The recipe which I am sharing with you today for soft Puffed Wheat Squares is one which I adapted from the page Mennonite Girls Can Cook. These are the best puffed wheat squares.
They are soft and chewy and ooey, gooey, and filled with lots of lovely chocolate flavor. I do not believe that this recipe is Mennonite in origin, but I could be wrong, and often am.
Puffed Wheat cereal is an all-natural product. It is made from whole grains of steamed wheat that are pressurized and then depressurized to create a soft, spongy type of breakfast cereal.
Loads of families had this type of cereal for breakfast when I was a child. It was this or oatmeal. Both were wholesome. Both were economical. We used to get the puffed wheat in a huge bag, but now it comes in a much smaller bag.
This is the brand that I used. You can get it at No Frills, Loblaws, Superstore or the Independant here in town. Fat free and no sugar added.
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Making these squares I was reminded of when my children were growing up. They loved me to make things like these and I made them often. These or Rice Krispie squares. Both were quick and easy snacks that they loved.
They were great for putting into the lunch box or for enjoying as a nice light snack before bed. I have a photograph somewhere of my kiddos helping to clean out the pot after making squares like this. That was their favorite thing to do.
I didn't mind in the least. Good times and happy memories were being made!
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I small batched this recipe to make only 16 (2-inch) squares and half of them I am sending over to my sisters. I don't need a full batch of these around my house! They are so good, and I know I would be tempted to eat them all!
Yes, I am that greedy, especially when it comes to things like this that feel very nostalgic to me. When I am eating one of these, I feel just like a child again.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PUFFED WHEAT SQUARES
Simple store cupboard ingredients. You might have to run to the store for the puffed wheat, but I am betting you have everything else!
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter
- 1/2 cup (175g) corn syrup (in the UK use golden syrup)
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 1/8 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 heaped TBS unsweetened cocoa powder (not the drink mix)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 5 cups (100g) puffed wheat cereal
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I just use regular salted butter. For me it is a bit pretentious to use unsalted butter for cooking with. I can't afford to have both in my kitchen. Think about it, our mothers never had unsalted butter. Never killed us.
I just cut back on any salt (if required) in a recipe to make up for it. There is no salt in this recipe.
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I used golden corn syrup. In America I would use light corn syrup and in the UK I would use Golden Syrup. YUMMMM!!
I already explained what the cereal is above.
Cocoa powder is the type of dry cocoa powder that you would use in baking. Here I use the brand called Fry's. You just need to make sure you are not using powdered chocolate drink mix such as what you would use to make hot chocolate.
Cocoa powder has nothing added to it. It is pretty much just ground cocoa beans. No sugar. No milk. Just the cocoa powder.
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HOW TO MAKE PUFFED WHEAT SQUARES
It doesn't get much easier than this. Melt some stuff together, pour it over the cereal and press into a pan. Wait for it to set up and cut.
Butter an 8-inch square baking pan really well. Set aside. (Alternately you can spray your pan with some canola oil cooking spray.)
Place the butter, both sugars, corn syrup, and cocoa powder into a medium, heavy bottomed, saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce to a low bubble and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the vanilla.
Have the wheat puffs ready in a bowl. Pour the hot mixture over top and mix everything well together. Press into the prepared baking pan. (I found a rubber spatula did a really good job of this.)
Leave to stand until set and then cut into squares to serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
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And that's it. Easy peasy lemon squeasy. I love how they cut so easily into perfect squares. Do be warned, they are addictive. So scrumptious that you can trick yourself into having "just a nibble" and before you know it . . . well, you know . . . gone!
Disappeared. Nada left. In a puff of smoke. Wheat puff smoke. Scrumptious!
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This is my Grandmother's plate. It was a wedding gift. It's not worth anything but means the world to me. I think she would like that I am still using it all these years later.
If you would like some other ideas about delicious cereal snacks, do check out the following:
SWEET MARIE SLICES - These are chock full of crunchy-ness, and chewy-ness, and peanuty-ness, and scrummy-ness . . . with just the right amount of chocolaty-ness to make them incredibly moreish, can't put me down . . . addictive-ness!
