it in half, simply bake it in an 8 inch square pan, and cut the bake time down by about 1/4th. I would start checking it at the 35 minute mark to be safe.
I don't have a problem either way. Having individually wrapped portions of Banana Bread Crumb Cake frozen and on tap??? Count me in!
Cutting an overly large recipe in half successfully, count me in! If you want any help with the ingredients, just message me and I will do my best for you. I don't mind in the least.
In the meantime I hope that you will want to bake this scrumptious cake with its moist texture, crunchy topping, sweet glazed and big banana flavour! Large or small.
And do stick with me. This ride is about to become even better! Watch this space! The future is bright!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
Banana Bread Crumb Cake
Yield: Serves 12
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Moist and delicious with a tasty crumb running through the middle and garnishing the top. In the center it's just moreish, on top, it's crunchy. Gorgeous.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 280g plain flour (2 cups)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 125g of unsalted butter, at room temperature (scant 1/2 cup or 9 TBS)
- 280g of caster sugar (2 cups)
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 225ml of whole milk (1 cup)
For the crumb filling and topping:
- 225g cold butter, cubed (scant cup)
- 400g soft light brown sugar (2 cups)
- 280g of plain flour (2 cups)
- Icing sugar for dusting
To finish:
- 130g sifted icing sugar (1 cup)
- few drops vanilla
- 2 TBS milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan and dust lightly with flour, tapping any excess out. Set aside.
- Make the crumb filling by stirring the flour and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Rub lightly to get rid of any lumps. Drop in the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or a fork, until you have a coarse crumb mixture. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
- Mash the bananas until they are liquefied in a large bowl. Add the butter to combine and then beat in the eggs, sugar and vanilla until mixed well. Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover with the remainder of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over top evenly.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes (mine took an additional 15 minutes) until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. At the end of that time dust with icing sugar if desired. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and then drizzle them decoratively over the top of the cake.
- Cut into squares to serve. This may be served warm or cold and will store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It also freezes well.
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Classic Nanaimo Bars. You cannot get much more Canadian than Nanaimo Bars! If you are not familiar with them, you might be thinking to yourself, "What the heck are Nanaimo Bars?"
The Nanaimo Bar is a classic dessert bar/cookie that originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It usually consists of three distinct layers.
A cookie crumb/coconut/nut base. A rich and creamy sweet custard flavored icing filling. A melted chocolate topping.
You will see a lot of different versions out there. There are many versions of the filling and base, all three layered. Some flavored with peanut butter, etc.
This is the original classic version that I am sharing with you today. The recipe comes from a recipe that I got from one of my longest and dearest friends, Mabel.
Mabel and I met each other here in Nova Scotia in 1983. My ex husband and I had taken a compassionate posting here (he was in the military) after my mother and father separated that year.
It was a very difficult time for my mother and she really needed our support. We ended up moving into a townhouse on the base and Mabel was my next door neighbor. We got along like a house on fire from day one.
We both had children around the same age and indeed, her son Richard and my son Douglas remained friends all the way up through high school and were each other's best men at their respective weddings.
Mable and I used to sit on our front door stoop after supper each night enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up with each other's days. We did a lot of things together. We also enjoyed a lot of the same interests.
Crafts, cooking, ballroom dancing, square dancing, etc. We have been friends now for about 40 years. I love it when a friendship can withstand the test of time. We are not as close as we used to be of course, but we are still in touch and speak online from time to time. Due to Covid of course.
Although I had been away from Canada for 20 years, every time I was able to visit home Mabel and I always got together for a drink and a good gab, and a meal. This time we haven't been able to see each other in person, but hopefully this mess will all be over with soon.
Here's hoping!
Mabel did move away from here for several years to Labrador with her family. When she left to go she gifted me with a cookbook that she had inscribed with a lovely message in her beautiful calligraphy. I sure missed her for those few years she was away.
We shared a lot of recipes with each other through the years. We used to also get together as couples once a month to have a meal, catered to by either her or myself, usually with a foreign theme.
They were so much fun. We had German night, Spanish night, Italian night, Mexican night, Chinese night, etc. I learned a lot about cooking from her, and I hope that she did from me also. In any case this recipe comes from that book she gave to me all those years ago!
This recipe is one of my tried and trues! How could it be anything else??? Recipes shared by friends are some of the best recipes in the world.
You know that if they are sharing them, that they are also their tried and trues. Nobody shares recipes that don't work out. That's just how it goes!
I have several of her recipes posted on here. Recipes like her delicious Strawberry Pie. The filling base is made in the microwave, and plenty of fresh berries are folded into that before it gets poured into the crust and chilled.
Its my absolute favourite pie during Strawberry season. I never make it but what I think of her and the happy memories we share.
