Whist in this November lockdown it seems only appropriate to blog about things that don’t require many ingredients or craft supplies etc. It’s frustrating at the moment that small independent businesses have been forced to temporarily close due to the pandemic yet the big giants can carry on and seem to be taking market share with their online delivery options too. It is really hard when we think about the convenience of using these retailers and sometimes it is just the easy thing to do. Who doesn’t love a free next day delivery? Where possible I try to shop online with independent retailers or think about the discipline of waiting until the lockdown is over to once again support their enterprises so that they can survive the pandemic and keep the diversity of the high-street going.
With spending more time at home, I’ve had a chance to finally get to the back of the cupboards and came across a can of condensed milk. I must have bought it with the intention of using it at some point but it’s been just sat there yet still in date. So I looked up some recipes and decided on making it into some sweet treats that could be used as christmas gifts in an nice little Eco box or a glass jar.
Peppermint Creams
- 225g Icing sugar
- 100ml Condensed milk
- 2tsp Peppermint flavoring
- Dark chocolate for decorating
Method
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, gradually add the condensed milk and peppermint until it formed a soft dough, adding more icing sugar if it’s sticky.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly dusted worktop until it’s about 5mm thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut our the shapes or make a small ball and flatten in the palm of your hands.
- Put the shapes on a tray lined with some grease proof paper and leave to set in the fridge for a few hours.
- When set, drizzle them with some melted chocolate or dunk them to coat them. Enjoy with a perfect cup of coffee or for an after dinner treat!
Gingerbread Fudge
- 300ml condensed milk
- 300g white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- Sprinkles for decorating
Method
- Put the chocolate chips and the condensed milk together in a glass bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes until the white chocolate is just melted.
- Beat it together to make a smooth mixture, add the spices through a sieve.
- Mix it all together to make a consistent colour and pour it into an 8×8 inch lined tin.
- Decorate with the sprinkles and put in then fridge to set for 3 hours.
- When cooled, cut into a squares or use cookie cutters to make shapes.
Both of these sweet treats were made from a single 400ml can of condensed milk. I like the simplicity of them that makes them easy even for children to enjoy making. They require very little and don’t cost very much. With a bit of careful perfecting with the decorations they can make some tasty little Eco gifts for Christmas.
What can you make from what’s already in your cupboard?
Little Eco Gifts 