Category: Family Recipes

Recipe: Red Velvet Pancakes

Lisa

Red Velvet Pancakes

I wish I could take credit for these Red Velvet Pancakes, but this recipe has been put together by the Chef’s at Gousto.

Recipe for making Red Velvet Pancakes with photograph of pancakes topped with cream and chocolate shavings

Ingredients (Serves 2): 

For the pancakes:

  • 115g self-raising flour
  • 15g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
  • 130ml milk
  • A couple of drops of red food colouring
  • 30g dark chocolate chips

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1.5 tbsp honey
  • 120g cream cheese

To serve:

Chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings

How To:

Step 1: Grab a bowl and mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and add the eggs, honey, veg oil, milk, and food colouring.

Step 2: Beat the wet ingredients together then stir in the dry ingredients until you have a batter. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps.

Tip: Don’t over-mix your batter! It will make your pancakes less fluffy (and no one likes a limp pancake).

Step 3: Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan. Ladle in 1/6 of your batter then sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top. Cook for 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on top of the pancake, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Tip: Use medium heat until the pan is hot, then reduce to a medium-low. Blasting the heat will burn your cakes (or crêpes). Once they’re cooked, keep them warm under a tea towel.

Step 4: While your pancakes cook, mix the cream cheese and remaining honey together. This is your sweet, cream cheese frosting.

Step 5: Serve your pancakes with a dollop of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings. Then add a good drizzle of chocolate sauce over the stack. Enjoy!

More Pancake Tips from Gousto’s Senior Chef Jordan Moore:

  • Use a non-stick pan.
  • Add the mixture to a really hot frying pan.
  • Add a little more oil between cooking each pancake.
  • Use butter, coconut, or rapeseed oil for frying.
  • Spread the mixture out in the pan as quickly as possible.
  • Always add the liquid to the flour gradually, and keep whisking to avoid lumps.
  • When it comes to gluten-free flour, the best ones to use are rice, buckwheat, or coconut flour. For dairy alternatives for milk, you can use almond, rice, soya, or coconut milk.
  • If age-appropriate, adding protein like nuts and seeds to your pancake will help to maintain your blood sugar, keeping you fuller for longer.

Don’t forget to check out our other Pancake Recipes which include a Simple Pancake Batter, American Pancakes and Pancake Kebabs all of which are delicious.

Recipe: American Pancakes

Lisa 4 Comments

American Pancake Recipe

This is the first time that I’ve tried and cooked American Pancakes so I’m looking forward to trying something new.

Simple American Pancake Recipe

 

What you will need:

  • 150g Plain Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 35g Caster Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 125mls Buttermilk
  • 25g Butter (melted)
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 8 Thick slices of streaky bacon
  • Maple Syrup

How to make American Pancakes:

Sift the flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Add in the sugar, mix, and make a well (hole) in the centre.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and add the buttermilk and melted butter.

Pour this into the well of the dry ingredients and gradually whisk together.

Put the batter in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat a large frying pan and add a little bit of oil.

Spoon in dollops of the mixture making sure that there is a little bit of space between them. This will depend on the size of your frying pan.

Cook them for 1 – 2 minutes until they start to bubble on the surface, turn and cook on the other side until golden.

Keep them warm in the oven whilst you batch cook the rest of the pancakes.

In a separate pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the bacon rashers until crisp.

Serve the pancakes in a stack with crispy bacon and maple syrup on top.

Alternatively, you could have these with fruit and maple syrup as Ryan did.

If you enjoy Pancakes then maybe take a look at my Simple Pancake Recipe of these easy to make Pancake Kebabs which are great to make with the kids.

Simple American Pancake Recipe

*This post may contain affiliate links which means that I receive a small payment should you click the link and make a purchase at no extra cost to yourself.