SUGARED DATE SQUARES - I like to make these around Christmas time, but they are good anytime. Delectably scrumptious little bites of cereal and dried fruit, cut into squares and rolled in powdered sugar. Betcha can't eat just one!
Puffed Wheat Squares (small batch)
Yield: 16 (2-inch)
Cook time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
A lovely taste of nostalgia. A quick and easy make that the whole family will love. You will need an 8-inch square pan.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter
- 1/2 cup (175g) corn syrup (in the UK use golden syrup)
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 1/8 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 heaped TBS unsweetened cocoa powder (not the drink mix)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 5 cups (100g) puffed wheat cereal
Instructions
- Butter an 8-inch square baking pan really well. Set aside.
- Place the butter, both sugars, corn syrup, and cocoa powder into a medium, heavy bottomed, saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce to a low bubble and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the vanilla.
- Have the wheat puffs ready in a bowl. Pour the hot mixture over top and mix everything well together. Press into the prepared baking pan. (I found a rubber spatula did a really good job of this.)
- Leave to stand until set and then cut into squares to serve. Store any leftovers 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: theenglishkitchen@mail.com
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One thing I really love is Tex Mex or Mexican food. Obviously, what I am used to is not real Mexican food from Mexico, but very much an Americanized version of it. But I do love the flavors.
The jalapenos, the tomatillos, the corn tortillas, salsas, etc. The cheese, chilies, spices. I could eat it every day. Although they are not something I grew up with, they are something which I have come to really enjoy through the years.
I have been on a quest in recent months to downsize most of what I cook to feed only one or two people. With there only being myself in the house, I just don't have the use for, and can't use up traditional recipes which feed four or more people. Not unless I have company anyways!
I came across this recipe for a small batch chicken enchiladas verde on a blog called One Dish Kitchen. I decided to adapt it to what I have in my own kitchen and the ingredients available to me.
I also have a full-sized recipe for Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas on the blog, which you can find here. Its very delicious to say the least!
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What really appealed to me about this smaller sized version was the ease of preparation and the small amount of ingredients needed to make it. In this recipe ingredients are simply layered in the pan, with no rolling involved.
I also had a quantity of leftover turkey to use up from Thanksgiving, so do note that you can use either chicken or turkey in this recipe. The turkey was delicious done this way!
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About the most complicated part of the dish was the softening of the corn tortillas. You do need to fry them in a bit of oil to soften and brown. Do note that I have made enchiladas many times with soft flour tortillas and they are also delicious.
So, if you cannot get corn tortillas, or you don't happen to like corn tortillas, you can very easily just use flour tortillas. I could never find corn tortillas in the UK.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS VERDE (FOR ONE)
There are basically only five ingredients in the recipe, other than the toppings you choose to garnish your finished enchiladas with.
For the enchildas:
- canola oil (about 2 TBS)
- 3 (8-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup (140g) shredded cooked chicken
- 3/4 cup (195g) salsa verde
- 1/4 cup (35g) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
To garnish: (all optional)
- Sliced fresh avocado
- chopped fresh tomatoes
- sour cream
- crumbled cotija cheese
- chopped fresh coriander
- sliced black olives
- chopped spring onions
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It is impossible to buy just three tortillas, whether you buy corn or flour. These are an ingredient which freeze very well however and so I freeze the leftovers. I stack them together with some parchment or wax paper in between and then wrap tightly, pop into a zip lock baggie and freeze.
That way I can take out as many or as few as I want at any given time. They are great for enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. You can even make your own tortilla chips with them.
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The original recipe called for Tomatillo Sauce. That's not something I have ever seen here so I used Salsa Verde which is the closest thing and probably has a bit more flavor to it. In any case, it worked beautifully.
I also couldn't get Monterey Jack cheese, so I used a Tex Mex cheese blend. This also worked very well.
Also, as far as garnishes went, I only had sour cream and of course leftover salsa and so that is what we used today. I would have loved to garnish with some avocado and chopped spring onion as well. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
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HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS VERDE (FOR ONE)
Trust me when I say nothing could be any easier!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch pie dish. Set aside. (You can use any size baking dish that will hold your tortillas comfortably. The pie dish worked well for me.)
