Choc Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe was origionally named "Flourless peanut butter and choc chip cookies"

I wanted Rolo chocolate for the caramel which turned our amazing. I found that when i made the recipe it was very sticky so i added 1/3 cup of GF SR flour. You could use normal wheat flour.

My kids and i devoured these while uncooked, cooked and in between!
I scraped up all the melted caramel that poured out onto the tray... it was amazing!!

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk choc chips or chopped Rolo chocolates
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp bi carb soda
• 1/3 cup flour (check if it needs it before adding.)
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts (optional. I added these.)

Preheat oven 200c
Lightly grease a tray or line with baking paper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Roll heaped spoonfulls of mix into balls and place on tray 3cm apart.
Press down on each ball slightly before cooking
Bake 8-10 mins - do not over cook.
Cool on tray - resist the urge to eat them soft... i didnt. Couldnt help myself!!

Grain & Gluten Free Carrot & Pineapple cake

Gluten Free. Never thought id be baking this way.

Someone suggested that i post some 'gluten-free goodies' on my blog once. I politely assured them i would but i was lying at the time. Sigh.

I have been on a gluten and grain free diet with my son just shy of 2 weeks and we have never felt so amazing! What took us so long? Were we mental eating the amount of wheat that we did?

My son is now a regular (literally!) kid and was free from his terrible symptoms instantly. You can read the full story here: http://myautoimmunefamily.blogspot.com.au/

This is my first attempt at gluten free baking and i must say i was very surprised and pleased at just how easy it was and how good it tasted! When faced with such restrictions i thought my baking would all go out the window but i have already figured out ways to change my regular goodies in to gluten free!

• 2 cups grated carrot. (about 3 carrots)
• 440g tin of crushed pineapple, drained.
• 2 cups of grain free flour (1 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup potato starch) (if you are not going grain free you can use commercial gluten free flour already mixed.)
• 1 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarb (have to use lots in this recipe!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar (caster sugar is fine)
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200ml oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Put everything in to a mixing bowl except flours
3. Whisk the flours and bicarb etc together over the top and mix in
4. This mixture makes a lot, grease a cake pan well and line muffin trays for the remainder of the mix
5. Cook muffins 30 mins and cake 1 hour.
6. Check they are cooked with a skewer test.
7. Once cooled, ice with cream cheese icing :)

Cake and heart shaped muffins x

Cake pops!

I am no baker, nor am i a photographer. This blog post proves just that!

This is my second attempt at cake pops (first lot went in the bin.)

They look totally ridiculous..... I was drinking pink champagne the whole time.

But they were HARD. I'm not going to lie.

They were damn EASY to eat though! Not sure if i will attempt these again.

These particular cake pops are not actually cake. They are cookies and cream. Oreo cookies crushed with cream cheese to be exact. I decided to try them again after a friend of mine made super amazing ones that we had for Jasmine's birthday. I failed. But they were YUMMY!!

Traditional cake pops are cake crumbs mixed with frosting. You can also make any type of truffle and stick them on a lolly pop i guess.

Here goes.... GOOD LUCK!

• 300g Oreos. (I used 3x single packets)
• 150g Cream cheese at room temperature. (I added bits slowly, you don't need it all and the mixture cant be too wet.)
• 1x pack chocolate melts. Milk or white. White looks good too!
• Lolly pop sticks. (I got mine of Ebay)

1. Crush oreos in a food processor. (Bahahahaaha oh i wish i had one!!)
2. Add cream cheese chunks at a time and process until the mixture comes together. (I smooshed it all around with a spoon.)
3. Roll into small balls - Approx 1 tbsp worth.
4. Melt a little of the chocolate and dip the end of the stick in to coat, then stick into the balls.
5. Put them in the fridge or freezer to firm.

6. Melt the remainder of the chocolate, make sure it is completely smooth. Holding the stick, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Double coat them if you have to.  Tap the ball on the edge of the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off and place into something to dry (I used an upside down colander)

7. Dip the pops in sprinkles or after they are dry decorate them with cachous, butterflied etc using the chocolate as glue.

8. Place back in the fridge to set and then EAT THEM!!!

Google image them for decorating ideas.

WARNING:
Do not consume champagne while attempting this recipe.

ANZAC Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are dated back to World War 1 and were as hard as rocks. Before being named Anzac biscuits, they were called soldiers biscuits. They were adapted by wives and mothers back home in an attempt to give them more nutrients using the oats. The sugar, flour, golden syrup, butter and bi-carb soda were added because they would be able to withstand the long journey via ship to reach the troops. Some soldiers used to grind them up and eat them like a sort of porridge.

This is a traditional recipe that i have been making for years and it has never fail on me. They have a wonderful taste and last a long time (if you hide them!)

