I actually made this the other day to take to our Relief Society Activity last Thursday evening and am only getting to show them to you now.  They were stuck in the queue!



They went down a real treat with the girls and I brought home an empty plate.  I like it when that happens, don't you?   That means they are winners.



I got the recipe from out of one of those baking books you pick up in the magazine section at the grocery shops.  It is in the Best Baking Series, Volume 7, Tasty Traybakes.   I adapted and converted the measurements for my North American readers and I did not use the frosting recipe which was given with the recipe as it didn't look that good.



I made a chocolate buttercream icing.  I am a big fan of buttercream icing.   It went very well on these delectable little squares . . . it really did.

 

It's a good thing that I was taking them to church for the ladies as they would have been far too dangerous for me to keep in this house with a chocolate cake hating husband around.  They would have been too, TOO tempting for me.



That layer of raspberry jam in the middle is a nice touch and helps to make what's moist and delicious, even moister and delicious.   You can easily see why they would have been too dangerous for me to have here all on my own.  I could not risk eating them all myself . . . I'm fat enough already!



These are perfect for sharing though.  Your friends and chocolate loving family will love you to bits if you bake them a pan of these!  Trust me on this!  Mine did!!   Go on . . . make them.  You know you won't regret it!  (Well, your hips may not thank you on this one, but . . . meh!)



*Rasberry Brownies*
Makes one 9 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Try to let these sit overnight.  They become even moister if you can resist them!

4 large free range eggs
300g caster sugar (1 2/3 cup)
150g unsalted butter, melted (2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75g cocoa powder (not drink mix) (2/3 cup)
100g of finely chopped toasted walnuts (3 12 ounces, 14 TBS)
3 TBS seedless raspberry jam

Chocolate buttercream frosting to cover
(A tub of prepared or your own recipe)

Preheat the oven to 165*C/325*F gas mark 3.  Butter and line a 9 inch square pan with baking parchment.  Butter the paper.  Set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and frothy. Whisk in the sugar and then slowly whisk in the melted butter and vanilla.    Sift together the flour, cinnamon and cocoa powder.  Gently stir it in and then stir in the nuts.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan, level the surface and bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch.  Allow to cool completely in the tin,

Once they are cold, carefully remove from the tin and cut in half horizontally with a sharp knife.  Warm the jam and spread it onto the bottom half of the brownies.  Sandwich wih the top later.  Frost with some buttercream frosting. Cut into squares to serve.  Delicious!

I've had this Marks & Sparks' cookery book burning a hole in my bookcase for several months now. I take it out every now and again and think I should make something from it, but then I either don't have all the ingredients or I get distracted and, well . . . you know how it goes . . .

A few days later, I haven't baked anything from it and Todd is nagging me to put it away . . . sigh . . .



Today I finally cooked a recipe from it! There was this really scrummy looking recipe in it for Cappuccino Brownies and I thought I wanted to give it a go.



Except I'm a Mormon and we don't do coffee . . . these looked really moist and delicious though . . .



What to do . . . what to do . . .



I used Camp Chicory Essence instead. 2 TBS of it. They turned out lovely.

The original recipe called for a 7 by 11 inch shallow pan. There is no way this batter was fitting into that size of pan. I cooked them in a 9 inch square pan instead.



In retrospect, I should have cooked them in my 9 by 13 inch tray bake pan as the batter rose right up to the top in the smaller pan, it took them longer to cook as they were thicker and they ended up more like a cake than a brownie.



I want to try them again in the larger pan, cooked for a shorter amount of time and see what happens. Nevermind though, this is really a scrummy cake, if not a Brownie . . .

And that icing is to die for!





*Cappuccino Brownies*
Makes 15
Printable Recipes

Moist and delicious with a mild coffee mocha flavour and a rich white chocolate frosting.

8 ounces of butter, softened (1 cup)
225g of self raising flour (scant 2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
225g of caster sugar (generous cup)
4 large eggs, beaten
3 TBS instant coffee granules, dissolved in
2 TBS hot water (Note - I used 2 TBS camp chicory essence)

White chocolate frosting:
4 ounces white chocolate, broken into bits
2 ounces butter, softened (1/4 cup)
3 TBS milk
6 ounces icing sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups)

To decorate:
sifted cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a shallow 9 by 13 inch baking tin.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa into a bowl. Add the butter, eggs, and coffee mixture. Beat well with an electric whisk until smooth. Spread in the prepared tin, smoothing the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched. Leave in the tin to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, place the chocolate, butter and milk in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Heat and stir until the choclate has melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and sift in the icing sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the cake. Sift with more cocoa powder. Cut into squares to serve.

