I love Brownies . . . all chocolatey and fudgy . . . I can't get enough of them. I also love the white version . . . called blondies. Filled with chocolate chunks, or nuts, they are moreishly scrumptiously good!



Sometimes though . . . I get to craving a brownie that's a little bit different . . . like brownies filled with caramel, or after dinner mints, or turkish delight thins . . . You've seen them all on here before.



No less scrummy or delicious than regular brownies.



Today though I made a fabulous brownie which is peppermint flavoured and topped with a yummy chocolate glaze and white chocolate trim!



It gets it's deep peppermint flavour from peppermint tea leaves, which you blitz with the sugar in the food processor until very fine and peppermint essence, which you can buy here. (It can be a bit hard to find over here in the UK, although I have no idea why?) You can also get it in some of the better grocery stores like Waitrose.



These brownies are wonderfully fudgy . . . beautifully pepperminty . . . and moreishly chocolatey!



If you can stop at eating just one of these . . . you're a much better person than I am!



*Peppermint Brownies*
Makes about 30, depending on how large you cut them
Printable Recipe

Delicious brownies that get even better tasting after a couple of days! Fantastic!

8 ounces of unsalted butter (1 cup)
8 ounces of good quality unsweetened chocolate
2 tsp peppermint tea leaves
14 ounces caster sugar (2 cups)
4 large free range eggs
2 tsp peppermint essence
pinch fine seasalt
4.5 ounces plain flour (1 cup)

For the chocolate glaze:
2 ounces unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
2 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate
2 ounces semi sweet chocolate
2 TBS golden syrup

For the White chocolate trim:
2 ounces white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking tin and line with parchment paper, allowing it to overhang by at least 2 inches above the long sides so that you can lift them out easily once baked and cooled. Butter the parchment paper.

Heat 2 inch of water in a small pot to a gentle simmer. Place the chocolate (chopped) and butter (chopped) for the brownies into a heat proof bowl. Set over the simmering water without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Cook and stir, until the butter and chocolate have melted and are uniform, some 6 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl over the water.

Place the sugar and the peppermint tea in a food processor. Blitz until the tea is finely ground. Stir this mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then stir in the peppermint essence and salt. Sift the flour over top and then fold it in. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bang lightly on the counter to settle and then bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until well set and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out almost clean. Allow to cool to room temperature in the pan, on top of a wire rack, before proceeding. Once cool, lift out by the paper handles and peel off the paper. Place onto a foil lined board, or tray.

To make the glaze bring the water in the pot back to a gentle simmer. Place both of the chocolates (chopped) along with the butter (chopped) into a bowl and set over the simmering water, again without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Cook and stir until smooth and melted. Stir in the golden syrup. Spread the chocolate glaze over the brownies in an even layer using an offset spatula.

Place the whit chocolate in another bowl and set over the simmering water, stirring until completely melted. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over top of the chocolate glaze in lines. Run a toothpick the opposite way through the white chocolate lines to make a decorative pattern. Allow to set for several hours before cutting into squares to serve. Keep well covered and serve at room temperature.

I know you probably aren't in the mood for any more decadence after all the rich foods of the past few days . . . but . . . humour me!



You probably still have company in the house . . . and, you may even be expecting more company!



You are probably filled up to the eyeballs with Christmas Puddings and Mince Pies, and fruit cake!



You may be looking for some small indulgence that is completely different than all of this Christmas fare you've been throwing back over the past couple of days . . .




Look no further! These tasty little cupcakes fit the bill perfectly! Intensely flavoured with chunks of dried sweetened pineapple and coconut . . .



Topped with an indulgent tasty cream cheese icing . . .
Covered with a tasty drift of flaked coconut and more dried pineapple . . .

What's not to like???



(It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!)

*Pina Colada Cupcakes*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Deliciously moist with the flavours of coconut, pineapple and . . . um . . . rum!

225g of plain flour (1 2/3 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
5 ounces caster sugar (2/3 cup)
2 ounces softened butter (1/4 cup)
2 ounces soft margarine (1/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs
the grated zest of one lime
50g of sweetened dried pineapple, chopped coarsely
1/4 pint milk (1/2 cup)
1 ounce dessicated coconut (1/4 cup)

For the icing:
150g cream cheese (1/2 large tub)
2 1/2 ounces icing sugar, sifted (1/2 cup)
1 - 1/2 tsp of lime juice, or rum

To decorate:
dried sweetened pineapple, chopped
coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.

