Saint Patrick's Day Choc Chip Cookies - Wicked Wednesday

Well, we've reached another Wednesday and less than a week to Saint Patrick's Day.

I must admit that when I think about Saint Patrick's Day the first thing that comes to mind is a pint of Guineas, straight from the tap in a good old Irish Pub.  sigh!.

In the absence of Guineas, I've turned to chocolate and made some simple choc chip cookies with green m&m's.  These little treats are a simple and easy way to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.  With the remaining yellow m&m's I've created a pot of gold that should help me catch any leprechauns that are hiding in my garden.

Enjoy

Saint Patrick's Day Choc Chip Cookies

Recipe:

Ingredients:  Makes 25

• 125 g Butter (softened)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 3/4 cup m&m's (green) - Buy at least a 200g packet of m&m's

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 160 c.
2. Cream the butter and sugar's.
3. Add egg and vanilla essence.
4. Fold in flour and green m&m's.
5. Place teaspoons of mixture on a baking tray lined with Baking Paper.
6. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.
7. enjoy

Rose Scented Pink Meringues - Wicked Wednesday

For this weeks wicked Wednesday I've made some delightful Rose Scented Pink Meringues.  The rose scent and subtle rose flavour is achieved with rose water, which you can find at Middle Eastern speciality shops and some supermarkets.  These dainty treats can be served for a formal Afternoon Tea or birthday, a special treat for the children or add whipped cream and serve as a dessert. 

The addition of the rose water makes these meringues hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, needless the say this batch has been consumed.

Enjoy. 

Rose Scented Pink Meringues

Recipe:  Makes 14

Ingredients:  

• 4 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup caster sugar
• pink food colouring
• 2 teaspoons Rose Water (available at Middle Eastern food shops - or some supermarkets)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 100c.
2. Using two baking trays and baking paper, mark  14 7 cm circles.
3. Separate the eggs, and beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until dissolved.
5. Add a very small amount of pink food colour and fold through - adjust the colour if required.
6. Fold through the rose water.
7. Spoon the mixture into the circles and slightly press down in the centre.
8. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool down with the door slightly ajar..
9. Enjoy

Yo Yo Biscuits with Passionfruit Cream - Wicked Wednesday

It's hard to believe another week has passed and we have another wicked Wednesday upon us.

This week I've rolled up the sleeves and made some delicious Yo Yo biscuits with a delightful passionfruit cream centre.  These are really, really nice.  They are sweet but not too sweet as the passionfruit adds a delightful tang to the Yo Yo biscuits.

These little gems are loved by young and old and can be served with anything from a formal High Tea to a school lunch treat.

Enjoy.

Yo Yo Biscuits with Passionfruit Cream

Recipe:

Ingredients:  Makes 9 to 10 joined biscuits

Biscuit

• 185 g Butter (softened)
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup custard powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Passionfruit cream

• 2 passionfruits
• 60 g butter (melted)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Method

Biscuit

1. Preheat oven to 180c.
2. Cream the butter and icing sugar.
3. Add sifted flour and custard powder in three batches and mix well.
4. Form into balls, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball and place on a lined oven tray.
5. Gently press each biscuit with the back of a fork.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.

Passionfruit Cream

1. Sieve the passionfruit pulp to remove the seeds.
2. Add pulp to the melted butter and 1 cup of the icing sugar and mix well.
3. The cream must be quite firm, so continue to add icing sugar until you reach a firm consistency.
4. Allow the biscuits to cool, before joining the biscuits with the cream.
5. Enjoy

Chocolate Mousse - Wicked Wednesday

Another Wednesday and another tempting chocolate dessert to help you get through the week.  This is a very rich chocolate mousse that would make a great end to any dinner party or an indulgent treat for anytime you feel like a chocolate fix.

This dessert only has only 4 ingredients and is very simple to make but also very delicious.

Enjoy  

Chocolate Mousse

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate, the best you can find
• 4 eggs, separated
• 100 g softened butter
• 1 tablespoon caster suger
• Raspberries and icing suger to garnish

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl (I use a microwave on medium power in bursts of 30 seconds with a stir in between each 30 seconds).
2. Mix in the egg yolks.
3. Add the softened butter and ensure everything is well combined.
4. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. Add the caster sugar to the egg whites and mix until the sugar is disolved.
6. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and mix to combine.
7. Divide between 4 cocktail glasses and refrigerate until set.
8. Remove from the fridge slightly prior to serving and bring to almost room temperature, garnish with raspberries and icing sugar.
9. Enjoy

Valentine Cup Cakes with Free Printables - Wicked Wednesday

With Valentines Day just around the corner we've created some adorable ombre cup cakes,  topped with Valentines Day heart shaped messages.  These cute little cakes would make a great addition to any school class room or just as a special treat for lunch.  If you are lucky, a couple may be saved for the adults in the house.

These Valentine Day Printables can be downloaded for free here. Just print, cut and get creative.

Enjoy.

Valentine Day Dup Cakes

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 Vanilla cup cakes. - use your favourite recipe.
• 125g softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 Tbls milk
• Food colour - I've used a deep red 

Method:

1. Make cakes according to recipe.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and 1/2 the milk
4. The mixture should be quite thick so it can be piped, add more milk if required
5. Divide the mixture into 3 bowls, to create 3 shades of icing.
6. Starting at the lightest icing, add a small amount of the red food colour and mix, adding more food colouring if required
7. Repeat step 6 on the other two bowls of icing, adding more food colour with each bowl.
8. Using a piping bag and a flat nozzle. pipe the icing starting at the outside and working into the middle.  Experiment with using the three shades of red to create an ombre effect.
9. Enjoy.