I have been rather indulging myself lately . . . naughty me, when I was doing so well before the move. It is so hard to not eat all the wonderful things that I bake . . . they are so very tempting.

Sometimes I am content with just a taste . . . but lately . . . I'm afraid that I have not been so good, and have been imbibing just a bit too much.



I decided to try to make a Brownie that would satisfy my chocolate craving . . . but not tip me over the top. Not an easy quest to be sure . . . but quite doable as you can see.



These ended up quite scrummy . . . not as good as my Fudge Walnut Brownies, to be sure . . . but not so bad, and definitely fulfilling that chocolate craving.



The secret is to not overbake them . . . anytime you take the fat and calories out of something you risk taking out a lot of the flavour and moistness . . . so overbaking these is a definite no no . . . (I cannot stress this enough!)



A lot of low fat brownie recipes do use prune puree . . . but I did not want any hint of fruit in my chocolate indulgence. They tend to mask some of the chocolate flavour as well . . . and what is the point? When you want chocolate, you want chocolate, full stop . . .



I do hope you will give these a try. Whilst they are not as good as the full fat version, they are a satisfying substitute . . . and in the scheme of low fat . . . that is what counts!




*Light Brownies*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Make sure you use good quality semisweet chocolate in these, not chocolate chips. The additives in chocolate chips will result in a much drier brownie. Be careful not to overbake.

2 1/2 ounces plain flour (1/2 cup, sifted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 TBS Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
1 TBS hot water
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coffee powder, rubbed through a seive until very fine
2 TBS unsalted butter
3 ounces semi sweet chocolate, good quality, chopped fine
3 1/2 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
pinch salt
1 large free range egg, beaten lightly
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang so that you can easily lift them out when done.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.

Whisk together the cocoa powder, hot water, vanilla and coffee powder, until smooth. Set aside.

Melt the butter and semi sweet chocolate in a microwave on medium heat, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside.

Measure the sugar and salt into a bowl, whisking them together. Stir in the melted chocolate/butter mixture and the cocoa powder mixture. Mix well and then whisk in the beaten egg. Fold in the flour mixture, folding it in only until just incorporated. Spread into the prepared pan, smoothing the top over.

Bake for about 20 minutes, on the middle rack of the oven. Turn around halfway through the baking time. Test a few minutes before the baking time is up. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs. Do NOT overbake.

Remove to a wire rack to cool for about an hour. Lift out of the pan by using the parchment paper overhand. Dust with icing sugar if desired and then cut into squares to serve.

When I first moved over here twelve years ago . . . there were some things that you just couldn't find. Things like Betty Crocker cake mixes, Marshmallow Fluff,  and Skippy Peanut Butter, amongst other things.  You never know what you will miss until you can't have it any more . . .

 

Over those years I have had to learn to adapt some of my favourite recipes to use other ingredients that are available over here . . . but there were still some things that you just couldn't adapt no way . . . no how.  I used to bring back oodles of stuff each time I went over to Canada to visit my family.  Todd used to do a lot of moaning about that . . . but I just reminded him of how he would feel if he couldn't get marmite anymore!

 

I'm happy to say though that in recent years quite a few things have  become easily available . . . things like Gold Fish Crackers, Marshmallow Fluff, Skippy Peanut Butter and at least a few cake mix flavours . . . such as Devils Food and Carrot.  I'm still waiting for Crab-Apple Jelly, Captain Crunch Cereal and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner to catch on . . . but I live in hope.

 

Being able to get some of these things though, means that I can now cook some of our favourite treats in my English Kitchen, like these delicious Brownies that I baked for the Missionaries yesterday . . .

 

Yes, they are a bit of a cheat because they use a boxed cake mix . . . but I know you won't hold that against me.  I've tried through the years to develop my own base . . . but I just haven't been able to crack it just yet.  The base for these is soooo moist and  fudgy and chocolatey . . .



