Chocolate Fudge Cookies

I needed to make a dent in my cooking chocolate over-stocks.  So, with melted chocolate in the mix, white choc chips added, and dipped in more chocolate after cooling, this Chocolate Fudge Cookie recipe was it.

I made a dent in my chocolate stocks and my healthy eating plan. 
Such is life.

Find the Nestle recipe here

Blueberry & Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

A sweet little recipe was in order for afternoon tea today and Blueberry & lemon coconut cupcakes fit the bill. 
I found this recipe on the back of my frozen blueberries box (thank you Coles)

Ingredients
125g softened butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 extra large eggs
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup frozen blueberries


Icing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sifted icing sugar


Method
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon rind and eggs. Fold in flour and coconut with the sour cream. Divide mixture into 12 patty pan-lined muffin trays. Press blueberries into each cupcake.


Bake at 160C (fan forced) for 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to cooling rack.
Once cooled, mix icing sugar and lemon juice (and a few drops of water as required) to make the icing to drizzle over the top. Scatter over some extra blueberries to serve.

Enjoy!

Friday Favourites - Must Try Recipes

{My favourite foodie finds of the week}

I love my Rocky Road recipe but this week I decided I will break away from my norm and try this decadent-looking White Chocolate, cranberry and Strawberry Rocky Road I found at Technicolour Kitchen. Will let you know how I go..

Alright, so I definitely won't be attempting this one but.. Wow!
From Sweetopolita (of course)

This Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart would make a yummy starter to a casual dinner party, or just a family lunch. I think it would also be great with semi dried tomatoes instead of the mushroom.

Source: beantownbaker.com via Lou on Pinterest

I love all-in-and-mix recipes, and this condensed milk cake is the next must-do on my list. Oh, and it looks just like a sugar donut, you can't beat that!

My family love Nachos, so I gave the 4 Ingredients "Sharchos" dip a go on the weekend. Very quick and easy, and it went down a treat.

I have never attempted a macron but this Lemon Meringue Pie version from The Extraordinary Art of Cake sounds amazing! And seeing as though my sweet niece has quite the penchant for Macrons, I just had to add them to my list :)

Are you looking for lunchbox inspiration? I know I am. The Daily Buzz featured some great ideas here, and this is my favourite:

Inside-out Sandwich Wands from Canadian family

For more great Food Finds, follow my Pinterest board!

Birthday Ice Cream Cake

You may have read my post about my daughter's request for an ice cream birthday cake for her 8th birthday. I was tossing up between making and buying one, (to save my sanity) but thanks to a reader's suggestion/encouragement, I decided to diy.

I simply used 4 litres of good quality vanilla ice cream, softened and stirred. I added it to a large, springform tin. Here I "marbled" through about 1/2 cup of pureed raspberries for flavour interest and so it looked pretty when sliced :)

Once hardened, I used TV Snack Malt sticks around the outside in 2 layers. The top was decorated with raspberry lollies, maltesers and marshmallow swirls. A big ribbon and it was done. Easy!

To her birthday dinner I added some chocolate spoons...

some of my "cookie ball pops"...

..some other favourites, and my new 8 year old loved her birthday tea!

Ice Cream Birthday Cake

My soon-to-be 8 year old daughter has requested an ice cream cake for her birthday, so of course, I set off across the 'net for ideas.

I LOVE this one but I don't know if I can trust myself to get it right.

Source: onecharmingparty.com via Lou on Pinterest

I could probably manage one of these from Taste

This one from Nigella is simple enough, and looks so delicious, but it doesn't look like a birthday cake, more a fabulous dessert for a dinner party.

 Wendy's would make it easy...

Source: icecreamcakes.wendys.com.au via Lou on Pinterest

Source: icecreamcakes.wendys.com.au via Lou on Pinterest

I could use this relatively simple Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream Cake recipe from Coles and decorate with all her favourite chocolates instead of the raspberries.

Hmmm.
Which ones do you love? Should I make or should I buy?

Yumbots Robot Cupcakes

A rainy Saturday afternoon gave us the chance to try out our Yumbots Robot Cupcake Moulds

We used my easy cupcake recipe and this chocolate fudge icing:

100g milk chocolate, broken up
2 tablespoons milk
50g unsalted butter
75g icing sugar

Melt chocolate, butter and milk in saucepan over low heat
Remove and stir in sifted icing sugar until smooth.
Vary the consistency with more/less milk depending on whether you want a smooth over icing or an icing that you can pipe onto the cupcakes.

