Use It Up Challenge Week 3 Review

Well, the week has been easier than I suspected!  I had forgotten I was away for a couple of days and my daughter took on the reins without any trouble.  :o) 

This week's grocery spend amounted to £10.66 which comprised:

• milk  £3.81
• plain flour 69p
• cereal £2.01
• cheese £4.15

Over the last three weeks I have spent a total of £32.35 out of what would have been my usual budget of £180 (£60 per week) and I'm pretty pleased with that!  :o) 

Entering the last week of january I'm fairly happy with my challenge antics although I think I could be more inventive and have tried more new recipes and I will endeavour to do more of that this week.  :o)  This morning I made some beautifully smooooooth pumpkin and chestnut soup and there's some pumpkin to spare which I will use this evening with dinner.  I forgot to take pics but I made arrowroot biscuits this week which used up the aging tub of arrowroot skulking in the pantry, unusual texture but great for dunking!  ;o)

This week I dug out my silicone doughnut pan to have a crack at some doughnuts for pudding one evening.  I haven't used it for ages and there was a good degree of rummaging about to find the recipe that came with the pan! 

In terms of the finished articles being doughnut like in appearance it was a bit of a shambles but they tasted good and were marginally healthier than traditional doughnuts, being baked rather than fried.

Bourbons and Splodgers!

Did some baking this evening to replenish the stocks.  :o)  A friend of mine made custard creams yesterday so I thought I'd have a go at bourbons! 

I've made bourbons once before, quite a few years ago, and it was a bit of a disaster!  I rolled the dough way too thin and then burnt the little beasts so they were pretty inedible!  Today's efforts were much improved!  :o) 

The recipe is from a Hamlyn book, Biscuits and Cookies by Nicola Diggins:

Chocolate Bourbons

6oz plain flour
1oz cocoa
3oz butter or margarine
2oz caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg, beaten
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Filling
4oz butter
6oz icing sugar
2oz chocolate, melted

Lightly grease two baking trays.  Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl.  Rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar, then bind the mixture with the golden syrup and enough beaten egg to give a firm dough.
Knead lightly, then roll out the dough on a floured board to a rectangle measuring 12 x 16 in.  Trim the edges and cut the rectangle into 32 biscuits measuring 1 x 3 in.  using a palette knife, carefully transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking trays.  Chill for 1 hour, or longer if you have time.
Bake in a moderate oven, 180C, 350F, Gas 4, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until darkened in colour and cooked.  Sprinkle the biscuits with sugar immediately they are removed from the oven.  Leave to cool on the trays for a minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the biscuits are cooling, make the filling. Cream 4oz butter with 6oz icing sugar and add 2oz melted chocolate.  Sandwich the biscuits together in pairs with the chocolate butter icing.
Makes 16.

I didn't have plain flour but self raising worked just fine and I made the icing by adding a bit of cocoa instead of melted chocolate.  They are yummy and I suspect they won't last long!  :oD

I also revisited a recipe I haven't made for ages - Jammy Splodgers.  It was given to me by a friend many moons ago and is scribbled on the back of an envelope so I can't tell you where it's from!

Jammy Splodgers

4oz butter
8oz self raising flour
2oz caster sugar
5 tbsp raspberry jam
1 egg, size 3

Set oven to 200C.  Rub butter into the flour and then add sugar.  Blend 3 tbsp jam with the egg, add to dry ingredients and mix well with hands.  Divide into 18, shape into balls and place on greased baking sheets.  Flatten slightly then make a dip in the centre of each with your thumb and put a little raspberry jam in.  Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until just firm.  Cool on a wire rack.  Makes 18.