And that fluffer nutter topping.  Fluffer nutter is a popular sandwich combination in North America . . . sandwiches spread with marshmallow cream and peanut butter.  In fact I do believe that it is so popular that you can now find it already mixed in jars.

 

I think though . . . fluffer nutter sandwiches were an Amish invention . . . but you can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

How can something that is soooo bad for you be soooo good!! 

 

In any case, no matter if it is a cheat . . . and no matter where it comes from . . . you can now make them here . . . in the UK, and with British ingredients.  The bottom line is this . . . they're fabulously delish and now I can make them here, at home . . . without dragging a heavy suitcase across the Atlantic, or paying an outrageous price at one of those speciality shops.

Life is very, very good.



*Fluffer Nutter Brownies*
Makes one 9 by 15 inch pan
Printable Recipe

These could not be easier, and they are fabulously, moreishly delicious!  I bet you can't eat just one!

1 500g box of Devils food cake mix (Betty Crocker, double layer cake)
2 large free range eggs
125ml of sunflower oil (1/2 cup)
120g of smooth peanut butter (2/3 cup)
1/2 of a 213g jar of marshmallow cream  (2/3 cup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 397g tin of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
a couple handfuls of milk or dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish really well.  Set aside.

Mix together the oil, eggs and cake mix until well blended.  Spread this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Set aside.

Whisk together the peanut butter, marshmallow cream, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, until smooth and amalgamated.  Spread this mixture evenly over top of the chocolate mix.  Scatter the chocolate chips over top.

Bake for15 to 20 minutes, just until the edges are light golden brown and the centre is almost set.  You want it to be a bit gooey.  Allow to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife into bars  for serving.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for longer, allowing them to come to room temperature for serving

You can now buy Marshmallow Fluff at Asda and I believe Sainsbury's.  The Cake mixes are pretty much available in all of the shops and you can get the Skippy Peanut Butter in Waitrose and Sainsbury's.

When I first moved over here twelve years ago . . . there were some things that you just couldn't find. Things like Betty Crocker cake mixes, Marshmallow Fluff,  and Skippy Peanut Butter, amongst other things.  You never know what you will miss until you can't have it any more . . .

 

Over those years I have had to learn to adapt some of my favourite recipes to use other ingredients that are available over here . . . but there were still some things that you just couldn't adapt no way . . . no how.  I used to bring back oodles of stuff each time I went over to Canada to visit my family.  Todd used to do a lot of moaning about that . . . but I just reminded him of how he would feel if he couldn't get marmite anymore!

Parsnips were not a vegetable we had very often if at all when I was growing up. My mother did not like them at all. In fact she tells a story of her father trying to tempt her to eat just a tiny piece of one in exchange for a piece of candy (when she was a child) and she hated them so much that she couldn't even be tempted with something that was only a very rare treat.

I remember her cooking them once when I was in my teen years. She pared and sliced them into coins and then fried them in butter until they were golden brown on both sides. Oh my but there were lovely. She had been wanting to see if her tastes had changed. Alas . . . they hadn't and so that was the only time we ever had the opportunity to taste them.



As an adult I have cooked them frequently for I love them. They are delicious in stews and soups . . . mashed with butter and cream, roasted, glazed . . . any way you cook or cut them, I find them most delicious. They are well one of my favourite vegetables.



With the holidays I had quite a few of them in the vegetable bin . . . parsnips love nothing more than to be roasted and glazed and served with a roast turkey or beef . . . or ham and pork. I always get in lots because they are my favourite side dish of the holidays.



I did get in rather a lot this year though . . . but no worries for today I had enough left to make these delicious Parsnip Patties. Oh my but they are some good.



Crispy and buttery on the outsides . . . creamy and mildly spiced with a delicate flavour and sweetness on the insides . . . such a pleasure to eat.



I like to make a Cranberry Mustard to eat with them. I just whisk together equal parts of a wild cranberry sauce and Dijon mustard. It is the perfect accompaniment.



Of course you can make them a lot smaller for appetizer sized servings, about the size of a one pound coin or silver dollar will do. You'd get quite a few of these and of course would need extra oil for frying.



They are easy to make ahead of time and then just reheat in the oven when you want them. If you like parsnips, you're going to love these!