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook until lightly browned on each side. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all of the tortillas have been cooked. (The original recipe used a lot more oil. I didn't think that was really necessary.)
To assemble, spoon 2 TBS of the salsa into the pie dish. Top with a tortilla. Layer on 1/2 of the chicken, 1/3 of the remaining salsa and 2 TBS of the cheese.
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Layer a tortilla on top of the cheese, then add the remaining 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the remaining salsa and 2 TBS of cheese. (I added an extra layer of salsa because I thought it would give more flavor.)
Lay the final tortilla on top. Spread with the remaining salsa and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve hot with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
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These may not have been the most attractive enchiladas, but they certainly were delicious ones! I am sure that additional garnishes would have made them look more visually appealing.
I hope that they don't look so boring that it will put you off from making them. You could be missing out on something incredibly delicious if you don't!
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I think I would actually prefer these with flour tortillas. I am not a true convert to corn tortillas myself. For years I made my own flour tortillas from scratch for my enchiladas, and I guess I just have a taste for them!
They were really delicious however, and I loved the quickness and ease of preparation involved in making these. I think you will too! Small batch chicken enchiladas verde, if you are a family of one, you can't lose!
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CROCK POT BURRITOS - Stewing beef slow cooked in a homemade enchilada sauce. Wrapped in flour tortillas and topped with cheese. Amazingly delicious!
SIMPLE CHILAQUILES - A Mexican dish of fried corn tortilla pieces simmered with salsa or mole and typically topped with cheese and other accompaniments (such as sliced onions, shredded chicken, and fried or scrambled eggs.) Traditionally this is a breakfast dish.
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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 at aol dot com
Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Yield: 1
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This is an amazingly delicious single serving Tex Mex Entree. Much easier to make than traditional enchiladas, the ingredients in this dish are simply layered and then baked. Delicious doesn't have to be complicated!
Ingredients
For the enchildas:
- canola oil (about 2 TBS)
- 3 (8-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup (140g) shredded cooked chicken
- 3/4 cup (195g) salsa verde
- 1/4 cup (35g) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
To garnish: (all optional)
- Sliced fresh avocado
- chopped fresh tomatoes
- sour cream
- crumbled cotija cheese
- chopped fresh coriander
- sliced black olives
- chopped spring onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch pie dish. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook until lightly browned on each side. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all of the tortillas have been cooked.
- To assemble, spoon 2 TBS of the salsa into the pie dish. Top with a tortilla. Layer on 1/2 of the chicken, 1/3 of the remaining salsa and 2 TBS of the cheese.
- Layer a tortilla on top of the cheese, then add the remaining 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the remaining salsa and 2 TBS of cheese.
- Lay the final tortilla on top. Spread with the remaining salsa and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese has melted.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
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One thing which I have always loved doing it making my own jams and preserves. Of course when I had a growing family, this kept me very busy in the late summer/early autumn as I worked very hard to preserve the summers bounty.
One thing which my family really enjoyed was apple butter. They loved it on toast, spread between cake layers, on biscuits and with pork. If you have never tasted a pork roast or ham glazed with apple butter, then you cannot know what you are missing. Delectable.
Another thing I like to make with apple butter is Apple Butter Pie. I thought I could find some apple butter in the store to do that with, but to no avail. I guess it is not a common thing here in Nova Scotia. You would think it would be the opposite as we here in the Valley are a prime Apple Growing area.
I decided to make my own, but since I am only one person I small batched the recipe to make only one pint (2 cups). This is the best apple butter. It starts on top of the stove but is finished in the oven.
This version differs slightly from your traditional apple butter recipe in that I spice it up with crystalized gingerroot. You can add other spices of course as well, or leave the gingerroot out entirely. Its your choice.
For apple butter you want to use a good cooking apple, or at the very least an apple which is a good all rounder. This means simply that it is good not only for cooking but eating.
Gravenstein apples are the best for cooking, but today I used a newer apple called the Sunrise Apple. (See photo above.) Sunrise apples are sweet, juicy and crisp, but they are not great storers. They are also not on the market for very long due to that fact.
I have to say they make very tasty apple butter. You can find out more about this particular apple here.
