Tiktok Mum shows £1 per meal is all it takes to feed a family. If you shop at Aldi

Social media influencer @budgetingmum reveals five summer holiday dinners for the whole family made with under £20 of ingredients. Wow! That’s less than £1 per meal!

The budgeting expert has also shared her top 10 hacks to lower the cost of the weekly shop during the holidays

The post has boasted plenty of praise, with one follower declaring: “this will really help reduce the cost of my food shop!”

Social media budgeting guru @budgetingmum has revealed her five go-to recipes for keeping the whole family fed during the school summer holidays and they all come in at under £1 per meal.   

Beth Turbutt-Rogers, known by her 185k loyal social media following for her innovative budgeting hacks and handy parenting tips, has unveiled she uses less than £20 worth of Aldi ingredients to create five tasty dinner recipes that the whole family enjoy whilst the little ones are off school.

The video shows Beth whizzing together five dinners including an uber-healthy three bean chilli and a mouth-watering Wagamama inspired katsu curry, complete with hidden veggies for fussy little ones, all for under £20 at Aldi.

The handy recipe guide has already proved popular with her followers, gaining likes and comments in their thousands. One follower stated “this will really help reduce the cost of my food shop!” and another said, “get me to Aldi – now!”

Beth, who lives with her husband and two youngsters,  commended her Aldi shopping experience saying: “Aldi is the best place to get everything you need without breaking your bank.”

Beth also went on to say: “As the summer holidays arrive, lots of families will feel the pinch when it comes to food shopping. Having the children at home might mean routines are completely different and for this reason you might start to see a rise in the weekly cost.  But don’t fret! With a little planning and opting for low-cost ingredients, you can get through the summer holidays on a budget and still enjoy tasty, nutritious meals.”

As well as putting together this helpful school holiday dinner guide, Beth's also shared her top 10 hacks when budgeting for the weekly shop during the school summer holidays:

Overlap: Plan meals with overlapping ingredients. EG, if you’re buying potatoes, buy a larger pack which you can use to make jacket potatoes one night and a potato pie the next. Or if you’re buying bacon lardons, buy a two pack which you can use for two meals! 

Meal plan: This is a guaranteed way to save you money as you’ll have well thought out meal ideas for the week. This is especially relevant during the holidays when the food shop needs to feed the whole family all day, every day!

Go frozen or tinned: Consider buying frozen or tinned vegetables for a great way to inject nutrients to food on a budget.

Go plant based: Swapping to plant-based alternatives can often be cheaper than meat products, and more sustainable too.

Buy in bulk: Bulk buying certain items, EG, buying a larger pack of toilet roll, will work out cheaper in the long run. This is especially vital during the school holidays when we seem to go through household items far more quickly than usual.

Cook from scratch: Cooking from scratch – learning how to make things like sauces from basic ingredients such as milk, butter and flour can save you money. This is a great one to pick up during the holidays when we’re not so time poor!

Divide and conquer: Try buying a whole chicken and dividing the meat into several meals throughout the week to make it go further.

Batch cook: Batch cooking can not only save you time, but it can also save money if planned properly. This means more time to spend playing with little ones during the holidays!

Freeze it: Using your freezer to ensure food doesn’t go off before you have time to eat it can reduce food waste and save you money, too.

Enjoy family time: Eat together as a family! Doing separate meals for children can be costly, so make meals that are suitable for all the family will help cut your costs, too. Particularly during the holidays, this is a great time to make the best of having everyone at home and enjoy eating together.

Beth’s innovative dinner recipes have been created to please fussy children while ensuring parents get something delicious and nutritious for dinner, too. The full shopping list for these dinners comes in at less than £20 – so that’s £1 per meal for a family of four:

Recipe 1: Cheeseburger pasta bake with vegetarian mince

Recipe 2: Cheese and bacon potato pie with beans 

Recipe 3: Three bean chilli with rice 

Recipe 4: Katsu chicken curry and rice

Recipe 5: Bacon potato bake with egg and beans

Full step-by-step guides on how to create these tasty recipes can be found via Beth’s blog.

