What to take when visiting friends?

chanie

Not arriving empty handed.....

What do you all take when you are visiting people and don't want to arrive empty handed?

I like to take something with me, but funds are quite tight so I don't have loads to spend. Many of my friends live 10+ miles away, so when I visit, its normally for a good few hours during the day (which is why I don't want to take wine).

Any ideas as to cost effective things I can take. I'm trying my hand at baking, but its still early days, so no complicated suggestions please.

hilstep2000

I usually do a tea bread, which is easy.
This is the recipe: [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Tea Loaf[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]3/4 pint of cold tea (strained)
7 oz soft brown sugar
2 oz chopped mixed peel
6 oz currants
5 oz raisins
10 oz self raising flour
1 medium egg lightly beaten

Oven settings: 160 c / 325 F / Gas mark 3

Place the tea, sugar, peel, currents and raisins in a bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.

Stir the flour into the fruit. Add the egg, stir well and pour into a lightly greased 2lb loaf tin.

Cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 1 3/4 to 2 hours

To test to see if it is cooked, insert a skewer (or an old metal knitting needle) - if it comes out clean it is cooked.

Serve thickly sliced, spread with butter[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Just an idea!
[/FONT]

CH27

Bulbs or bedding plants for their garden or a pot of herbs.

Linda32

Hi,

I'm not sure that this is what you were thinking of, but I usually take flowers. Between £2.00 and £8.00 a bunch at supermarkets. I'd usually pitch for the £3.00 bunch.

kittycat204

are you wanting to take food? if so sweet or savory?

DianaMattos

For me, it depends on the friends. If it is people that I know well and see regularly, then there is almost an unspoken deal that we don't bring anything because before long it will be the other person's turn to host.

For people that we don't see that often I'll take flowers or some homemade cake or biscuits. Or a contribution to the meal. But my mother in law takes things like nice soaps, a small candle or something like that.

rosie383

Personally I feel uncomfortable if friends come and bring things, unless I have invited quite a few people round for coffee and then it's always nice to have a wee extra that I maybe wouldn't bake/ buy myself. It seems to have become a bit of a trend that can put some people off visiting if they feel they have to bring something. Most of my friends are on very tight budgets and I know they can't afford to buy extras very often, and I would love them just to come empty-handed and give me a smile and their company.
If I am going to a friend's house for a cuppa, sometimes I will bring something, next time I won't. I would hate to be in the position of literally having nothing to bring, and feeling that I couldn't go and visit because of it. Obviously, if I visit someone from a culture that would think it extremely rude to turn up empty-handed, I wouldn't do that, I just don't want to put people off visiting.

Toonie

When visiting friends I tend to just ask, shall I make something to bring with me? Often I get requests for biscuits to go with a cuppa if it's a daytime thing or if I'm going for dinner, I'll make a crumble. Twinks hobnobs are dead easy to make and impress everyone, they are also very cheap to make.

chanie

Thanks for your suggestions everyone.

hilstep - thanks for the tea loaf receipe, I think I will defo try this.

Kitty - it could be either, but I think that sweet would work best.

I probably wouldn't take anything if I was popping in for a quick cuppa, but its more for the ones I only see every few months.

[Deleted User]

A nice pot plant is always acceptable and will leave them with a nice memory especially if its bulbs hyacinths for example.I often just take my DD a bunch of daffs because she loves them and its a nice sign of spring being around the corner

kittycat204

i love these, not massively cheap but very easy and you only need a small piece to satisfy a nibble with a cuppa.

Cherry and coconut florentines

Ingredients
• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 100g clear!honey
• 200g salted butter
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 140g flaked almonds
• 300g glac! cherries , sliced
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 250g dark, milk or white chocolate

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the sugar, honey and butter in a pan and melt . When all the sugar has dissolved stir in the coconut, flaked almonds, sliced cherries and flour.
2. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment (about 40 x 30cm), and roughly spread the Florentine mixture. Bake for 10-12 mins until a rich golden colour, then set aside to cool.
3. Melt the chocolate(s) all in separate heatproof bowls over gently simmering water. pour on top, allow to set.

Pasted from <http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/73617/cherry-and-coconut-florentines&gt;


these are nice too, best i have ever had, the golden caster is what makes them i think


Brownies

Ingredients
• 185g unsalted butter
• 185g best dark chocolate
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 3 large!eggs
• 275g golden caster sugar

1. Melt dark chocolate and butter over pan of water. Leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional180C/gas 4. Using a shallow 20cm square tin, line the base.
3. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder.
4. Chop the white and milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
5. Break the eggs into a large bowl and tip in the sugar. With an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy. This can take 3-8 minutes. Ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume.
6. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula.
7. Re sieve coco and flour into mixture.
8. Stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks.
9. Pour the mixture into the tin. Put in the oven for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
10. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold.

Pasted from <http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1223/bestever-brownies&gt;

one more

anzac-biscuits

Ingredients
• 85g porridge oats
• 85g desiccated coconut
• 100g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g butter, plus extra butter for greasing
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the golden syrup. Add the bicarbonate of soda to 2 tbsp boiling water, then stir into the golden syrup and butter mixture.
2. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter and golden syrup mixture. Stir gently to incorporate the dry ingredients.
3. Put dessertspoonfuls of the mixture on to buttered baking sheets, about 2.5cm/1in apart to allow room for spreading. Bake in batches for 8-10 mins until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool