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!

Merry Christmas 2011!

We're having an easy quiet Christmas this year with just the two of us and the animals. Merry Christmas to all! Have a blessed time with your family and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

The recipe is here. Last year's rumballs.

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.

Lemon Slice

Well, the lemon tree is fruiting this season, I can’t remember what species it is now, the lemon is rather large but the skin not smooth like a Meyer lemon. Here’s a little afternoon tea treat, a tangy lemon slice from Better Homes and Garden’s special edition of 105 easy basics biscuits, cakes and slices by Ed Halmagyi.

Ingredients

For the base

175g butter, chopped into little cubes

80g icing sugar

1-2 vanilla beans, scrape the seeds out or use 1 tsp vanilla extract

280g plain flour

For the lemon curd

180ml lemon juice

4 eggs

Lemon zests

300g caster sugar

90g plain flour

Method

1.          Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.          Grease a rectangular tin (27cmx18cm).

3.          Process all the ingredients for base in food processor or work with fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.

4.          Press firmly into tin.

5.          Bake for 20mins.

6.          Whisk all the ingredients for the lemon curd until combined and bubbly.

7.          Pour onto warm base and return to the oven.

8.          Reduce the heat to 160°C and bake for a further 20mins or until the middle of the lemon curd is set.

9.          Cool before slicing.

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.