I managed to find a catering company sending out boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables for my Mum. Such a huge relief. On-line shopping is hopeless and there’s a three week wait. I listened in to BBC Radio Leicester, and heard an announcement about small companies trying to survive the covid crisis, and help. And amazingly, the catering company is in the next village to Mum! I’d never heard of them, but I listened as they described filling boxes with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, butter, eggs and delivering them around the county. Their livelihoods are at risk, all public events, parties and wedding are cancelled for this year. It’s a huge comfort to know Mum will have fresh food without having to go out. Anyway at home here, we have now run out of nice treats such as chocolate, biscuits and cakes. I never realised how many times I just popped to the shops for the odd item here and there. Not being able to go out is difficult. To say the least. I’m sharing my recipe for coffee pecan bites as they may be just the cheer-up you need today. Keep positive and focus on all the good everyone is doing. Lots of love to you all. Xx
INGREDIENTS
For the cakes:
50g self-raising flour
50g low fat spread, can be vegan spread
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2.5 tbsp sugar or granulated sweetener
1 tsp baking powder
1tbsp instant coffee powder
Pecan halves to decorate
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs ( or 1 mashed banana, or 4 tbsp oat milk, or vegan egg substitute)
You will need reusable silicone fairy cake cases. Ours came from Lakeland Plastics.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
This is suitable for any cakes or biscuits you might make
INGREDIENTS
25g butter, or margarine, low fat spread ( can be vegan sunflower spread )
50g icing sugar
1tsp cocoa powder
1tsp coffee powder.
METHOD
Set the oven to 190c / gas 5
Place all the cake ingredients, apart from the pecans, in a bowl and mix with an electric hand whisk. The mixture should be light, smooth and fluffy with lots of air incorporated from the whisking.
Place a tablespoon of mixture in each cake case. Stand the cake cases on a metal baking tray.
Place the cakes in a pre-heated oven and cook for 16 minutes.
Cakes will slightly shrink from the sides of the cakes cases when cooked and a knife will come out clean.
Set aside to cool
METHOD FOR BUTTERCREAM
Mix the buttercream ingredients together. If using butter, slightly warm in the microwave to incorporate. Pile 1 tsp of buttercream on top of the cakes and add 1 pecan half for decoration. You can use any nuts if you don’t have pecans. It’s very nice with almond slices or hazel nuts.
TIP
Can be stored in airtight container for 3 days. Or can be frozen before adding the buttercream.
Perfect with morning coffee, or as a sweet for a main meal. Place one on top of any fruit, such as sliced pears, to create a simple pudding. Pear and coffee/ chocolate make a tasty combination.
What recipes are you turning to to help you through this current crisis? Are you managing to obtain all the shopping items you need? I can highly recommend listening to your local radio station. They have a campaign called BBCMakingADifference. And I think they are doing so. Thank goodness.
Bramble Garden 
Oh I love pecans, this sounds delicious π x
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Thank you π x
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Jamie Oliver is producing a programme on channel 4 from home with recipes designed for the current situation which I think is excellent. We have a local farm shop that has started to do home delivery.
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Thank you Brian. Some friends have helped me source a farm shop too. Itβs all a bit disorganised at the moment. Getting what you need seems to depend on knowing who to ask! Hope you are ok there. x
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Sounds delicious, stay safe and well Karen xxx
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Thank you π And you too. Xxx
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Thank you π xx
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We have been lucky in that our supermarkets have not had too many problems. But we are a small community, so maybe that makes a difference, Also we have far more small supermarkets and hardly any big ones like in the UK and they stock local produce. What a relief you have found someone to help your Mum. My parents are being supplied with shopping by local volunteers. π Your pecan bites sound scrummy. I must be careful I donβt put on weight during this crisis with all the cravings for comfort food I am having! LOL! Take care Karen. xx
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Me too Cathy. Although running out of chocolate was a low point. However, just discovered our lovely new milkman is delivering morale-boosting chocolate bars. Thank goodness. Itβs the little things… xx
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Oh, what a lovely thing for a milkman to sell! π
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Karen I am very happy that you have found that small company that serves your mother a basket with all kinds of food at home: this way your dear Mother will have all the food she needs without leaving home. Much love, memories and encouragement for your dear Mother from me. The same can also be given to you. The recipe is delicious and you present it so beautifully with different colored paper. Thank you very much for her. I have read in the comments that you do Yoga through the radio: it is fantastic, you relax, you have a good time, you forget the Covid-19 and you exercise. I hope you are all well in your family: courage, health, encouragement, hope, strength and much love for all. Stay safe and take care of yourself. Loving caresses to Grace and Meg. Very loving greetings from Margarita Xxx
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Thank you Margarita. Sending loving greetings in return. All ok today and a bit more settled. Xx
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Your Pecan Coffee Bites look wonderful.
We are having little trouble getting groceries in North Carolina, although some shelves are empty. I’m thinking of baking a peach cobbler using canned peaches. It is a comfort food — hot and gooey. We could see that it was snowing on the mountain. We got spits of rain.
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We had a flurry of snow the other day. Turned quite chilly here. Iβm settling into this crisis now. Even discovered that the milkman is delivering morale-boosting chocolate bars. Makes all the difference. We havenβt been able to get what we need. Sadly. Now it depends on who you ask. Luckily everyone is helping one another. Xx
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I’m sorry you are having such trouble shopping for needed items. For the record, we haven’t needed to buy toilet paper since the virus started. That’s the one item that is missing from our supermarket.
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Good news on the fresh food deliveries – one person supporting the survival of other makes it even better.
As you say, supermarket home delivery services are inundated unable to meet the needs of those who cannot shop for food essentials. Smaller operators being flexible and stepping in to the gap is ideal.
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Thank you. xx
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I’ll give the coffee a miss. Can’t stand the stuff, but the rest of the recipe sounds nice and simple enough for us to do with Alice. We’re waiting on a delivery of cocoa from our local eco refill service then a number of bakes will commence.
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Sounds delicious! By the time we get through this Covid mess. Iβm afraid I will have gained a few pounds! π§π°π―
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Me too! Although we are following yoga and a fitness coach on the radio now and turned the lounge into a gym!!! All the best, Mary ππ±ππ xx
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Thanks! Keep up the exercise and stay well.π
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