Three of my grandsons are here this week. The excitement is tangible! This is something I have waited for for a very long time. I used to dream about being able to spend time with my grandchildren when I was living in the UK.
It hardly seemed possible that it would ever happen. I lived so far away. Life has a way of surprising you however and sometimes in the most unusual and amazing ways!
So here I am now, living back in Canada and all my dreams of spending time with my grandchildren are coming true. I have stocked on board games that we are going to have a lot of fun playing and I am preparing tasty treats for them to enjoy while we are here together!
These boys are my middle son's family. I call them the three "J's." Jon, Josh and Jake. I love spending time with them. They are great boys and yes, I know I am a bit more than biased! That is a grandmother's prerogative!
I can't really have a campfire where I am living, so no weenie roasts and s'mores around the campfire, but when I saw this recipe for Crescent Roll S'Mores the other day I thought they would be the perfect dessert for the boys!
I have adapted the recipe from a page called Lemon Tree Dwelling.
There is everything to love about these tasty treats! They are quick and easy to make, and oh-so-tasty!
I love the ease of making these. They are like little bundles of sweet, gooey, chocolaty joy. With little bits of crunch from the graham crackers. Oh boy . . . I just know they are going to love them. Good thing because I don't want to be tempted by having these around for too long!!
Yes, they are THAT good!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CRESCENT ROLL S'MORES
Not a lot of ingredients are needed. They are very much store cupboard ingredients for the most part.
- 1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count) (Pillsbury in North America, JusRol in the UK)
- 8 tsp chocolate hazelnut spread (I used Bonne Maman)
- 64 mini marshmallows (I used big marshmallows, cut into 6ths)
- 40 semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 graham crackers (these break up into 4 smaller ones. In the UK use Digestive biscuits, crumbled, about 4, crumbling half into each croissant)
- additional chocolate hazelnut spread to drizzle
The crescent dough can be found in the chiller section of the grocery store. Here in Canada it is usually by the eggs and cheeses, creams, milks. In the UK it is called JustRol and is next to the butters and prepared pastry.
I actually think that the one in the UK is so much better than the North American one. It is very much like real croissant dough. Oh so tasty! I miss it!
I did not have mini marshmallows, but I did have big ones and so I just used a pair of scissors and cut each big marshmallow into six pieces. I was not going to let a lack of mini marshmallows stop me!
I used the Bonne Maman Chocolate Hazelnut spread. Use whatever kind you have. Nutella is a favorite I know. But the Bonne Maman is one I like even better.
Why is that stuff so darned good! I could just eat it with a spoon! Naughty!
I used Kirkland semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can buy them at Costco. I know in the UK you cannot get graham crackers, but you can use digestives.
I also think you could use Golden Grahams cereal. Now that would be very good! And nice and crunchy too!
The hardest part of these is rolling them up. Seriously, they could not be easier.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper.
Break open the can of crescent dough and unroll the dough. Separate into triangles.
Top each triangle (at the wide end) with 1 tsp of the hazelnut spread, 8 mini marshmallows, 5 chocolate chips and 1/4 graham cracker broken into pieces, and in that order.)
Carefully roll the dough into a crescent shape, working from the wide end up towards the point, and keeping everything enclosed.
Place on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between for spreading.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Drizzle additional hazelnut spread over the top of the rolls. You may need to heat it a tiny bit.
I didn't need to heat my chocolate spread. I just gave it a good stir and it flicked over the crescents very easily. Yummy yummy!
I am thinking you could also add some toasted nuts to these or even chopped candied cherries. Technically not s'mores, but I bet it would be really tasty.
True confession here. I have never had a S'more. I have always wanted to try them, but the opportunity has just never presented it self.
I think I need to change that don't you???
Somehow though I think they would only be tasty when enjoyed sitting next to a bonfire where you have toasted the marshmallows in the flames until they catch fire and then you blow them out.
Those I have enjoyed, but just not s'mores. Darn, now I am wanting toasted marshmallows. I like them burnt. How do you like them??
Have you got children around your place this summer? Might I suggest a few of these treats for them to enjoy!
WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - I don't make that claim lightly. These are the best chocolate chip cookies. I used to bake two batches every week when I worked at the Manor. The smell of them baking used to bring all of the staff into the kitchen wanting to steal one or two fresh from the oven! They really are fabulous.
