Chocolate Slice

Kate whipped up this yummy slice last night. Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a whirl too!

Chocolate Slice

1 Cup Weetbix, crushed
1 Cup self-raising flour
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Cup desiccated coconut
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
150g margarine, melted

chocolate icing

2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 1/2 Cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp margarine, softened
1-2 Tbsp hot water

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray.
2. Combine weetbix, flour, sugar, coconut and baking cocoa in a bowl.
3. Add margarine and combine until all ingredients are moist.
4. Press into prepared baking tray and flatten using the back of a spoon.
5. Bake 10-15minutes and allow to cool in tray for 5 minutes.
6. To make icing, sift baking cocoa and icing sugar. Add vanilla, margarine and enough water to form a spreadable consistency. Beat until well combined.
7. When slice is cool, pour chocolate icing over the top and leave to set.
8. Cut into pieces.

ENJOY!

Pikelets

We are a huge fan of pikelets in this house. Hot, straight from the pan with butter and raspberry jam are a favourite for Kate & I. Ella prefers hers just plain. No butter or anything else. Phil likes his with vegemite? Not my cup of tea, but that's the way he likes it. I also love mine with butter, a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Yum!The girls often take them for recess as well. The recipe I use makes about 25. They don't last very long around here though.

Pikelets

 3 eggs
2 C milk
4 Tbsp sugar
3 C SR flour
Salt
2 Tbsp melted butter.

Whisk together eggs, milk and sugar in a bowl. Add sifted flour, a sprinkle of salt and melted butter. Stir until smooth. Cook on both sides in non stick frypan, turning over when bubbles appear. Enjoy!

It was a hit

I made Chicken Tangine with couscous the other night for dinner, and what a hit it was! Both kids cleaned their plates and asked for more! That is almost totally unheard of in this house, as what one usually loves, the other either doesn't or it just "ok!"

It came from this book which I borrowed from the library. We will definitely be having this again!

Chicken tangine with couscous

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 x 180g chicken fillets, trimmed, halved
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp Moroccan spice mix
400g can diced tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 zucchini, halved, cut into 1cm pieces
1 1/2 cups couscous
fresh coriander leaves, to serve

1. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until light golden. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes until onion has softened. Add spice mix. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

3. Ruturn chicken to pan. Add tomato, chickpeas and zucchini. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, place couscous in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate grains. Spoon couscous onto plates. Spoon over tangine. Sprinkle with coriander, Serve.

Easy Muffins!

The kids made these on the weekend, so easy and so yummy!

Baking Day!

We made Queen Cakes today, taken from this book

125g butter
125g sugar
2 eggs
175g flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g sultanas (optional)

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time. Sift in flour and baking powder. Add sultanas. Put into greased patty tins. Bake at 200 deg C, for 10-12 minutes.

Best Ever Choc Chip Muffins!

Ella wanted me to make some choc chip muffins last night for the lunchbox and after school snacks, so I googled and found this easy recipe of Nigella Lawsons! They were so yummy! Infact, we all had one as soon as they were out of the oven, and Phil had another later on! I'm certain they are not going to last long!

This is the recipe I used!

Nigella’s Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

(adapted from The Food Network, Nigella Lawson – Nigella Feasts)
Makes 12

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup caster (super fine) sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• extra 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line standard muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar and salt.  Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
3. Pour all the liquid ingredients, milk, vegetable oil, and egg, into a 2-cup measuring jug.  Using a fork, mix to combine.
4. Using a spatula, mix the wet and dry ingredients together.  Do not over-mix, a lumpy batter makes the best muffins.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Using the remaining 1/4-cup chocolate chips, sprinkle each muffin with a few chips.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy and a cake tester inserted into centre comes out clean.

Easy Chocolate Slice - Perfect for the Lunchbox!

1 cup Vita Brits, crushed
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
150 butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius. Line & grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tray.
Combine vita brits crumbs, flour, sugar, coconut and cocoa in a bowl.
Add butter and combine until all ingredients are moist.
Press into tray and flatten using the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10-15 mins, then cool in tray for 5 mins.

ICING

2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Coconut
1tsp softened butter
1-2 Tbsp hot water

To make icing, sift cocoa and icing sugar, add vanilla, butter and enough water to form a spreadable consistency. Beat well until combined. When slice is cool, pour chocolate icing over the top, dust with coconut and leave to set.
Cut into pieces.

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Fudge Bars

This is an oldie but a goodie from an old version of The Australian Woman's Weekly Cookbook.

1 Cup plain flour
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Cup coconut
1 Tbsp cocoa
185g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, add melted butter, vanilla and egg. Mix well. Press mixture over base of greased slice tin. Bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes. Cool in tin. Ice when cold.

ICING

1 Cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
30 g butter
1 1/2 Tbsp hot water
coconut

Mix first four ingredients together until smooth. Spread over slice. Dust with coconut.

No-Stir Tomato Risotto

From this book we made this yummy risotto that was enjoyed by everyone!

1 Tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
250g arborio rice
500ml chicken stock
250ml tomato passata
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp basil leaves

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter and onion and season with sea salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes, until the grains glisten.

Increase the heat to high and add the stock, tomato passata and 375ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar and serve scattered with the basil.

Enjoy!