Aldi shopping list:

Nature’s Pick Brown Onions (£0.95, 3 pack)

Oakhurst Smoked Bacon Lardons (£1.99, 200g)

Nature’s Pick Spring Onions (£0.50, 100g)

Nature’s Pick Salad Tomatoes (£0.85, 6 pack)

Ashfields Breaded Chicken Steaks (£2.99, 505g)

Everyday Essentials Penne Pasta (£0.41, 500g)

Four Seasons Taco Mixed Beans (£0.72, 395g)

Everyday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes x2 (£0.35, 400g)

Everyday Essentials Baked Beans x2 (£0.56, 420g)

Asia Specialities Chinese Style Curry Sauce (£0.99, 500g)

Emporium Mature Grated Cheddar Cheese (£1.99, 250g)

Ready, Set…Cook! Chilli Powder (£0.59, 40g)

Plant Menu Meat Free Mince (£1.35, 400g)

Everyday Essentials Long Grain Rice (£0.52,1kg)

Merevale British Medium Free-Range Eggs (£1.29, 6 pack)

Nature’s Pick Marris Piper Potatoes (£1.59, 2.5kg)

Four Seasons Mixed Vegetables (£0.99, 1kg)

Four Seasons Black Beans in Water (£0.59, 390g)

Total: £19.57 (approx. 97p per meal, based on five meals for a family of four).

To shop Aldi’s full range of affordable groceries, shoppers can head to stores now or browse the Aldi website for Click & Collect options. https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/

Check out Budgetmum here https://www.budgetingmum.co.uk/

Sustainable and delicious. New Cocktail ideas

Now, more than ever, sustainability is at the forefront of the minds of many of us, especially in the kitchen, and as the cost of living crisis continues to put a strain on our finances, many of us are looking to reduce our food waste and squeeze out the most of our weekly shopping trips. 

But! There are many tips and tricks for utilising your leftover food scraps including turning them into delicious cocktail ingredients. (What? Cocktail ingredients? Yes, cocktail ingredients. We'll explain more, here.)

The team of top drink experts at online drinks retailer, The Bottle Club, have put together some handy tips for utilising your leftovers and transforming them into tasty summer beverages.

Blend fruit pulp, peels and zest into syrup

Adding a fruity syrup to your homemade cocktails in an ingenious way to add a delightfully delicious extra fruity dimension to your drink, whilst simultaneously reducing your food wastage. 

Leftover fruit pulp, peels, and zest can all be used to create a sweet and delicious syrup. Making the syrup is simple, all you need do is add the fruit pulp, peels, or zest into equal parts water and sugar, simmering in a pan until the solution resembles a syrup-like texture. 

Use your leftover fruit as garnish 

A great alternative to using leftover fruit in syrup is to use them as garnish for your summer cocktails. Dehydrating your leftover fruit is an ideal way to make them last longer, as they can last up to a full year when stored properly in a proper airtight container. 

If you don’t own a dehydrator or an air fryer, this can also be achieved by oven-cooking your fruits for 30 minutes. Leftover orange peels go well in a classic Old Fashioned, whilst grapefruit peel is the perfect addition to the iconic Negroni cocktail.

Create syrups with leftover herb stems

If you’re a kitchen whizz, you’re probably no stranger to cooking with herbs. But herbs aren’t just used to add a little extra flavour to your dishes, they can also be used in your drinks, too. 

The leftover stems of your everyday herbs like parsley, thyme, and basil can also be brewed into a syrup that will add a nifty extra kick to your summer cocktails. 

Start by simmering your herb stems in equal parts of sugar and water. Simply allow the solution to cool in the fridge and then add to your cocktails. To maximise the flavours, leave the solution to chill in the fridge for several weeks. 

Herbal syrups are particularly effective when used in gin and vodka-based drinks. 

Save coffee grounds to be used in coffee-based cocktails 

If you’re partial to a coffee-flavoured cocktail, try saving your leftover coffee grounds to make a delicious after-dinner drink. From a classic Espresso Martini to a Calypso cocktail, there’s plenty of delicious cocktails for coffee lovers to indulge themselves in. 

To create a coffee liqueur to be used in cocktails, just add 100 grams of coffee grounds, 4 tablespoons of white granulated sugar and 2 parts of spirit (preferably vodka!) to a sealed container. Leave this to mix for around 24 hours before you start crafting your homemade cocktails.