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup (i always add more)
• 1 tbps water
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda

1. Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Combine butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted.
3. Stir in soda. (mixture will foam)
4. Stir mixture into dry ingredients
5. Create small balls of mixture and place on lined baking trays 5cm apart
6. Bake in mod/slow oven 15-20 mins.

* I always need extra wet mixture and always add extra golden syrup!

* Biscuits will be soft when taking them out of the oven. Don't over cook them, they will harden as they cool.

*This mixture will produce chewy biscuits (yum) unless overcooked. 

Chocolate Peanut Brownies

Do you love Peanut m&m's? Snickers? Chocolate?

Same.

You get a whole peanut m&m in each bite of this amazing brownie.

A friend i used to work with 10 years ago gave me this recipe recently. I think that we met 10 years ago just so that, 10 years later she could give it to me!! She warned me it was addictive and lo and behold i was eating it for breakfast.

• 125 gm butter, melted
• 1 tin of condensed milk
• 1 cup SR flour sifted (i never sift :( )
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup coconut ( optional - i didn't put it in.)
• 1 king size snickers cut into small pieces
• 1 family size packet of peanut m&m's, kept whole.

1. Mix everything together together except the m&m's and snickers.
2. Pour into a lined baking tray - it will rise
3. Sprinkle with cut pieces of snickers and push m&m's into the mixture until the packet is empty. (I ate quite a few....)
4. Crushed nuts can be sprinkled on the top  for an extra peanutty taste
5. Bake 30 mins at 180
6. Don't remove from the tray until completely cooled or it will fall apart.

I made it at night and cut it in the morning. Yes, it made a fantastic breakfast!

Just try stopping at one!!!

 

Apricot and Coconut Slice

This slice was also made for a work morning tea and it was another favourite. I have to admit, i ate more of this then the amazing Anzac Slice that i love so much.

Another no bake slice because i am lazy. These are just so simple and effective and when you have 2 kids and work full time, you just don't have time much time to create whizzbang recipes. These taste just as good anyway.

• 250g pain sweet biscuits, crushed
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 can condensed milk
• 125g butter
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate milk melts, melted.

1. Line a tray/container with baking paper
2. Combine biscuits, apricots and coconut in a mixing bowl
3. Melt condensed milk and butter together in a saucepan
4. Stir in to dry ingredients
5. Press mixture in prepared tray
6. Pour over melted chocolate, allow to set and cut into squares. :)

Cherry Ripe Slice

I made this slice for a morning tea at work and everyone loved it! Its a really easy version and does not require cooking at all!

I didn't tell anyone what was in it....

• Red/pink food colouring
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 125g melted copha
• 250g milk coffee biscuits, crushed
• 200g glace cherries, chopped
• 175g desiccated coconut
• 250g dark chocolate

Colour the condensed milk dark pink (this is fun!). Combine with the melted copha and mix with the crushed biscuits, cherries and coconut.

It is that easy.

Press into a lined baking tray/container and refrigerate. When set, pour melted dark chocolate over the top. You can sprinkle coconut and chopped cherries over the top but i had run out.

Place back in the fridge and cut when set.

Place in a container labeled 'stewed plums' so your kids don't find it!

Caramel Brownie Cakes

Every time i attempt to make brownies, i fail. For some reason these worked and i was so excited! I think it was because i made individual ones instead of a large pan of them.

These did not last, i had to hide this heart shaped brownie so that i could take a picture of it!

They have Rollo's pressed into them. YUM!

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped  (i just used chocolate that contained macadamias.)
• 80g butter
• 150g dark eating chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 x packets Rollo's

1. Preheat oven 180c. Grease mini muffin pans/cupcake pan, heart shaped silicone mould or whatever you have :)
2. Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat, do not boil. (i used the microwave) Cool slightly.
3. Stir sugar and egg into mixture, then sifted flour and sour cream. Spoon mixture into pans. Press one Rollo into each if using mini muffin pans or 2 or 3 Rollo's depending on the size of your brownies.
4. Bake in oven approx 15 mins for mini or 30 mins for for large.

Cool in pans and eat while warm!!

Rumless Rum Balls

I hate rum. I told everyone that i don't put rum in these so that the kids can eat them.
Now they are just called 'balls'.
You might like to call them chocolate balls.

They are very easy to make and taste delicious.

• 1 packet marie biscuits, crushed
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 2 tbsp cocoa

Mix all ingredients together, roll in balls and roll in extra coconut.

Hide them.