Then there is the recipe for Dad's Cookies I got from her. They are a fabulously tasty slice and bake oatmeal cookie that greatly resembles the Dad's brand of Oatmeal Cookies that you can buy in the shops.
Delicious with an ice cold glass of milk or hot cuppa.
Don't get me started on her recipe for Picnic Cake. I can't believe that I don't have it on here, although you can get a printable version of the recipe here.
This was Ariana's favourite cake that I used to make her when she lived with us. I always made it every year for her and Jose's birthday's also. It is a lush peanut butter cake with a rich peanut butter buttercream frosting. Seriously tasty.
Another of her recipes which I have enjoyed many times through the years is Mabel's Ham Pate. It is especially good to make when you have leftover boiled ham.
Excellent on crackers or crisp breads.
Back to the bars. These are very easy to make. Three lush layers. No bake, although you do cook the bottom layer a bit in a double boiler. You melt together butter, sugar and cocoa powder, then beat in an egg and cook until thick.
Into this gets stirred some graham cracker crumbs, desiccated coconut and finely chopped toasted walnuts, before the whole mixture is pressed into a pan and chilled.
If you use the flat bottom of a metal measuring cup to press it down, its very easily done.
The middle layer is thick, vanilla custard flavoured and incredibly sweet and buttery. Its quite moreish actually.
Onto that some semi sweet chocolate melted together with butter. Oh my goodness . . .
Rich, sweet and totally irresistible. You can make them well ahead and keep them in the freezer if you wish. If you live in America you can buy the Bird's Eye Custard Powder in dedicated British shops or online via Amazon.
Here in Canada it is available in most grocery stores. I consider it to be a store cupboard ingredient myself.
At any rate, I hope you will want to make these lush and simple bars. Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!
Classic Nanaimo Bars
Yield: Makes 36 squares
These are exceptionally delicious. A tried and true Canadian treat!
Ingredients
Bottom Layer:
- 1/2 cup (125g) butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 5 TBS cocoa powder
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1 3/4 cups (165g) graham cracker crumbs (In the UK use crushed digestive cookie crumbs)
- 3/4 cup (60g) desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup (45g) finely chopped toasted walnuts
Middle Layer:
- 1/2 cup (125g) butter, softened
- 3 TBS milk
- 2 TBS vanilla custard powder
- 2 cups (260g) icing sugar, sifted
For the top layer:
- 2/3 cup (120g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBS butter
Instructions
- Have ready a 9X9 inch square baking pan.
- First make the bottom layer. Melt the butter, sugar and cocoa powder together in the top of a double boiler, over simmering water (or in a heavy based saucepan).
- Temper the beaten egg with some of this and then return the whole mixture to the top of the double boiler. Continue to cook over simmering water until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Stir in the crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into the pan.
- To make the second layer, cream the butter, milk, custard powder and icing sugar together until smooth and light. Spread this mixture over top of the bottom layer. Put in the fridge to chill while you make the top layer.
- To make the final layer, melt the chocolate chips and butter together over low heat. Cool. When cool, but still runny, pour this and spread it over top of the second layer.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill completely before cutting into squares with a sharp knife to serve.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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Twice Baked Cheese Soufflés. I am really excited to share this recipe with you today for these fool proof twice baked cheese soufflé. Wonderfully rich and incredibly easy to make, the recipe makes 6 individual soufflés.
These are just perfect for when you are wanting a nice light supper. They are also great as a first course when you are entertaining as they can totally be made ahead, napping with cream and cheese and reheating just prior to your needing to serve them.
Quick, easy and convenient, what more can you ask for? Not a lot I tell you. These are fabulous!
I discovered the recipe many years ago when I was waiting in the Doctor's office when I was living down in Brenchley. I discovered it in a magazine in the waiting room, copied it out onto paper and have been making them ever since.
In fact, they were a real favorite in the Manor where I worked also. They just loved them! I served them at various functions and they were actually something which was I requested to leave in the refrigerator for them to heat up at the weekends on occasion.
A lot of people are really intimidated by the idea of making soufflés, but trust me when I tell you these are very simple to make. I have never had the go wrong. Never.
They also use incredibly simple ingredients. Eggs, flour, milk, butter, grainy mustard, a good cheddar, an onion, some seasonings and aromatics and cream to finish. Nothing extraordinary here. Nothing.
It should go without saying that you want to use a really good cheddar cheese for these. I like to use a quality extra sharp cheese. This will give you a lovely flavor.
Oh how I am going to miss the great cheddars I was able to buy in the UK. They made the absolute best cheddar cheese there. Rich and delicious.
Just buy the best that you can get and you will be okay. Since cheddar is one of the main flavoring ingredients, this is really important.
The recipe does require the use of whole milk. Don't be tempted to stint on this. You will not get as nice of a result if you use low fat milk.
