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!!

 

 

 

 

BBQ Ribs

Yum, Yum,  these are really delish!  The recipe is adapted from one by Neil Perry - his recipes in the SMH on a Saturday are terrific, and although he is a great chef, they are really easily done at home.

A light Christmas Cake

This recipie comes from Australian Good Taste Magazine, and I would describe it as a very fancy sultana cake.  It is a light cake, and perfect for those who don't really like the full on fruit cake at Christmas time.   The pistachios turn out quite soft and buttery.  I added in some dried cherries along with the cranberries, and just reduced the sultanas accordingly for a more Christmas touch.  

 

The original recipe comes with a lovely frosting,  Just beat together in a mixer 2 egg whites, 3 cups sifted icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste on the day you want to serve it.          

 

 

Hummingbird Cake.

This recipie is adapted from Jamie Olivers' hummingbird cake, which was originally a Caribbean recipie.  It has a little more spice, and a little less sugar.  I have also added in some lime zest, it makes the cake a really Caribbean experience!  Essentially it is a very special banana cake.  Most American Hummingbird cakes have a LOT of icing, inside and out and that makes it way to sweet for my family, so this is simply a one level cake with a little icing on top.

Ice it with lime cream cheese icing. (ie, cream cheese icing with lime juice and zest added. 

Top the cake by making a toffee caramel, adding some pecans, and cool them on a sheet of baking paper.  Then just blitz them in the food processor.  Sprinkle over the top of the icing.

Another option is to make an icing flavoured with coconut and then dust with coconut flakes.

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.

Traditional Viva La France Madeleines!

I have tried quite a few madeleine recipies, but the one I got with my Madeleine tray  (you MUST have a madeleine tray for these) at Williams Sonoma is the best.  Be careful to do two things:
1. grease the tray well,
2. do not overfill as they do puff up, only 3/4 fill each one.

This recipie makes 12 - ie. one tin!  Vanilla is the traditional flavouring, but I do like orange flower water.  You could also use rosewater.