Tag Archives: Crunchy Peanut Brittle

4 Brilliant Bonfire Snacks

Four brilliant bonfire snacks

One of the best things about our latest cookbook, Dairy Diary Favourites, is the bakes.

These best-loved tried-and-tested recipes have been cooked countless times across the land, and they are truly scrumptious.

The cookbook is crammed full of fabulous comfort food, which is just perfect for warming you up on Bonfire Night.

Here’s our selection for November 5th,
or indeed any autumnal evening when
you’re in need of a little comfort food.

Enjoy folks – I’m convinced you will!

Pigs in Blankets

Perfect for outdoor feasts and teatime treats, these crisp wrapped sausages from the 2007 Diary are a popular choice with everyone.

Pigs in Blankets

These gorgeous little morsels are a great snack for a chilly day! These perfect Pigs In Blankets are a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Savoury Muffins

Savoury Muffins

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 351 per portion
Fat 22g (11g sat) per portion

These fluffy muffins from 2007, flavoured with bacon and chives and served with a tomato butter, are perfect for elevenses when you fancy a savoury fix.

Ingredients

  • Rindless streaky bacon rashers 175g (6oz), chopped
  • Fine cornmeal 110g (4oz)
  • Plain flour 175g (6oz)
  • Baking powder 1 tbsp
  • Finely snipped chives 3 tbsp
  • Butter 150g (5oz)
  • Eggs 2, beaten
  • Milk 225ml (8fl oz)
  • Sun-dried tomatoes 40g (1½oz), finely chopped

Instructions

  1. In a dry frying pan, gently fry the bacon until lightly browned and crisp. Leave to cool.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°fan/Gas 7. Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
  3. Sift the cornmeal, flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, mix in 2 tablespoons of chives and the bacon, then make a well in the centre.
  4. Melt 75g (3oz) of the butter, mix with the eggs and milk, then pour into the flour. Mix gently, then spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 15–20 minutes until well risen, lightly browned and springy to touch.
  5. Meanwhile, blend the remaining butter with the tomatoes and the remaining chives. Serve with the warm muffins.

Cook’s tips. Unlike other bakes, muffins need only the minimum of mixing to get a light fluffy texture. Too much stirring and they will be heavy.

Crunchy Peanut Brittle

Crunchy Peanut Brittle

Crunchy and utterly moreish, this peanut brittle is wonderful served with a hot cup of coffee. This delicious Crunchy Peanut Brittle is a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Auntie Lou's Bread Pudding

AUNTIE LOU’S BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING 

Moist and packed full of fruit, you can guarantee everyone will want a second square of this bread pud from the Dairy Diary recipe collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Mothering Sunday – 5 easy homemade gifts for mums

5 easy homemade gifts for mums on Mothering Sunday

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5 easy homemade gifts for mums
on Mothering Sunday

You may want to treat your own mum, or make for another mum who does a fabulous job.

Here are five easy and accessible ideas for anyone to try – young or old. Children will love helping to make any of these lovely gifts, and mums will adore them no matter how well made (or not! – my own mum has had some ‘interesting’ Blue Peter creations in the past). After all, it’s always the thought that counts.

Mother’s Day Cupcakes

Mother's Day CupcakesMakes 9
Time 45 mins
Calories 485 Fat 27g of which 16.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Butter, at room temperature and very soft 110g (4oz)
Caster sugar 110g (4oz)
Lemon extract 1 tsp
Eggs 2 large, beaten
Self-raising flour 110g (4oz)
Baking powder 1 tsp
Milk 1 tbsp

For the topping
Butter, softened 175g (6oz)
Icing sugar 300g (11oz), sifted
Lemon extract 1 tsp
Sugar flowers and sugar sprinkles (glimmer) to decorate

1 Preheat oven to 180ºC/ Gas 4 and place cupcake cases in a muffin tin. Put butter and sugar in an electric mixer. Add lemon extract with eggs, flour, baking powder and milk. Using beater attachment, mix batter well until you have a smooth pale cake mixture.

2 Divide mixture between cupcake cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm to touch. Leave in the tin to cool.

3 Beat butter, using an electric whisk, until pale then add icing sugar and mix on lowest setting until blended. Then blend on full speed for a minute. Add lemon extract and beat again. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe swirls onto cupcakes. Decorate with sugar flowers and glimmer.

