Foodie Fridays with Eckle's Delights
Hi everyone! Happy Foodie Friday š Iām Jesse and I run a small baking business called Eckleās Delights. I started Eckleās after deciding that my everyday job in finance wasnāt where my genuine passion was. So back in 2018 I took the dive and became self employed.
I originally started small, making customised cupcakes and small brownie trays. But now my main orders are for personalised occasion cakes and postal desserts, which include brownies, cookies and cake by the slice. I was terrified of the thought of exposing my mediocre home-made cupcakes to family and friends, never mind local cake consumers! And never in a million years did I think I would have a website or even be writing a BLOG. But proof is in the pudding (pun intended): Keep on Baking!
Running a small business is always challenging and this has allowed me to overcome confidence fears and self doubt! It was during the first national lockdown in March 2020 that I had to adapt my business and FAST. This is where I realised focusing more on postal desserts, which increased customer base and my creativity, this was a way for me to reach more customers and my loyal local orders.
Lockdown for the third time round has me feeling sad for so many businesses in my field; especially those wanting to expand and grow with store fronts. I admire everyone coming together in these trying times and their determination to keep on going. I keep positive through all this by supporting others where I can and use the down time to spend time with my family, especially my little boy who is enjoying this lockdown more than I expected. Like his mummy he loves a lie-in š¤£.
I think Boost is a fantastic initiative! Home-schooling is challenging and something most parents never thought they would have to do. However, Boost has a parent guide to help you support your childās learning, taking the pressures of āgetting it rightā away. Itās like having a mini teacher over your shoulder giving you support each time the home-school starts. During this time I canāt imagine anything better for parents, on top of all the other worldly pressures. And for those parents that worry they might not be doing enough or just need some more activities for the kiddies, the boost box is that perfect extra school supply!
To make home-schooling a little more fun I have got some baking recipes below which are perfect for all the family and can be educational and yummy too:
Choc Chip Bar
Ingredients
160g Caster sugar
125g Baking Spread
1 Egg
1/2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
285g Self Raising Flour
100g Milk Choc Chunks
100g White Choc Chunks
Choc chips can be used or largely chopped
Chocolate pieces
Directions
Heat oven to 180c and line foil 12 x 7 tray with grease paper
Put choc chunks to chill in the fridge or the freezer
Add both sugars to a bowl, mix and grind down any lumps
At room temperature add in baking spread and mix until combined
In a separate bowl whisk the egg and vanilla lightly
Add the egg to the sugar and butter until combined
Sieve in self raising flour and fold until the batter is thick cookie dough
Add in chilled chunks and fold
Spread batter evenly in a foil baking tray
Pop in the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 15-18 mins until light gold
Let cool and then refrigerate before slicing
Cookies and cream cake
Ingredients
200g Castor sugar
200g Self raising flour
200g Baking Spread
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
250g Oreos (Smashed)
100g Milk
200g Icing Sugar
100g Butter
Any or no milk can be used
Directions
Heat oven 180c and line 2x6 cake tin with grease paper
Place Oreos in a a plastic bag and crush - not too small as this will shrink in the oven
Add sugar, sieved flour to a bowl and mix well
In a seperate bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla lightly
Add the egg to the sugar, flour and butter
Using the egg bowl add crushed oreos and milk. Stir and fold into cake batter
Evenly pour batter into baking tins
Pop in the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 20-25 mins
In another bowl beat butter then gradually add icing sugar
Mix until smooth and creamy
Check if properly baked using a knife, when you lift the knife out it should come out CLEAN
Once cooled remove from cake tin and trim off the tops
Cover one of the cakes with the butter icing and sandwich with other cakes
For more recipes head over to www.ecklesdelights.co.uk. Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!