Quick Fix
Okay, so normally I want to avoid cake mix like the plague. Not because it’s bad, but because I enjoy making the cake from scratch.
Wait. That just made the whole ‘like the plague’ thing not make sense. The plague IS bad. That’s the point of it being THE PLAGUE, right? You don’t want to avoid the plague because you enjoy something else. You want to avoid the plague because you don’t want to ruin-absolutely-everything. Okay. That’s sorted. I can never say ‘like the plague’ again. If I do, feel free to commit me being hit with stones in the public square or something else suitable.
I will admit that baking from scratch is not always the most practical of matters, and I also know that there are women out there who make AMAZING cakes who secretly swear by their favourite cake mixes. They’ll never tell you it’s not from scratch, and I can’t blame ‘em.
So if you’ve gotta come up with the cupcakes on the quick and you don’t want to get caught out with your cake mix, here are my favourite fix-em-ups:
Chocolate cake mix + 1/2 cup cherry or raspberry jam added to the mixing bowl.
Vanilla cake mix + 1/2 packet of any fruit flavoured gelatin (the powdered kind rather than the gelled kind—we have both in the UK)
Vanilla cake mix + 1/3 cup sprinkles mixed in right at the last minute before it goes in the oven = confetti cake
Vanilla or chocolate cake mix + chocolate chips. Because you can never go wrong adding more chocolate, right?
Carrot cake mix + 1/2 cup extra thick cream for a carrot cake with a softer, steamed-pudding type texture
Now…I do well with the dessert shortcuts. I am not so good with the dinner shortcuts. Care to share your best make it good-but make it quick tip today? Since we’re sharing the love and all.
xlovesx
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10 May 2007, 23:16
A friend passed along a secret to making mixes taste homemade. Sift the mix before you add the wet stuff. It really makes the cake or cupcakes so light and fluffy.
10 May 2007, 23:50
does curry count?
this is such a yummy recipe, and it only takes 15-20 mins.
seriously.
thanks for all the sharing!!
:)
10 May 2007, 23:53
”:http://glo-girlsthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/04/worth-sharing.html”
doesn’t look like the link worked. sorry- but it’s on 17 april 2007…at my blog
www.glo-girlsthoughts.blogspot.com titled”worth sharing”
curry in a hurry!! :)
11 May 2007, 03:04
How do you get the icing to look like that? All thick and pretty and delicous?!
Thanks! :)
11 May 2007, 09:36
Quick dinner is
Fresh Tortellini (600g bag garlic and herb filling cooks in 5 mins)
Tomato sauce is 1 can chopped tomatoes, dried basil, squirt tomato ketchup, half teaspoon very lazy garlic (square bottle already minced so no smelly fingers), black pepper. Basically just bung all this in a pot, bring to boil, allow to simmer for 5 mins (while you cook the tortellini) DONE! 10 mins tops.
11 May 2007, 11:34
For chili con carne instead of adding cream you can add cream cheese in stead just as fattening, just as tasty and just I’m more likely to have cream cheese as I forget tho buy cream all the time.
11 May 2007, 15:31
Quick tuna cassarole
*Noodles cooked and drained
*2 Cans of Tuna
*1/2 can of peas
Layer these all together in a cassarole dish.
Mix together 1 cup milk and one can cream of mushroom soup. pour over pasta mixture.
Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
Remove from oven and serve!
(Very yummy, pretty healthy and quite inexpensive… I made it last night and my kids LOVED it! You can also add bread crumbs and cheese to the top for a yummy crumb topping.)
Makes about 6 servings
11 May 2007, 17:54
Super speedy risotto:
3oz risotto rice (or pudding rice works too)
1/2 stock cube
1 tin tuna
handful of sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
squeeze garlic puree
Mix together and shove it in the microwave for 12-15mins with 14 fl oz water. Then stir in grated cheese + season to taste.
Perhaps not very lowfat but perfect speedy comfort food!!!
11 May 2007, 19:57
Pasta again Shimelle, but a fav of Nigella’s, and now our family. Cubed pancetta from a packet (no chopping), garlic flavoured olive oil. Gently fry pancetta in garlic oil until crisp, quickly add some chopped herbs if you have any or dried chilli flakes if thats your thing then pour over your pasta and top with parmesan.
Dead quick, Dead delicious and Dead smelly. But when it tastes this good, Who cares?
11 May 2007, 22:35
THE ICING IS AMAZING!!!! I had my last SATs test today. English writing. xx
and I did revise!!