Jelly Slice

Jelly slice.... I make this every Christmas and i always have to make a second batch. If you have never heard of jelly slice, you are missing out. The base is a sugary biscuit, the middle layer is condensed milk and the top is, well, jelly.
I saw people make this slice for years and i wouldn't even try it. My husbands mother used to buy it from a local lady and put candles in it for her children's birthday.
i decided to make it one day for my husband to bring back some childhood memories and once i tried mine i was obsessed! I had to make another batch to take to the work Christmas party and i had people ask me to make more for them!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as i do :)

• 1 packet Arnotts 'nice' biscuits
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 175g unsalted butter
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 tbsp and 1 tsp gelatine powder
• 1 packet raspberry jelly

1. Line a slice tray (or in my case a container) with baking paper
2. Dissolve jelly in 1 1/2 cups boiling water and place in fridge to cool
3. Crush biscuits and combine with melted butter and sugar. Press in to slice tray and refrigerate 30 mins
4. Dissolve gleatine in 1/2 cup hot water. Combine with condensed milk and pour over biscuit base. Refrigerate 30 mins until nearly set
5. Pour cold jelly mixture over slice and return to the fridge to set.
6. Slice into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Mudslides

Last night, while over at a friends house, i had the most amazing thing. Alcohol + chocolate together.
I know, they have been around for a while but i have never drank a commercial chocolate mudslide purely becasue i hate milk.  After trying a home made one, i think i am now obsessed. Uh-ha!

Now, i cannot take the credit for this dreamy alcoholic cup of greatness because i didnt make it. but i will! Probably often.

Too often.

My friends husband whipped it up in just a few minutes and i wasn't really watching. When he brought it over i nearly died. I HAD to have one. It was worth every horrible calorie.

This recipe made 4

• 30mls chocolate mozart gold
• 30mls vodka
• 30mls baileys
• Chocolate topping
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3-4 cups ice
• Squirty cream from a can
• Chocolate powder (Quik or cocoa)

Crush ice in a blender and then pour in a few squirts of chocolate topping, chocolate liqueur, vodka, baileys and milk.
Decorate a glass with squirts of chocolate topping and pour in the liquid.
Refrain from taking sips until complete.
Squirt some cream on the top of each one and then in to your mouth. Because its fun.
Sprinkle chocolate on top and poke a straw in there somewhere.

Enjoy and go back for many more!!

Cheesymite Pull-apart

Why does Vegemite and cheese taste so good together? I don't know why, but it does, and my kids love it. We spend $3 a pop at the bakery buying cheesymite scrolls so i thought id give it a go myself.
This recipe was very easy and i had everything i needed in my pantry. Yay for me!

• 2 cups SR flour
• 30g butter, chilled and chopped
• 3/4 cup  milk
• Vegemite
• 1 cup grated cheese
• Extra milk to glaze

1. Preheat oven to 220c and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift flour in a bowl and using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (Mine looked nothing like breadcrumbs!)
3. Make a well in the centre and add milk.
4. Using a butter knife 'cut' through the mixture until it forms a soft dough (add more milk if necessary)
5. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth (don't over knead)
6. Roll out until you have approximately 30cm x 20 cm rectangle
7. Spread over desired amount of Vegemite and sprinkle with cheese.
8. Roll up firmly and transfer to baking tray, seam side down.
9. Using scissors, cut into top of dough at 3cm intervals without cutting all the way through.
10. Pull slice to the left and right and brush with milk
11. Bake for 20-25 mins and serve. Best served warm!!

Enjoy.... We did!!

Carrot and Walnut Cake

I nearly died when i tried this cake, even the batter was addictive! It seriously tasted like something from an expensive cafe.... Mind you, it cost me around $15 to make! (Soooooooooo worth it though!)
I am no fancy baker so it looks like crap but it was so moist and delicious!

• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups SR flour
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 1 1/1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups firmly packed grated carrot (approx 3x large or 5x small)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven 180c. Grease a round cake tin.
2. Combine oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl and whisk well. Add flour, bicarb and cinnamon and stir gently.
3. Add carrot and walnuts and mix. Pour mixture into pan and bake 50 mins or until cooked.
4. Cool 10 minutes in tin before turning out to cool completely.
5. Make icing: Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until thick.

                                                       The kids certainly enjoyed it!

                                                                    I enjoyed mine!

Choc Coconut Slice

This recipe is exactly the same as when i make Rum Balls - minus the rum.... EW!
This recipe can also be rolled into balls and then rolled in coconut for a perfect Christmas present or just because. If you like, rum or rum essence can be added.

• 250g packet plain biscuits
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1x can condensed milk

Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Crush biscuits leaving a few larger chunks. (I go to town with a potato masher and a mixing bowl!!)
Stir 1/2 cup coconut with rest of dry ingredients.
Add condensed milk and mix until combined.
Spoon mixture into pan and flatten with back of a spoon. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top.
Chill 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares to serve.
Best stored in a container in the fridge. :)

Lemon Slice

People rave about this slice, the recipe was given to me by my sister when i was a teenager and i have been making it since then!