NUTELL-OS - These fabulous squares are everything a good non-bake square should be. Crunchy and sweet. Creamy nutella melted together with marshmallows and butter with toasty oaty "O" shaped cereal stirred in. Pressed into a pan and then cut into squares. These are quite simply delicious!
Yield: 8
Crescent Roll S'Mores
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
Your children are going to go crazy over these! Sweet and deliciously messy!
Ingredients
- 1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count) (Pillsbury in North America, JusRol in the UK)
- 8 tsp chocolate hazelnut spread (I used Bonne Maman)
- 64 mini marshmallows (I used big marshmallows, cut into 6ths)
- 40 semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 graham crackers (these break up into 4 smaller ones. In the UK use Digestive biscuits, crumbled, about 4, crumbling half into each croissant)
- additional chocolate hazelnut spread to drizzle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper.
- Break open the can of crescent dough and unroll the dough. Separate into triangles.
- Top each triangle (at the wide end) with 1 tsp of the hazelnut spread, 8 mini marshmallows, 5 chocolate chips and 1/4 graham cracker broken into pieces, and in that order.)
- Carefully roll the dough into a crescent shape, working from the wide end up towards the point, and keeping everything enclosed.
- Place on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between for spreading.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Drizzle additional hazelnut spread over the top of the rolls. You may need to heat it a tiny bit.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!!
I came across this 3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe on Serious Eats the other day and was intrigued. It sounded interesting.
I am a huge fan of mac and cheese, even the boxed version. This recipe boasted that it used fewer ingredients than the boxed version, and came together in approximately the same amount of time.
Not only that but it promised to be rich and creamy and decadent, plus it only feeds two people. (Much like the box.) The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it.
I adore Mac & Cheese. It wasn't something our mother ever made for us when we were growing up. I am not sure why.
My first brush with it was when I was at University. There was a Co-op store down the end of the street where we had our apartment and periodically they would put the blue boxes of mac and cheese on at 10 packages for $1.
Have you checked out the price of one of those blue boxes lately? I think I paid almost $3 for one a few weeks ago and that was on special offer! I think Wal Mart recently had a special where you could get 10 boxes for about $13 and that was the store brand, not the real deal.
I think its called inflation.
Anyways, I was intrigued by the simplicity of this recipe. And it promised to be rich and creamy and decadent?? How could I resist??? I was in!
All in one pot, in less than 10 minutes. Rich. Creamy. Deliciously cheesy. Perfectly sized for two I had nothing to lose really.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE 3-iNGREDIENT STOVE TOP MAC & CHEESE
Basically, aside from the salt and some water, really only three ingredients!
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) dry elbow macaroni
- salt
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup/180ml) undiluted evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed)
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) grated mild or medium cheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese (Fontina, Gruyere, Jack)
Evaporated milk is a milk that has been heated and reduced by about 60%. It has been condensed, but do not mistake it for sweetened condensed milk. That has had sugar added and is a lot thicker.
Useful in desserts, but not mac and cheese! 😕
Do NOT make the mistake of using sweetened condensed milk. You may not think I need to say that, but realistically there are some people who don't know the difference and this instruction is for them.
Use only the evaporated milk. I used Carnation full fat evaporated milk.
I used a combination of orange and white cheddars. This made for a nice light orange color in the sauce without going over the top. Did you know that orange is not the natural color of cheese? They add a coloring agent called annatto to it to make it that color.
Annatto is the seed from the Achiote plant which grows in South America. To be honest I prefer white cheddar, but I think in a dish such as this you do need a bit of the orange to brighten it up.
HOW TO MAKE 3-INGREDIENT STOVE TOP MAC & CHEESE
It really could not be easier. Just follow the instructions to the "T."
Measure the macaroni into a medium sized saucepan. Cover with cold water, adding just enough to cover the macaroni. Add a pinch of salt.
Bring to the boil and then boil, stirring constantly, until almost all of the water has evaporated and absorbed. This will take about 6 minutes. The macaroni should be al dente.
Add the evaporated milk and bring to the boil. Add the cheese and immediately turn down to a low simmer.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and reduced to a creamy sauce. This should take no more than 2 minutes.
Season to taste with a bit more salt, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
If you like you can add a splash of hot sauce, some mustard powder or a knob of butter when you add the milk.
It appears to be quite runny when you first take it off the stove, don't worry this is as it should be. It will thicken considerably on standing.