Crunchy Peanut Brittle

Crunchy Nut BrittleCrunchy and utterly moreish, this peanut brittle is wonderful served with a hot cup of coffee. This delicious Crunchy Peanut Brittle is a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Luxury Coffee Truffles

Luxury Coffee Truffles Time 30 mins plus chilling
Makes 20-25
Calories 66
Fat 6g of which 3.1g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Cook’s dark chocolate 150g (5oz), chopped
Double cream 4 tbsp
Butter 50g (2oz), softened
Instant coffee 1 tsp, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
Cocoa 25g (1oz), sifted
Petit four cases

1 Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in cream, butter and coffee. Mix well, until smooth. If butter doesn’t melt, return bowl to stand over the pan of hot water and stir until melted. Cool, then cover and refrigerate for 1-1½ hours until firm, not solid.

2 Scatter cocoa onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Scoop teaspoons of chocolate and then, using your fingertips, roll into little balls, coating with cocoa. Place truffles in petit four cases. If they are Mother’s Day gifts, pop into a pretty gift bag or box.

Spa in a Jar

Spa in a JarI came across this charming idea for a homemade gift on Pinterest. I have to say, I am totally hooked… the possibilities for personalised gifts are endless. In essence, you fill a jar with small items that you know a friend will love or find useful. Make it pretty and voila – a gorgeous and thoughtful gift, which can be very inexpensive to put together.

Here’s how I made it:

1 From Boots I bought a selection of miniature goodies from their travel section.

2 I pilfered a (clean) good-sized jar from the recycling bin and filled it with the spa goodies.

3 Then I wrapped a ribbon around the centre and a smaller ribbon around the lid, securing with double-sided tape.

4 The Spa in a Jar label is cut from a piece of patterened card and attached with double-sided tape.

Easy peasey!

Your ‘in a jar’ gift could be anything you like –  seeds, handcream, twine and gloves for a  garden lover or possibly cookie in a jar with  all the ingredients to make some fabulous biscuits?

Lime & Mint Sugar Scrub

Lamb & Mint Sugar ScrubI am a huge fan of Soap & Glory Products but after a spectacularly horrific garage bill we are tightening our belts quite considerably. So, when my gorgeous sugar scrub ran out, I decided to be uber-sensible and make my own.

Here’s how to make it:

Coconut oil 110g (4oz) (available from Holland & Barratt)
Granulated sugar 110g (4oz)
Lime 1, zest and juice
Spearmint or peppermint oil 10 drops

1 In a saucepan, heat coconut oil gently until melted. Stir in sugar, lime zest and juice, and oil.

2 Decant into a jar and store in the fridge.

Use twice a week for invigorated and super-soft skin.

Tip: You could use olive oil in place of the coconut oil (it doesn’t need to be heated). Simply add enough to the sugar to make a thick paste.

Whether you’re a daughter, or a mum or a grandma, have a wonderful day!

#mothersday

Love Parks Week

Love Parks Week

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Love Parks Week


This may sound a bit odd but I love parks, honestly I do LOVE parks.

As a child of the seventies and eighties all we had was a patch of dried up grass, some swings with peeling paint and a roundabout that regularly broke children’s arms. Maybe that was just in my village….

My children however, have access to the most amazing spaces with brilliant equipment. Our local town has a wonderful toddler playground, fabulous swingy things and zip wires for the older kids and even outdoor gym equipment. All just a five-minute drive away.

Love Parks WeekAND excitement in our tiny village has reached fever pitch!

Or what passes for fever pitch here, which is a couple of us saying ‘oooo’ at the school bus stop in a morning. Work has finally begun on our park (I say finally as this park has been in its planning stages for the last ten years!)

What started off as four swings and a goal post is being transformed into playground heaven. Lots of fabulous equipment for our little ones, picnic tables and all complete with a view of the golf course on one side and canal on the other.

So, we will no longer have to drive to the park (smugly feeling green), we can now wander up to road to play and picnic to our hearts’ content.

And what do these parks cost us?
Nothing! So in the age of austerity
let us celebrate Love Parks Week
and enjoy them.

Look out for events in a park near you at http://loveparksweek.org.uk/

Don’t forget to pack your picnic.Crunchy Peanut Brittle recipe

Take with you some of this moreish
Crunchy Peanut Brittle to nibble on
(just make sure you share it!)

This delicious Crunchy Peanut Brittle is a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

Crunchy Peanut Brittle

Crunchy Peanut Brittle recipe

.

Crunchy Peanut Brittle

Crunchy and utterly moreish, this peanut brittle is wonderful served with a hot cup of coffee. This delicious Crunchy Peanut Brittle is a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

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