This is a family recipe and one of my favourites! I don't know where this recipe comes from but my gran made it and my mom made it for me and now I make it for my daughter. (well I make it for me too!) Just a warning, these are addictive so you may want to stock up for a second batch. A tin of these crunchy, savoury rusks never lasts very long in my house!
Ingredients:
- 8 slices of thick sliced white bread
- 2 Tbl margerine
- 2 Tbl Bovril or Marmite (whichever you prefer, I always use Bovril)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 100°
- Mix the margerine and Bovril together (soften the margerine a bit if needed)
- Set out the slices of bread and generously spread both sides with the margerine mixture
- Cut off the crusts (I don't know if this is 100% necessary but we have always just done this!)
- Then cut each slice into three 'soldiers'
- Place the slices on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn and bake another 45 minutes.
- Take them out and let them cool. They should be hard and crunchy.
Enjoy these with a cup of coffee or on their own. They also make a nice grab and go snack for you or your kids!
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
These super chewy caramels will have you feeling like a kid again! Not only is this recipe quick and easy but it also has a delicious sweet and salty adult spin. They are a great after dinner treat and will really impress your guests. They also make a super easy gift if you wrap each one in baking paper and bottle them in a nice jar. So here it goes...
Ingredients:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup condensed milk
- ½ cup syrup
- ¼ cup butter/margerine
- a good pinch of sea salt flakes
Directions:
- Measure all ingredients into a microwave proof bowl
- Microwave for 6 minutes, storing every 2 minutes
- Pour into a rectangular bowl lined with baking paper so it's about 5mm thick
- Sprinkle the sea salt over the caramel
- Put it in the fridge to set. About half an hour in, take a knife and score it if you want equal pieces or leave it and break into shards when it is set
Be prepared to have lockjaw eating these, but it is so worth it! (Good to keep handy when you need some piece and quiet!)
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
There is nothing better on a Winters Day than a slice of warm banana bread laden with butter...mmmmm! This banana bread takes 5 minutes to whip up and because it uses oil, it is not only easier to mix but is also very moist and soft. This is a great idea for lunchboxes if you have kids and can also be made with nutty wheat flour for a healthy twist. Or you could keep it for yourself and enjoy with a nice cup of coffee!
Ingredients:
- 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas (easier to smoosh)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3/4 cup white or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups plain or nutty wheat flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp bicarb
- 1 tsp cinnamon (more if you a big fan)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 180ͦ
- Mash bananas in a bowl
- Add oil, egg and sugar and mix
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir until just incorporated
- Pour into a buttered and floured bread tin
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until a tester comes out clean
- Enjoy it while it's still warm with a nice cup of coffee!
This bout of winter weather had me in the mood for something warm and gooey. These Smores Bites are delicious with their crunchy base, creamy chocolate and lightly browned marshmallow on the top. These little bites of heaven can be whipped up in 15 minutes and are likely to really impress your guests (even the kids will love them!) It's also a great finger snack for tea party platters.
Ingredients:
- 1 packet Marie Biscuits (or Tennis biscuits)
- 6 Tbl margerine
- 24 blocks of chocolate
- 12 marshmallows
Directions:
- Crumb biscuits in a food processor or blender to fine crumbs
- Add in the margerine and mix until the crumbs are coated evenly and stick together when pinched
- Place a spoonful of mixture into a muffin pan and press on the bottom and sides
- Place in a 180° oven and bake for 5-8 minutes
- Remove from the stove and add two blocks of chocolate into each cup followed by a marshmallow
- Change the oven to grill and grill until marshmallows begin to brown
- Wait 10 minutes for them to cool a bit before taking them out of the muffin pan
Enjoy and try not to eat them in one go!
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
These are no your boring own doughnuts! They are super soft on the inside and crispy and flaky on the outside. With the soft centre, they are the perfect doughnuts to fill with jam or caramel or just coat in delicious cinnamon sugar glaze.
Ingredients:
- 500g self-raising flour (or 500g plain flour & 3 tsp baking powder)
- 175g softened butter/margerine
- 350ml/g drinking yogurt (I prefer vanilla)
Directions:
- Place flour into bowl and add blobs of the butter all over.
- Rub the butter into the flour until crumbly.
- Add in the yogurt and mix until a dough forms.
- Knead dough for 2 minutes and then place onto a floured surface.
