Buns, fudge and other treats

I seem to have spent a lot of this week lazing or slumping on the sofa and I obviously needed it after the weekend and more especially after lugging £2000 (mostly in coins) to the bank. I managed to rouse myself yesterday to make some goodies.

First off I made a bit more fudge to send to some lovely gals who supported me by buying some of my things on Etsy. Usually I can make this stuff with my eyes closed but yesterday morning it went a bit pear-shaped. The mixture boiled up well enough:

but then the thermometer decided to FALL into the pan and when I fished it out I could barely read it:

a quick wash under the tap and back in the pan and it decided to stop working. I think it was because the mixture had started to thicken around the mercury bit. I have to confess that I was getting a bit stressed out by now because I was also melting this lot on the other plate:

Damn the fudge. I decided to take it off the heat and put it in the tin and hope for the best. Meanwhile, the chocolate, butter and golden syrup had melted and I needed to whizz up half a packet of these:

Then I added some dessicated coconut, raisins and chopped hazlenuts to the mixture and voila Chocolate Tiffin Cake:

This stuff is so moorish. I only made half the recipe as I knew I'd keep munching it. If you'd like to try it yourself here is the recipe:

melt 8oz butter with 8oz chocolate and 2 tablespoons of golden syrup. Whizz up a 300g packet of rich tea biscuits and add to the chocolate mixture together with 2oz chopped hazlenuts, 2oz raisins and 2oz dessicated coconut. Mix it all together and put it in a greased tin and put in the fridge to cool. Cut up into small sqaures I'd say. It's great for parties or when the children want to take food to school for the end of term.

Meanwhile the fudge had set nicely and I waited for the children to come home to tell me that it was fine (I'm avoiding sugar and cakes and bikkies at the moment as I'm losing weight). Thankfully it got the thumbs up so I put it into bags.

This morning it was more cooking because I had invited my handwork class to my house as it's the end of term, we'd finished making our dolls and I've had them for two years and I wanted to mark it somehow. So I decided to make Nigella's Cinnamon Buns:

These are so damn moorish and sweet and sticky and I cannot believe I managed to keep my mitts of them:

I could give you the recipe if you want to make some so please ask. I won't spend ages typing it up now incase no-one wants it.

So the class - all eight of them - came and now they've gone. We ate buns, drank tea and ate chocolate tiffin cake and then they went and ransacked our dressing up clothes so I hardly saw them. (Amber is in that class and they wanted to dress up for their rounders game this afternoon).

I think I can go back and laze on the sofa now - frantic activity over. The children break up tomorrow at 12 o'clock for eight weeks and we are off to America in 15 days. This time in two weeks we will be on a plane - oh my goodness. Details of our trip and asking for recommendations in the next post.

By the way, quite a few of you were oohing and aghing over the fudge and I have four bags (weighing about 100g each) left. That's after I've saved some for the children. I'm very happy to send four bags to four people so just leave me your name if you want some ................. it'll save me eating them. I guess I ought to get them in the post quite soon as I don't know how long they will keep - so leave a comment before Friday 5pm which is our last post - if there are lots of you I'll just pick four names.( Happy to post anywhere by the way).

Comments

[Denise Ridgway]

yummy yummy yummy .. yes please.

sunshine hugs
Denise
xx

[Jodi Lenz]

No need to send fudge; still working off wedding feast. Plus Joy made some yummy cowboy cookies last night (we froze some for the pre baseball game picnic when you come.) You've gt to have an iron will to resist any of the goodies you made, especially the Chocolate Tiffin Cake. I've got to make that sometime. See you in fifteen days!

Jodi

[Simone]

Oooooooh. I really would love a bag of fudge. Then afterwards I can start my diet! My tummy's rumbling just looking at all the lovely grub you have been making. When my kitchen is finished I'll get around to cooking again!

[carol]

I would love to taste some of your fudge Simmy - at my Mums, no need to send it here if I should be so fortunate to be selected. You know, I have just realized that your surname is the same as an old lady that used to live near to me when I grew up, and to cut a long story short she made the best fudge I have ever tasted. Each year she would make huge batches to sell at the church fete, and each year people from miles around would queue up for some. However, when asked she would never share the recipe, saying it was an old family secret. Sadly, of course she died - and since that time I have been looking for fudge like she used to make. Maybe - its your recipe? Would love a square or two to taste. You never know...

[Britt]

What's "moorish" mean, Simmy? :)
Love from over the pond,
Britt

[Karen]

Looks fantastic fudge. I never have much success with it, so I'd love to see your recipe!!