Place the flour, soda, sugar, butter, margarine, eggs and lime zest in a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for several minutes, scraping the mixture down halfway through. Fold in the pineapple with the milk and coconut. Divide the batter equally amongst the paper cases and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and they spring back when lightly touched. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the icing beat together the sifted sugar, cream cheese and lime juice (rum) until smooth. Spread over cakes and decorate with the pineapple and coconut flakes. Store in the refrigerator.

Note - You can toast the coconut flakes if you wish.

The recipe I have to share with you today creates something almost too dangerous to have in the house . . .



Seriously . . . tis a good thing this is the season of giving . . .



Imagine a chewy, fudgy, buttery blonde brownie . . .
stogged to overflowing with scrummy little bits of rich, sweet white chocolate . . .



and crunchily addictive hunks of macadamia nuts . . .
Now . . . top it with a gooey, sticky caramel toffee topping.



See???? I have created a monster . . .
but what a scrumdiddlyumptious way to go!




*White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies*
Makes one 8 inch square pan, or 16 bars
Printable Recipe

Squidgy blonde brownies stogged full of white chocolate, macadamia nuts and glazed with caramel!

4 ounces softened unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
9 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 1/4 cups packed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large free range eggs
5 ounces plain flour (1 cup)
3 1/2 ounces coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (3/4 cup)
3 to 4 ounces white chocolate, chop coarsely
250g soft toffees (about 1/2 cup packed)
2 fluid ounces water (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper leaving an overhand to ease in lifting the bars out when done. Butter the pan and the paper lightly.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat iin the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour, making sure it is completely incorporated. Fold iin the nuts and chocolate. Spread into the prepared pan. Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Place the toffees in a small saucepan, along with the water. Cook and stir over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the toffees are melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the hot caramel glaze over top of the brownies. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Todd and I took a wander through our local parade of shops this morning. I had some post to send off . . .



and I wanted to pick up a few odds and sodds, like milk before the bad weather hits . . . nothing worse than running out of the essentials in bad weather.



We popped into the Butcher's to see a friend and pick up some sausaages. Oh, he had some Christmas fruit ones, which we had for our tea tonight . . . very scrummy!



Then we popped into the local bakery to have a cake and a hot chocolate . . . jam doughnuts to be precise . . . so bad for you, I know . . . but oh so yummy once in a blue moon.



The shelves were filled with lovely cupcakes and treats for the kiddies over the Christmas Hols. I was quite taken with their crispie cakes, so cute.



I often make these at Easter and decorate them with Easter Eggs, but these were Christmas ones, and really cute, but . . . at £1.29 a piece, I thought to myself, they would be very easy to make at home and . . . at a fraction of the cost.



So then we went to the Newsagent's to pick up some flake bars and I came right home and threw some together!



I think they ended up quite cute! I sifted a drift of icing sugar over all of them, and then on half of them I did yule logs made from the chocolate flakes (cut into smaller pieces) and a few red and green decorations to look like Holly, and then on the other half I used some of my precious Christmas sugar decorations that I hoard like gold.

Some are destined for the little lad next door I think, and the rest . . . well
. . . ahem.

I'm really just a kid at heart!



*Christmas Crispie Cakes*
Makes 8 large ones, or 12 small ones
Printable Recipe

Crisp and chocolatey and very Christmassy! Children love them!

3 ounces crisp rice cereal (3 cups)
50g of good quality milk chocolate (I use Green and Blacks) (About 2 ounces)
50g of good quality dark chocolate (Again Green and Blacks) (About 2 ounces)
Assorted decorations
a bit of melted chocolate to help adhere the decorations
sifted icing sugar


Melt both chocolates in a bowl set over simmering water. Don't allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk well together. Place the cereal into a bowl. Pour the chocolate over top and mix well with a spoon. Line a bun tin with paper liners. (I like to use pretty ones) Spoon in the cereal chocolate mixture, heaping it up a bit. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or so to set. Dust with icing sugar to look like snow. Melt a bit more chocolate and add Christmas sprinkles and decorations to suit. Chocolate Flakes cut into short lengths make great logs! If you can get some holly leaves they look pretty nice sitting on top of the logs. I used holly sprinkles and they are not as nice, but are still attractive.

One might be tempted to argue that these are not English . . . but they do very closely resemble little Scottish fruit tarts, which are almost exactly the same . . . except that the Scottish version contains some whiskey and lemon, instead of vanilla.



Although they are claimed to be a Canadian Treat . . . having looked at the Scottish recipe for a similar tart . . . one can clearly see that these delicious butter tarts have their roots firmly planted in Scottish soil . . .



Imagine a rich and flaky pastry . . . with a buttery filling, all gooey and rich and stogged full of lovely dried currants . . .



You could use sultanas or course, and or nuts . . . or even all three. You could even add chocolate chips . . .



We like them just plain . . . with currants.