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

Lisa 1 Comment

White Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake Cups – What’s better than a recipe that you don’t have to cook. I’m pretty sure that I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like cheesecake or if I do they haven’t mentioned it. What’s not to like, Yummy creamy topping on an even yummier biscuity base (which if you’re the one serving you get to have extra – servers rights) and fruit. Fab combination!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups RecipeWhat you will need:

For the filling

  • 150g White Chocolate
  • 25g Butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 200g Cream Cheese
  • 25g Icing Sugar
  • 50mls Double cream, whipped
  • 1 Punnet Strawberries

For the base:

  • Half a pack digestive biscuits
  • 50g Butter, melted

For the base, put the biscuits in a freezer bag and using a rolling pin crush the biscuits. Add the crushed biscuits to the melted butter.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe

Put 12 cupcakes cases into a cupcake tray and add a spoonful of biscuit base to each case. Put into the fridge to chill whilst you prepare the topping.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe

Melt the white chocolate, butter and vanilla extract in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Making sure that the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once all the ingredients are melted, take off the heat and stir to make a smooth mixture and set aside to cool.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe

In another bowl add the cream cheese, icing sugar (sifted) and cream until smooth.

Add the chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipes

Take about half the punnet of strawberries, wash and chop off the tops and cut into very small pieces before adding them to the cream cheese mixture.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe

Top the biscuit base cases with the cream cheese mixture and put in the fridge for approximately 4 hours. Top each cheesecake cup with a quartered strawberry and serve.

And there you have lovely little scrummy White Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake Cups.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe

Next time I make these I’m going to use Silicone Cupcake Cases so we can reuse them time and again.

Enjoy!

*This post contains items I have been gifted as well as affiliate links which means I receive a small payment if you make a purchase following one of my links at no extra cost to you.

Turkey Cacciatore

Lisa 9 Comments

Leftover Christmas Turkey Cacciatore

Use up your leftover turkey to make this simple Turkey Cacciatore pasta dish. Hands up if you’re craving a ‘normal’ meal after the Christmas binge. I love turkey and all the trimmings as well as all the cheeses, crackers and stuffing but there has to come a point where normality makes an appearance. This is a great way to use up that last bit of turkey in a non-Christmassy way.

Recipe for Leftover Christmas Turkey Cacciatore

Turkey Cacciatore

  • 1 Large Onion, chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  • 3 x 400g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • A splash of Red Wine Vinegar
  • Around 500g Leftover Turkey cut into chunks
  • 2 Balls of fresh mozzarella
  • A handful of breadcrumbs

How To:

Chop the onion and garlic and fry in the olive oil until the onion is softened.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and oregano. Season and then simmer for around 20 minutes until the tomatoes thicken.

In an ovenproof dish, add the turkey and pour over the tomato sauce. Shred the mozzarella over the top and pour over the handful of breadcrumbs.

Put in the oven for around 20 mins on 200 degrees until the cheese is gooey and golden.

Serve with either pasta or jacket potato.

Easy Breadcrumbs:

An easy way to make breadcrumbs is to toast a couple of slices of bread. Rub over a garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil before putting in the oven for around 15 mins. This should be easily crumbled with your hands or add to a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin.

Enjoy x

*This post was originally posted in December 2019 but it’s a good one!

 

What kind of Pancakes do you Prefer?

Lisa

What kind of Pancakes do you Prefer?

I’ve tried quite a few different types of pancakes, but I think traditional pancakes with sugar and lemon are my overall favourite. My kids love pancakes, and it’s their breakfast of choice for any special occasions such as their birthdays. Here are some of the recipes that I’ve used time and again over the last few years.

Simple Pancake Batter 

I know you can buy packets of ready made mix, but there couldn’t be anything simpler than this recipe, and you’ve probably already got all the ingredients at home already.

My simple Pancake Batter Recipe is easy to make for the perfect pancakes

 

Pancake Kebab Recipe

These pancakes were a firm favourite with Freddie when he was weaning as they’re easy for small hands and bite-sized.

Pancake Kebab Recipe

 

American Pancake Recipe 

I wasn’t sure before I made these, but the bacon with the maple syrup just goes. If you’ve been sitting on the fence, just give them a go. It’s delicious!

Simple American Pancake Recipe

Red Velvet Pancake Recipe 

With cream cheese frosting. These are a great alternative, especially if you’re a chocolate lover.

Recipe for making Red Velvet Pancakes with photograph of pancakes topped with cream and chocolate shavings

 

Happy Flippin Pancake Day!

