The instant those good ole' exams roll out, I'm suddenly exceedingly interested in the lamest Facebook statuses and thoroughly determined to re-arrange my entire desk/room/apartment. Lately, I've discovered a very enjoyable, if fattening, form of procrastinating that I believe is (slightly) more beneficial than flicking through countless albums of cats. Don't get me wrong, I love a cute cat picture as much as any other red-blooded human, but these sugary snacks will keep you going through those all-nighters we love to pull.
Let's start with a favourite of my mum's. My mum has this wonderful way of cooking things - toss ingredients in a bowl, mix a little and throw in oven. And thus was born, the greatest banana bread of all time!
Mum's Best Banana Bread
Makes: 10 thick slices or 20-odd of the little squares pictured
Makes: 10 thick slices or 20-odd of the little squares pictured
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Total Cost: $3.75
- 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (35c - $1.85/2kg)
- 1 cup brown or caster sugar (40c - $1.66/kg)
- 1 cup dessicated coconut (75c - $3/kg)
- 270mL (a little over 1 cup) coconut cream (roughly 55c - 90c/400mL can)
- 2 eggs (60c)
- 2 bananas, mashed ($1.05)
- 1 teaspoon imitation vanilla* (less than 5c)
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, pour into a greased cake/loaf tin.
3. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
*Note: You can feel free to use proper vanilla essence, I've bought imitation because it's about $2-something compared to the $5-something it costs real vanilla essence.
This next recipe is a touch on the exxy side, compared to my other recipes, but too delicious to resist. In fact, I had to give half the batch to a friend to stop myself gaining about 5 more kgs.
Choc-Honeycomb Brownies
Makes: About 10-15, depending on how much batter you eat!
Makes: About 10-15, depending on how much batter you eat!
Cooking Time: 1 hour (don't let that deter you - it's all baking time!)
Total Cost: $7.90
Ingredients:- 1 cup plain flour (30c - $1.85/2kg)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder (70c - $2.10/kg)
- 1 cup caster sugar (40c - $1.66/kg)
- 3/4 cup butter ($1.50 - $4.70/kg)
- 1 packet cooking chocolate ($2.30)
- 3 eggs (90c)
- 1 packet honeycomb pieces, roughly chopped ($1.80)
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Combine flour, cocoa and sugar.
3. Melt chocolate and butter together, pour onto dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add most of the honeycomb pieces, reserving about 1/4 and stir.
5. Pour into a greased cake tin, top with remaining honeycomb and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked.
6. Leave to set for 10 minutes before serving.
Sugar biscuits are super-simples, cheap and taste delicious with a nice cup of tea. I've spiced mine with cinnamon, but I've heard ground ginger works equally well for a gingerbread-type flavour. Likewise, cocoa powder would make lovely chocolately biscuits. Feel free to experiment with flavours and find one you like :)
Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits
Makes: About 18, again depending on how much dough you eat!
Cooking Time: 10 minutes prep time + 15 minutes per batch baking time.
Total Cost: $2.80
- 1 cup butter, softened ($1.85)
- 1/2 cup caster sugar (20c)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (less than 5c)
- 1 teaspoon imitation vanilla (less than 5c)
- 1 1/2 cups flour (45c)
- Tiny pinch of salt (less than 5c)
- Extra cinnamon for coating (about 15c worth - you need quite a bit!)
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Mix butter, vanilla and sugar together until light and fluffy. This is easiest if you have a hand mixer, but I did it by hand with a fork and it's not that hard.
3. Stir in the cinnamon, salt and flour.
4. When you've got a firm dough (you may need to get your hands dirty mixing the dough together with your fingertips), roll the dough into small balls and coat in cinnamon. They should look like the picture below:
5. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until light brown.
My best friend moved out of home a year earlier than me and has been absolutely wonderful in providing me with a few of her own tried-and-tested student recipes. I'm told this is perfect when told to 'bring a plate' (I've just kept it for myself as a study-snack) and to quote, 'is almost too good to share'. Enjoy guys :)
Couscous Slice
Makes: 8 thick slices, as pictured.
Cooking Time: About 1 hour
Total Cost: $4.65
Ingredients:
Base - 1 1/4 cup couscous ($1.05 - $1.75/500g)
- 700g tomato pasta sauce ($1.20)
- 1/2 sweet potato, chopped into small pieces (60c)
- 3 eggs (90c)
- 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese (roughly 50c)
- Pinch mixed herbs (less than 5c)
- Sprinkle pepper (less than 5c)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil (less than 5c)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (less than 5c)
- 1 tablespoon honey (less than 5c)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (15c)
- 1 finely chopped chilli (free from my pot plant)
- Chopped parsley or mint (free from my pot plant)
Method:
1. Boil sweet potato and puree with the pasta sauce.
2. Add the couscous and leave for 20 minutes for the couscous to soak up all the sauce. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180C.
3. Mix in the eggs, cheese and spices.
4. Press into a cake or loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until firm.
5. While the slice is baking, fry the garlic and chilli gently in a small saucepan with a splash of oil until garlic begins to brown.
6. Mix in the remaining ingredients in the saucepan and stir together over a low heat.
7. When the slice is baked, drizzle the dressing over the top and voila! - Couscous Slice!
Well, that's all I got for the minute (and probably the next week since I just pumped out 2 posts in 48 hours.) But if you're look for something else to sink study time into, check out Socially Awkward First Year for a ridiculously addictive and properly informative read.
Sugar and Kisses,
(broke) Masterchef Mel
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