Butterscotch sauce

HEY! So two recipes in one day! I wanted to make this a separate recipe from the pudding just for convenience. So today, Butterscotch sauce to go with the sticky date pudding!

You will need, 4 tbsn cream, 70g soft brown sugar and 1 1/2 tbsn unsalted butter. That's it!

To begin, place everything into heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil while stirring. As soon as it reaches boiling point, turn the heat down to simmer and whisk. Remove from the heat and cool. And that's it!

Here are some ideas for butterscotch sauce: Puddings, poached fruit, toasted cinnamon brioche or ice cream. But there are many other ways to use butterscotch! Enjoy and until next time, keep on cooking!
Kat Xx

Sticky Date Pudding

Heeeeeeey guys, so today's recipe is a scrumptious pudding. Sticky date pudding to be exact. But let's waste no time to get into it.
So you will need, 150g dates (pitted and finely chopped (or as fine as you want)), 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda, 150ml boiling water, 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 125g soft brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoons natural vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon glace ginger (OPTIONAL), 125g sifted self-raising flour, butterscotch sauce and whipped cream (To serve with).

So to begin, preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 4 300ml ramekins with butter. Mix the dates, water and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Next, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Whisk in the eggs and then stir in the vanilla and ginger (If you have it). Sift in the flour and gently fold it through the mixture. Fold the date mixture through (liquid and all).
Spoon the batter into the ramekins onto a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puddings are firm. Serve with butterscotch sauce and whipped cream.

Enjoy! Until next time, keep on cooking!
Kat Xx

Peanut Brittle

Heeeeey! Today is a very sweet, very crunchy and very peanuty. The one, the only, peanut brittle! This recipe is very easy and it requires very little skill. But there is a little warning:

WARNING: The sugar syrup is EXTREMELY HOT! Be very cautious while cooking with the sugar syrup! I burned myself and it was EXTREMELY PAINFUL. Please please PLEASE be careful and don't let ANY small children go near it until it's cooled 

So lets begin! You will need, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 water, 50g butter and 75g unsalted, roasted peanuts (Feel free to use whatever nuts you want).
To begin, line a 28 x 18 cm slice pan with foil. You can really use whatever size, it will just alter the thickness of the brittle.
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and then bring to the boil. Gently boil, occasionally brushing the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming (That part is very important), for 25 minutes or until a rich golden colour (148°C on a sugar thermometer (It took nearly the whole time to get up to that temperature so don't think that it has to be 148°C right away)).
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and peanuts with a wooden spoon very quickly, until just combined. Quickly pour the toffee mixture into the prepared pan and set aside in a cool place until the toffee sets.Break the brittle and store in a greaseproof paper-lined airtight container with greaseproof paper between each layer of brittle. And that's it!

It's really easy, you just have to be cautious not to get any sugar syrup on you. But enjoy and until next time, keep on cooking!
Kat Xx

Chocolate & Caramel Fudge

Wey hey! So it's the holidays, assessment period is a long way away and I finally have some free time to start this blog back up again. So today, I will be blogging about a very simple treat, chocolate & caramel fudge. So lets begin!
You will need 125g butter, 1 tbsn golden syrup, 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup brown sugar, 75g white chocolate melts and 100g dark chocolate melts.
To begin, grease and line a 19cm square cake pan (You can use any pan that you wish, just know that it will alter the thickness of the fudge).

In a small saucepan combine HALF the butter, golden syrup, half the sweetened condensed milk and half the sugar. Stir over low heat until boiling, then reduce the heat, simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the white melts. Mix until smooth and then transfer mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.

In another small saucepan, combine remaining butter, remaining sweetened condensed milk and remaining sugar. Stir over low heat until boiling, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the dark melts. Mix until smooth.

Turn your attention back to the caramel fudge. Stir the fudge once more until smooth and pour into the lined pan. Spread and smooth the surface until even. Stir the chocolate fudge once more until smooth and pour on top of the caramel fudge, once again smoothing and spreading until even.
Refrigerate until set (I just left it overnight) and cut into small slices or squares. TADA! Fudge!

*Note: Texture of the fudge may vary depending on the humidity in the air.
And that's that! It's really easy and quick. When I was looking for a recipe, I found many different ways to make fudge. Some used a microwave and some required attention for nearly 2 hours! So this is the easiest and most reliable way to make fudge. So give it a go! Until next time, keep on cooking!
Kat Xx