A Winter Warming S’mores Dip Recipe

Lisa

A Winter Warming S’mores Recipe Dip……….

December is well underway now and as we hurtle towards Christmas with not a lot else to do due to the lovely Coronavirus, we’re at home more than we’ve ever been before.

We’ve all had to get a little bit more creative at home to keep us going through this time. I’ve already lost count of how many Christmas films we’ve already watched, and the requests for hot chocolate are nearly daily. We’ve also had many a living room picnic, pizza and a movie and attempted a few board games (impossible with a two year old).

Back in November, Nanny brought over a goodie bag to make this S’mores recipe which sounded disgustingly sweet, gooey and chocolatey – perfect for yet another Christmas movie so I thought I would share it with you so you can try too.

S'Mores Dip Recipe

 

What you will need:

  • A metal/oven proof dish
  • Skewers
  • 200g Milk Chocolate
  • 300g Marshmallows (the small ones work the best)
  • Strawberries
  • Pineapple chunks
  • Sweet breadsticks
  • Digestive biscuits

S'mores Dip Recipe

How to do it:

Pop the chocolate milk and 200g of the marshmallows in a pan and heat very gently until they’re all melted and smooth.

Pour into the oven-proof dish and top with the remaining marshmallows.

S'Mores Dip Recipe

Pop under the grill and keep a close eye until the marshmallows turn a golden toasted colour.

Using the skewers with a selection of fruit and biscuits, scoop up the gooey yumminess and get stuck in.

S'Mores Dip Recipe

Enjoy x

If you liked this S’Mores Dip Recipe and are looking for more Christmas Inspiration then head over to our ‘Everything Christmas’ Pinterest board where I’ve saved loads of stuff from decorating tips to Christmas recipes.

Simple Pancake Batter Recipe

Lisa

Simple Pancake Batter Recipe

It won’t be long before Pancake Day.

My kids love to have pancakes and are requested quite often, especially as a Birthday breakfast.

Here is the most simple Pancake batter recipe that I’ve been using for years which can’t really go wrong.

My simple Pancake Batter Recipe is easy to make for the perfect pancakes

What you need:

  • 100g Plain Flour
  • 1 Egg (large)
  • 300mls of Milk
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Butter for frying.

How to:

Crack the egg into a bowl and add milk and whisk. Gradually sift in the flour stirring as you go along. Add in a pinch of salt and mix.

I always at this point put the batter mixture in the fridge for about half an hour which I was told to do by my mum but not sure why.

Melt butter in a frying pan and put on hob until hot.

Depending on size of pan add just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan.

Flip or use a flipper (fish slice) until golden on both sides.

To make a batch I have the oven on low and keep adding them to the oven until the whole batch is cooked and then serve.

Toppings

You can’t beat just sugar and lemon in my opinion but of course the possibilities are endless. Here are a few to get you going, but please feel free to add suggestions in the comments.

  • Maple Syrup
  • Golden Syrup
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jam
  • Cream of any sort
  • Chocolate Sauce
  • Ice cream
  • Nutella
  • Honey
  • Bananas
  • Strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Cinnamon

If you fancy something more than the simple pancake batter recipe then make sure you have a look at our Pancake Kebab Recipe or why not give American Pancakes a go topped with Maple Syrup and Bacon.

For more Pancake Recipes and Breakfast ideas pop over to my Breakfast Recipes board on Pinterest.

*This post may contain affiliate links which means that I receive a small payment should you click the link and make a purchase at no extra cost to yourself.

Handmade Chocolate Treats

Lisa 1 Comment

Scrummy Easy to Make Handmade Chocolate Treats

Isabelle loves to get a bit crafty and Christmas gives you the perfect excuse. Both of these are really easy to make and can be done with the kids. 

Chocolate Orange Christmas Puddings

I pinched this idea off a work colleague as I thought they looked really great and who doesn’t like a Chocolate Orange.