Use leftover mint stems to add a refreshing kick

When using mint leaves to add extra flavour to your cooking, you probably throw out the leftover stems. However, mint stems can be used as the perfect garnish for cocktails like the class Mojito and Mint Julep, to give a real minty kick to these cocktails. 

Spearmint is the most common type of mint used to craft these delicious and refreshing cocktails to be enjoyed on a summer's day. 

Create an infusion with your leftovers 

There is a wealth of possibilities and combinations when it comes to infusing alcohol with leftover fruits, spices, and herbs. Light-coloured spirits like gin and vodka are the most common spirits used, as the mild flavours will infuse more easily than darker spirits like rum and whiskey. 

When you are creating an alcohol infusion at home, add the chosen ingredients to an airtight container along with your chosen alcohol, shake it up and let it sit. Leave the solution to settle for 24 hours to give the flavours time to infuse and strain before drinking.

Popular infusion combinations include: 

Grapefruit, rosemary and vodka

Apples and gin 

Pineapples and whiskey 

Coconut rum 

Lemongrass, ginger and tequila

To learn more visit https://www.thebottleclub.com/blogs/thedrinksjournal/cocktails-to-make-the-most-of-fresh-seasonal-produce

(Image courtesy of Radosław Kulupa from Pixabay)

Callum Graham's Summer Fruit Tart

Callum Graham is the Head Chef at Jersey restaurant, Bohemia. And he has created a Summer Fruit Tart recipe.

Serving size: Individual tart – serves 1 (Adjust quantities to serve more diners.) 

Overall prep and cooking time: approximately one hour.

Prep for pastry/ tart case: 10 minutes

Cooking time for pastry/ tart case: 15 – 20 minutes and then allow to cool for a further 20 minutes whilst making the lemon curd

Ingredients for the pastry:

225g plain flour

110g butter, cut into cubes

80g caster sugar

1 large free-range egg

Method:

Crumb together the plain flour and the diced cold butter, once a fine crumb has been produced, mix in the sugar. Next, fold in the egg. If the dough feels too dry, merely add a tablespoon of water.

Cover the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade. 

After the dough has rested, roll it out on a flour dusted work surface until it is about half a cm in thickness. Place over a greased tart mould then place in the fridge for a further 10 mins.

Next, remove the pastry from the fridge and place it on a sheet of baking parchment inside it, then cover with rice (for blind baking).

Place it in the oven for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the baking parchment and rice.

Turn the oven up to 180 degrees and then egg wash the bottom of the tart case. Bake for a further 6-8 mins until the pastry is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool, totally.

Ingredients for the lemon curd:

4 large lemons - juiced

4 large lemons - zested

200g fine caster sugar

100g unsalted butter

3 free-range eggs and 1 egg yolk

Method:

Mix the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs together and place into a small saucepan.

Dice your butter into small cubes and have on the side (you will need this at the end).

Take a whisk and start to whisk the mixture together, then place onto the heat and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken (this will take 5-6 mins and it is very important to whisk vigorously) 

Once the mixture starts to form soft peaks, take off the heat and slowly whisk in the diced butter.

Mix well until fully combined and then pour into the cooled tart case.

 Place in fridge and leave to set for at least 2 hours.

Finish off the tart by decorating with whatever fresh fruit you have at home,  Callum says "I love to use an abundance of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. It’s the most refreshing summer treat."

To learn more about the restaurant and hotel visit https://www.bohemiajersey.com.

SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl Pots

(Uses 6 Small Ramekins)

Ingredients

130g SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl 

300ml fresh whipping cream

1 tablespoon sifted icing sugar

Half teaspoon vanilla extract

Extra 2 tablespoons SKIPPY® Choc Chip Swirl Peanut Butter to drizzle

Directions

Spoon the SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl into a small bowl.

Pour the whipping cream into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk the cream until it begins to thicken but is still somewhat loose. At this point, stir in the vanilla essence if you are using vanilla. (Why wouldn't you use vanilla?)

Using a fork gradually work a spoonful of the SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl into the double cream until it's combined, repeat with the rest of the Peanut Butter until it's all blended. At this point, it should have the texture of a mousse.