• 1/2 can condensed milk
• 1/2 packet crushed Marie biscuits
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Lemon rind of 1 lemon (Lemon is then used for icing.)

      Icing

• Mix squeezed lemon juice with icing sugar and a little hot water to make a spreadable paste.

Melt butter and stir in condensed milk. Add crushed biscuits, coconut and rind. Press into a baking paper lined tin and set in refrigerator. Ice with lemon icing. Sprinkle with extra coconut if you like.

Mars Bar Slice

A friend made this for me and i instantly asked for the recipe! A also ate the lot in one go and could of had more!

• 3 cups rice bubbles
• 5 mars bars
• 90g butter
• 1x block chocolate - milk or dark. I used dark as it makes it really rich!

Line a tray with baking paper.
Melt mars bars and butter together in the microwave.
Mix through rice bubbles and put in tray.
Melt chocolate and spread on top.
Refrigerate and cut in slices to serve..... BIG slices or you will be going back for more!

*** The picture is a slightly different version as i had 2x packets of fun size mars bars and wanted to use the lot like the pig that i am.... I threw in 100g butter and an extra cup of rice bubbles to compensate for my junk food obsessed mind ***

My helper eating a bowl of rice bubbles while the slice is setting!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

No these are not ice creams, they are cupcakes! Dont you think they are just the cutest things? Even cuter was my beautiful little helper for the afternoon:

These are really easy to make and lots of fun. All you do is make any cake batter (I put hundreds and thousands through mine) and pour it into flat bottomed ice cream cones (stand each cone in a muffin hole) and fill until 3/4 full.
Bake for around 20 mins and you have yourself an ice cream cone cupcake!
The cones stay crunchy but they are best eaten on the day.

Ice with your favourite butter cream and add sprinkles and a jaffa on top, or in my case a malteaser.

ENJOY!!

Butternut Caramel Slice

I love caramel slice. I love it even more with butternut snap biscuits as the base!

Base

• 1 packet butternut snap biscuits
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 140g butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Caramel

• 2 x tins condensed milk
• 3 x tbsp golden syrup

Topping

• 1 x family block chocolate
• 2 x tsp vegetable oil

1. Base: Preheat oven to 180c
2. Combine all base ingredients and press in lined baking tray
3. Bake 10 minutes
4. Caramel: In a saucepan combine condensed milk and golden syrup. Stir over medium heat for 15 minutes until thick and colour has changed.
5. Pour over baked base and bake a further 10 minutes.
6. Topping: Melt chocolate and oil together and pour over caramel
7. Refrigerate until set.

You WILL NOT stop at one!!!!

Banana Caramel Cupcakes

It was my Birthday the other day and i made the most amazing banana caramel cupcakes that i just had to share them, even though i cheated severely. Most of the recipes on my blog are very easy to make using only minimal ingredients so this fits in quite nicely!
Please excuse the photo.... this cupcake actually belonged to my 2 year old daughter and she had already stuck a finger in the caramel icing. YUM!

• Your favourite banana cake recipe. (Packet or homemade. I used a packet banana cake mix and added mashed banana through it.)
• 1 tin of Nestle caramel top and fill.
• Icing sugar.

See? Told you this recipe was easy!

1. Make your banana cake including mashed old bananas in the mix (1 or 2.)
2. Mix half of the caramel into the batter.
3. Spoon into cupcake papers. (I used the large muffin size ones.)
4. Bake 20-25 minutes.

When the cakes are cool, mix the rest of the caramel with icing sugar for the frosting. My husband and i nearly at it all before we iced any cakes!

These were delicious hot from the oven as the caramel in the cake was melted and gooey. They were just as good when cooled, the caramel sets to a soft caramely ball.

Although i told everyone that my base was a packet mix, no one could tell. They tasted so good! I also made plain old vanilla cupcakes, but so what? Up against these beauties, who needs 'em!

The last one!! Will have to make more :)

Here is my plain vanilla ones, i made the buttercream frosting 3 different colors and spooned alternate colours into my piping bag to make it all swirly and pretty x



Aero Bar Mint Slice

This would have to be one of the yummiest slices i have ever eaten! I love everything choc mint, this is amazing.

• 125 g butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tbsp condensed milk
• 1x block mint aero bar chocolate, crushed. (Or several bars)
• 1x packet choc ripple biscuits, crushed.
• 1 cup icing sugar (for icing)
• 1 tbsp cocoa (for icing)
• 1x knob butter (for icing)

1. Melt butter in microwave then add sugar and mix until sugar has dissolved.
2. Add cocoa and condensed milk.
3. Add biscuits and Aero bar and mix well.
4. Press mixture in a slice tin and ice with chocolate icing.
5. Refrigerate and cut into slices.

Icing: Mix icing sugar, cocoa and butter together with a little hot water until thick but spreadable.

Keep slice in fridge or the icing will melt :)