Festive Foodie Friday - Chocolate Bark

Okay, I'm going to apologise for actually calling this recipe, I'm not giving you quantities, a precise method or even the exact ingredients, this "recipe" can be tailored to suit anybody, any occasion and to be honest whatever you have in the cupboard.

If your house is anything like mine at the moment, then it's probably full to bursting point with two things, cheese and chocolate! I guess you could add cheese to this but that would probably be slightly weird! This is a great way of taking a bit of that excess chocolate and transforming into something just that little bit different

Chocolate bark or chocolate slabs as they're often known are everywhere at the moment but they can be quite expensive, which is strange considering how easy they are to make. All you need is some chocolate and some toppings of your choice. Here's how I made mine...

First up line a shallow tin or oven tray with some greaseproof paper or parchment.

Then melt your chocolate, you can use what ever kind of chocolate that you like, I'm using milk chocolate with just a touch of white swirled into it. Always be careful not to overheat your chocolate, and just a tip if your melting white chocolate, add just a touch of coconut oil which seems to stop it going lumpy.

The bulk of my slab is going to be made with milk chocolate, so pour your melted chocolate onto the greaseproof, and spread it evenly with a spatula or a palette knife. You needn't be too precarious about the shape, but try not to make it too thin.

I then swirled my white chocolate through the bark, covering it up slightly to create layers when it breaks.

Then go mad and sprinkle your bark with whatever you fancy here I'm using chopped up pieces of vanilla fudge, pecan nuts, toffee popcorn, white chocolate chips, mini vegetarian friendly marshmallows, popping candy and edible glitter!! Press your toppings down gently into the melted chocolate. When you've pimped your chocolate leave it in a cold place for a few to set (sorry for the lighting change but by the time mine had set it was dark!!)

Once it's set break it up into shards, and then you can either serve it and eat it straight away or you can keep it in an airtight tin, in a cool places for a few days depending on your toppings.

You really can make your bark your own, you could keep it healthy and use dark chocolate, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, or you can make it more adult or dinner party friendly, with a mixture of dark and milk chocolate, with dark chocolate coffee beans, or broken up after dinner mints. It goes with out saying that you could make it completely child friendly and cover it with chocolate beans, chocolate buttons, or jellies, or you could even add broken up biscuits and cookies, and it goes without saying that make a festive bark, and use an orange flavoured chocolate or cover a milk or plain chocolate bark in broken up candy canes, or gingerbread biscuit crumbs, or even pretzel sticks or salted peanuts!

Whatever ingredients that you use though, this is a super quick and easy sweet treat, to make as a treat for the family, as an emergency Christmas gift or as an alternative to the mince pies for Santa x
Don't forget to have a look under the recipes tab just under my blog header to see plenty more festive food ideas and sweet treats x

A Reflective Foodie Friday On A Sunday - Cinder Toffee

Looking back over the years I don't tend to post on November 5th that often, normally when I do it's a tribute to my dad or more personal posts about grief and loss, but this year I decided to do something a little bit different.

Losing someone you love is hard but when it's on a day that people celebrate or that means something to everyone, then it's even harder. On November 5th 2002, I lost my dad very suddenly, and ever since then I've hated Bonfire Night was a passion, every single bang and sparkle of light, brings back memories that quite frankly I don't want to remember.

Life doesn't change for other people though , so I guess you just need to get on with it, and try and embrace it with the best of them. So I'm writing this post, attempting to calm down some very scared kitty cats, looking at the pretty lights outside of the window and trying to remember the happy times.

So many of my good memories of my dad, my grans, and my childhood concern food, and the 5th November is no different, from baked potatoes and beans, to parkin,  and to treacle toffee and cinder toffee, food like fragrance, is intrinsically linked to our feelings and memories.

