Coconut Macaroons Recipe - A Rough and Ready Version

I've tried to make 'posh' macaroons before with varying success, they look great but to get the lift or foot as it's known can be tricky. However a rougher finish doesn't detract from the taste and the recipe below is excellent.

I got this recipe when I joined a well known slimming club, it's low fat, tastes great and the macaroons have a lovely chewy texture. If you want to jazz them up make a chocolate ganache and use as a filling or dip in chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nut....bliss.

You will need:

Baking parchment
Whisk
Spoon or piping bag

Ingredients:

71g Desiccated coconut
198g Sugar
4 x Egg whites

Method:

1. Whisk the egg whites until frothy.
2. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until stiff.
3. Slowly fold in the coconut, once evenly distributed either, spoon on to a lined baking tray in rough blobs to the size you want or, use a piping bag for a more uniform shape.
4. Place in a preheated oven on 170*c for 25-30 mins or until just turning golden.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
6. If adding chocolate ganache the macaroons must be completely cool otherwise your filling will melt.

They are a lovely tea time treat and will last in an air tight container for a few days, I hope you enjoy.

Pin It

Luscious Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

This is one of my all time favourites, a cake classic, moist tangy sponge cake, sweet sugary icing....yes please. This cake also freezes very well, why not double up the ingredients, make two and freeze one for a rainy day.

Equipment and prep:

Pre-heat the oven to 180*c
2lb loaf tin
Baking paper to line the tin
Lemon squeezer

Ingredients:

For the cake

175g (6 oz) butter
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 x eggs
zest of one lemon


For the lemon icing

100g (4 oz) granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Method:

1. Place the butter, flour, caster sugar, baking powder, eggs and lemon zest in a bowl, beat together until smooth.

2. Place the mixture into the lined loaf tin.

3. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 mins or until it's golden in colour and springy to touch (Use the skewer method if you want to be extra sure it's cooked through).

4. Mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice together.

5. Once baked remove from the oven and whilst the cake is still warm prick all over using a skewer, then spoon on the lemon icing making sure the cake is evenly covered.

6. Once the cake is completely cooled remove it from the tin and store in an air tight container.

If you like a very lemony flavour add another lemon to the icing and extra zest to the mix.

Pin It

Guest Blogger - Mandi's Easter Gingerbread

Earlier on in the week I featured as a guest blogger on Mandi's blog 'Poppy Fox at Home', now its time to feature a recipe post from Mandi.  The blogging community is full of generous people happy to share and show mutual appreciation....it makes me feel all warm inside.  Over to you Mandi...

An Easter Crafternoon

I'm honored to be a guest blogger on Make.Do.Sew today.  Hi, I'm Mandi (Aka Mummafox) and I write a blog called PoppyFoxatHome which is a blog about living the simple life, motherhood, my two little people and my handmade creations.  I'm an Expressive therapies counsellor, at home mum, a social worker in a previous life and owner of PoppyFox so it's a great honour to write today's post.

Being Easter our crafternoons are filled with baking, painting and craft.  It encapsulates our tribes effort to live the simple life and enjoy the art of handmade.  Instead of giving eggs as gifts we decided to bake Easter themed gingerbread and DIY our own gift tags and wrapping for gifts using what we already had at home.

Gingerbread was one of the first recipes I shared with my daughter.  Entertaining Miss 3 with a 12 week old has it's challenges so for Easter I wanted to create a week of activities.  Making art collages at Mother's group, sewing fabric bunny headbands, painting and dying eggs, making gingerbread presents and bunny calico bags for the egg hunt.

I thought I'd share my recipe for Easter Gingerbread and Easter craft with you all today.  It's a great recipe for those that don't like traditional gingerbread as it cooks softer and more like a gingerbread cake in a cookie so kids seem to like it.

Part 1 - For the Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of light molasses, golden syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tblsp unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp of ground ginger
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of ground cardamom
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of tepid water

How to Make

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
• Line baking paper sheets on baking trays.
• In a mixing bowl add butter and sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.
• Combine flour, the cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves and ground cardamom in a mixing bowl. Add the golden syrup and stir to combine.
• Dissolve baking powder in tsp of tepid water and add to flour mixture.
• Refrigerate dough for half an hour which helps with rolling it out later on.
• 30 minutes later take dough out of the fridge.  Roll dough between two baking paper sheets (this saves mess and flouring the bench top) to a thickness of 12mm.
• Using cookie cutters cut shapes out of dough and place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. 10 mins gingerbread are pale gold, 12 mins golden in colour.
• Allow to cool on baking trays for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to a week.