Don't leave it to stand too long however, or it will become too thick. I think this is a mac and cheese that needs to be eaten right away.
I did add a splash of hot sauce because I like a tiny bit of heat in my mac and cheese.
HOW THIS WORKS
1. By cooking the pasta in a small amount of water it concentrates the starches from the pasta which helps to thicken the sauce and adds to the creaminess.
2. Cooking the pasta in milk can cause the pasta to scorch, which is why it is better to use water rather than milk.
3. There is something in evaporated milk called Micelles. These work as an emulsifier to help to keep the sauce smooth and creamy.
If I am honest here, I don't think this will ever take the place of boxed macaroni in my kitchen. Perhaps I am too long in the tooth and too used to the flavor of boxed macaroni. I found it to be very rich. It tasted good, but I like the boxed one more.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
I also think my sister's Stove Top Mac and Cheese tastes a lot better. It does use more ingredients, but I prefer the flavor and the texture of the macaroni more. You do have to cook that macaroni first before adding it to the sauce.
Do you love Mac and Cheese as much as I love Mac and Cheese??? If so you will probably really enjoy the following versions:
MACARONI AND CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE - This tasty casserole combines two favorite things in one delicious bake. BBQ Glazed Meat Loaf and creamy Mac & Cheese. The flavors of this easy casserole are A-MAZE-ING! Prepare to fall in love.
MAC AND CHEESE DOG CASSEROLE - This is a real favorite with children and adults alike. I am no snob. I enjoy a good hot dog just as much as the next person! This tasty dish is simple and delicious with beautiful zippy flavors!
Yield: 2
3-Ingredient Stove Top Mac & Cheese
Cook time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
Rich and creamy as well as quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) dry elbow macaroni
- salt
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup/180ml) undiluted evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed)
- 6 ounces (scant 1 1/2 cups/170g) grated mild or medium cheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese (Fontina, Gruyere, Jack)
Instructions
- Measure the macaroni into a medium sized saucepan. Cover with cold water, adding just enough to cover the macaroni. Add a pinch of salt.
- Bring to the boil and then boil, stirring constantly, until almost all of the water has evaporated and absorbed. This will take about 6 minutes. The macaroni should be al dente.
- Add the evaporated milk and bring to the boil. Add the cheese and immediately turn down to a low simmer.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and reduced to a creamy sauce. This should take no more than 2 minutes.
- Season to taste with a bit more salt, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
If you like you can add a splash of hot sauce, some mustard powder or a knob of butter when you add the milk.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
What a breathtakingly beautiful country, especially when you get away from the cities and in the Highlands. We stayed at a hotel in the Trossachs National Park which is in the middle of the Highlands and it was gorgeous there.
I remember one day we were driving along this winding road which closely followed the edge of a ravine on one side and we were able to see down into the ravine and see some deer and a stag walking along the side of the creek in the bottom of the ravine. Stunning doesn't begin to cover it.
I am ashamed to say that I did not try Haggis. I was not brave enough, but I had myself a wee bracing bowl of real Scottish oats for breakfast every morning. Did you know that the Scots like salt on their oatmeal? I prefer brown sugar.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the baked goods in Scotland. The Oatcakes were superb, especially with a bit of cheese.
They grow the most delightful raspberries in Scotland and I got to enjoy them in a delicious dessert called Cranachan. Composed of toasted oats, cream, whisky and raspberries, it was a real pleasure.
That was such a fun trip. I loved their sweet also. Of course there was the shortbread, which was magnificent, and Ecclefechan tarts (similar to Canadian Butter tarts, but with more fruit.) My favorite of all, however, was these Scottish Fern Cakes, which are actually not a cake at all but lovely little tarts.
They were very similar to Bakewell Tarts. I do love me a good Bakewell Tart. What you have here is something quite like that with a crisp pastry base, a layer of sweet raspberry jam and then an almond frangipane on top.
After baking, they are glazed over with a thick sugar glaze and then traditionally they have a fern drizzled on top of the glaze of chocolate, but I have chosen to do the fern (however poorly) with a green glaze icing instead.
I adapted the recipe from the original recipe which was found on Christina's Cucina to make a much smaller batch. The original recipe made 12 tarts, I have made only 6.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SCOTTISH FERN CAKES
I am thinking that most people will already have what they need in the kitchen to make these. I have taken the liberty of using frozen tart shells to make mine, but feel free to make your own pastry if you wish.