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Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce. Normally it is quite a bit darker in color than this here today, but that is largely due to the use of spices. Notably, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
I have used no spices in mine, simply the minced crystalized ginger. I plan on adding more spice when I make my apple butter pie later this week.
Apple butter has its roots in Western Europe (Belgium, Netherlands and Germany) and was considered to be a great way of preserving apples for the winter. It was very popular during the middle ages when every Monastery had its own orchards.
You can read more about its history and production here.
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Its really not that difficult to make at all. If you have ever made applesauce, then you have come very close to making apple butter. Apple butter is essentially just applesauce that has been cooked and condensed into a thicker consistency.
As I said we love the stuff. But then we love apples full stop!
You can use just about any kind of apple you like to make apple butter. I highly recommend a mix of both cooking and eating apples for the best flavor overall.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER
Essentially very simple ingredients, beginning with apples.
- 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
- 3/4 cup fresh apple cider
- 1 TBS minced crystalized ginger (optional but very good)
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 3/4 TBS lemon juice
You can up the spice by adding 1/4 tsp cinnamon along with 1/8 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg if desired. Just add it in with the sugar.
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As you can see despite there not being a lot of spices in this version, the color is still a lovely shade of amber. It smells amazing when it is baking. I couldn't help but taste it along the way.
I used cloudy apple juice today as I did not have any fresh apple cider in the house. They are very similar in taste and texture. Don't use ordinary apple juice.
The crystallized ginger is a totally optional ingredient, but I have to say it does give this apple butter a really unique and delicious finish.
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HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER
This is not really labor intensive although the cook time is rather long. Make it on a day when you know you don't have to go out anywhere.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C/ gas mark 4. Combine the apples, cider and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the apples turn to mush. (15 to 20 minutes)
Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Transfer to a blender (or using an immersion blender) and blend until you have a smooth fine puree. Transfer to a shallow baking dish.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice.Reduce the oven temperature to 300*F/150*C/ gas mark 3 and bake for a further 45 to 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done the apple butter will have darkened and reduced by nearly half.
Remove from the oven and cool. Transfer to a pint jar, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage you must either freeze or process in a water bath.
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I wish you could smell how lovely my house smells at the moment. It is amazing. I made this in anticipation of making an Apple Butter Pie later this week, so if you want to be able to make that Apple Butter Pie, I highly recommend you making this apple butter.
Of course you can use a store purchased apple butter in its place. Not a problem.
This smells and tastes so good I just hope that I still have some when I go to make the pie! There is always the danger that I will gobble it up! Yes, I cannot really truly be trusted around things that are this delicious!
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OATY APPLE CRUMBLE - When it comes to an apple dessert you can't get much better than an apple crumble. I like the ones with the Oats in the crumble most of all. For some reason they seem more wholesome, and almost healthier . . . although they really aren't. Sugar is sugar. But we won't think about that right now. Pure deliciousness.
CARAMEL APPLE SELF SAUCING PUDDING - A tasty cake pudding that is composed of a delicious apple sauce on the bottom and a moist cake batter on the top. Delicious served warm and spooned into bowls with hot custard poured over top, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream!
.JPG "Homemade Apple Butter (small batch)")
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 at aol dot com
Homemade Apple Butter (small batch)
Yield: 1 pint (2 cups)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 45 MTotal time: 1 H & 55 M
This is a delicious fruit spread that is fabulous served on hot biscuits, with pork, stirred into your morning oats, etc. You can up the spice by adding 1/4 tsp cinnamon along with 1/8 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg if desired.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
- 3/4 cup fresh apple cider
- 1 TBS minced crystalized ginger (optional but very good)
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 3/4 TBS lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C/ gas mark 4. Combine the apples, cider and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the apples turn to mush. (15 to 20 minutes)
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Transfer to a blender (or using an immersion blender) and blend until you have a smooth fine puree. Transfer to a shallow baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300*F/150*C/ gas mark 3 and bake for a further 45 to 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done the apple butter will have darkened and reduced by nearly half.
- Remove from the oven and cool. Transfer to a pint jar, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage you must either freeze or process in a water bath.
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