Next, gently fold in the icing sugar.

Spoon the mixture into the ramekin dishes and level each one off.

Put the extra SKIPPY® Peanut Butter into a small bowl and blast for 10 seconds in a microwave on the lowest setting then drizzle on top of the mousse and then chill.

New Crème Desserts from Bonne Maman

Europe's leading desert experts Bonne Maman has introduced two new exciting crème desserts featuring a luscious topping of whipped Chantilly cream.       

Inspired by the traditional French dessert: Liégeois, new Bonne Maman Coffee Crème dessert is a sumptuous, aromatic creamy café au lait style dessert with a rich and creamy coffee crème, generously topped with a light Chantilly cream.  

Bonne Maman Dark Chocolate Crème dessert is made with the finest quality dark chocolate, simply blended with cream and milk to make a delicious and silky smooth crème with a contrasting top layer of lightly whipped Chantilly cream.

Enticing and utterly, absolutely delicious, both the new Bonne Maman crème desserts offer a truly and intensely satisfying finale to a lunch or dinner at home. And, indeed, make a wonderful treat for chocoholics and coffee lovers at any time of the day. No matter where they are! (Actually, I can picture my wife and I taking these with us in a cool bag as part of a nice picnic.) 

Bonne Maman Desserts are made with simple, all natural ingredients and contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners whatsoever. 

They are presented in packs of 2 x 90g pots, the new Dark Chocolate Crème and Coffee Crème Desserts are available, at least initially, at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose stores nationwide at a recommended retail price of £2.55.  Also suitable for vegetarians. Packaging can be widely recycled. 

For further information, tips and recipes see www.bonnemaman.co.uk, like on Facebook @BonneMamanUK and follow on Instagram @bonnemaman_uk

(Image is copyright Bonne Maman UK)

Lizi's Granola Cheesecake

Tasty and delicious sweet treats don’t have to be laden with sugar and fat! This decadently creamy cheesecake recipe is perfect for indulging in and is packed chock full of protein rich ingredients and a large helping of Lizi’s original granola. (yummy!)

Ingredients

For the creamed cheese topping

500g quark or 250g fat free cream cheese combined with 250g fat free Greek yoghurt

100g vanilla protein powder

1 serving of gelatine

For the biscuit base

200g Lizi’s original granola

25g coconut oil

50g apple sauce 

To garnish

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 tablespoon butter

50g apple sauce

Method

Prepare your ingredients and set ingredients for the cream cheese filling and garnish to one side

Using a wooden spoon and a large mixing bowl combine the quark (or alternative filling) with vanilla protein powder and a serving of gelatine.

Take 200g of Lizi’s original granola and whizz for 30 second intervals in a food processor until it's  completely ground

Add 25g coconut oil and 50g apple sauce to the ground granola mixture in a separate bowl and combine into a pastry base

Pack the base into a lightly greased cake tin ensuring this is evenly distributed throughout 

Spoon the protein mixture on top and pop it into the fridge whilst you prepare the topping

Whilst this is setting, chop up an apple and fry lightly in two teaspoons of cinnamon and one tablespoon of butter gently stirring in 50g of apple sauce to the mixture

Once this has cooled down enough, spread over the top of the cheesecake and then place it back into the fridge again for a further 2-3 hours or until you are ready to serve them.

Time

Preparation time 15 minutes, Setting time 2-3 hours.

https://www.lizis.co.uk.

Incidentally, it's possible that vegans could try to swap the gelatine for the vegan-friendly equivalents that are available in most free from sections in supermarkets, health shops, etc. 

This is really the cherry on the top from Driscoll's!

Yes, folks, British cherry season is here, and to mark this year’s extra-flavourful crop, Driscoll's, the UK’s foremost supplier of berries, have created a selection of absolutely delicious new recipes, which we are featuring below. 

‘Pickled Cherry Bruschetta’ - an Italian twist packed with healthy vitamins and bursting with flavour!

‘Cherry French Toast Sandwich’ - a quick and easy take on the more traditional French toast.

‘Cherry and Cacao Fro-yo’ - a super refreshing, healthier alternative to ice cream

Please find a link to hi-res imagery here/full recipes below.. 

