Turkish Pide with an Easier Life twist (Updated): kidult food, prep ahead, low-fat, dairy-free, option for spelt flour

Pide is a low-cost staple in Turkey, a pizza-like bread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat and vegetables

updated 2025; original 2016

Weeknight treat, wallet-friendly fun family fare

In Turkey, the dough and filling are raw when the pide goes into the oven, giving crispy sides and a soft base for the meaty filling.

67 however prefers a crispy base, and in order to make life easier for cook on weeknights, pre-cooked a low-fat filling.  On the day needed, the bread boat - which takes only 15 mins prep - is flash-baked to prevent a soggy bottom.  

Minced lamb is the traditional filling but releases a great deal of fat and is rather expensive in the UK.

67 used beef instead, draining off fat to reduce cholesterol.  Minced turkey or chicken can also be used but the spices will need to be increased by 1/8.  

Vegetarians/vegans can replace meat with a favourite veggie mince OR if you don't have gut issues, crumbled firm tofu, fresh or out of a carton.  Increase spices by 1/8; test by frying a little of the filling and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Serve with crispy lettuce leaves and chunks of cucumber.

Cost: £4.50'ish (2/25)
Feeds: 3-4

Ingred:   

Filling:

Chocolate Cream Valentine Hearts: a wallet-friendly indulgence

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These lovely crisp biscuits stuffed with chocolate cream and a splodge of rich jam are the perfect treat for a birthday or Valentine's Day.  Or both at the same time!

 This first test of these biscuts needs a bit of work; the dough needs to be thicker for one thing!  But the taste and texture?  Magnificent!

The shortbread hearts are a variation of the splendid budget bottom-of-the-barrel shortbread which needs only four inexpensive ingredients.  

With just a few clever additions, they look and taste like artisan baking and won't break the bank.

If you can find tear-shaped valentine cookie cutters, well and good (the blog's came from you-know-who a couple of years ago) but really any heart-shaped cutter or, indeed, any shape cutter will do.

Like all shortbreads, the biscuits are easy-peasy; an older child could handle it without problems.  

The cream filling - which is made the day before needed - might require a  little more attention but even if the result looks a bit sloppy, it won't affect the delicious-ness.  

The amount multiples easily.

Cost: £1.76'ish (2/24)

Makes: 10 or more biscuits, depending on size of cutter

Ingredients:

 Biscuits: 

100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter

            40gm/oz white sugar 

        1/2 tsp vanilla

     

         120gm/5oz white flour 

         20gm/3/4oz good cocoa

 Chocolate Mocha Ganache Filling:

     4 oz/115gm white or dark (baking) chocolate drops (online) or a chopped up bar of baking chocolate (67 likes M&S) 
    90 ml double cream 

 a few tablespoons of good strawberry or raspberry jam

     

BISCUIT Method: 

1. Using electric beaters, whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds); beat in sugar until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; blend in vanilla 
2. Add flour gradually; beat until clumps of dough form; gather them together into a ball; clingfilm, refrigerate at least 1 hour (OR freeze; when ready to bake, defrost overnight) 
3. Preheat oven to 170c/325f
4. Roll out dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper lightly scattered with cocoa powder, to the thickness of a one-pound coin. 
5. Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter dipped in flour, saving scraps.  
6. Lift the cookies onto the cooking tray with a lightly floured palette knife.  Re-roll scraps and repeat. 
7. Cut a small heart or other shape in the centre of half the biscuits; the plain biscuits will be the bottom half of a cookie sandwich; the cookies with a heart cut-out will be the top.
   
   
   
8. Bake 10 mins or until brown at the edges; cool completely   
9. Just before serving, take a bottom biscuit and pipe or spoon a line of filling (method below) close to but not touching the outer edge 
10. Drop a scant 1/3 tsp of strawberry jam in the centre; cover with a top biscuit; lightly squash 

Method for Filling (prepare the day before needed):

1. If using a chocolate bar, chop finely; set aside
2. Heat cream in a small heavy bottomed saucepan; when tiny bubbles appear at the outer edge of the pot and steam starts rising, it is ready (don't let it boil).
3. Take off the heat; add chocolate in 3 stages, whisking each time until the previous addition has melted before adding the next
4. Pour into a heatproof bowl & clingfilm. Cool; beat  with electric beaters until thick and soft textured refrigerate at least a couple of hours
5. Take out of fridge; spread or pipe onto biscuit base

Comments:

'Beautiful and amazing; they look so elegant. 