 

Crafty DIY - If you want to make them for gifts

Part 2

You'll need icing pens and decoration balls,sprinkles or powder coated mini chocolate drops. These are available in the baking section of your supermarket or any cake decorating shop.

How to Do

Using the pens decorate your cookies with icing and add decorations to give cookies some colour and personality.

Miss 3 loved spending time decorating each cookie and I helped with the icing when she needed a little help.

Leave cookies on a wire rack and let dry while your doing craft.

Part 3 - Crafternoon activity

You'll need-

• Water based paints
• Coloured paper or white paper
• Paint brushes + water jar
• A pair of scissors
• Small plastic bags or clear plastic pockets
• String
• Big Sticker dots (optional)
• Black marker/Sharpie pen

 

How to Do

• Get your little one to paint a colourful picture on the paper using lines, dots and shapes covering much of the page.
• Paint 3-4 pages as these will be the backing in your gift bags and shape the rabbit heads you'll use as a decoration and gift tag.
• Cut a rectangle piece of painted paper and place in the gift bags.  You'll want it to come two quarters of the way in the bag as a backdrop to the cookies.
• Place decorated and undecorated cookies in the bag with the decorated cookies at the front.  I put 6-8 cookies in each bag with at least 2 decorated cookies at the front.
• Let the paper dry fully before drawing rabbit heads on the painted piece of paper.  Depending on how many gifts you are creating you'll want two rabbits per bag.  One for decoration and one as a gift tag.
• Using a coloured Sharpie marker pen draw an outline of a rabbit's head and face.  Using scissors cut out the head and place inside in the corner of your gift bag.
• Using string tie the gift bag up and secure with a knot or bow with another rabbit as a gift tag.  Place a whole in the gift tag to aid you attaching it to your gift bag of gingerbread.

I used a neon pink coloured dot for the back of the gift tag to write a message on.  This was placed on the back of the gift tag easily and kept things simple.  I had a gift bag and plastic gift pockets so I had gift bags tied with a bow and gift packets wrapped as a present with string for gifts.  The trick is to use what you have and be versatile.  No two bags look the same and I liked that.

Then a you have left to do is give your handmade gifts to those lucky people.  Miss 3 loves being the gift giver and it's a great way to help teach them to share and give.

I'd love for you to come visit my blog at www.poppyfoxathome.com, or over at Instagram @thepoppyfox and take a look.  I'm busy opening up my Etsy shop over Easter which is exciting, sewing up some PoppyFox orders and will be doing a giveaway shortly so stay posted.  I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for having me Lou. Xx

Pin It

Guest Posting - Victoria Sandwich Recipe

What's so great about the blogging community is the support and friendship that's offered from people all over the world. Guest blogging is a great way to show mutual appreciation and today Mandi who writes the blog 'Poppy Fox at Home' has kindly agreed to feature my Victoria sandwich sponge cake on her blog.

Mandi, whos lives in Australia, writes about her life as a mother, crafter, thrifter and gardener, 'Poppy Fox at Home' is an inspiring insight into another persons life.  Why not take a look?

Pin It

Shortbread Star Biscuits Recipe

These biscuits are simple but very tasty, they are light and crisp. My children loved them needless to say they didn't last long in our house.

Here's the recipe below, I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

150g (5oz) plain flour

100g (4oz) room temperature butter

75g  (3oz) icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until creamy.

2. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and stir in.

3. Sieve in the flour and mix in until a dough forms.

4. On a floured surface shape the dough in to the ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.

5. Once chilled roll out and cut in to the desired shapes.

6. Bake in the oven on 170*C for 15 mins or until golden, keep an eye on them, they can burn easily.

You can add any flavours you like, lemon and poppy seeds are a lovely addition as is lavender, orange, nuts or caraway seeds. Kids will love decorating them and they are best eaten within 5 days of baking if stored in an airtight container.

Pin It

Carrot, Date and Sultana Cake Recipe

I've only ever made a carrot cake once before and it was lovely, however I like my carrot cakes with lots of carrot, fruit and nuts so I've adapted a recipe to suit my taste. It's nice with a butter icing or sweet cream cheese filling/topping.

Ingredients

7oz (200g) Self raising flour
7oz (200g) Grated carrots
6oz (175g) Light soft brown sugar
4oz (115g) Sultanas
4oz (115g) Dates chopped
4oz (115g) Chopped mixed nuts
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/2 Whole nutmeg finely grated
1 tsp Mixed spice
300ml Vegetable oil
Zest of one orange
3 x Free range eggs
Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed cake tin.