Recipe 1: Pickled Cherry Bruschetta

A jar of jam and food on a white surface

This Pickled Cherry Bruschetta is packed full with healthy vitamins and uses ricotta, walnuts and olive oil to provide a source of protein, calcium, fibre and healthy fats.

This year’s British cherry harvest is extra sweet, making for a delicious contrast with the tart pickling and creamy ricotta.

The dish contains 250g of fresh cherries, full of nutrients, with 3% of your daily requirement of iron, 7% of your daily requirement of copper, and 8% of your daily requirement of vitamin C. 

Serves: 8-10. 

Makes 2 x 250g jars of 1 x 500g jar of pickled cherries

Time: 30 minutes prep plus pickling time.

Ingredients for the pickled cherries:

100ml white wine vinegar

85ml water

50g caster sugar

2 bay leaves

250g fresh British cherries, de-stalked and pitted

2 crushed juniper berries

5 peppercorns

Ingredients for the bruschetta:

1 ciabatta loaf, sliced

200g ricotta or a plant based alternative 

50g walnuts

Fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil for brushing and 1 tsp for the walnuts

Method for pickling:

Firstly, start with pickling your cherries. It is best to do this around a week in advance at least, and once made they will keep in sterilised sealed jars for months – meaning you can hang on to cherry season for even longer! (Once opened, store in your fridge).

To sterilise your jars, wash with hot soapy water then put in a low oven for around 10-15 minutes.

Pour the white wine vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, caster sugar and water into a pan and simmer for around 10 minutes.

Whilst this is cooking, de stalk and pit your cherries. Pack the cherries into the sterilised jar/s and pour over the vinegar mix, ensuring all cherries are covered. Tightly seal and leave in a cool dark place for at least a week.

Method for making the bruschetta:

First, preheat the oven to around 180c.

Spread the walnuts out on a tray lined with baking paper.

Toss in a tsp of olive oil and toast for around 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Next, slice your ciabatta at a slight angle, into 1cm slices. Lightly brush with olive oil on each side and place under a hot grill until evenly golden.

Put the ricotta in a bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk until light and fluffy. 

Spread a teaspoon over each of the ciabatta toasts and top with the pickled cherries, crumbled walnuts, fresh thyme and black pepper.

***

Recipe 2: Cherry French Toast Sandwich 

This Cherry French Toast is a quick and easy brunch recipe that makes the most out of fresh juicy British cherries and is a healthier take on the breakfast classic.

With lots of extra sweet cherries available this season, there is no better time to add an extra flavourful punch to your french toast this summer. 

This recipe can be also made with any bread or milk you choose, so you can give it your own individual twist. 

Serves: 1.

Time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (stale bread works especially well)

1 egg or a vegan egg alternative 

50ml milk or plant based milk

5-6 British cherries, de stalked and stoned

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp lighter Crème Fraîche or a  plant based alternative 

1 tbsp agave

Spray of oil for cooking

Method: 

Roughly chop your cherries and add to a pan with a teaspoon of brown sugar.

Briefly stir and heat on a medium heat for around ten minutes until they are broken down and syrupy.

Allow to cool slightly.

In a shallow bowl, crack in your egg and pour in the milk.

Whisk well and dip each side of your bread in the egg mix.

In a separate small bowl add your Crème Fraîche and agave syrup and stir in the cherries.

Heat a pan over a medium heat and cover with a little spray oil

In the heated pan, lay down one slice of the bread before topping evenly with the cherry mix and placing the second slice on top, and pressing down gently.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the bread over and repeat. 

Remove from the heat and enjoy!

***

Recipe 3: Cherry Cacao Fro-Yo

Our Cherry and Cacao Fro-yo is a delicious, yet healthier summer treat that you don’t need an ice cream maker to produce!

The sweetness of the cherries with the smooth acidity of the yoghurt creates a perfectly balanced alternative to ice-cream.

You can even improvise with a cake or la oaf tin to freeze in, so there’s no fancy equipment necessary and minimal prep time, too!

All you need is freeze time!

Serves: 10.

Time: 50 mins - 1 hour prep time, 3-4 hours freezing time.

