Thrifty Kitchen cookbooks are now 50% off!

The Thrifty Kitchen cookbook is now on sale at the reduced price of £5.00 plus p and p. The cookbooks were originally on sale at £9.99, so this is a real bargain! If you would like to order a copy-or a few-at this new low price, please phone Miren Budd on 020 7605 4209 to make a secure payment by card. All purchases benefit Independent Age.

Treacle Oaties

Today is the second of Independent Age’s garage sales, where we use the garage behind our London head office to hold a jumble and baked goods sale to raise funds for the charity. Philip Rosser, Head of Volunteers and National Networks, contributed a batch of Treacle Oaties from the Thrifty Kitchen cookbook. Here is a picture of him hard at work in his kitchen:

Treacle Oaties are thick, chewy, moreish flapjacks that combine treacle, porridge oats, and a hint of coconut. Philip says it is, “probably best to prepare these oaties late at night so you the amount of sugar goes unnoticed – delicious. Size matters though to retain softness, if the mixture is spread too thin you have biscuits.“

We’ll be sampling them soon—can’t wait.

Thrifty Recipes Contest - our first entry

Now that our Thrifty Kitchen Website is up and running, so is our Thrifty Recipes Contest. Over the next few months, we're looking for creative thrifty cooks to send us their recipes. The Thriftiest, Tastiest, and most Creative entries will be awarded a copy of The Thrifty Kitchen cookbook, a Thrifty Kitchen shopping list notepad, and a set of biscuit cutters. You can read more about the competition here.

Today's recipes are some sweet treats from Mrs. M. Ryder, of Northumberland. If you try them, why not leave a comment to let us know what you think? Your comments will help determine the contest winners.

Infallible Meringues

Ingredients:
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. boiling water
8 oz. Caster Sugar

Method:
1. Lightly beat egg white with an electric whisk.
2. Add all ingredients and beat over a bowl of hot water until fluffy.
3. Off the heat, beat for 2 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet in small batches.
5. Cook for an hour in a low heat oven, 300 degrees F or Gas Mark 2.

Whizz Creams

Ingredients:
1 Jelly tablet (lemon or a flavour to partner the fruit)
¼ pt very hot water
15 oz. can of fruit – apricots, raspberries, etc.
1 small tin of evaporated milk
Whipped cream (for decoration)

Method:
1. Heat liquidiser goblet with hot water. Drain.
2. Cut jelly tablet into small pieces and put into goblet.
3. Pour on ¼ pt. Very hot water – leave 1/2/ minute. Then switch on for 20 secs.
4. Wait ½ minute. Then repeat for a further 20 secs.
5. Drain a 15 0z. can of fruit. – reserve a little fruit for decoration.
6. Add remaining fruit and half juice to goblet with a small can of evaporated milk and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
7. Switch on for 20 secs. Twice. Pour into four coupe glasses.
8. Chill. Decorate with whipped cream and reserved fruit.

The Thrifty Kitchen: Watch this space

Check back later for more recipes, stories, and press reviews of Independent Age's new cookbook, The Thrifty Kitchen: Wartime Lessons for the Modern Cook.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here to purchase online from the Independent Age website. All proceeds go to benefit Independent Age.