They never last long in this house. It's impossible to eat just one.

Seriously.




*Gooey Butter Tarts*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Flaky pastry filled with a gooey sweet filling, all buttery and filled with currants. These are the best!

For the Pastry:
6.5 ounces of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
2 ounces cold butter, cubed
2 ounces cold shortening, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vinegar
ice water

For the Filling:
3.75 ounces of Soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
4 fluid ounces golden syrup (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg
2 TBS butter, softened
1 tsp each vanilla and white vinegar
pinch salt
3 ounces dried currants (1/2 cup packed)

Whisk the flour and salt for the pastry together in a bowl. Drop in the butter and shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk the egg yolk together with the vinegar and add enough ice water to equal 75 ml. (1/3 cup) Gradually sprinkle this over the flour mixture, stirring it in with a fork until the pastry holds together. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

For the filling, whisk the sugar, golden syrup, egg., butter, vanilla, salt and vinegar together vigorously. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 230*c/450*F/ gas mark 7.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Stamp out rounds with a 4 inch round pastry cutter. Fit into shallow bun tins. Drop a few currants into the bottom of each. Top off with some of the egg mixture, filling 3/4 full.

Bake in the bottom third of the heated oven for 12 minutes, or until filling is puffed and bubbly and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let stand one minute, and then immediately loosen and remove to a wire rack to cool completely before eating.

I don't think I ever tasted a Chocolate Chip cookie when I was growing up. We had peanut butter, or oatmeal . . .



Sometimes my mum would bake her Molasses Cookies . . . great big soft cookies, like pillows . . . they were so good with ice cold glasses of milk. They are still our favourites and one of the things we all really look forward to having when we go home.



It doesn't matter how many times I make them . . . mine somehow never taste as good as the memory of hers . . .



I think I discovered Chocolate Chip Cookie, or Toll House Cookies as they were called then, early on in my adulthood . . . the recipe pinched off of the back of a bag of chocolate chips . . . they were a real favourite of my children's, well, everyone's really!



This is a sort of glorified version of those . . . chock full of semi sweet chocolate chips and crushed chocolate covered Toffee bars, or Dime Bars as they call them over here. (Skor Bars in North America)



Each bite is chewy, buttery, crunchily moreishly scrummy yummy!! A little tin of these would make the perfect gift for someone you love . . . or . . . for YOU! tee hee!



*Chocolate and Toffee Cookies*
Makes about 3 dozen or so
Printable Recipe

Tasty little bites that are a delicious twist on the traditional Chocolate Chip cookie. Filled to the brim with tasty chocolate covered Toffee Bits and semi sweet chocolate bits. They make the perfect gift for that special someone on your list.

6 ounces (3/4 cup packed) Light brown Muscovado Sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 large free range egg
6 1/2 ounces (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, cut into small bits
5 ounces chocolate covered toffee bars, hammered into small bits with a rolling pin
(About 5 28g Dime bars, which are like Skor bars in America)
(I hammer them while they are still in the pack, before I open them)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Sift together the flour and baking soda. Stir into the creamed mixture, just until blended. Stir in the chocolate bits and chocolate covered toffee bits.

Drop by the heaped teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each one.

Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for several minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.

I had some apples that I needed to use up this afternoon and I wanted to give my new cooker a trial run, so I thought I would make some delicious apple squares.



Imagine a buttery, nutty crust topped with a spicy cake batter, filled with chunks of apple and nuts, and then baked in the oven until the crust is nice and crisp and the cake all moreishly moist and fragrant.



Then imagine it cut into squares and served warm (or cold, it's up to you) and topped with some softly whipped cream.



The perfect dessert for these late autumn days and evenings . . . or your Thanksgiving Celebrations . . . of to serve to that good friend of yours that just happens to stop off for a nice cuppa after an afternoon of shopping . . .



Family friendly, friend friendly, delicious and easy, this is a winner on all counts!



*Sour Cream Apple Squares*
Makes 12 to 15
Printable Recipe

Delicious and moist apple squares, warmly spiced and served with whipped cream.

280g of plain flour (2 cups)
340g soft light brown sugar (2 cups packed)
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
115g of toasted pecan nuts, chopped (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
250ml of sour cream (1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large free range egg
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped (I use Granny Smith)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Whisk the flour, and brown sugar together in a bowl. Drop in the butter. Beat with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts. Remove 370g (2 3/4 cups) of the crumbs and press into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch glass dish. To the remainder of the crumbs add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, soda and salt, mixing it all together well. Beat in the egg, vanilla and sour cream. Stir in the apples. Spoon evenly over top of the crumb base.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, cut into squares, along with some whipped cream.