- Roll out the dough and cut out your doughnuts. (I wouldn't make huge doughnuts with this recipe as the insides might not cook properly)
- Heat a pot of oil to a medium heat and drop in 6-8 doughnuts at a time.
- Turn doughnuts until golden brown on either side (about 8-10 minutes) and then place on kitchen towel to drain and cool.
- To make doughnut glaze wait for doughnuts to cool and then mix icing sugar and cinnamon with enough water to just drip off a spoon. Dip the doughnuts into the icing and let them drip off on a cooling rack.
These sweet treats will have your mouth watering and your hand reaching out for more!
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
This is the best tasting pizza base I have ever made. It is thin and crispy and best of all...super easy to make! With only 2 ingredients it is a quick and easy meal to whip up, you will never need to buy a soggy pizza base again! This recipe makes 2 large or 4 small pizza bases so just adjust it to your family's needs.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup self-raising flour plus more for rolling
- 1 cup Greek or double cream yogurt
Directions:
- Mix both ingredients in a large bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. The dough needs to come together in a ball so add more flour if needed.
- Knead for 2 minutes then divide the dough up into 2 larger or 4 smaller pieces of dough and place on wax paper while you roll the bases out.
- Dust your surface generously with flour because this dough sticks quite easily. Roll out the dough into a thin base. Transfer it onto a baking tray or pizza stone by rolling it over your rolling pin.
- Pre-bake the base for 8-10 minutes in a 200° oven before adding your sauce and toppings and baking for another ±20 minutes.
If you are anything like me there is nothing better than a home made pizza on a thin and crispy base! Num! You could even spread it with garlic butter and dip it in some balsamic vinegar.
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
This is one of the quickest and easiest recipes I have come across, and so scrumptious! The pancakes have that slight caramelised banana taste to them and they are delicious drenched with syrup. You can add coconut to the recipe for a tropical taste or add cinnamon and nutmeg for a warm, spicy taste or just have them plain.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 banana
- 1 Tbl coconut or 1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
- Put the egg and banana in bowl and blend until smooth (I used my stick blender)
- Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of oil. Pour the mixture into little rounds all over the pan, wait till the top starts to bubble and then flip and cook the other side. They can a bit tricky to flip so use a nice flat spatula. Don't worry if they are quite a dark brown, that is just the banana carmelising!
- Serve with syrup and cream!
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can eat a whole plate of pancakes without feeling guilty! I did!
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
Surprise your kids tomorrow morning by letting them have ice-cream for breakfast! This ice-cream requires no churning and is ready in 5 minutes. You can make the vanilla or chocolate versions of this recipe, both are delicious. The fact that it is super healthy is one more reason why you should try this as soon as possible!
Ingredients:
- 2 bananas cut up and frozen overnight, slightly over ripe bananas work best but if you can't find then just add a little sugar to the recipe
- 2 Tbl milk
- 1 Tbl vanilla essence or 1 Tbl cocoa
Directions:
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and zap till it's creamy like soft-serve. If you have a hand blender or your blender doesn't seem to handle it then blend the bananas in smaller batches
- Add sprinkles on for an extra treat and enjoy!
So that's all there is to it! Guilt free ice-cream for breakfast!
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
Not only are these delicious and addictive, but they are also have a hidden ingredient that make them good for you too! This recipe is perfect if your child is a fussy eater (or if you have a husband who is a fussy eater!) They are delicious deep fried or baked and can be frozen for future use.
Ingredients:
- 3 large or 4 medium peeled potatoes
- 1 medium sized head of cauliflower
- 5 Tbl flour
- 5 Tbl breadcrumbs + more for coating
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt + other spices to season (I used thyme, oregano and mixed herbs)
- half a cup of grated cheese
Directions:
- Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes. Place in cold water until they are cool enough to handle and then grate them.
- Steam the cauliflower for 3 minutes, leave to cool then crumble into small pieces.
- Place cauliflower and grated potato onto a dishtowel and place another dishtowel on top, then push down to get as much moisture out as possible.
- Empty into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. The mixture should be firm enough to roll into balls.
- Take spoon fulls of mixture and roll into balls then coat in breadcrumbs and set aside.
- Place balls on baking paper and bake at 220⁰ for 15 minutes then flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Alternatively fry in hot oil till golden brown. If you have too many then just freeze them for another day.
If your kids pick up on the cauliflower and complain then just take it out, it will work the same! Else ignorance is bliss and you will feel better knowing they are getting a good dose of veggies.
Keep it cooking,
Kelly