*Parsnip Patties*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Creamy and sweet on the insides, crunchy on the outsides. Delicious! I like to serve them with a Dijon Cranberry Mustard which I make by whisking together equal parts of a whole berry cranberry sauce and Dijon mustard.

8 to 10 parsnips, peeled and sliced into coins
1/2 tsp salt
boiling water
to finish:
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
a dash of cayenne pepper
1 medium free range egg, beaten
1 1/2 ounces fine dried bread crumbs (about 1/3 cup)

more dried bread crumbs for rolling
oil and butter for frying
snipped parsley for garnish

Cook the parsnips in the boiling water with the 1/2 tsp of salt until tender. Drain and mash well. Allow to cool. Stir in the first lot of bread crumbs and all of the seasonings, along with the beaten egg. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill well.

Scoop the well chilled mixture out using a small handful and shape into patties. Coat with the additional bread crumbs.

Heat a few TBS of butter along with an equal amount of oil over medium heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the parsnip patties and cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain and then serve hot along with some cranberry mustard. Delicious! Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Here is a little bit of tempting delicious for you today.   Celebrations Brownies.  A tasty way to use up some of those leftover Christmas chockies!

 

*Celebration Brownies*
Makes 15
Printable Recipe

Imagine a brownie so rich and gooey that you can’t help gasping with pleasure when you sink your teeth into one . . . now add the hidden surprise of your favourite chocolate candy bar deep inside it’s decadently rich, chocolaty depth . . . Yes, you have died and gone to heaven.

7 ounces butter (13.8 TBS)
3 ½ ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces (use really good quality, no less than 60% chocolate solids)
12 ounces dark soft brown sugar (1.69 cups)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 ounces self raising flour (2 cups)
Pinch of salt
10 ¼ ounce box of Celebration** chocolates, or other chocolates of your choice (Imagine Maltesers dotting the middle or a lovely layer of thin chocolate After Eight mints)

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Brush an 11 X 7 inch tin with melted butter and then life with greaseproof paper. Set aside.

Put the butter and the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering, but not boiling water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate, mixing it in well.

Beat the eggs together with the vanilla and the pinch of salt. Stir this into the chocolate mixture, mixing it in well. Sift the flour and stir in until well combined.

Un wrap the chocolates.

Pour half of the chocolate batter into the prepared tin. Lay the chocolates evenly spaced carefully over the top of the batter, making sure that there will be at least one in each portion that is cut. Pour the remaining batter over top, ensuring that all the chocolates are completely covered.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 30 minutes until the top is crispy and glazed looking but the insides are still soft. Remove from the oven and to a rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

**Celebration chocolates are a mixture we can get over here of small miniature chocolate bars such as Milky Way, Bounty, Mars, Snickers, etc. If you can’t get those use any favourite chocolate of yours. Malted milk balls sprinkled over the layer work quite well, as do thin chocolate mints. Chunks of caramel bar work equally as well. Let your decadent foodie imagination run free!

I think if you ask most women you will find that the one thing that is very dear to their heart is chocolate.  Oh, I know there are some exceptions to the rule, but in this house, for this woman . . . chocolate anything plucks the strings of my chocolate loving heart.

Here, today . . . for Mother's Day are some of my all time favourite Chocolate Desserts.  From the simple to the sublime . . .   Happy Mother's Day to all my UK Friends!

  

*Millionaires' Shortbread*
Makes 24 squares
Printable Recipe

These are fabulous. The three textures . . . crisp shortbread base, gooey caramel centre and the crisp chocolate shell on top make for a decadently moreish bar. Bet you can't eat just one!!

For the Shortbread Base:
9 ounces flour
3 ounces caster sugar
6 ounces butter, cut into bits
For the Caramel:
4 ounces butter
4 ounces soft light brown sugar
2 - 397g tins of sweetened condensed milk
For the chocolate topping:
7 ounces good quality plain chocolate




Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F. Butter a 13 by 9 inch swiss roll tin. Set aside.

Weigh the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it forms a dough. Press this into the base of the prepared tin, smoothing out evenly. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.

To make the caramel, place all the caramel ingredients into a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, still stirring, then reduce the heat to low and cook very gently for about 5 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened slightly. Do not stop stirring as the mixture will catch and burn if you don't keep it moving. Remove from the heat and pour over the cooled shortbread base. Allow to cool completely.

