Chocolate Caramel Crispy Nut Clusters

This is a quick but super delicious no bake treat.

Ingredients

300g good dark chocolate

2 cups puff rice

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ chop salted roasted nuts (I used macadamia here)

½ cup caramel bits

Method

1.          Line a rectangular tray with non-stick baking paper.

2.          Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl.

3.          Melt dark chocolate in the microwave in 20sec bursts.

4.          Pour melted chocolate over the mix and stir to coat evenly.

5.          Pour into the tray and spread flat.

6.          Keep in the fridge for 2 hours until hard.

7.          Break up into chunks or cut into squares.

8.          Tuck in!

Rum and Raisin Slice

I love rum and raisin, ice cream, Old Jamaica choc bar, rum balls, yum! I saw this recipe when I was flipping through my recipe books the other day while re-arranging the bookshelves. It is so decadent!

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate

100g butter

¾ caster sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ cups plain flour

80ml rum

½ cup raisins

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

Method

1.          Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.          Soak the raisins in the rum.

3.          Chop chocolate and butter into small pieces.

4.          Melt in a Bain Marie, make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.

5.          Pour in the caster sugar, the rum and raisins.

6.          Remove from heat.

7.          Mix in the flour.

8.          Lightly beat the eggs and mix it in.

9.          Pour into a greased and lined square 20x20cm pan.

10.      Bake for 25 minutes.

11.      Slice when cool. Dust top with cocoa powder.

Nigella's Double Chocolate Muffins

Another luscious chocolate number from Nigella, these will send chocolate lovers to heaven. A batch will make about 15 large muffins. They do freeze well for lunchbox supply.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups plain flour (I used ½ wholemeal flour, and ½ plain)

¾ cup castor sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk (I used buttermilk)

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

¾ cup chocolate chips

Method:

1.          Preheat oven to 180C.

2.          Mix all dry ingredients together.

3.          Mix in wet ingredients followed by the chocolate chips.

4.          Bake for 25 minutes in 180C oven.

Nigella's Choc Based Lime Cheesecake

What's a girl going to do with all these limes? Gone are the days when you barter your service for eggs, veges or other farm produce. I still have a few lovely elderly patients who will bring in veges or fruits from the backyard or baked goods from the kitchen. I'd rather these than bottles of wine that I don't drink or boxes of chocolates that go onto expand my husband's waistline.

Ingredients:
200g chocolate biscuits
75g unsalted butter

750g cream cheese (I substituted this with 500g cream cheese and 250ml sour cream to make it lighter)
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
Juice of 4 limes
Lime zests

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Crush the biscuits and melted butter in a food processor.
3. Press onto a springform pan (20cm diameter) and refrigerate while working on the cream cheese batter.
4. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar and lime juice and zests until smooth.
5. Pour onto the biscuit base and bake in 180C oven for 50 mins.
6. Serve when cooled.

Chocolate Swirl Creamcheese Brownies

These are divine delicious morsels. The chocolate layer is fudge and rich, and the white cheesecake adds a delightful twist.

Ingredients
White cream cheese batter:
250g cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain flour

Chocolate batter:
180g dark chocolate (I used a whole 200g block)
160g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup plain flour

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170C.

2. Beat all creamcheese part ingredients togehter until smooth.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave.

4. Beat in the flour, sugar and eggs when cool.

5. Drop alternate dollops of the creamcheese batter and the chocolate batter. Make swirl pattern with a skewer.

6. Bake in 170C oven for 35 mins.