Tag Archives: chocolate

The Busy Mum’s Guide to Managing Time In 5 simple steps

The Busy Mum’s Guide
to Managing Time in 5 simple steps

It’s the Christmas countdown and the busiest time of year for many of us, both at home and at work. There’s a cavalcade of projects, presents, productions and parties – all of which need careful planning.

I don’t have a magic wand to present you with
a fairy godmother who will help with the endless
tasks but I can offer a few effective tried-and-tested
tips for managing time.

Dairy Diary 2016 planning1 Plan a weekly schedule including every family member’s appointments and responsibilities and write it in the Dairy Diary. Encourage children to look in the diary to see what needs doing rather than having to nag them. You could write their commitments in a different colour so that they’re easy to spot.

2 Before you shop, plan meals for the week and write them in your diary. Then you can shop for just what you need (don’t forget to check your cupboards and first use what you have).

3 Use stickers to remind you of important dates, such as birthdays and doctors appointments. Make a note to buy cards and gifts and post them the previous week.

Memorable dates stickers & Dairy Diary 20164 When you think of Christmas gift ideas write them on the notes pages of your diary so that you don’t forget them and end up ‘panic buying’ in December.

5 Keep letters from school and other reminders in your diary pocket so that you know where to find everything.

 

 

 

Dairy Diary 2016There is, of course, one vital step
I have omitted and that is…..
buy a Dairy Diary!

The gorgeous 2016 edition is
on sale now.

READ MORE

 

 

 

And here’s a gorgeous busy mum’s (or dad’s) recipe – perfect for Bonfire Night. The whole family will love it!

 

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 282 per portion
Fat 17g (7.6g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Milk chocolate 40g (1½oz), broken up
  • Smooth peanut butter 2 tbsp
  • Milk 350ml (12fl oz)
  • Whipped cream 2 tbsp, optional
  • Mini marshmallows and grated chocolate to serve, optional

Instructions

  1. Place chocolate, peanut butter and milk in a pan. Heat gently, whisking, until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth.
  2. Pour into 2 mugs and top with whipped cream and marshmallows and/or grated chocolate, if using.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

 

Win a Year of Designer Flowers at Debenhams

.

Win a Year of Designer Flowers at DebenhamsTo celebrate the launch of Dairy Diary 2016 we are offering you the chance to win a year’s supply of bouquets, one a month for twelve months from the Designer Flowers range at Debenhams Flowers.

Fill your home with fantastic flowers or
share the joy with family and friends
(you can select a recipient for each month).
The choice is yours!

The bouquets are kindly donated by Debenhams who are also offering an exclusive £5 voucher* for everyone who enters the competition.

Take a look at Designer Flowers at Debenhams.

Enter

 

 

 

 

 

 

#mumsguide #savingtime #chocolate #bonfirenight

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate, Ginger and Cardamom Tea Bread

Chocolate, Ginger and Cardamom Tea Bread

Chocolate, Ginger and Cardamom Tea Bread

Ingredients

  • Ground cardamom 2 tsp
  • Crystallised stem ginger 250g (9oz)
  • Raisins 110g (4oz)
  • Light muscovado sugar 75g (3oz)
  • Orange 1, zest only
  • Strong Assam tea 200ml (7fl oz)
  • Egg 1, beaten
  • Self-raising flour 200g (7oz)
  • 70% dark chocolate 110g (4oz), chopped into generous chunks

Instructions

  1. Add the cardamom, ginger, raisins, sugar and zest to a large bowl and pour in the hot Assam tea. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave overnight to soak
  2. When ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment and set aside
  3. Add the egg to the mix, stir to combine then gradually mix in the flour until smooth and incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks then pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin. Bake in the oven for an hour and a half, until a metal skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
  4. Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool, carefully remove from the tin and wrap in parchment paper, followed by a clean tea towel. Leave the bundle for 24 hours before unwrapping and eating – this will allow the cake to develop a deeper, more rounded flavour.

 

#baking

Gorgeous Bake Club and the most delicious cake ever!

Chocolate, Ginger and Cardamom Tea Bread

My friends and colleagues at Baked & Delicious have recently launched the most fabulous online community called Bake Club.

This stunning site is packed full of the most beautiful recipes and fascinating foodie blogs and vlogs.

While I was having a nose the other day I got very excited about this recipe I stumbled across.

I LOVE tea bread and chocolate,
and ginger – in fact this must be
my perfect cake, so I had to give it a try.

The original recipe actually used ground cardamom but I couldn’t find it so I replaced it with allspice and it was still delicious. Every single member of the family loved it.

