Tastebud Dancing Chocolate Mint and Raspberry Cake

This last week I have been testing out my new food processor I got for Christmas. I am in love with it, it is so versitile. You can make practically anything in it. Well yesterdays cooking was a Chocolate Mint and Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Cream Icing. Seriously people, this cake was nice. Little A ate most of ours and then she ate half of her friends piece.We ate this outside under the shade of a large tree while the girls were in the pool splashing about. Summer in a nutshell.

 Here is the recipe, give it a go and tell me how it works out for you!

125g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups Healthy Baker self-raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup milk  

4 mint sticks

double cream, to serve

1.      Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6.5cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Line with baking paper. Using a food processor, beat butter, sugar, 1 mint stick, broken and raspberries until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Use the Quad Blade.

2.      Sift half the flour and half the cocoa over butter mixture. Add half the coconut. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, cocoa, coconut and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool

To make the chocolate cream icing just whisk together cream, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp icing sugar till desired thickness and spread over cooled cake. The place the rest of the mint sticks onto the cake as decoration.

Little A's First Christmas

This year was my beautiful Little A's first Christmas. She was dressed as a pudding and looked ever so cute. Little A got very spoilt from family and friends and she had a fantastic day, though she liked the paper more at first than the presents. Here are a few photos

Yummy Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you've all had a great holiday!! 

This year I recieved a pancake maker and it makes the best pancakes.

Here is a recipe I made this morning.

           Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Honey Lady Honey

         Ingredients:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1/4 cup choc chips
• pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk with 1teaspoon vinegar/lemon juice
• 15gm butter, melted

1. Method:
2. Sift flour, salt and bicarb into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add sugar, egg, milk, choc chips and melted butter. 
3. Stir mix until it is a smooth batter, adding more milk if very thick
4. Spoon mixture into the pan/ pancake maker to make 6cm round pikelets. 

1. 
   For my topping I had Honey Lady Vanilla honey. It is the best honey in South Australia!!!
   
    

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Mouth Watering Italian Herb and Cheese Bread

I love my bread maker even though I don't use it as much as I would like to. My favourite recipe is the Italian herb and cheese bread. It always turns out and you can adapt the recipe for any tastes you have. I made some IHC Bread the other day and omg it was fantastic! So light and fluffy the taste dances on your tongue.

Ingredients:            

Water, warm                                        180ml (455gr loaf)   250ml (700gr loaf)
Butter/Margarine Softened                2 tbsp  (455gr loaf)   3 tbsp  (700gr loaf)
Sugar                                                   2 tbsp  (455gr loaf)   3 tbsp  (700gr loaf)
Salt                                                      1 tsp  (455gr loaf)   1 1/2 tsp (700gr loaf)
Italian Seasoning                                2 tsp  (455gr loaf)    3tspn (700gr loaf)
Cheese, grated                                    1/2 cup (455gr loaf)  3/4 cup (700gr loaf)
Plain Flour/Bread Flour                    3 cups (455gr loaf)    3 1/2 cups (700gr loaf)
Powdered Milk                                   1tbsp (455gr loaf)     2 tbsp (700gr loaf)
Active Dry Yeast                                 1 1/2 tsp (455gr loaf) 2 1/2 tsp (700gr loaf)

Method:

Mix your water and yeast together and put into the bread machine. Then add all your dry ingredients and process according to your bread maker. Just make sure during the kneading phase that you watch the dough consistency. Add more flour or water till you are happy with the dough.

Spaghetti in Tomato and Plum Sauce

I made spaghetti tonight and it was delicious. I made it a little different than usual as I added a bit of the plum jam I made the other day to the mixture. It turned out fantastic!! I love using things that have been created in my kitchen to make even better foods. Here is the recipe:

Spaghetti in Tomato and Plum Sauce

Ingredients:

500g of minced meat

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp of plum jam

1 jar of tomato pasta sauce of your choice

Spaghetti of your choice

Method:

1. Put onion, jam and mince into a fry pan and mix till the onions soften, the jam melts and the meat is cooked. 
2. Add sauce and stir well.
3. Boil water and cook the pasta till al dente. Drain pasta and mix into the sauce.
4. Grate some cheese and serve.

Jam from Heaven - Plum with a hint of Chili

I was given a 2lt tub of plums last night so today I made some more jam for the cupboards as well as making Little A some food. Last plum season I made a really nice batch of plum jam but I wanted something a touch different for this seasons batch so I added a touch of chili paste. It tastes so good! Even Little A likes it.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5kg plums, de seeded

1 large lemon, juiced

1 large apple, finely chopped

700g sugar *

1 1/2 tsp Thai Red Chili Paste

1 cup of water

Method:

1. Place apples and water in deep pot and boil till apple is soft, topping up water if you have to. Then add plums, lemon juice, chili paste and bring to the boil.  (save lemon halves and put into the pot to boil)
2. When plums are breaking up take pot off the heat, discard lemon halves and add the sugar. Stir till well combined and put back on the heat and boil.
3. Stir frequently till the jam mixture has set (when it falls like sheets off a spoon back)
4. Fill warm sterilised jam jars with mixture and let cool for a few hours. Jam can be eaten straight away.

 * The original recipe called for 1.2kg of sugar but I cut that in half and added the apple as I don't like too sweet jam. If you are a fan of really soul sucking sweetness, then add the orginal sugar and take out the apple :D

I hope you enjoy!!!

Yummiest Rice and Veggie bake ever!

I wanted some finger food for Little A, so I decided to make a veggie bake yesterday. It has all sort of yummy goodness in it and taste so very nice. 

Ingredients:

•   1/2 cup medium-grain rice
•   1 half pumpkin, grated
•   1 large zucchini, grated 
•   1/2 onion, chopped 
•   1/2 cup of mushrooms, chopped
•   1 cup of sweet potato, grated
•   1 cup grated tasty cheese 
•   1 Tsp of red Thai curry paste
•   3/4 cup self-raising flour
•   3 eggs
•   1/2 cup milk ( I used Oat Milk)

                         Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) lamington pan. Line with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang at long ends
2. Cook rice following packet directions. Drain. Cool for 20 minutes.
3. Cook onion and mushrooms in a small fry pan with the Thai paste till onions are translucent.  
4. Combine rice, sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, cheese and flour in a bowl. 
5. Whisk eggs and milk together in a jug. Add to rice mixture. Stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Stand in pan for 20 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces. Serve.

Little A loved this and so did I! Highly recommend it. If you wanted to add a bit a diced bacon to the mixture I think it would be even better!!

Written by Tarran J