Tips:

• dairy butter gives best flavour but margarine or vegan butter will do

Please leave a comment in the box below



This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be used commercially without the author's written permission.

Fruit 'n Nut Flapjacks: frugal, with a winning difference opt for dairy free

These flapjacks are based on the popular Primrose's Frugal Flapjacks but with gloriously nutty and colourfull fruit additions that add a 'wow!' factor.

Wallet-friendly more-ish Crispy, crunchy Fruit & Nut Flapjacks

The nuts and fruit don't need to be expensive - the flapjacks are a great way to use up whatever's left in your cupboard  after Christmas.

67 added cranberries, candied ginger from syrup and almonds but raisons, dates, dried apricots etc will do.  Almonds can be replaced with another nut or mixture of nuts.  

Follow the instructions carefully and you'll end up with wonderfully crispy 'jacks studded with surprises.

Cost £3.50'ishs (3/25), depending on cupboard stores, more with organic oats. (2/25) 

Makes: 24'ish

Ingredients:

227g/8oz oats (half jumbo, half porridge oats), organic if budget allows

170g/6oz Demerara sugar

min 160g/5.6oz, max 170g/6oz butter (depending how buttery you like your flapjacks)

   Note: 67 has not yet tested this recipe with plant margarine but often substitutes Tomor plant butter in baking with no change in taste or texture 

generous handful dried cranberries

2 large bulbs candied ginger from syrup, drained of syrup

handful coarsely chopped almonds or mixed nuts

Method:

    Equipment: 2 baking trays of 33x23cm/13x9in 

    OR 1 baking tray of equiv 33x23cm/13x9in plus a heavy weight

These steps can be completed ahead of time: 

1. Line baking tray with greaseproof paper
2. If using dried fruit, add to a small bowl; pour over boiling water, rest 5 mins, drain on a paper towel; cover and set aside
3. Chop nuts coarsely; set aside
4. Cut balls of ginger into 1/4 inch/1/3cm slices and cube coarsely; seoarate, cover and set aside

To bake

1. Preheat oven to 165c/330F
2. Melt dairy or plant butter over a low heat in a good sized pan; as soon as most of the butter is liquid take pan off heat
3. Mix sugar & oatmeals; pour into the pan of melted butter; mix until amalgamated; set aside 1/2 cup of buttered oatmeal
4. Mix cranberries, candied ginger and nuts into the pan of flapjack mix; stir well, distributing as evenly as possible 
5. Pour into the baking pan; spread evenly with a spatula, building up the edges slightly; if any bits of fruit are poking above the top of the flapjack mix, push them down and cover them with some of the the buttered oatmeal you have set aside.  
6. Scatter over the rest of the unused oatmeal.  Press down gently.  (This will prevent the pieces of fruit drying out.  )
7. Cover with a second layer of greaseproof paper; fit second pan of same size or a heavy saucepan on top, press down hard, using hands if necessary.    
8. Check that the oat layer is even, especially in the middle
9. Bake 15-20 mins until lightly brown - it could take as long as 25 mins
10. Remove from oven; cool a few mins in the tin; with a sharp knife, mark out  but don't cut squares or rectangles (67 cut 4x8 pieces)
11. Cool on a baking rack
12. Once completely cool, separate into individual pieces 
13. Serve OR store in an air tight tin with greaseproof paper between layers
14. The flapjacks will last 3 weeks but usually go quite quickly

Comments:

'I'm sorry to say they are already finished...they were absolutely delicious and, clearly, difficult to pace.  Thank you so much again.' Jack Ransome, young optician extraordinaire, not long installed on South End Green not far from M&S

'... the flapjacks are very tasty and the butteryness was so nice; even with my teeth, it was not too crunchy; they're just right.'  67goingon50's handyman 

Tips:

• don't fancy fruit and nuts?  try adding chocolate chips before spreading on tray

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission

Valentine's Day 2025: Archive Favourites

Vegan Lemon Mint Angel Cakes: Sensationally Wow! Easy butter-free indulgence, wallet-friendly 

Think they look boring?  Have a bite and be transported!

Budget Creamy Fresh Fruit Puddings:(dairy free option): Simple dairy or plant yoghurt pudding with knock-out inexpensive glaze over fresh fruit

Ultra yummy, healthy & inexpensive

Low Sugar Chocolate Truffle Mini-Bricks: (dairy free option): easy peasy

Max flavour, less guilt

Triple Chocolate Brownies with Truffles:  for chocoholics, and how!

A favourite since posting years ago
(untested dairy-free option)

 PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT

                                              
This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.