 

Chocolate, Ginger and Cardamom Tea Bread

Ingredients

  • Chocolate-&-Ginger-Tea-Bread-AGround cardamom 2 tsp
  • Crystallised stem ginger 250g (9oz)
  • Raisins 110g (4oz)
  • Light muscovado sugar 75g (3oz)
  • Orange 1, zest only
  • Strong Assam tea 200ml (7fl oz)
  • Egg 1, beaten
  • Self-raising flour 200g (7oz)
  • 70% dark chocolate 110g (4oz), chopped into generous chunks

Instructions

  1. Chocolate-&-Ginger-Tea-Bread-BAdd the cardamom, ginger, raisins, sugar and zest to a large bowl and pour in the hot Assam tea. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave overnight to soak
  2. When ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment and set aside
  3. Add the egg to the mix, stir to combine then gradually mix in the flour until smooth and incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks then pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin. Bake in the oven for an hour and a half, until a metal skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
  4. Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool, carefully remove from the tin and wrap in parchment paper, followed by a clean tea towel. Leave the bundle for 24 hours before unwrapping and eating – this will allow the cake to develop a deeper, more rounded flavour.

Recipe by Paul A Young for Great British Chefs

 

Bake ClubTake a look at Bake Club for yourself

Bake Club has some absolutely gorgeous recipes.

http://www.baked-and-delicious.com

 

 

 

 

 

#BakeClub #Baked&Delicious #baking

Recipe of the Week: Meringue Nests filled with Chocolate, Cherries & Cream

Meringue Nests filled with Chocolate, Cherries & Cream

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Per portion: 244 Kcal, 16g fat (8.5g saturated) Suitable for vegetarians Ingredients

  • Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 110g (4oz), broken into pieces
  • Ready-made meringue nests 8
  • Double cream 150ml (¼ pint)
  • Berries and cherries conserve 2 tbsp
  • Cherries 16

Instructions

  1. Melt the chocolate in a heatpoof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir often. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool but not set.
  2. Put the meringues on a large plate. Then, using a teaspoon, spoon a little melted chocolate into the base of each meringue and leave to set.
  3. Spread a sheet of greaseproof paper on a worksurface and spoon the remaining chocolate onto the paper to make 8 shards or zigzags to decorate each nest. Leave to set, chilling in the refrigerator if necessary.
  4. Wash and dry the chocolate bowl, then pour in the cream and whisk until it is just beginning to thicken. Add the conserve and whisk again until thick. Spoon the cream into the nests and arrange the cherries on top. Gently peel the chocolate decorations from the greaseproof paper and use them to decorate the meringue nests.

Recipe taken from Clever One Pot cookbook.

Clever One Pot cookbook

HALF PRICE OFFER!

And here’s a cheeky little treat for you – right now Clever One Pot, which features this recipe, is HALF PRICE! Read more…   Get in quick!

Buy Clever One Pot cookbook

 

 

#halfprice #nationalcherryday

National Cherry Day

Enjoy National Cherry Day with Meringue Nests filled with Chocolate, Cherries & Cream and a HALF PRICE cookbook offer!

This year, we are enjoying a bumper crop of cherries in the UK – hurray! As my all-time favourite fruit I am delighted. And as it’s National Cherry Day on Thursday, it’s the perfect excuse to make this exquisite but very easy dessert. After last week’s blog, you will be an expert in meringue making, so you should be able to make it standing on your head! (Don’t try this at home folks)

Continue reading →

Chocolate Whisky Cake

Every Scottish baker has their own recipe for chocolate cake and this one incorporates whisky, which complements the flavour of the chocolate. There is also a hidden ingredient (a Scottish favourite), which helps give the cake its rich, moist texture.

Chocolate Whisky CakePreparation time – 25 minutes
Cooking time – 25 minutes
Calories per portion – 435 Kcal
Fat per portion – 24g of which saturated – 13.6g
Serving – 10
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Very dark plain chocolate 175g (6oz)
Unsalted butter 110g (4oz), softened
Light brown sugar 175g (6oz)
Cold finely mashed potato 75g (3oz)
Eggs 2, beaten
Self-raising flour 175g (6oz)
Salt 1⁄2 tsp
Milk 4 tbsp
Double cream 125ml (4fl oz)
Icing sugar 50g (2oz), sifted
Whisky 3 tbsp
Raspberry jam 3 tbsp
Raspberries to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and grease and line two 20cm (8in) Victoria sandwich cake tins. In a heatproof bowl, break 50g (2oz) of the chocolate, and place over a pan of gently simmering water to melt.

2 In another bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale. Beat in the melted chocolate and mashed potato.

3 Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little of the flour with each. Sift the remaining flour and salt into the mixture and add the milk. Gently fold together until well combined.

4 Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and smooth over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until risen and springy-firm to the touch. Turn onto wire racks to cool completely.

5 Melt the remaining chocolate as above and cool for 10 minutes. Add the cream, the icing sugar and the whisky. Carefully whisk together until thick and creamy. Spread the jam over one half of the cake and then spread half the chocolate cream on top. Sandwich together with the other half. Spread the remaining chocolate cream on top. Decorate with fresh raspberries before serving.

Cook’s tip
If whisky isn’t your preferred tipple, dark rum or brandy also works well with chocolate, or replace with orange juice for a non-alcoholic version.

Recipe taken from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook.

1 2 3 4
Blog at WordPress.com.