To make the chocolate topping, break the chocolate into pieces and place into a bowl that you have set over simmering water. (Don't allow the bowl to touch the water) Melt completely, stirring occasionally. Pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into squares or bars to serve.

Note - you can vary the chocolate topping by melting about 3 ounces of each, dark, milk and white chocolate separately. Drop by dollops onto the top of the caramel and lightly swirl together to cover. Leave to set before cutting.



*Chocolate Cola Cake*
serves 8
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist chocolate cake with a chocolate cola buttercream icing. Serve with a tasty chocolate sauce and some mini marshmallows for an extra special treat.

For the cake:
250g butter (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
250g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
300g golden caster sugar (11/2 cup)
3 heaped TBS cocoa powder, sifted
generous pinch of baking soda
200ml of cola drink (slightly more than 3/4 cup)
75ml milk (1/4 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream icing:
60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
200g icing sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups approx.)
2 to 3 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
2 TBS cola drink

For the sauce:
4 ounces heavy cream (1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
70g caster sugar (1/3 cup)
60g dark brown sugar, firmly packed (1/3 cup)
pinch salt
60g sifted cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

To serve: Mini marshmallows

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch loose bottomed round cake pan. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. Melt the butter and cola together. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently bur thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Beat together all the ingredients together for the icing until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugars together until they no longer feel grainy. Whisk in the cream and heat through. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.

Cut the cake into slices to serve. Sprinkle with some marshmallows and spoon some of the chocolate sauce over top.



*Chocolate Chunk Muffins*
Makes 8 muffins
Printable Recipe

Lovely big and moist muffins, chock full of delicious chunks of chocolate. Mmm . . . mmm . . . good!

180g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
150g of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
80ml of vegetable oil (1/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
80ml of milk (1/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 ounces of good quality chocolate cut into chunks (1 1/2 cup)
(I favour Green and Black's Organic Dark  Milk chocolate myself)



Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners. (Fill the remaining cups 1/4 with water to help prevent the pan from scorching). Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together. Whisk together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix only until the dry ingredients are moistened, without overmixing. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop, place one scoop into each lined cup. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Delicious warm or cold!

 

*Sea Salt Chocolate Snaps*
Makes 8 to 10 snaps
Printable Recipe

Sweet, rich, salty, crunchy . . . there isn't a sense these don't tingle!

100g (3 1/2 ounces) dark chocolate (You want a good quality one
with at least 70% cocoa solids. I used Lindt)
a good handful of shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
a handful of raw macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
7 or 8 cubes of candied ginger, roughly chopped
a handful of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
flakes of sea salt

 

Break the chocolate up and place it into a bowl. Place the bowl over simmering water, without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Leave alone without stirring for about 8 minutes. Halfway through the melting time, push the unmelted chocolate down into the melted parts. Turn out the heat and just let sit until it is all melted.

Line a large baking sheet with some non stick baking paper. Spoon out little disc shapes of the melted chocolate onto the paper, spreading it out thinly with the bottom of the spoon. While the chocolate is still warm, scatter the chopped nuts and fruits in combination over the chocolate. (Pistachio and cranberries are nice. Macadamia and cranberries are also nice. Macadamia and ginger is lovely as well.) Sprinkle a little sea salt over each.

Place the tray in the refrigerator to chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully lift from the paper and serve.

 

*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe
There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested.

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
Sifted icing sugar to serve




Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.

Beat the egg whites until stiff using clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.

Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.





*Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups*
Makes about 24 huge cookies
Printable Recipe

Double the pleasure. Double chocolate chip cookies, filled with a milk chocolate centre. Decadently scrummilicious!

220g of butter, at room temperature
201g of soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
191g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
1 TBS pure vanilla
500g of plain flour (3 1/2 cups)
1 tsp fine seasalt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
10 ounces of pure chocolate chips, semi sweet (1 1/2 cups)
To fill:
4 ounces milk chocolate chips (1/2 cup), melted

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease two medium size nonstick muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, salt and soda. Stir in the flour until well mixed. Stir in the semi sweet chocolate chips.