Brownies - Wicked Wednesday

Another Wicked Wednesday and another sweet treat to entice you into the kitchen.  This week I've made another classic, the chocolate brownie. These delightful, but slightly decadent treats will certainly hit the spot if you are looking for a chocolate fix.

You can easily change this into a dessert by slightly warming the brownies and serving with a good vanilla ice-cream.

enjoy 

Brownies

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g the best dark chocolate you can find
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• Extra Cocoa for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2. line the base and sides of an 18 cm square cake pan.
3. Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then pour into a bowl and allow to slightly cool.
4. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla and add to the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. 
5. Slowly add the sifted flour and cocoa to the mixture and combine well.
6. Pour mixture into the lined cake pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
8. Cut into squares or triangles to serve, and dust with extra cocoa
9. Enjoy.

Honey Joys - Wicked Wednesday

For most children in Victoria, today marks the last day of the summer holidays before a return to school tomorrow, sigh!.  I'm really not looking forward to tomorrow.  We have had a wonderful summer of relaxing which will all end once the school routines commence.  

This morning I asked my girls what they would like as a treat in their lunch box's and they both said Honey Joys.   Well I jumped at this option as they are very simple to make and I had all the ingredients in the pantry.

So if you are looking for a quick treat for tomorrow, you can't go much past the good old Honey Joy.

Enjoy

Honey Joy's

Vendor Credits:  Kellogg's for the Honey Joy Recipe

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 90 g butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup caster Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 4 cups kellogg's cornflakes

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150c
2. Combine Butter, Honey and Sugar in a small pan and stir until butter melts and mixture is frothy
3. Place cornflakes in a large bowl, add the butter mixture and stir to combine
4. Place mixture into patty cases and bake for 10 mins.
5. Makes about 20
6. enjoy

Kahlua Cheesecake - Wicked Wednesday

Welcome to another Wicked Wednesday, and one of my all time favourite cheesecake recipes, Kahlua Cheesecake.  I've been making this cheesecake every summer for at least 15 years and I continue to enjoy it.  This is not one for the children as it has a good dose of Kahlua but it is absolutely delicious.  

We shared this cheesecake with good friends on a very hot Melbourne night.  It went great with iced champagne while lounging luxuriously around a swimming pool, a great way to end a 41 degree day.

Kahlua Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 250g chocolate biscuits, crushed. (I've used Chocolate Ripple)
• 150g melted butter.

Filling

• 4 teaspoons Gelatine
• 3 tablespoons water
• 150 ml whipped cream
• 750g Cream Cheese (I've used Philadelphia cream cheese)
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 120 to 180 ml Kahlua 
• 100g dark chocolate -  melted
• Fruit to garnish.

Method:

Crust

1. Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter and press into the base and sides of a 23cm spring pan. 

Filling

1. Dissolve Gelatine in water over a bain marie.
2. Whip cream and put aside.
3. Whip cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
4. Add condensed milk and Kahlua.
5. Fold in the whipped cream and gelatine.
6. Swirl in the melted chocolate (try not to completely blend the chocolate, but leave noticeable swirls)
7. Pour filling into the crumb crust and refrigerate overnight
8. Plate with berries and enjoy

Chocolate and Honey Tart - Wicked Wednesday

Chocolate and Honey Tart - Wicked Wednesday

I recently visited one my sisters who lives in central Victoria, while visiting she made this fantastic tart, what better to share for a wicked Wednesday.

It is always a pleasure to visit the country and get some fresh air.  I especially like the farmers markets where you can always find wonderful fresh produce and edible delights that you can't find locally.

This tart was made with local honey, lemons and eggs and garnished with mint from the garden, a great summer treat.

Enjoy. 

Ingredients:

• 300g Chocolate Biscuits.
• 60g melted butter.
• 3 tablespoons pure honey.
• Juice and zest of two lemons.
• 1 x 395g can condensed milk.
• 1/2 cup cream.
• 4 eggs.
• Thickened Cream, Fruit or Mint to garnish.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 C.
2. Crush the biscuits and combine with the melted butter.
3. Press the biscuit mixture into a 22 cm tart pan and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Place honey, lemon juice and zest, condensed milk, cream and eggs in a bowl and whisk until combined.
5. Pour into the tart case and bake for 35 minutes or until the centre is set, but still has some movement.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours to chill and set.
8. Serve with thickened cream and your garnish of choice.
9. enjoy.

Quick and yummy Caramel Slice - Wicked Wednesday

Quick and yummy Caramel Slice

Welcome to another addition of wicked Wednesday and the first day of 2014.  Today I'm sharing a tried and tested quick and yummy caramel slice that is made on a regular basis at our house.  

This makes quit a lot of slice but keeps well in the fridge for a number of days.

Enjoy 

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Morning Coffee Biscuits (240 grams)
• 120g butter
• 90g Brown sugar
• 1 tbls Golden Syrup
• 1 can condensed milk
• Chocolate Icing
  • 120g Dairy Milk chocolate
  • 120g Copha (see notes)

Method:

1. Line the base of a 11 inch x 7 inch slice tray with whole biscuits
2. Crush the remaining biscuits and leave aside.
3. Place the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk in a saucepan.
4. Gradually bring to the boil, string constantly.
5. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed biscuits
7. Place the mixture on top of the biscuit base and allow to cool
8. Melt the milk chocolate and Copha together and ice the slice.
9. Allow to set.
10. Enjoy.

Notes:

1. Through writing this post I've discovered that copha is only available in Australia.  This recipe will work just fine if you used 240g of melted chocolate and omitted the copha.