Monday 17 October 2011

no sewing but there is stuff...

I have no sewing news from the last couple of days.  My man came back from the course he was on, which meant a day cleaning and tidying the house for me first, then I've either been in the kitchen or asleep on the sofa.  Quite literally.  
I made two bricks loaves of bread...

brown bread bricks...
It tasted really nice, but jeez you needed strong jaws...  upside - no forgetting to chew properly with this stuff!
What else?  I made vegetarian sausage rolls for dinner.   Roasted Butternut Squash soup for lunch.  One of my better Banana Cakes

And saving the best for last....  introducing...  "STUFF"


"Stuff"  probably has a proper, boring name, and I'm sure someone out there will know what it is...  In my house though it has always been and will always be, quite simply, stuff.   Trust me, it is AWESOME.

To make Stuff:  (and you should, at least once - it freezes well if you think it makes too much, it is pretty sweet)

Crush 20 good digestives to a nice fine crumb.  Food processor is easiest, but you cant beat putting them in plastic bags (double bag it) and walloping the crap out of them with a rolling pin.  Set aside for later.

200-300g 70% dark chocolate, chopped finely.  (200g should do it, but if you want a thick snap of chocolate on top you might want more.)  Set this aside for later too.

Line the bottom of a baking tray with greaseproof paper.  

In a large pan (thick based if you have one) put 8oz (pretty much a whole block) of butter (margarine works too)  12 oz sugar, one can of condensed milk, and 3 table spoons of golden syrup.

Put on a medium heat and stir slowly.  First the butter will all melt away, then you're looking for all the grains of sugar to disappear.  Now you've got a thick gloop the colour of far too milky tea.  Keep stirring...  you'll start to get a few tiny flecks of a dark colour - its cooking, very important to keep stirring now.  Keep it moving (stir and make sure you're not forgetting any patch of the bottom of the pan basically) and let it get a bit darker.  I always get a bit panicked at this point cos it is so easy to burn it and if I spilled it I'd end up in casualty with 3rd degree burns....  Anyway.  You do want it a nice golden colour, and from my experience there's nothing to worry about if you get a few big flecks of dark bits...  Just not too many!  

When its a pretty colour (darker than solid honey, lighter than runny honey - does that make sense? Mum, is this right?!) Take it off the heat, and stir in the digestives, and pour it into your lined tray.  Tip the tray about a bit to help it level out.  DO NOT LICK THE SPOON!  Leave the pan and spoon alone for the moment.  Sprinkle your chopped chocolate evenly across as much of the top of your stuff as possible.  In about 5 to 10 mins or so the choccy will be melted, so you can give it a little bit of a spread around if you feel it needs it (like if you've missed a corner).  The pan and spoon will be cool enough to scrape a bit off to taste it now.  You should you know, you'll be waiting a couple of hours for the stuff to cool properly enough to cut....

And that is stuff.  It's gooooood.  It is very sweet, cut it small.  It is very addictive, if you're the only one eating it freeze half the batch for later!  

20 comments:

  1. mmmmm yum that brings back some memories! My mum used to make us something very similar - basically the same but maybe not so much butter and no syrup... oooh yes I liked that! I don't think it ever had a name in our house either! ... and I can testify that it is not very healthy for diabetics, which is probably why I loved it so much!

    I remember being very disappointed when I went to the corner shop (the Co-op) to get the condensed milk so mum could make some, but I came back with evaporated milk by mistake, which we all know is no good for anything! ;)

    Enjoy your stuff, and stop that housework stuff right now!!

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  2. Very entertaining and a yummy recipe. I always enjoy a glimpse into a quilter's life. I need to go make some stuff!

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  3. Oh lordy I can hear my arteries filling up!!
    Sounds delicious though!

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  4. You have been a regular kitchen queen. You may call your bread a brick but bread like that is usually delicious toasted and slathered with lots of butter and jam. I know from my own bread making experiences! Stuff looks like something as addictive as crack cocaine!!

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  5. Bread 'n Cakes 'n Stuff - whoo hoo!

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  6. YUM! My mum used to make something similar called Tiffan Bars! They never lasted long! You've been a proper domestic goddess today! Come round my place anyday! Jxo

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  7. Millionaire's shortbread is the name which comes to mind for stuff but it's not quite the same - bet it tastes good you Domestic Goddess you!

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  8. Wow wee, that's a lot of yummy baking you've been upto!!! 'Stuff' sounds amazing, might have to try it soon ;o)

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  9. They remind me of millionaires shortbread as well. They look yummy, but not being a kitchen girl, I'll just go to the shop for all my goodies!

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  10. I'm with Judith, my friend's Mum used to make this stuff and she called it tiffin! She made a mean millionares shortbread, too, but they're nothing alike when eaten side-by-side. Apart from the chocolate on top! Yum. Hungry now!

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  11. oh my goodness I don't know how I lived this long without stuff. I am in love.

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  12. I think I might need to try stuff. Sounds scrumptious!!!

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  13. You may call them stuff, but I will call them crack cake.

    I think "they" might call them Millionaires Shortbread? Or some sort of variant on it anyway.

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  14. Hmm, stuff, crack cake, I dont care what its called I just know I have to take the phone off the hook and make me some! Thanks Sarah :)

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  15. If I ever make any (which is most unlikely) I will call it stuff. I was going to say Millionaires shortcake too, but I don't think it's quite the same.
    PS, my bread can also double as an offensive weapon!

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  16. Any chance of sending down a food parcel?!! Love the look and sound of everything you made...yummy!

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  17. stuff looks delicious: made me have to go and eat a chocolate biscuit!

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  18. Lol at the brown bread bricks, they look, um, chewy! I think your stuff is kind of a lazy millionaire's shortbread too, but sounds yummy anyway. It's not tiffin though, as there's no fruit in it.

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  19. I've made many loaves that look quite like those! The stuff sounds great, too, and I love your descriptive instructions!

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