Here’s what you need:

  • Chocolate Oranges (as many for the number of people you want to make for)
  • A big bar of white chocolate for the topping. Again the amount will depend on how many you are making. We made 5 and used a large bar of milky bar
  • Either ready made holly cake toppers or red and green icing to make your own.
  • Cellophane wrapping/bags to put them in
  • Ribbon for tying

We unwrapped the chocolate oranges and put them in a bun tin so that they didn’t roll away.

If making the holly and berry toppers yourself, cut these out and set to the side for later.

Melt the white chocolate and put a spoonful on the top of the chocolate orange allowing it to drip down the sides.

Add the holly and berry toppers and put into the fridge until set.

Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.

Perfect and simple to make.

Christmas Chocolate Block

I’ve seen these many times on pinterest so we decided to make our own version.

What you will need:

  • A square shaped tin lined with greaseproof paper. We lined ours with foil as we found the empty greaseproof paper box in the cupboard.
  • Lots and lots of chocolate – We opted for three large sized bars of Galaxy, one had rice crispy bits in and the two other were milk chocolate.
  • White chocolate for a bit of swirling on the top
  • Toppings – We opted for Cadbury’s Snow Balls, Maltezers reindeers, sprinkles, silver balls, pink sugar crystals and red edible flakey glittery type cake toppings

Melt the milk chocolate and pot into the tin making sure that it covers the bottom.

We then melted the white chocolate chocolate and swirled it through the milk chocolate.

Bash up the Chocolate snowballs and sprinkly willy nilly on top.

All other toppings just get added to the top – perfect for the kids to do.

Pop into the fridge and wait to set.

Once set you can break into pieces and add to a cellophane bag as a lovely chocolate gift, or you could do what we did and sit in front of the telly and scoff the lot!

Enjoy x

Sticky Maple Pork Loin with Apples Recipe

Lisa 4 Comments

Sticky Maple Pork Loin with Apples Recipe

Sticky Maple Pork Loin with Apples Recipe – I think this is going to be a firm family favourite meal since trying it. It only takes about 20 minutes to make and all the ingredients are store cupboard staples apart from the pork loins. Isabelle who has been fussing with her food recently even asked for a second helping!

Sticky Maple Pork Loin With Apples

What you will need:

  • 500g Pack of Pork Loin boneless chops
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Apples cut into pieces
  • 1 Garlic clove crushed
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons wholegrain mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

How to make:

Trim all excess fat off the boneless pork loins and cut into bite sized pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the pork, cooking for around five minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan and add in the apples and cook for around 5 minutes so these start to soften.

Add in the garlic, maple syrup and vinegar. Add in a few tablespoons of water at this point, pop the lid on your pan and cook for a few minutes to allow this to soften further.

Add the pork back in as well as the wholegrain mustard and cook further until the meat and apples take on a sticky glazed look and the pork is cooked through.

We served this with buttered new potatoes and broccoli which went down very well with all.

This got a huge thumbs up from Isabelle so will definitely be repeated.

If you like this Recipe then take a look at our Family Recipes Category for more inspiration.

Lisa x

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may get a small payment at no cost to you if you click and make a purchase.

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast

Lisa

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast.

I think everyone gets bored of the usual breakfast offering of cereal, toast, fruit and yoghurt so I’ve been having a little search around for some great brekkie ideas which are quick but tasty.

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast

What you will need:

  • Crusty White Loaf
  • Grated cheese (enough to top as many slices of bread you want to make)
  • Butter
  • Salt and Pepper (optional)
  • Eggs

How to do it:

Slice the bread into nice thickish slices.

Using a spoon or knife press the middle of the bread down to form a square that will hold the egg.

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast

Season the bread to your liking (lots for Daddy).

Butter the non-flattened edges of the bread and add the grated cheese to the edges.

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast

Season the top.

Bake in the oven at gas mark 5 for about 15 – 20 mins.

Breakfast is ready!!

Cheesy Baked Egg Toast

Enjoy

Lisa

Ps – I have to confess that my earlier attempts at this were a major fail as I put them in the pan which resulted in the bottom of the bread burning and the egg not cooking so I flipped them over and this is what I got!

For more Scrummy Breakfast like the Cheesy Baked Egg Toast pop over to our Yummy Breakfast Ideas Pinterest board.