Ingredients:

175g British cherries, de-stalked, pitted and roughly chopped

1 tsp brown sugar

Juice of half a lemon

750g natural or Greek yoghurt, or a plant based yoghurt 

125ml milk or plant based milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

30g sugar (this can also be substituted for the equivalent in stevia for an even healthier treat)

1-2 tbsp cacao nibs for sprinkling

You will also need a small loaf tin or 7-8 inch cake tin

Method:

Put your loaf tin or cake tin into the freezer.

In a medium bowl add your yoghurt, milk, sugar or stevia, vanilla and stir well.

Chill in the freezer whilst you complete the next steps.

Empty your cherries and brown sugar into a pan and simmer on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the juice of half a lemon and leave to cool.

Remove the tin and yoghurt mix from the freezer and pour the yoghurt into the tin.

Stir every 20-30 minutes and when it’s starting to thicken considerably, swirl through your cherry mix.

Leave to freeze for at least 3-4 hours before serving

Sprinkle your fro-yo with cacao nibs for a crunchy topping!

https://www.driscolls.eu

How to Eat like a Celtic Druid with a Celtic Boar Stew

I follow a number of different YouTube channels that cover cookery matters. One of these is called Tasting History, presented by historical cooking expert Max Miller.

In this episode viewers will learn how to cook as if they were making a feasting meal for Celtic Druids, cooking a Celtic Boar Stew.

Two great dessert recipes from Julienne Bruno

We have two great recipes from Julienne Bruno, the creator of truly original plant-based products that are  designed to cleverly take home cooking to gastronomic levels. 

Its debut range, Collection 01, features BURRELLA®, CREMATTA™, and SUPERSTRACCIA®, is perfect for conscious eaters who want to participate in gastronomy but are limited by the standard of plant-based products. From salads, pizzas, pastas, or desserts, Julienne Bruno can complement any dish you can rustle up.   

First recipe:-

Rhubarb Galette w. Sweetened Crematta™

Cook Time: 2 hours (including baking and chilling)

Servings: 2 

INGREDIENTS 

1x 175g tub julienne bruno crematta™

50g wholemeal flour

75g plain flour

25g caster sugar 

¼ tsp salt

65g vegan block butter, chilled and chopped into cubes

½ tsp apple cider vinegar

3 tsp icing sugar

160g forced rhubarb stalks

20g caster sugar (+ 4 tsp extra)

¼ lemon zest, and squeeze of the juice

demerara sugar

METHOD

Step 1: combine flours and sugar in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor, stir well to combine. add the chopped butter, then if doing this by hand, cut the butter through the flour until there are no larger bits of butter left. gently then rub the flour and butter using your fingertips and thumbs until everything is evenly combined. if using a food processor, gently pulse the mixture until the butter is evenly incorporated.

Step 2: add the vinegar and 50g of crematta™ then mix through with a spoon before using your hands to bring the dough together into a ball. do not knead the dough, just bring it together.

Step 3: weigh the dough, then divide into two even pieces. gently flatten each piece into a thick disk before wrapping in cling film and chilling in the fridge for around an hour. mix the remainder of the crematta™ in its pot with the icing sugar, lid, and then place in the freezer. 

Step 4: whilst the dough is chilling, make the filling. wash the rhubarb, trim the ends and then cut 1 inch long pieces on the diagonal. in a bowl, toss the rhubarb with the lemon zest/ juice and sugar. allow to sit and macerate gently until ready to use.

Step 5: heat your oven to 180c fan, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. remove the pastry from the fridge, unwrap then place on a well floured (second) sheet of parchment paper ready to roll out. making sure the rolling pin is also floured, gently roll each piece of dough out, one by one, into a rough circle approximately 6 inches in diameter.

Step 6: drain the juices from the rhubarb bowl into a small dish, set aside for later use. sprinkle 2 tsp of caster sugar over the centre of each pastry disk before then arranging the sliced rhubarb over, ensuring to leave approximately a 1.5 inch border all the way around the edge. gently fold the pastry over the filling, place onto the baking sheet before lightly glazing with the juices and then finally sprinkling with demerara.

Step 7: bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden. set the baking tray on a wire rack and allow the galettes to cool for at least twenty minutes to half an hour. remove the crematta™ from the freezer and place in the fridge until ready to serve spooned on top of the galettes.

