Kitchen closed for the summer!

As with the art and creative writing groups the cooking and gardening groups have stopped for summer while we enjoy the summer scheme!

You can see what we've been doing here!!!

Noodle-tastic!

Our Monday cooking group happened all winter, now Spring is finally here the group are going to be helping get our garden looking fabulous!

So sadly things might be a bit slow at we are cooks for a while ... We'll keep you posted on the cooking that happens , when it does!

This bowl of noodles was cooked by one of our services users, a great achievement when you think about all of the stages involved! But even better it has bits of vegetables in it AND they got eaten!!

Spiced Apple Cup Cakes

What you need:

125g (4oz) butter softened
125g (4oz) light soft brown sugar
2 medium eggs
125 (4oz) self raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 desert apple cored and grated
1 desert apple cored and sliced

For the topping:
4 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp water

Oven 190C/ 375F/ gas 5

What you do:

Beat together the butter and sugar untill light and fluffy. Add the eggs and then sift in the flour and cinnamon. Beat the mixture untill smooth then stirr in the grated apple.

Devide the mixture between paper cases and arrange sliced apple on the top of the cakes.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the cakes have risan and are fim to the touch. Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

Warm the apricot jam with the water in the microwave for a few seconds then brush over the top of the cakes.

What we thought:

"It took quite a lot of work, but it was worth it!"
"They're quite chewy, I think it's the apple"
"Ooh they're lovely!"

Marks out of ten?!

"8"
"Better than 8, 9 I think"
"Tasty but lots of grating 8"

Brilliant Banana Buns

What you need:

125g (4oz) butter softened

125 (40z) caster sugar

2 medium eggs

125g (4oz) self raising flour

1 ripe banana, mashed

hand full of chopped walnuts

oven 190C/ 375F/ gas 5

What you do:

1. Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs flour banana and nuts and beat till the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have just risen and are firm to the touch. This will take about 12 - 15 minutes.

2. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

What we thought:

"Really easy to make and delicious!"

"Fantastic flavour!"

"I like the nuts with the banana!"

Marks out of ten?!

"10"

"Yes me too 10!"

Choc full cup cakes!

Ingredients:

4 oz butter softened
4 oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs
3 oz self raising flour
1 oz coco
3 oz white chocolate drops
1 oz chopped baking cherries (optional)


What you do:

1. Pre heat oven to 190C / 375 F / gas 5
2. Beat butter and sugar together together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs to the bowl and sift in flour and coco.
4. Stir in the chocolate and cherries.
5. Carefully spoon mixture into cake cakes.
6. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until the cakes have risen and are firm to the touch.
7. Put them on a wire rack to coo.

To make chocolate butter cream

6 oz Butter softened
4 tablespoons coco
3 tbsp hot water
12 oz icing sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract

1. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften.
2. In a different bowl put the coco and the water and mix it to make a paste.
3. Add the coco paste to the butter and sift in icing sugar and vanilla. Beat the icing until it is very smooth.
4. Wait until cakes are cold before you ice them (we were a bit too eager and our icing melted!)

What we thought:
"My goodness! That's a cake and a half!"
"These are so good, very rich though, I don't think I could eat more than three!"
"Why would you put cherries in a perfectly good chocolate cake?!"

Marks out of ten/
"11"
"20"
"10 for the cake none for the cherries!"

Ali's Mums Choc Chip Cookies!

Sorry there's no photo the cookies were SO popular that they'd all gone by the time Ali fetched the camera!!

Ingredients

3oz Butter

2oz Castor sugar

4oz self raising flour sifted

2oz choc chips

Pre Heat Oven 180C / 350F / gas mark 4

What you do:

1. Cream butter and sugar together till fluffy.

2. Fold in flour and choc chips.

3. Roll mixture into small balls and put them well spaced apart on lined baking sheets.

4. Flatten balls slightly.

5. Put in oven for 15mins or until brown.

What we thought:

"These are delicious!"

"I think they'd be better with milk chocolate not plain"

"LOVELY!"

Marks out of ten?

"8"

"9"

"10 out of 10"

Coconut delights!

Ingredients:

1 375g can of condensed milk (large can)

8oz desiccated coconut

2oz dark chocolate (chopped or chips)

2oz chopped dried cherries

Oven 170c/325f/Gas mark 4

What you do:

1. Open the can of milk and pour it into a mixing bowl.

2. Add coconut, chocolate and cherries to make a thick paste.

3. Line baking sheets with none stick baking paper.

4. Spoon mixture onto paper in mound shapes.

5. Bake in the oven for 10 mins or until lightly browned round edges.

6. Allow to cool slightly on tray before moving to a wire rack.

What we thought:

"This was so super easy, and they're really nice!"

"I like them, they're very chewy and sweet!"

"They would be too sweet without the chocolate in them"

Marks out of 10?

"10"

"10, I could make them by myself"

"9"