1. Place the flour, sultanas, chopped nuts, mixed spice, nutmeg, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
2. Beat the eggs and the oil and sugar and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry flour mixture and gradually beat in the egg/oil/sugar mixture until smooth. Now stir in the carrots and orange zest until evenly distributed.
4. Pour the cake mix into a greased and lined cake tin (base only with grease proof paper).
5. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40-60 mins, until the cake is well risen and golden brown. (The cooking time can vary depending in your oven, check the cake after 30 mins, test
by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean the cake is ready, if not cook for longer checking every 15mins.)
6. Once cooked remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for five minutes and then remove the cake from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
7. If icing your cake wait for it to cool completely before doing so, otherwise the icing will melt.

This is a great cake that will last well for a few days in an airtight container. The mix can also be used for muffins or for an adult version soak the fruit in rum before adding to the mix.

Pin It

Chewy Ginger and Oat Cookies - Recipe

Do you like ginger? Do you like chewy cookies? Yes? Then this is your lucky day! Well, not really but it is a good day, here's another easy recipe the family will love.

Ingredients

185g (10oz) Plain flour
225g (8oz) Butter
140g (5oz) Soft brown sugar
140g (5oz) Caster sugar
2 x Eggs
2 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Squeeze of lemon and lemon zest (optional)

(Makes approx 24 cookies)

Method

1. Mix the butter, eggs and sugars until well combined.
2. Gradually sift in the flour, salt, baking powder, ginger and nutmeg together.
3. Add the oats a cup at a time and the mixture will start to form a lumpy dough.
4. Add the squeeze of lemon and zest if using.
5. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and with floured hands roll the dough in to 2 inch balls placing them on the trays allowing enough room for the cookies to spread.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 mins at 180 degrees Celsius (350f).

For a firmer more crunchy cookie bake for longer, I added more ginger as I like a hotter more spicy cookie. You can also add stem ginger or raisins which taste great too.

The dough can be rolled into a sausage shape and wrapped in grease proof paper twisting the ends. Place in the fridge and slice off the required amount of dough/cookies for fresh baked cookies when you need them.  The dough will last in the fridge for up to four days.

Pin It

Strawberry Jam Tarts Recipe - De-lish!

I'd heard that jam tarts were easy to make but had never tried them, and yes they are easy to make, very easy. What a reward for such little effort, bite-size morsels of sweet jammy joy.

I have to admit I did cheat a bit and used my stand mixer to make the pastry and my gorgeous daughter was on jam administration duty!

Anyway here's the recipe, I've included instructions for making the pastry by hand and by mixer/food processor. I hope you get as much satisfaction from making and eating them as we did.

Ingredients

Strawberry jam (or any other jam you like)

200g (7oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp icing sugar
110g (4oz) softened butter cut in to small cubes
1-2 tbsp cold water

Equipment Needed

Mixing bowl or stand mixer/food processor
Rolling pin
Pastry cutter
12 hole tart tin

Method

Pastry by Hand

1. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter, rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips keeping the pressure light.
3. Once the butter has been rubbed into the flour it should look like a breadcrumb crumbly mixture.
4. Sprinkle in some of water and gently mix in using a knife, the mixture will begin to bind together, if not add a little more water. You will know when the pastry is ready as it will leave the bowl fairly clean.
5. Using a pastry cutter.

Pastry by Mixer/Food Processor

1. Place the flour, salt and icing sugar in to the mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter to the bowl and mix with flat beater (or recommended pastry attachment as per your mixers/food processor instructions) until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add a little of the water and continue to mix until a smooth dough forms, if it does not form immediately add a little more water.
4. Once the dough is formed knead it a little on a floured surface.

Method cont...

5. Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 mins.
6. On a floured surface roll out the dough using a floured rolling pin until the dough is about 3-4mm thick.
7. Using a circular pastry cutter cut out the tart cases and place in the tart tin ensuring that each tart cavity is lightly greased to ensure the cases don't stick.
8. Add a generous tsp of jam and then place in the centre of the oven at 200 degrees centigrade for approx 15 mins or until the pasty is golden and the jam is bubbling. CAUTION THE JAM WILL BE VERY HOT AND CAN BURN!
9. Set aside on a wire rack to cool before eating.

Add pastry stars or hearts on top to decorate, alternatively letters of the alphabet would be fun for children. Most of all enjoy eating them!

Pin It

Weekend baking Granny Stylie

I was asked to bake some cakes for a family birthday party. I do love to bake a cupcake and have learnt you can hide a multiple of sins through the use of glitter! However I was a bit drip happy with the blue food colouring and didn't realise that red food colouring makes a peach colour when added to butter icing, not the pink I was expecting. Instead of baby pink and blue cupcakes I ended up with retro Granny chic peach and turquoise cupcakes. A happy accident or not? I'll let you decide.

