30 Minute Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake.

Imagine this: your husband casually mentions that someone is coming over for coffee at the last minute. Panic sets in as you realize you don't have any dessert prepared. Don't fret! I have just the recipe for you—the 30-Minute Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake. As the name suggests, this delightful cake can be whipped up in just 10 minutes of mixing and takes a mere 30 minutes to bake. It's the perfect solution for those unexpected guests, and the best part? The ingredients are likely already in your pantry!

Choc Banana Bundt Cake

 So, what do you do when you have 3 bananas that have gone all black and a packet chocolate cake that you did not use at Xmas in the cupboard?  You make Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake.

I'm not the biggest fan of banana cake, although I do like my Perfect banana cake but mostly I find them too dense and rich.  Last Xmas I was going to make a chocolate cake to take to a friends house but eventually decided on something else, so I had a packet in the cupboard, and I had a function coming up and wanted to make a big cake.  I had not used my bundt pan for a while, so I also wanted to use that, and it will feed 12 easily.  Now one choc cakemix will not fill a bundt pan, but two cake mixes will, so I made this Chocolate Banana Bundt cake and it was a real hit.  I think because the chocolate cake just adds a nice lightness when added to the banana cake.  

Try to use a good quality chocolate cake mix, one that uses oil not butter as the crumb will be better.  This banana cake was a slight adaptation from Jamie Olivers banana cake, adding almond meal to  both cakes it ties the two together.  If you like spice, you can add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and mixed spice to the banana cake, walnuts chopped would also work as an extra in the banana cake.

About icing/ topping the cake - you can make up your own favourite chocolate icing and drizzle over the cake, or simply top with some melted butter and chopped nuts.  This is also very nice served warm with a caramel sauce.  I leave it plain.

Christmas Rocky Road.

 This is Christmas rocky road because I never make it any other time.  Its great as a small gift to friends at this time of year.

Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes.

 Magnolia Bakery makes wonderful cup cakes.  this chocolate cup cake is very moist, has a beautuful texture and tastes great.  I ice them with Magnolia's lovely icing, with the addition of instant coffee, so end up with Chocolate coffee cup cakes!

This recipe makes 12 large muffin size cupcakes, or 24 smaller ones.  It can be easily halved.

Make sure you use the best chocolate you can get as it does make a difference.  I ran out of buttermilk, so used yoghurt with a little milk added - worked perfectly.  I use a stand mixer for this recipe, it is not really suited to hand mixing or a hand held mixer.

To see the perfect icing technique, check out this video

The easiest choc tart ever!

 This is called a "hot chocolate tart" and I saw it on Adam Liaw's TV show and is an Elizabeth Hewson recipe..  It's so easy you could make it on holidays, you don't even have to melt the butter for the crust.

Best Chocolate Cake.

Why re-invent when you can use what is already there?  I never thought the best chocolate cake would be so easy - just put in a food processor and go for it but trust Nigella to figure it out!  I never want to loose this recipe, so it's going on the blog. Just follow the link below to Nigella's site for the full domestic goddess version.

 

I have to confess, this is Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake, only with the addition of a little coffee.  I love coffee in a chocolate cake as it rounds our the flavour.  But this is definitely the BEST chocolate cake I have found.

 

You can use a teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in a tiny bit of water if you have no espresso. You can substitute golden syrup in the frosting if you cannot find corn syrup.  You must use the best quality cocoa powder possible.

 

I have cooked this in 3 tins and converted it to a black forest cake by not frosting it - Just sprinkle a bit of cherry brandy on the cake once it is cooled, use cherries and cream for the filling and top with cream and chocolate. It was a great success.

 

Here is a picture of Nigella's cake:

 

Coffee panna cotta for two

This is adapted from a Nigella recipe, (who else?)  and uses Mackenzies gelatine sheets, so if you are using any other brand you will need to adapt it.  Take 3 full leaves for 250ml of cream and 80 of coffee.  There is just enough for a romantic dessert for two in my recipe

Peanut Butter Brownies

I use this recipe for when adults are coming over, it is a very rich brownie.  Freeze any left over for a coffee in the sun at a later date!

 

Cooking time will vary, and you will have to use your cooking radar, I take them out when they look right and smell as if they are cooked.  Nothing is better than your cook's instinct!  Put pecans in if you like, I just make them without as it is easier to cut them into little morsels of yumminess.

 

Easy wonderful chocolate mousse

Thanks to Masterchef Australia for this one - simply inspirational.  You can use any kind of chocolate for this (including white).  You make it the day before your dinner party, then finish it off on the day!  Matt Preston made a white choc mousse with blueberries and coriander, but you can use it with any fruit you like.

 

Chocolate Mousse

350g coverture Chocolate

600ml pouring cream

 

Place chocolate in a bowl.

Place cream in a saucepan, set over high heat and bring to just below boiling.

Pour hot cream over chocolate and combine with whisk until chocolate has completely melted.

Set aside in the fridge to chill overnight.

 

Next day

Remove cream mixture from fridge and transfer mix to an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on high until thick and almost doubled in size.

 

That's it!!

 

 

 

 

Freezer choc chip cookies

Occasionally I want to bake just a few biscuits for my husband and myself, rather than buy a packet.  I have yet to find a recipie for just a few biscuits, so I went looking for something I could have in the freezer and pull out at a moments notice.

 I found this on the money saving mom blog, many thanks to the site for the original recipie.  I have only changed it slightly.  I have not been a fan of freezer cookie dough in the past, but this one really is good.  I like it because it's not just flour, sugar butter and chocolate!  There are some 'healthy' bits in their too.  The peanut butter really adds to the flavour, even though there is not a lot in the recipie.

A note about the sugar - you can use white sugar, or castor sugar, but reduce the amount by about a tablespoon.

The recipie makes 40 smallish cookies, if you are a fan of really big ones, just use an ice-cream scoop to portion control your cookies instead of a tablespoon.