My mam used to be a big sweet maker, every year she'd make trays of peppermint creams, fudge, coconut ice, rum truffles and cinder toffee for us to eat in the run up to, and at Christmas. When you look at recipes associated with Guy Fawkes night, Cinder Toffee is always somewhere on the list. Cinder Toffee is one of the most names associated with it, at least up north, but you might know it as Hokey Pokey, Puff Candy, or Sponge Candy, or as Honeycomb. Yes it's that brittle, yet chewy toffee, that's full of air bubble, that you'll find in your Crunchie bar.

It's easy enough to buy it on it's own or covered with chocolate but like so many things it's often hard to beat something that's homemade. It isn't the hardest thing to make but you do need to be a bit careful in more ways than one. There are a few different recipes out there but this is our go to.

Cinder Toffee

3 Heaped Tablespoons Of Golden Syrup Or Treacle 

7oz (200g) Caster Sugar

1 1/2oz (40g) Butter

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

1/2 Teaspoon Vinegar

1 Heaped Teaspoon Of Bicarbonate Of Soda

1. Well grease a loaf tin or line with non stick parchment paper  - Okay as you can see this isn't a loaf tin it's a small roasting tin, which on reflection wasn't the best tin to make this in as it ended up a bit thinner then it should have done. You needn't be too precise with size but it's better to make it in a smaller and deeper tin, than a larger shallower one like this one.

2. To make this recipe you really need a good quality heavy bottomed pan, the pan is going to get hot so you want something that's pretty substantial. I'm using a pressure cooker pan here.

Add your sugar, syrup, butter and cold water and heat gently until the sugar is melted, stirring all the time

3. When your sugar has melted, turn up the heat until it reaches a continuous rolling boil. If you have a sugar thermometer your mixture needs to reach 290˚ F or 143˚ C. If you don't have one though don't worry, get yourself a cup of cold water and keep testing the mixture by dripping blobs into the water. The mixture will go through several stages but eventually the mixture will become hard and brittle and snap when you drop it into the water.

4. Once it's reached that stage take the pan off the heat, and add the vinegar and the vinegar and the bicarb, and give it a good stir. It will expand slightly at this stage, and foam and change colour slightly. (Make sure that your bicarbonate of soda isn't too near the expiry date - the longer you have it the more it loses it potency - a new tub will give the best results)

5. Then pour it CAREFULLY in to your tin - Don't be tempted to touch the mix with your hands or taste it - it will be stupidly hot.

6. Then leave your tray in a cool dry place for a few hours until it's set solid. No matter how well you've greased your tin it will still be nigh on impossible to get it out of the tin. I suggest either hitting your cinder toffee with a hammer or careful drop the tray onto the floor to break up your toffee. You won''t get any neat squares with this rough shards are what you should be aiming for.

You can either eat it straight away or you can store it for a few days in a cool, dry airtight tin. It should be the perfect combo of brittle and chewy. You can either eat as is, or you can cover it chocolate, use it with a chocolate fondue, or you can crush it up and use for an ice cream topping, in butter cream or whipped cream in cakes, or in cookies or flapjacks.

This isn't the most dentist friendly treat so watch those crowns and fillings, and brush your teeth after you've gorge. I'm at the dentist this week so this probably wasn't the perfect thing to eat this weekend but I enjoyed it anyways, and sometimes a little bit of what you fancy does you good. What do you call cinder toffee? Let me know in the comments and I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Guy Fawkes night x 

Festive Food - Cranberry And Ginger Tiffin

Although I've been a bit quiet with the Foodie Friday posts this year I thought I'd make it up to you this Christmas with a special recipe post. I love sweet things all year round but especially at Christmas and ever since I was tiny me and my mum have always made our own sweets and treats for the festive season, and whilst my Cranberry And Ginger Tiffin is a fairly new addition, for me it really sums up Christmas in just one mouthful.