- 6 frozen small tart shells, thawed (about 2 1/2 inches across)
- 3 tsp raspberry jam
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter
- 1/3 cup (57g) sugar
- 2/3 cup (57g) ground almonds
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
For the icing:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar
- milk to thin (about 1 TBS)
- drop of green food coloring to make the fern pattern
I used the Tenderflake frozen tart shells. You can find them in the freezer section of the grocery shops here in Canada. You could also use my recipe for butter/lard pastry which is very good. You will probably only need half the recipe to make these tart shells, but you can freeze the remainder in a disc, wrapped tightly in some plastic wrap and popped into a zip lock baggie.
It will keep for about six months and they you will have a single crust pie crust ready to go for whenever.
I did prebake my tart shells prior to filling them. I find it gives the tarts a nice crisp base. There will be no soggy bottoms here! (As Mary Berry would say!)
I used seedless raspberry preserves. I have diverticulitis and can't tolerate the seeds. Blackberry jam is also something with the Scots will use. Both are quite traditional. Don't be tempted to use too much as jam expands exponentially in the oven so a little bit does go a very long way.
I use the ground almonds that you can get at Costco. Kirkland brand. Ordinary salted butter and ordinary organic granulated sugar. For the icing I used the ordinary icing sugar you buy at the shops, and I always have full fat milk in my house so that is what I used in the glaze.
HOW TO MAKE SCOTTISH FERN CAKES
These are a real doddle to make and oh-so-tasty!
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Place the tart shells on a baking sheet and lightly prick the bottoms. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes while you make the filling.
To make the filling melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, almonds, almond essence and the egg yolk until smooth and well mixed together.
Remove the tart shells from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
Place 1/2 tsp of jam in the bottom of each shell and then top with a heaped spoonful of the almond mixture to cover the jam. Do not overfill. It should come just to the rim of the crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes and golden brown. They should be set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the foil tins.
To make the icing, whisk just enough milk into the icing sugar to give you a thick but runny drizzle. Divide the drizzle between each of the tarts to cover the tops. You should still have a bit left at the end.
Put a drop of green food coloring into the icing that is left. Using the tip of a spoon drizzle some of the green icing over the top of each tart in a fern pattern. Leave to set completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.
These are really REALLY delicious and such a simple bake. I enjoyed one with a hot cup of Mint Tea and then took some across to my friend Glenna across the road (who is also my cousin). She really enjoyed them also!
These would be perfectly at home on any tea time table, or for the holidays, or even for even "just because."
Some other Scottish treats I have baked here in my English Kitchen are:
SCOTTISH STEAK PIE FOR TWO - Tender chunks of beef in a rich beef gravy, topped with a beautifully flaky crust. This is delicious served with some parsley buttered boiled potatoes and a vegetable on the side.
SCOTTISH DUNDEE CAKE - This is one of my favorite fruit cakes. Rich and buttery with a white batter and filled with lots of dried currants. Flavored with orange zest and mixed spice and topped with blanched almonds, you can make this as either small cupcakes or a full sized fruit cake. Delicious!
Scottish Fern Cakes (small batch)
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min
A Scottish bakery classic, downsized for the smaller family. Delicious with a hot cup of tea!
Ingredients
- 6 frozen small tart shells, thawed (about 2 1/2 inches across)
- 3 tsp raspberry jam
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter
- 1/3 cup (57g) sugar
- 2/3 cup (57g) ground almonds
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
For the icing:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar
- milk to thin (about 1 TBS)
- drop of green food coloring to make the fern pattern
Instructions
- Preheat the oven t 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Place the tart shells on a baking sheet and lightly prick the bottoms. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes while you make the filling.
- To make the filling melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, almonds, almond essence and the egg yolk until smooth and well mixed together.
- Remove the tart shells from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
- Place 1/2 tsp of jam in the bottom of each shell and then top with a heaped spoonful of the almond mixture to cover the jam. Do not overfill. It should come just to the rim of the crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes and golden brown. They should be set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the foil tins.
- To make the icing, whisk just enough milk into the icing sugar to give you a thick but runny drizzle. Divide the drizzle between each of the tarts to cover the tops. You should still have a bit left at the end.
- Put a drop of green food coloring into the icing that is left. Using the tip of a spoon drizzle some of the green icing over the top of each tart in a fern pattern.
- Leave to set completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!!
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