Using about 1 dessertspoon measure for each roll the dough into balls. Flatten half of them and place into the prepared muffin tins. Top each with about 1 tsp of the melted milk chocolate chips, taking care to keep it in the middle. Take another ball of dough, flatten it and place it over the melted chocolate and press around the edges lightly to seal the chocolate in. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the muffin tins halfway through the baking time. They should be lightly browned on the edges and set. Immediately upon removal from the oven run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen. Allow to cool completely in the muffin tins before popping out. Store in an airtight container.

Note: To serve as a dessert cup, lightly reheat the number of cookies you want in the microwave for a few seconds. Place each on a plate. Top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle with some chocolate syrup. If you have homemade so much the better!!

I have a fantastic chocolate sauce recipe here. It's the best!

 

*Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding*
Serves 12 (I have successfully cut this down to a third of a recipe)
Printable Recipe

Three little words . . . deliciously decadently MOREISH! May I add Nom Nom!!

For the Bread:
1 (1 pound) loaf of brioche or French bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
(About 7 cups, or 455g)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (57g)

For the Custard:
3 large free range eggs
3 cups of half and half (675ml of a mixture of half cream and half milk)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar (95g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cookie Dough:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (48g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1 TBS half and half or cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour (99g)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (180g, I used Green & Blacks milk chocolate, chopped)




Pre-heat your oven to 200*C./400*F/ gas mark 6. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and spread them out onto a couple of large rimmed baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the bread cubes into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Whisk together all of the custard ingredients. Pour this over the bread. Let stand for 30 minutes, giving it a turn every so often so that the bread absorbs the custard evenly.

Cream together the butter and sugars for the cookie dough until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cream. Mix in the flour and salt until incorporated. The dough should come together in large clumps. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Crumble half of the cookie dough over the bread in the dish and gently fold together until the dough is covered with custard and evenly distributed. Crumble the remaining dough over top.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until the top is puffed and golden brown and a silver knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from the Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis



*Fudge Walnut Brownies*
Makes 24
Printable Recipe

I wish I had a pound for every time I have made brownies in my life and for every new brownie recipe I have tried! I’d be a rich woman! This is my old standard that I return to every time. Moist and delicious with full on chocolate flavour, these are everything a good brownie should be! You can leave the nuts out if you wish, or you can add chocolate chips instead. They then become double chocolate fudge brownies!

8 ounces (1 cup) butter
140g (1 cup) plain flour
4 ounces good quality bitter chocolate
4 large free range eggs
400g (2 cups) sugar
1 TBS vanilla essence (YES 1TBS)
Pinch salt
60g (1/2 cup) cup walnut halves, broken into pieces




Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour the bottom of an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Tap out any extra flour.

Melt the butter along with the chocolate over low heat in a large pot. Allow to cool, then stir in the sugar, eggs (one at a time) vanilla, flour and salt, mixing with a wooden spoon and being careful not to over mix, no more than 50 strokes!

Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out a little wet if you want fudgy brownies. Bake until it comes out cleaner if you want cake type brownies, about 40 to 45 minutes for the fudgy ones. Let cool a bit before cutting into squares.

 

*Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Torte*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter and Chocolate are a marriage made in heaven. This is a tasty, moist brownie pie, just stogged full of peanut butter cookie dough. Oh so scrummy. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to serve if you dare!

For the Brownie part:
3 ounces continental style dark chocolate (at least 70%cocoa solids)
3 ounces butter (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
2 large free range eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
12 ounces of sugar (1 1/3 cup approx.)
6.5 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cups)

For the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough part:
8 ounces creamy peanut butter (1 cup)
2 ounces caster sugar (1/4 cup)
2.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
4 TBS butter, melted
2 TBS plain flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 large free range egg, beaten

Vanilla Bean Ice cream to serve (optional)




Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round baking tin and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the brownie batter. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan, stirring until smooth and amalgamated. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour. Set aside.

Cream together the peanut butter and sugars for the cookie dough part. Stir in the beaten egg, butter and vanilla. Stir in the flour.

Drop the peanut butter batter into the prepared pan in mounds spaced somewhat apart. Drop the brownie batter in between the peanut butter mounds. Drag a knife through to swirl the batters together somewhat and then smooth the top over.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until completely set and shiny on top. Allow to cool completely before slicing into wedges to serve. A scoop of vanilla ice cream goes very well!

I am still feeling really, really blah . . . I have no appetite and no energy.   I sure hope that I start feeling better soon.  This is no fun . . .