Thrifty But Glam

Some of you may remember that I over-hauled Nigella's frangipane mince pie recipe a few weeks ago, well I had already made these bad boys and stuck them in the freezer ready for Christmas.  Now they are defrosted and nearly gone  I thought I better share the recipe with you. This recipe is perfect for those with littlies that like to feel they are helping to bake, as there is very little cooking involved - the majority is weighing and mixing :) As with all my borrowed recipes, this involves a few tweaks to make it personal to me :) Baking isn't about rigid directions, it's about adaption, experimentation and most importantly having fun! Ingredients 250g dark chocolate 150g milk chocolate 175g salted butter at room temperature 4 tbl spoons golden syrup 125g amaretti biscuits 75g chocolate cookies 150g hazlenuts 150g glace cherries 125g mini marshmallows Method Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a pan with the butter and ...

Now regular readers will know that I have a gluten free version of this recipe here , but I somehow forgot to share the original recipe, so after a lovely family member requested it, I figured it was time to write it up :)  I whipped one of these up for a family gathering over Christmas, and have fallen in love with it all over again! Equipment Food processor with blade attachment - for turning the biscuits into crumbs, you can use a freezer bag and rolling pin, but I prefer this way 20cm spring form tin - you can go larger or even a bit smaller, but ideally it should be spring form as removing the pie from the tin otherwise will be a nightmare Microwave - for melting the butter Mixing bowl Electric whisk - good luck if you decide to whip cream by hand Pestle - for pressing the biscuits into the tin, clean fingers or the back of a spoon can also be used Spoon Knife and Chopping board Hob and Pot Ingredients 1 405g tin of condensed milk (for those ...

Okay, so the last few months have seen me go from posting once a week, to barely once a month, and I sincerely apologize.  With the smell of New Years Resolutions in the air, I am going to make it up to you with 3 easy recipes.  One of them, (bannoffee pie) is kind of my signature piece, and a definite family favourite!  Just don't let any of them know it's actually a doddle ;)  The other two are more recent trials, and I'm sure they are set to become regular requests too. Join me in adding festive calories to the waist line, and most importantly enjoy!

Christmas may be over, but there are only a few days left until New Year's Eve, and quick party food ideas are a must! Embracing all things 70s (and my love for cinnamon whirls) I decided to over-haul a party favourite - the sausage roll. The humble sausage roll is much loved, but seeing as I was planning to use cheats puff pastry, (ready made) I felt these need a little extra to make them special - STUFFING! The great thing about these is that you can mix and match the sausage and stuffing flavours :) Ingredients 1 block chilled jus roll puff pastry (500g) 400g sausage meat - you can use sausages, just split the casing and squeeze out the meat Half a pack of 170g sage and onion stuffing Milk to glaze Salt and Pepper Flour for rolling Method Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes) Make up the stuffing according to the directions (remember to halve the amount of water if only using half the pack) ...

So unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, you will know that poor old Nigella (Lawson) is having a tough old time of it at the moment. Although I've always found her TV shows a little on the caricaturish side, (I can't help but get the giggles and convince myself it is secretly a carry on spin off) the lady most definitely has talent. So in honour of Christmas, and the innuendo rich Nigella, here is her frangipane mince pie recipe - I can honestly say that this is my new favourite mince pie recipe! PASTRY 175g plain flour 75g butter, cut into cubes 25g icing sugar 1 large egg, beaten FRANGIPANE 100g butter, softened 100g caster sugar 2 large eggs 100g ground almonds (if like me you are a doofus and bought flaked almonds, you can grind them in a food processor (blade setting) to make ground almonds 1 level tbsp plain flour 1tsp almond extract - if you are using essence, you will need to add more FILLING AND ...

Oh my goodness, it has been over 2 months since my last post (slaps wrist) as always, I do have a legitimate excuse though ;) I bought a shop!  I would love to say that it is the best thing I have ever done, but sadly this isn't the case.  My bricks and mortar shop is set to fold after only 3 months, and we will be online only :( My dream was that the shop should be an amalgamation of the business we bought (shabby chic furniture and homeware), my pieces and the possibility of renting space to local handmade artisans.  For a short while, we did indeed succeed! Sadly however we have reached the stage where we are unable to continue with our dream.  The shop is making a huge loss, and I've had to pull up my big girl knickers and call time.  I am broken hearted that this wasn't a success, but there are many issues impacting on the decision - family life, money, other business pressures and mainly time. I am now being left with the sad du...