I was shopping and saw there was a special offer on Cadbury’s Chocolate Mint Crisp bars and figured I could do something with them. The vote was between cookies or brownies and the cookies won plus they are great for gifting too.
I found this recipe which uses eggs and egg yolk and gives them a nice chewy texture with crispy edges and knew the mint crisp pieces would be perfect in every bite.
A simple and make ahead recipe that results in delicious shortbread cookies. They are melt in the mouth, buttery with the delicious addition of zesty orange and cranberry pieces.
The trick for perfect shortbread is not to overbake them. Take them out before they look “done” and you will have the perfect shortbread cookie. The other great thing about Shortbread is that it requires no eggs so if you have an allergy, then this recipe is for you.
Originally the recipe was coated in caster sugar before baking but I changed it to Golden Caster Sugar just to give them a slight golden hue and an added flavor burst.
Biscotti are different from other biscuits in that they are baked twice so they dry out and are very crispy. Don’t let this put you off making them though as it’s a simple process just with one extra step.
Traditionally they are dipped into dessert wine but are equally delicious dipped into a cup of coffee. Once made, they will keep for a couple of months if you store them in an airtight container. Nice! They make ideal gifts to give as they look so lovely in a cellophane bag tied with festive ribbon.
This recipe makes the most delicious gingerbread perfect for decorations. They are slightly crunchy on the outside and then have a soft, chewy center which is sooooo good!
If you want to hang them on your tree, just make sure to use a skewer when they are on the baking tray ready for the oven. Push the skewer through and thread with festive ribbon once baked and cooled.
You need to have some peppermint extract for the minty icing on these delicious brownies. If you really want an extra peppermint kick, add 2 drops of peppermint extract with the oil.
It’s a great traybake recipe that’s easy and a lovely change from lemon or orange. Mint and Chocolate are a great combination.
I could wax lyrical about this amazingly comforting and delicious Cinnamon Apple Cake but it does all the talking for itself. Considering it’s a gluten free recipe, the lightness and moistness of the cake is such a welcome surprise.
I reduced the original sugar quantity as ground almonds are quite sweet and the totally delicious cinnamon sugar topping is heavenly and doesn’t need extra sweetness to fight with it.
Read on for a real comfort food experience …
These went down a real treat with all the tasters and disappeared very quickly. I made half the original recipe thinking it might be too many but next time, I’ll be making the full batch! They make an ideal gift too!
I froze about 6 of them just to see how they behave and what I found worked was to let them defrost and then give them about 5 minutes in a moderate oven (150C) – just gave them a fresh feel. Remember to put a piece of parchment between each cookies before freezing.
These cookies are pretty irresistible and it’s an easy enough recipe to adapt so you can add your own favourites to it such as pecans, macadamia or other nuts. You can leave out the white chocolate and add milk or dark chocolate. Lots of options to explore so definitely a keeper!
Soooo where do you start with Flapjacks? Everyone has a version and most are great. They are a handy “on the go” snack but can be laden with calories or fat so enjoy but don’t over indulge. They are a good starter to the day with their oats and dried fruit.
Traditionally you make Flapjacks with porridge oats but I have a fussy one in the house who has an issue with textures yet loves Flapjacks so I decided to use oat bran which produced a really nice bar and got a big thumbs up 🙂
These yummy biscuits are full of all those childhood taste memories. Golden Syrup, Oats, Condensed Milk, Cornflakes and Custard Powder …. they are just so delicious and the bonus is they literally take minutes to make, less than 15 mins in the oven and a bit of cooling time.
I adapted the recipe to make it Gluten Free but I’ll list it as given and put the gluten free options and additions in brackets. They will last for up to a week in an airtight container.
If you love Banoffee Pie but don’t have time to make the traditional version, here’s a very quick, very simple, no bake recipe which will fit the bill perfectly and the bonus is they are surprisingly light so you don’t feel very full after one or two 😉
You only need 4 ingredients, some freezer time and a quick 60 seconds in the microwave. What could be easier?!
These gorgeous little bites of lemon heaven are very simple to make but do make sure to leave them chill in the fridge for 30 mins before baking. The only other thing to remember is to try and buy or make really good quality lemon curd to fill them. You need that sharp and lemony bite to make all the difference.
I put them back into the fridge after making them to set the icing and so the lemon curd would take a hold of the biscuits and not slide off. They were pretty delicious cold too! The recipe called for the zest of 2 lemons and to use only one in the batter and the other to decorate the biscuits but I added the zest of both to the batter as you’re coating them with a lemon icing and there is no such thing as too much lemon 😉
Another great recipe from the unbeatable Mary Berry! It’s such an easy ice cream to make, it’s no churn which is a huge bonus if you don’t own the machine and you can use broken up meringue pieces or shop bought. It’s not a big deal. It’s traditionally made in a loaf tin as you can then cut into slices as needed but it can also be made in an 8″ square tin to cut into perfect slices for wafers.
Add some mixed berries and a little cream for a delicious dessert or pop it over your favourite hot brownie … oh yes indeed. Lemon …. a wonderful thing!
