Here's my entry in Felt Mouse's 99 cent challenge.

I bought more ingredients, but limited myself to the super-cheap 'bettabuy' range from our local supermarket. I really struggled with buying the eggs; it's years since I bought eggs that aren't free range. I'm really sorry battery hens...

I actually got some great things for the table at Poundland, although not enough to really fill it out properly.

The plastic flowers (chopped up a bit) are now on the mantlepiece; the candles (I only used 1of 6) have found a home in the bathroom; I particularly like the little green glasses (6 of those too) - I might use them as tealight holders; and the bead curtain is fab and now looks great in DD's room, although it was sadly a lot smaller than I realised from the packet.

Everything to eat in Poundland was chocolate related, hence all sweet items. The lack of 'real' ingredients meant I had to improvise a lot so I'm not sure these count as real recipes. The chocolate cake came out the best, although it took two tries: I discovered you can't skimp on preparation when you use cheap ingredients.


Chocolate Orange Puddings (enough for 2)

3 digestive biscuits
2 tbsp chocolate spread
4 tbsp orange juice
1 orange [own ingredients]
quarter pint double cream
8 chocolate buttons

Put biscuits in plastic bag and hit with rolling pin until crushed. Split between glasses and level. Mix half orange juice with chocolate spread and add layer on top of biscuits. Add layer of orange flesh. Whip cream until stiff and stir in rest of orange juice, add as top layer. Cut buttons into quarters and sprinkle on top.


Chocolate Cake

6 oz softened butter
6 oz sugar
5 oz self-raising flour
4 eggs (bettabuy eggs are REALLY REALLY small)
half tsp baking powder
3 tbsp chocolate powder
15 chocolate buttons
chocolate spread
quarter pint double cream

Mix butter and sugar together with electric whisk until soft and fluffy. Slowly add beaten eggs, then dry ingredients, keep mixing. Mix in about a tbsp of chocolate spread.
Bake in 2 x 8" circular cake tin (greased and lined), gas mark 4 (180 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
While cooling on rack, whip cream until stiff and grate chocolate buttons and chill in fridge. Spread one side of cake with chocolate spread, whipped cream on other and sandwich together. Spread layer of cream on top and spinkle with grated chocolate.

I also made chocolate milkshakes but didn't manage to photograph them before DD started drinking... Milk and chocolate powder whipped up using a cappuccino frother from Poundland.