For a quick and easy afternoon tea the kids decorated their robots with mini M & Ms & cashous

The cupcakes easily pop out into little easy to eat squares.

Buy your Fred Yumbots Robot Cupcake Moulds here

Choc Chip Beetles

Looking for a fun baking activity to do with the kids these holidays?

A recent Coles catalogue had a "Choc Chip Beetles" recipe... you can find it here

I just used my favourite (and super-easy) vanilla cupcake recipe; then we got to work with the decorating.

 Enjoy!

Simple Vanilla Cupcakes

A very simple, all-in-and-mix cupcake recipe with many flavour variation options.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

Line muffin tins with 12 patty pans

Add all ingredients into a mixer and beat for approximately 2 minutes until light and creamy.

Divide the mixture into the patty pans

Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for 18-20 minutes until just firm to the touch.

Cool on a wire cake rack

Variations:

For chocolate, just substitute 15g of cocoa powder for 15g of the SR flour

For choc chip, simply add 50g of choc chips

Add finely grated rind of a lemon or orange for a citrus flavour

For berry, add 75g of your favourite frozen berries

Oat & White Choc Chip Cookies

Loving these cookies. Quick, easy and yum.

Ingredients

125g butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 cup traditional rolled oats

1 cup plain flour, sifted

3/4 cup castor sugar

3/4 cup white choc chips

2/3 cup desiccated coconut

Method

Preheat oven to 150C

Combine the butter, golden syrup and water in a saucepan, stir over low heat until melted and combined. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Combine the flour, rolled oats, castor sugar, choc chips and coconut in a large bowl.

Add the butter mixture and stir to combine.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place about 4cm apart on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Flatten slightly.

Bake for around 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on trays.

Enjoy!

Choc Chip Muffins for kids

Yesterday Miss Seven decided she would like to bake something all on her own. So, we Googled "simple recipes for kids" and decided on these Chocolate chip muffins from Kidspot, (heaps of great recipe ideas here) though we used milk chocolate chips instead of the dark.

I supervised and gave hints occasionally but she did a great job with everything..

..and the muffins tasted great!

Do you have a junior masterchef at home, and how old were they when they started to bake on their own?

Pumpkin & Apricot Cake

With some excess pumpkins to use up yesterday, my little lad and I had a successful baking morning making Pumpkin and Apricot Cake, and Pumpkin, Bacon & Parmesan Muffins. Both in quantities to eat + freeze for school lunches.

My recipe for Pumpkin & Apricot Cake is very easy and relatively healthy. It is one that I have adapted to suit my family's needs, with less sugar and adding the apricot component (I think the original recipe used sultanas, so this is an option.)

Ingredients

125g butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup raw sugar
3 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin, cooled
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup dried apricot pieces
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest

Method
Beat butter and sugar until paled. Add eggs, one at a time.
Add the mashed pumpkin and coconut and mix in well.
Fold in the flour being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the apricots, orange zest and juice.
Place in greased loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees for approximately 1 hour. Test with a metal skewer to ensure it's fully cooked through.


Enjoy!

Orange & Poppy Seed Muffins

I had my sister and niece coming to visit today so decided to make something for afternoon tea that I hadn't baked before.

I had heaps of oranges {and always have poppy seeds} so decided on these delicious muffins!

Light and fluffy on the inside, a little bit of crisp on the outside. 

This recipe is a keeper :)

Find it here

30 day photo challenge - Day 25 - Something Pink

My "something pink" are these meringues that I made with my little lad yesterday. Unfortunately I skimped on the food colouring so they are not as pink as planned.

We dipped the bottoms in white chocolate, and though they look pretty average, they taste delicious!

You can find the recipe we used here

Check out others participating in the 30 day photo challenge here 

Muesli Bars

This recipe is very versatile, very easy and so much cheaper than those you buy in the supermarket.

They freeze really well and you can cut them to sizes to suit the age and appetite of your children.

Plus, you know just what is in them and you can easily substitute some of the ingredients to suit your child's preferences or intolerances.

 

I usually double this recipe so as to use up a whole can of condensed milk (otherwise it normally goes to waste in our fridge.)

Ingredients

1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk (the skim version works just as well)

1 cup of your favourite flake type cereal (I use Just Right or similar)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of puffed wheat

1/4 cup chopped apple, chopped

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup sultanas

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 150C. Line a slice tin (approx 18cm x 26cm) with Glad Bake or similar.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.