[Rebecca]

Mmmm, such lovely things, I remember making those cinnamon buns a while ago and they were brilliant, I had forgotten all about them until now, might make some tomorrow now that you have awakened a craving!

[julie]

You must have a will of iron Simmy! How do you manage to avoid eating such delicious, yummy treats? The only way I can be sure to avoid cakes and biscuits is to have absolutely none in the house. When I make cake it calls to me (I can hear it even through the lock tight lid) and I am powerless to resist it's siren song!!

[Scarlettina]

Would love a bag of fudge but am quite happy to settle for the recipe, that way I can make even more (not that my hips need any additional calories!)

[esther]

gosh! it look so tasty. would like a pack, if you can send it to here so East!lol. then we can know the expiry date for it!

btw,lovely blog! would be another daily read for me! tq

[VAL]

Your pictures always make me want to make everything you make..Not sure I know what golden syrup is..Would love to try a sample of your fudge and have the recipe for your Cinnamon buns... Also from me too-what does moorish mean? Val

[Marie]

My gosh you have been a very busy bunny!!!! I love Chocolate Tiffin cake! Thank goodness it is only your picture and recipe I am drooling over because if it was here for real I would not be able to resist temptation and would have scarfed half of it down all by myself! Don't even get me started on the fudge! My mom made the best peanut butter fudge. It was always a real treat for us when she did and so yummy, like your blog today, YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! But then you're blog is always yummy to me, even if there isn't any food on it!

[dottycookie]

All looks scrumptious - but please don't send me any or I'll scoff the lot in 5 seconds flat! I love making chocolate tiffin too - often I put chopped glace cherries in it, sometimes bits of marshmallow to up the sugar even more ... and thanks for the idea of taking it into school - I wanted to make somethig for the children in the class I help with and couldn't face even more cupcakes.

[Tracy]

OOOOOOHHHHH--do add me to your list of takers for some fudge! I looks so scrummy! So do the buns. I've not had choc. tiffin cake before, sounds very easy to make--thanks for the recipe! Excuse me while I drool and dream over these goodies...Wishing you & yours a great weekend munchings treats! ((HUGS)) :o)

[Lucette]

Your fudge looks absolutely fabulous.

Yes please

[Katie]

Ok, I am curious about "moorish" too! You have been busy. I love Nigella's cook books, especially the sweets recipes. I am going to try the Chocolate tiffen cake- looks great.

[Rada]

I put on another 5 pounds just looking at the buns and candy. That is why my occupation is such a health risk. Our motto is "TASTE, TASTE, TASTE!" But, oh I love it so. I am about to do the South Beach Diet again. I thought I knew what MOORISH meant. I know what the dictionary says it is. What does it mean relating to buns and candy? Also, I looked up STEINERY once, under ASK.COM. It gave me different names of men and sentences from your website. I would still like to know what your children mean when they use it. I hear new words from my 22 year old, but not as much now that she is away a college. Of course, I'll wait for the answers to these questions. I know you have packing to do. One last thing. I am attempting to make a fairy figure using your tutorial and lovely wool for color. If it looks decent enough, I'll be making more for our Apple Festival. Thanks!

[Rowan]

This wsan't the ideal post for someone else who is tryin g to lose weight to read!! That fudge looks wonderful, there's nothing like the homemade variety. I only do it at Christmas as I could eat it from now until forever getting larger and larger as I munched.
Looking forward to seeing exactly where you are going on your US trip - only two weeeks,you'll be on that plane before you know it.

[Helen Shields]

Gosh it sounds like we have had similar days, my day has been spent making a fairy toadstool birthday cake, caramel shortbread, chocolate triangles and mars bar cakes, all for the party and not for me! so some fudge to stash in my workroom just for me would be lovely, just noticed I didn't make the 5pm deadline though. Have a fantastic trip to the US, spend a fortune and make us all jealous

Kind Regards Helen

[marie]

Yummy! Vanilla fudge sounds delicious to me and cinnamon buns...my favourite.

Marie x

[rhondajean]

I've just discovered your charming blog. You have some interesting recipes here. I will be back.

[Ash]

Your fudge looks great! I don't make it that often because I eat it *ALL* when I do! Looking forward to hearing about your USA trip!

[Bengi]

I just want to say 'hello'
LOVES FROM TURKEY

http://bengiabla.blogspot.com/

[Morgen]

Yum! Please do post the recipe for the Cinnamon Buns...they look divine! Happy noshing!