homemade

Orange Gummy Sweets – recipe

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To make some of your own awesome jelly sweets…

80g orange juice (no bits)

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp orange extract

9g gelatine powder

Heat the juice, sugar,  extract and honey. Mix the gelatin powder in a small separate bowl with some cold water (about 30ml). Once the sugar is dissolved, take off the heat and stir in the congealed gelatine until fully dissolved.

Use a dropper to transfer liquid into moulds, and then put in the fridge to set for an hour or two. Then enjoy.

You can use apple or strawberry juice, or whatever juice you might like, although some tropical ones don’t work with gelatin apparently.

(c) K Wicks

Cream Filled Chocolates Recipe

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I have found a good method now, and so far so good.

250ml double cream

100g caster sugar

1 tsp corn syrup

Flavour you are making – these ones were orange extract, and homemade dried raspberry powder and dessicated coconut.

Put the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a pan, put on a low heat and mix, then leave to simmer/boil until it gets to 238 degrees. Then tip out, let cool for 5-10 mins until becomes the right consistency, then fold in the colour and flavouring. You just need to know when it’s done by eye and feel, but I’m getting the hang of it.

(c) K Wicks

Homemade Butter

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Cream is so useful, and making butter is so easy, I feel a bit silly I didn’t know. Like the popcorn, until you know, you don’t. So, having seen a simple process, tried it, and so far it’s been perfect every time.

For anyone who would like to know, there are many tutorials vids online if you prefer watching someone do it. But here’s the brief –

300ml double cream left to sit at room temperature for two hours. Then start churning. I got a Kilner churned which works really well.

The cream will whip first, and you need to keep going until it looks like scrambled eggs and fully clumps together, separating from the buttermilk. You may need to lift out the paddle and push the edges in throughout a few times. But it should take no longer than 10 minutes to full clump and separate.

Once it’s fully clumped, tip into a colander over a bowl to catch the buttermilk as that has uses too. I’ve been using mine to make southern fried chicken, and it’s great. Recipe for that coming soon too.

This is where you get hands on, as you need to squeeze as much buttermilk out as you can. Then submerge in cold water to get off final amount. Then add some salt to taste, and to get some final moisture out so it doesn’t spoil.

When you are happy you’ve worked the salt in and squidged it about enough, put in your butter bell, crock or dish, and enjoy!

Keep the buttermilk too as you can use this for awesome pancakes or scones.

Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

(c) K Wicks

Homemade Popcorn

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I was surprised at how easy it is to make popcorn at home! I kind of always thought you needed a microwave, and a packet bought from the shops. Not so. And now I’m hooked.

Buy a bag of corn, there is a specific type for popcorn, but you get a lot for what you get out of it.

Butter in pan (homemade butter in this case and probably about 1-2 tablespoons worth), put the corn in as well and cover all the corns with the butter as it melts. Add a bit of salt, and cover on a low heat. Then within about 5 minutes it starts popping away. Turn off when you think they are mostly done, and wait a couple more minutes to remove the lid.

You can also then make your own caramel if you want sweet popcorn. Put some sugar in the pan and wait for it to caramelise (don’t stir it). Once it’s caramelised, turn off heat and tip in the popcorn and toss until coated. Then set aside to cool.

(c) K Wicks

Mango Butter Moisturiser Recipe

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I’ve been making a few moisturisers here and there, and as they last a while, takes some time to get around to needing a new one. But that time came, so I decided to make a predominantly mango butter one. For one pot like the one in the photo (around 2oz), the amounts are –

25g Mango Butter

8g Shea Butter

1 tbsp geranium infused coconut oil

1 tbsp calendula infused olive oil

10 drops jasmine essential oil

10 drops sweet orange essential oil

The method can be viewed in my Dandelion Moisturiser recipe.

(c) K Wicks

Homemade hoisin sauce

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Didn’t have any when needed, so thought I would see what the ingredients are and how difficult it was to make. Turns out very easy to make, and almost had the ingredients, but what I didn’t have, I had the substitutes for. It wasn’t quite the same taste, but it was still really nice, and after a bit of tinkering, I believe it will be better.

But here is the line up of ingredients.

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

2.5 tbsp Golden Syrup (should have been mollasses)

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (should have been rice wine vinegar)

2 tpsp Light Olive Oil (should have been sesame oil)

2 tbsp peanut butter, I used crunchy, but some recipes called for smooth, which I might try next time

1 garlice clove minced, they said two, but were quite large so didn’t want to overdo it

3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (the recipe I read used Sriracha sauce)

1/4 tsp ground pepper – I just used black pepper

The recipes I read also use cornstartch and water, but I didn’t need it as it thickened up just fine on it’s own.

So, the method was, put in all in together and heat gently until it all combines and starts to thicken up. Took about 10 to 15 minutes, but you’ll just have to judge it yourself. It thickens further once cooled as well, and is sticky and sweet. Good first attempt I thought.

(c) K Wicks

Homemade dog treats

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Not to leave out anyone in the household for homemade goodies, thought I would try making dog treats with some left over corned beef. They seem to be greatly enjoyed so it’s a win 👍

200ml beef stock

300g wholemeal flour

150g corned beef

1 banana

1 egg

Mix all together, and make into shapes. This is a really sticky mixture so extra flour is needed, but it works. Roll out to required thickness, shape and put on lined or greased trays. 20 mins at 190.

(c) K Wicks