Crematta™ Crème Brûlée

Cook Time: 20-30 minutes + overnight chilling

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

350g JULIENNE BRUNO Crematta™

250ml unsweetened non dairy milk 

75g fine caster sugar

1 tsp nutritional yeast

40g cornflour, sieved

¼ tsp sea salt flakes

1 vanilla pod, split, beans removed

2 tsp vanilla extract

60g demerara sugar (to caramelise tops)

4x 9 cm brulee ramekins

METHOD

STEP 1: Combine milk, sugar, nutritional yeast, cornflour in a small pan. Heat gently whilst whisking constantly until the mixture no longer feels grainy. This is a sign that all the sugar has dissolved. Add the salt, vanilla pod, seeds and vanilla extract to the pan. Increase the heat, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer (again whisking constantly so that it does not burn or stick) until it begins to thicken.

STEP 2: As soon as the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and transfer from the pan into a large mixing bowl to cool. Remove the vanilla pod.

STEP 3: Using a large spatula, fold through both tubs of Crematta until fully combined before pouring the custard into the four ramekins to cool completely. Once cool, cover with cling film then transfer to the fridge to set overnight.

STEP 4: Before serving, evenly sprinkle a tablespoon of demerara sugar over the top of each ramekin to completely cover the vanilla custard. Caramelise the sugar using a kitchen blowtorch, or place under a very hot preheated grill until the sugar is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Enjoy both of the recipes.

You can learn more by visiting their website, here: https://www.juliennebruno.com.

Wow! Sweet Bao: Heavenly Desserts launches Itsu Bao Buns

Worldwide dessert franchise, Heavenly Desserts, has joined forces with Asian-inspired grocery brand, itsu, to launch its TikTok-famed sweet chocolate bao buns directly into its stores all over the country.

Having launched in Heavenly Desserts' 50 restaurants UK-wide, the vegan, warm and delightfully fluffy bao buns are filled with a smooth, melt-in-the-middle chocolate filling and are served alongside a delicious caramel dipping sauce.

This addition to the Heavenly Desserts menu results from itsu’s continual efforts innovate ranges with new flavours that excite modern audiences with trending ingredients and with unique concepts.

The bao buns created by itsu will be available at Heavenly Desserts’ restaurants, and will also become a core item on its ‘dessert tapas’ menu. 

Ravinder Faguraha, who is the project support manager at Heavenly Desserts, said: “Partnering with itsu to bring these sweet treats into our menu was such a genuine joy. It’s the largest partnership we’ve embarked on so far, which holds true to our unrelenting commitment to innovation. 

“After a lot of consumer research and flavour profiling and following on from the popularity of our mochi desserts which we announced last summer, we learned bao buns are setting a trend in the dessert sector as itsu has become the go-to brand in the UK market for this recognisable Asian dish. 

“Most Brits are aware that bao buns come with a savoury filling like duck and hoisin sauce, but they can be made differently by using a sweet middle. So, it was a no-brainer that these would attract new customers familiar with the cuisine to Heavenly Desserts."

As a pioneering Asian inspired restaurant and grocery brand, itsu is based within the UK. The global company was founded in 1997 by Julian Metcalfe, who was co-founder of sandwich chain Pret A Manger. 

Yousif Aslam, co-founder and MD at Heavenly Desserts, said: “Partnering with household brand names like itsu is such an exciting step for us. We're always drawing inspiration from other cuisines and recently launched our springtime drinks range which were crafted from authentic Japanese flavours like matcha and yuzu. 

"These have been really popular, so alongside the bao buns we're also announcing our Strawberry Daquiri mocktail and extending our springtime drinks into summer for the perfect refresher.”

Julian Metcalfe, itsu's founder said: “Sweet Bao is really an historic breakthrough, -every now and then, the team hits a real bullseye; this is one such lucky example. After in excess of 50 failed trials, we managed to get rich quality chocolate to flow, molten warm, from inside the fluffy bao bun. It's the result of our dedicated 10-person strong NPD team who have worked tirelessly for a whole year to create this phenomenal first-to-market, brand new product.”

For more information about Heavenly Desserts and its menus visit: https://www.heavenlydesserts.co.uk.