As we near the end of our shortest month, we’re all full of pancakes and fancy dining. Whether you dined out or took the home-cooked route, it’s been quite a change to go back to the simplicity of everyday home cooking. But the reality is, there are ways to make every meal feel like a special event by adding a few homemade replacements to your menu.
This series will outline some recipes we should all have in our repertoire, perfect for replacing those store-bought essentials and taking your meals to the next level. The great news is that you don’t need to be the next Michelin-star chef to nail these basic recipes, they are super simple with a maximum payoff.
Tie your hair back and wash those hands! It’s time to get cooking!
Sweet Treats
Last week, we began our series helping you to boost your cookery skills with some savoury staples we should all know. Now all that’s left is to cover those sweet treats we can’t do without. I’m not talking cakes, but those essentials in your cupboard or fridge that are so simple to make at home. We cover some breakfast essentials here too, perfect for parents who are on-the-go but don’t want to compromise on quality!
Again, you don’t need to be a seasoned chef to master these basic recipes, they are designed to be super simple and perfect for those who want to return from a day at work to a home-made meal that is extra special.
If you spend a lot on yoghurt, this recipe will change your life. Lots of people don’t know this, but yoghurt makes more yoghurt – sort of like live yeast and bread – so you can have an endless supply of yoghurt, as long as you always remember to keep a portion of your culture back for the next batch. All you need is a good old-fashioned Thermos and a thermometer!
Ingredients:
- 350g milk (UHT or fresh)
- 40g powdered milk
- 11/2 tbsp natural yoghurt (live)
Instructions:
- Pour the milk and powdered milk into a saucepan and use a small whisk to dissolve the powdered milk.
- Place a thermometer in the saucepan and heat it to 82°C, then let it cool down to 46°C (this takes about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prepare your flask. Fill with boiling water and screw the lid on. This will sterilise it and create the right environment for the milk.
- Once the milk has reached 46°C, whisk in the yoghurt. Empty out the water from the flask and replace it with the milk-yoghurt mixture. Screw on the lid tightly and leave overnight (not in the fridge).
- If you want a thick Greek-style yoghurt line a colander or sieve with a muslin cloth and strain the yoghurt through.
Flavouring Yoghurt
Once you’ve made natural yoghurt (or even if you buy plain yoghurt, which is often cheaper than flavoured), you can flavour it however you like, and skip the artificial colours, E-numbers and high sugar content of the shop-bought variety.
For fruit flavours, you can simply add jam (more on that to follow) or frozen fruit. Once it’s defrosted, it’s really easy to mash up and stir through. If you want to make vanilla yoghurt, simply add vanilla essence or extract to taste. For honey yoghurt, just add honey. Chocolate yoghurt? Add chocolate spread. You see where I’m going with this?
Making your own jam is a great way to use up any excess fruit you may have. You can usually find soft fruits in the reduced sections in supermarkets during the summer months, and you can, of course, use frozen fruit instead. The exact method can differ depending on the fruit you use; there are a few different options below.
These ingredients will make 3 x 300ml jars but you can of course adapt to accommodate how much you need.
Blackberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 900g blackberries
- 50ml water
- 11⁄2 tbsp lemon juice
- 900g granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Place the blackberries, water and lemon juice into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the fruit is soft.
- Add in the sugar and stir over a very low heat until dissolved. Raise the heat and leave at a full rolling boil for 10–12 minutes.
- When the jam begins to set, remove it from the heat and skim off the excess scum. Stir in a knob of butter (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum) then leave for about 15 minutes to settle. Pour into sterilised jars (pour boiling water into them then drain), label, seal and enjoy at your leisure!
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 900g strawberries
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 900g granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Place the strawberries and lemon juice into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the fruit is soft.
- Add in the sugar and stir over a very low heat until dissolved. Raise the heat and leave at a full rolling boil for 20–25 minutes.
- When the jam begins to set, remove it from the heat and skim off the excess scum. Stir in a knob of butter (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum) then leave for about 15 minutes to settle. Pour into sterilised jars (pour boiling water into them then drain), label, seal and enjoy at your leisure!
Plum Jam
Ingredients:
- 900g plums, halved and stones removed
- 150ml water
- 900g granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Place the plums and water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the fruit is soft.
- Add in the sugar and stir over a very low heat until dissolved. Raise the heat and leave at a full rolling boil for 10 minutes.
- When the jam begins to set, remove it from the heat and skim off the excess scum. Stir in a knob of butter (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum) then leave for about 15 minutes to settle. Pour into sterilised jars (pour boiling water into them then drain), label, seal and enjoy at your leisure!
Raspberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 900g raspberries
- 900g sugar
Instructions:
- Place the raspberries into a large saucepan and bring to the boil (adding no liquid).
- Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add in the sugar and stir over a very low heat until dissolved. Raise the heat and leave at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes.
- When the jam begins to set, remove it from the heat and skim off the excess scum. Stir in a knob of butter (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum) then leave for about 15 minutes to settle. Pour into sterilised jars (pour boiling water into them then drain), label, seal and enjoy at your leisure!
Dried fruit is expensive, but it’s also super-tasty and great to have on hand, so here’s how to dry your own. I recommend making large batches because if you’re running the oven for a long time, you might as well.
Ingredients:
- Ripe fruit
- Lemon juice solution (equal parts water and lemon juice)
Instructions:
- Choose ripe or just overly-ripe fruit and give them a good wash in cold water. Remove any blemishes or stones, then cut or slice the fruit into similar sized chunks.
- Make up a solution of equal parts lemon juice and water and soak the fruit in it for 10 minutes, then dry carefully on kitchen paper.
- Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature it has and lay your fruit out on a baking tray so they don’t touch. I like them curly, but if you don’t want them to curl, place another
baking tray on top. - Bake for 6–8 hours rotating the trays every couple of hours if you can. Remove from the oven when ready (it should be leathery but still pliable).
- Transfer the fruit into glass or plastic containers (you can sterilise them first with boiling water, but make sure they’re completely dry). Leave the lids off for a couple of days to allow any remaining moisture to disappear, then seal and you are good to go! They’ll keep for up to 10 months.
While this might not strictly be a sweet recipe, shortcrust pastry can be a great way to showcase sweet ingredients. Pre-made pastry is really expensive compared to the cost of the ingredients. It might take you a couple of attempts to get it right, but once you’ve mastered it you will never look back. You can make a large quantity, portion it up and freeze to use as needed.
This recipe makes enough for a 23cm pie base and crust.
Ingredients:
- 400g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 200g butter, chilled and cubed
- 3-4 tbsp cold water, to mix
Instructions:
- Mix the flour and salt, then add the butter using your fingers to rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs. You can do this in a food processor if you have one.
- Add the cold water gradually, bringing the mix together into a dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before freezing or using. When you need to use it, you can defrost overnight in the fridge, or at room temperature for about 3 hours.
These recipes are by no means all of the sweet essentials you will need (if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll know exactly what we mean) but they are a great way to elevate what sweet treats you do have. It doesn’t take much effort to implement healthier alternatives into your and your families’ diets!
While this is the last of this series, be sure to check back on our blog for more useful tips and ideas on how to feed your family!