Pin It

Blueberry Muffins

The summer baking continues.....

I had some blueberry's and Greek yogurt that needed to be used up and I wanted to make a cake or muffins.  I only had one egg left and no butter but plenty of vegetable oil.  I decided to type my ingredients into google and see what I got.  The muffins in the photo above were based on the recipe below which came from the Doves Farm website.  I read the feedback given by others who had used the recipe and tweaked the Doves Farm recipe according to their suggestions which was to reduce the vegetable oil and add extra yogurt to compensate.  The result was a light and tasty muffin with lots of gooey blueberry's.  Click on the link to see the original recipe or try the recipe below.

www.dovesfarm.co.uk

Ingredients

150g/5oz self raising flour
100g/3.5oz caster sugar
100g/3.5oz fresh blueberry's
75g/2.5oz sunflower or vegetable oil
3tbsps natural yogurt
1 egg

Method

1. beat together the sugar, yogurt, oil and egg
2. mix in the flour
3. mix in the blueberry's
4. spoon into cake cases placed on a baking tray
5. bake in a preheated oven 190°C/375°F for 20-25mins

Easy as pie...or cake!!


Pin It

Summer Holiday Baking - Chocolate Fairy Cakes

We've been busy this summer holiday and have been baking and making like mad, a good old classic never goes amiss and my children love helping make fairy and butterfly cakes.  We used the recipe on the website below and made our own chocolate butter icing rather than dusting with icing sugar.

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Pin It

Cheesy Feet - Cheese Pastry Party Food

A relative bought me this pastry cutter for Christmas last year, she bought it from Cox & Cox for around £5 (we do a £5 Christmas for adults in our family).  The cutter comes complete with a recipe for cheesy feet, the ingredients can be found in most household cupboards.  Our family loved them, they were quick and easy to make and inexpensive.  Check out the link below for Cox & Cox.

www.coxandcox.co.uk

Pin It

Homemade Meringue Recipe - easy peasy!!

I love meringues, I especially love homemade meringues, crisp, sweet and chewy, they are also fat free!!  I often make dishes that only require eggs yolks so am left with the whites which I used to throw away!! Meringues work better with egg whites that have been stored for a couple of days. Thinner older egg whites whip more easily and create more volume than newer egg whites. The simple rule of thumb is that you use 2oz of caster sugar per egg white. This has always worked for me regardless of the size of egg being used, I have also never added vinegar of cornflour. I use a food processor but have made these meringues by hand, it just takes a bite more elbow grease. They are so easy to make and I'm sure most people who bake can whip them up in an instant, however I thought I'd share the basic recipe....you never know it might come in handy some day.

 

Basic Meringue Recipe

3 x egg whites

175 g (6oz) caster sugar

 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees centigrade

2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment

3. Add the egg whites to a clean bowl/food processor bowl, whip until they form stiff peaks (don't over whisk or the meringues will start to collapse)

4. Once you are at this stage you can add the sugar about an ounce at a time, keep whisking and adding the sugar until it's all gone

5. Using a metal spoon create either one large meringue (pavlova shape) or lots of small meringue blobs onto the prepared baking tray

6. Once complete place in the middle of the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 130 degrees centigrade and cook for about an hour keeping an eye on it.  If the meringues appear to be getting over coloured turn the heat down a little more

7. Once the hour is up turn the oven off and leave the door ajar, leave the meringues in the oven to completely cool

8. Serve with whipped cream and fresh fuit or to your liking

Pin It

Banana and Chocolate Muffins or Cake Recipe

This is a recipe given to my by a friend, it's very easy to do and turns out perfectly every time. The bananas keep the cake moist and it's best to use very ripe or black bananas. I have made this cake mixture into a cake with butter icing sandwiched in the middle, cupcakes with butter icing on top and plain muffins. All 3 versions taste great and last about 3 days in an airtight container. I literally throw all the ingredients in to my food processor and mix.

Ingredients

275g (10oz) self raising flour

225g (8oz) caster sugar

170g (6oz) butter

85g (3oz) chocolate chips

3 eggs

2 large ripe bananas

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bake at 160 degrees centigrade for approx 30 mins depending on your oven and whether you are cooking a large cake or muffins/cupcakes (cupcakes and muffins may be quicker). Check they are cooked by sticking a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean they are cooked. If you are baking a large cake you will need 2 x 8" cake tins. Decorate as required. Yummy every time and a great way to use up over ripe bananas.

Pin It