This fabulous combination of creamy white chocolate, crunchy biscuit, nuts and dried fruit is fabulous at this time of year with a cup of coffee, or a mug of hot chocolate, and it will also make a great quick and easy home made gift

Cranberry And Ginger Tiffin

200g Ginger Biscuits

60g Dried Cranberries

60g Crystallised Ginger 

50g Pecan Nuts

125g Butter

2 Tbsp Golden Syrup

700g White Chocolate

To Decorate 

Extra Crystallised Ginger 

Edible Glitter, Sugar Stars, Sprinkles Or Whatever You Like 

1. Add you cranberries to a large mixing bow

2.  Using a rolling pin crush your ginger biscuits, you want some crumbs and some chunky bits. I'm using gluten free stem ginger cookies here for a bit of extra bite but you can use ginger snaps, ginger nuts or what ever you like. You could also use my Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookie recipe which can find here. 

3.Then roughly chop your pecan nuts and then add them to bowl,

and then finely chop the crystallised ginger and add that to the bowl and give it a stir

4. Chop 500g of the white chocolate and add it to another mixing bowl with the butter and syrup. Then melt it either over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave, till the butter, the syrup, and the chocolate are smooth and combined.

5. Then add the melted chocolate mixture to your dry ingredients and give it a good stir, the mixture might be a bit dry but don't worry about it.

6. Next grease and line a square brownie tin, or do what I do and use a silicone pan, and pour your mixture in, spread it out and smooth it down the best you can x 

7. Now to hold it all together you need to put the remaining 200g of white chocolate into another mixing bowl and by using a bain marie, or the microwave heat it slowly until it's all melted.

8. Pour your melted chocolate over the top of your tiffin, and spread it out till it's even and the top is completely covered. While the chocolate is still soft top your tiffin with some more finely chopped ginger, and whatever sprinkles and decorations you like. Ever the queen of subtle here I used edible glitter, and gold sugar stars, and sugar gingerbread men but you can use whatever you like. Then put it in a cool place or the fridge if you have room for a few hours until it set hard.

9. Then tip it out and using a sharp knife chop it into squares (You might find it easier to turn it upside down to cut it)

and either package it into cellophane bags for gifts, or put into a tin lined with greaseproof paper, and enjoy!

Unfortunately because of  my stupid teeth and the chewiness and the nuts I don't know how much of this I'm going to be able to eat but I can assure you that it's absolutely gorgeous. White chocolate can be a little bit sickly but in this case the tartness of the cranberries and the heat of the ginger seem to temper it down a bit. If you're still not a white chocolate fan though you could easily make this with either a milk or a dark chocolate or from a combination of the two. This mix of fruit, nuts and flavours are perfect for Christmas but again you could switch it up a bit depending on what you have in or what you like. Please let me know if you give this a try x I'd love to hear how you get one x Thanks for reading and happy eating xx 

Foodie Friday - An Introduction To Calico Cottage Fudge

Just say the word fudge and instantaneously I'm transported back to my childhood. In the run up to Christmas my mum used to make all sorts of sweets from peppermint creams, to coconut ice, rum truffles and one of my favourite ever things - fudge! I love fudge, and whilst I'm pretty partial to a box of Thorntons Chocolate Smothered Fudge and the odd finger of Fudge, nothing beats the taste of homemade fudge.

If I'm being honest though it is a bit of a faff, for most recipes you need a sugar thermometer, and even if your a seasoned fudge maker like my mum, it can sometimes go wrong and you end of with tablet or even something almost toffee like. There are some simpler recipes out there but a couple of years ago now I discovered a way of making yummy fudge, quickly, and easily and with very little risk.

If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you'll already know that I'm a bit of a QVC addict. Once upon a time people would scoff at shopping from the TV, but shopping from your armchair is now pretty much the accepted norm. I love the ease and the convenience of it all and I love the choice and array of products on show. From beauty products, to candles, jewellery and bedding we've bought it all but did you know that QVC actually sell food, with the same 30 day money back guarantee as the rest of their products?