Lemon Coconut Syrup Cake

With lots of lemons on the tree ready and a storm on the way on Tuesday night, I made this cake from here

It was delicious!

350g plain flour
3/4 Cup sugar
Pinch of salt
100g coconut
3tsp baking powder
200g butter
Zest and juice of two lemons
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200-300ml milk

SYRUP
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Grease and line the base of a loose-bottom 20cm cake tin.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, coconut and baking powder. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub in with fingertips or mix in food processor. When the butter is rubbed in, make a well in the centre and add the zest, lemon juice and eggs. Gradually mix in the milk till you have a soft dropping consistency.
Pour into greased tin and bake at 180 deg for 40-50 mins or until cake is risen and springy and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
For the syrup, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and juice of two lemons in a small saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve sugar. Drizzle syrup over warm cake. Remove from tin and cool on a rack.
Serve dusted with icing sugar, or split, fill and ice with passionfruit and lemon frosting.

Ice Cream Pudding

This pudding holds wonderful childhood memories for me. My Nana used to make it for us (along with a baked jam roll) every Friday night. Now my girls are enjoying it too. It's like a custard, but tastes more like a vanilla ice cream, hence the name.

Ice Cream Pudding

50g butter
50g sugar
25g flour
1 egg
600ml milk
vanilla essence

Cream butter & sugar, add flour then gradually add the beaten egg. Add the milk. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring all the time. Add vanilla. Serve cold.

Chocolate Fudge Pudding

This pudding is an old favourite. Amie learnt to make it herself from a young age, and now Kate is making it. This is the second one this week, will have to slow her down on it abit, otherwise my waistline is not going to be good! It's an Alison Holst recipe (a famous NZ cook for those that don't know her) and is a perfect comfort food on a cold winters night.

 Chocolate Fudge Pudding

1 Cup self-raising flour
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 to 1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup milk
1/4 Cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp instant coffee
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 to 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 to 1 1/2 Cups boiling water

In a 20-23cm flat-bottomed microwave dish, fork together the flour, first measure of cocoa, and sugar, using the larger amount for a sweeter pudding. Stir in the milk to make a fairly stiff dough.
Still using the fork, arrange the dough fairly evenly in a ring around the edge of the dish, if microwaving, and stand a central tube insert or inverted glass in the middle. If baking in the oven, spread dough evenly over the bottom of the dish.
Measure the brown sugar, second measure of cocoa, and the coffee in a small bowl. Stir to mix, then sprinkle evenly over the dough. Dot the butter over the surface. Spread the nuts over this. Measure the vanilla and add to the boiling water, then carefully pour over everything. Add the extra water if the pudding won't be eaten immediately after cooking. Cover and microwave on High for 8 minutes, or bake uncovered at 180 deg, for 20-30minutes.
Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

Pumpkin Soup

I got up early before everyone else this morning and used up some pumpkins and made this easy soup. It's a recipe I got from my friend a few years ago. The best pumpkin soup I've tasted and so easy to make.

PUMPKIN SOUP

1 kg butternut pumpkin
1 small leek
1-2 cloves garlic
1 litre chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste

Cook garlic and leak until soft, add pumpkin, pour in stock. Simmer until cooked stirring often. Season to taste. Blend until smooth.

I froze some for busy nights and the rest we'll eat later today.

Easy Rice Pudding

I usually make rice pudding using the recipe from The Edmonds Cookbook, but it takes a couple of hours of slow cooking. I got a book out of the library today called Healthy Living for Families by Jenny Craig. In it was this easy (and delicious) creamy rice pudding recipe.

1/2 cup long grain rice
625ml low fat milk
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp sultanas

Soak the rice in water for approx 15 mins, then drain and rinse in cold water. Place the milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon stick in a medium size pot and bring to the boil. Add the rice, cover and simmer until the rice is soft, approx 17 minutes, stirring often. Add the egg yolk and sultanas and continue cooking, uncovered, for another minute. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick and serve the rice pudding into individual serving bowls.

Biscuit Baking

Today I made a batch of afghans. They are one of my favourite biscuits, and I used the recipe from one of my favourite cook books - The Edmonds Cookbook, one of NZ's favourites cook books that is a must in every NZ household.

Afghans

200g butter
75g sugar
175g flour
25g cocoa
50g cornflakes

Soften butter, add sugar and beat to a cream; add flour, cocoa and lastly cornflakes. Put spoonfuls on a greased oven tray and bake about 15mins at 180 deg C. When cold, ice with chocolate icing and put walnuts on top.

Oven Baked Pumpkin Risotto

This is a recipe I've been making for my family for years. It's quick and easy to make, not to mention delicious. I find I always have more pumpkin in the fridge than I need (I love roast pumpkin) so this recipe is a good way to use some of it up.

Oven baked pumpkin risotto

2 cups diced pumpkin
1 cup Arborio rice
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
30g butter chopped
3Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2Tbsp chopped parsley
Season to taste

Place pumpkin, rice, and onion into a large ovenproof dish. Stir in stock. Top with butter. Cover dish tightly with a lid or foil.

Bake in moderate (180 degree) over for 30-40 minutes, or until rice and pumpkin are tender.

Stir in cheese, parsley and seasonings just before serving.
ENJOY!