Add the condensed milk and mix well.

Press into slice tin and flatten down. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mark into bars with a sharp knife.

Cool in the tin.

Cut into bars of desired size and turn out onto cake rack to crisp up.

Enjoy!

Possible alternatives

• As our muesli bars are very often taken to school or kindy, the nuts cannot be added, so I use chopped, dried banana chips to keep that crunch component.

• Change any of the cereal components, just keep to the same quantities (don't have puffed wheat? use rice bubbles or extra rolled oats instead)

• Instead of the stated dried fruit ingredients you could use chopped dates, white or milk choc bits, or any other dried fruit you desire.
  This week we added broken up bits of leftover easter eggs - they actually worked really well and kept their shape to my surprise :)

Easy play dough recipe

Love it or hate it, kids really dig play dough. 

Many of us have long resented the mess it makes and the way the colours get mixed together, and the dried up bits that are left behind in the little shapes, cutters and presses.. well maybe that's just me.

However, my kids love play dough - it makes them happy and keeps them entertained for a good hour, so that's reason enough for me to let go of my hang ups :)

The benefits of making your own play dough?

• It's less expensive
• You don't have to worry about separating the colours to pack it away in the little tubs
• The process of making it is also fun for the kids
• It smells better

This recipe is super quick and easy, and uses ingredients that most households would always have on hand. Plus you can make whatever colours you like.

Ingredients 

1 cup flour
1 tbsp of oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp white vinegar
A few drops of food colouring (depending on how brightly coloured you would like it) 

Method 

Mix everything together in a saucepan.
Cook over a medium heat stirring constantly until it starts to come together into one blob.
Remove from the heat, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.


Keeps in an airtight container for several days.

Savoury Muffins

These savoury muffins are a great lunchbox addition or picnic food.

Economical, easy to make and they freeze well - what more could you ask?!

You can substitute any of the vegetables with others you prefer - I have used sweet potato, corn kernels and finely chopped spinach as alternatives. 

Ingredients

1 large potato, grated

1/2 cup grated zucchini

3/4 cup chopped bacon

1/2 cup grated cheese

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 1/2 cups milk

2 med carrots, grated

1 large onion, grated

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

Method

Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Add grated cheese and bacon, combine.

Add eggs and mix through. Add half of the milk and flour and mix until just combined, then add the remaining milk and flour, mixing until just combined (be careful not to over-mix as it can make the muffins tough).

Add to greased muffin trays and bake at 200C for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes approximately 24 (depending on how large you like them)

You can enjoy them hot from the oven with butter, but they are equally delicious as a cold snack or lunch!

Rocky Road

I'm a bit protective of "My" Rocky Road recipe, I admit it, but sharing is what blogging is all about after all :)

I usually double up this quantity.

Ingredients

250g good milk chocolate (I usually use Cadbury)

200g marshmallows, cut in halves

1/4 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup macadamias, chopped

1/2 cup glace cherries

Method

Line a slice tin or loaf pan with baking paper allowing enough overlap to use it to cover and press down the rocky road.

In a glass bowl, break up the chocolate into pieces, melt in microwave oven on high for approximately 1 minute, stir. If not fully melted microwave for another 30 seconds or until fully melted.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, pour in the chocolate. Mix well.

Pour mixture into prepared tray, press down gently.

Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Roast Vegetable Fritata

This is one of those meals that I can squeeze in several veggies but will still be eaten by the kids (albeit with a bit of tomato sauce on top).

I usually make this the night after a roast. On roast night I will cook up extra vegetables so I have them ready to go in my fritata the night after. I think the secret to the extra flavour in this fritata over other veggie ones is that the vegetables have that extra yummy taste that goes with roasting.

Ingredients 

3 1/2 cups roughly chopped roasted vegetable (I have used potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, capsicum, carrot, corn, beans, peas - but the aim is to use whatever vegetables you know your kids will eat:)
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
8 eggs
1/2 cup thickened cream
salt & pepper

Method

Prepare baking tin (loaf pan approx 14 x 21cm) by greasing and lining with Gladbake or similar
Combine vegetables, basil and Parmesan cheese and add to loaf pan.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt & pepper and pour over the vegetable mixture.
Put loaf pan in larger baking tin and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the loaf pan.
Bake at 180C for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until golden brown.
Allow to stand in pan for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.


Serve as a side dish or as a main with a green salad.

Enjoy!