Of course you did, you've read my Easi Yo post :) but yes, you can buy a box of chocolates from Thorntons, some popcorn from Joe and Sephs, or some pies from The Real Pie Company, all via QVC and if you don't like them you can send them back. I know this is probably sounding a bit like a paid or sponsored post but I can assure you it's not, I'm just a huge, huge QVC fan. As well as ready made food items, QVC  often sell a variety of make it yourself products, including Easi Yo, make your own cheese kits, and a range of products from a company called Calico Cottage. 

Calico Cottage are one of the biggest suppliers of fudge and fudge making ingredients in the UK. Their fudges are sold in theme parks, and tourist attractions throughout the country, not under the Calico name, but they're the company that more often than not will have made the fudge that you take home to remember your day out.

A few years ago now QVC started selling Calico Cottage fudge making kits, and being the curious beasts that we are, me and Mummy Lou ordered one. The first purchase triggered a bit of an obsession and over the years we've purchased several of their kits.

From the original Vanilla, Chocolate and Caramel varieties, you can now buy kits to make Red Velvet, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Salted Caramel fudges, and even fudges with added extras such as jelly beans and honeycomb.

Each kit comes with an instruction and recipe book, as well as a ickle plastic spoon, a reusable cardboard tray, and several liners.

You can make the fudge in a pan but it's much easier and quicker to use a microwave. The method is identical no matter what flavour your using. All you do is put 30g of butter into a large bowl, then depending on what flavour of fudge your making, you add differing amounts of water. The instruction book tells you exactly how much you need. Here I'm making Salted Caramel, so it need 7 spoonfuls of cold water, which you measure out using the spoon provided.

Then you pop it into the microwave for about a minute. You don't want to boil it you just want the butter to melt into the water.

Then you add the entire bag of fudge mix

and give it a stir.

Your mix will look way too dry but don't panic pop into the microwave for another 30 seconds

Give it another stir, it will probably still look dry and powdery, so give it another 30 seconds

Keep stirring and, putting it in for 30 seconds at a time and eventually the texture and colour will change to something dark, and glossy and more like runny fudge.

You want it to be pretty smooth but you don't want to boil.

When it's done pour it into your tray, smooth it out and leave it. You don't need to refrigerate it, just leave it to cool at room temperature.

After an hour or so, your fudge will be set

Turn it out and then chop it into squares or slices, and keep it in a cool, dry place but there is no need to refrigerate. This fudge doesn't seem to go off, all it does is dry out a bit. If it does just pop it in the microwave to soften it up, and it's as good as new.

I'm not sure how well you can see the texture here but this is a gorgeous, moist crumbly fudge. With the Salted Caramel, the richness of the flavour really comes out but it's counteracted with just a hint of saltiness.

All of the fudges I've tried taste amazing as they are but you can have a play, and add different colourings and flavourings, and even things such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit or other sweets.

Some of the fudges such as Red Velvet and the Vanilla can also be made with cream cheese instead of butter and layered to give a different texture and more of a dessert feel. When your making the fudge you can also alter how much water you add to make a fudge sauce, and you can also make a softer fudge which you can mold or use almost like a roll out icing.

I have to say I was sceptical at first but this really does what it promises. The fudge is tasty and very moreish, and it is so, so simple to make - it is pretty much foolproof. I think that this would be a great activity to do with little ones in the school holidays or even as a birthday party activity. The kits start at around £15 on QVC which does sound a little bit expensive but each kit makes around 8 generous trays. Calico Cottage also do various other sweet making kits, as well as cookie making kits and kits which contain something called Chocolate Fudge Pie, which is a gorgeous gluten free, squidgy brownie like dessert. 

If your scared of sweet making and baking I think that these kits are a great introduction, and whilst I've got my mum a copy of Sweets Made Simple for Christmas, I can see us continuing to purchase more Calico Cottage kits in the future. You can see their current range of kits on the QVC website here, and you can find out more about Calico Cottage on their own website. Are you a fudge fan? Leave me a comment and let me know x