The milk is steeped with the flavor of a whole peeled onion, bay leaf and a whole clove. This adds additional flavor.
The milk is used to form the basis of the soufflés, which is basically a very thick cream sauce into which you will melt most of the cheese and beat in the egg yolks. If you can make a cream sauce, you can do this.
The only thing you really need to be careful of here is that you don't scramble the egg yolks. Whisk the creamy cheese mixture until it is lukewarm and then beat in the yolks one at a time. This is also when you add the grainy mustard.
You can use any whole grain mustard you like, but I, personally, like a Dijon style of grainy mustard.
Next thing you do is to whisk your egg whites until stiff and begin folding them into your mixture. This is best done in thirds. Stir the first third in and then fold in the remainder.
Its okay to have a few visible streaks of egg white. What you don't want to do is to knock all of the air out.
These are baked initially in well buttered single sized ramekins. Straight sided ones work best. Butter them really well so that they don't stick.
The filled ramekins are put into a roasting tin and boiling water is added to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This is called a Bain Marie.
I always find this a lot easier to do if I put the roasting tin holding the ramekins into the oven first and then add the water, carefully from the side.
That's it! This initial bake will see the rise beautifully. Once this is done, you simply need to tip the out into another baking dish, nap them with some cream, dust with more cheese and bake again.
This is where you can do them ahead of time. You can do everything but the final napping and baking well ahead of time, even up to a day ahead, which makes them perfect for entertaining!
Just make them to that point, pop them into a baking dish, and cover with some plastic cling film, if you are going to bake them all at once. If you are going to bake them in smaller numbers, then just pop them into a plastic container with a lid.
Then you can just take out as many as you need when you need them. Pop into your baking dish, nap with the cream, sprinkle on the additional cheese and bake. Easy peasy!
They rise again beautifully on the second bake and end up with a lovely cheesy crust, not to mention that rich cream sauce. DELICIOUSLY simple!
For a luncheon all you need is a tossed salad on the side. For a heartier supper I would add some cooked vegetables on the side.
I have never frozen these so I can't say for sure if you can successfully do that or not. I suggest you freeze one and see how that works before you freeze them all. (Freeze one, then thaw and bake as below.)
These truly are simple to make and fabulously tasty. I really hope you will be inspired to give them a go!
Twice Baked Cheese Soufflés
Yield: 6
These are wonderfully rich and light and so very easy to make. I got the recipe from out of a magazine in the Doctor's waiting office one day (I couldn't begin to tell you which one) and I brought it home and adapted it to our tastes. They have become a firm favourite in my repertoire.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (300ml) whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 of a small onion, peeled and studded with 1 clove and 1 bay leaf
- 3 TBS (40g) butter, plus more for greasing
- 1/3 cup (40g) plain flour
- 1 1/4 cup (150g) of good strong cheddar, grated and divided
- 1 TBS coarse grainy mustard
- salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- 3 large free range eggs, separated
- 1 cup (240 ml) of double cream
Instructions
- Place the milk in a small pan along with the onion, clove and bay leaf. Bring slowly just to the boil, then remove it from the heat and leave it to infuse for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, remove the onion, clove and bay leaf and discard.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F.
- Take another pan and place it over medium heat. Melt the butter in this, then stir in the flour. Cook, stirring until smooth and completely amalgamated, for about one minute.
- Remove from the heat. Add the infused milk in a slow and steady stream, whisking the whole time. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened and just beginning to boil. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in 1 cup (125g) of the grated cheese and all of the grainy mustard. Season well with salt and pepper and a good grating of fresh nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.
- Butter six medium ramekins well and place them into a large shallow roasting tin.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric whisk. Stir about a third of the egg whites into the cheese mixture to help slacken it and then gently fold in the rest.
- Spoon and divide the mixture evenly into the buttered ramekins.
- Carefully add boiling water to the roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and then carefully place the roasting tin into the heated oven. (If you have strong oven racks it is probably best to place the roasting tin into the oven first and then add the water)
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are well risen and nicely browned on top.** (see notes below)
- Remove from the oven and remove from the roasting tin, placing them on a wire rack to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 220*C/425*F.
- Once they are cooled enough to handle, carefully tip them out onto the palm of your hand, one at a time, and place them, right sides down, into a buttered baking dish large enough to hold all six of them.
- Season the double cream with some salt and black pepper and spoon it evenly over top of each souffle. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheddar cheese evenly over top.
- Place back in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are well risen and the cream is bubbling and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown nicely. Serve hot.
Notes:
**You can complete the recipe to the end of the first baking and put them in a buttered dish, cover them, and then store them in the refrigerator for up to a day ahead before proceeding. Bring them to room temperature before finishing them off as outlined in the recipe.
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