Pudding in a Mug

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips or flakes plus 2 tablespoon extra
• A small splash of vanilla extract
• 2 microwave safe mugs

 1. This recipe is for two mug puddings and therefore is made in two separate mugs. You can mix the entire thing in the mugs and therefore avoid any extra dishes except for the egg which I whisk lightly in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to the mugs, and mix well ensuring the there is no flour stuck at the bottom.
 2. Pour in the milk, oil, chocolate chips or flakes and vanilla extract and mix well. Whisk egg lightly in a bowl and pour half of the egg in each mug and mix well. Add the extra tablespoonful of chocolate chips or flakes on top of the batter. Cover with glad wrap.
 3. Do one mug at a time. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 1 minute on  medium heat.  Check on the consistency-it should be cooked but still moist and gooey. If it is still not cooked, microwave on another 30 seconds on medium heat. Remember, it will cook further on standing.

PORTUGUESE - STYLE CUSTARD TARTS

Ingredients:
4 sheets puff pastry
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornflour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup thickened cream
3 egg yolks, beaten
Freshly ground nutmeg
Icing sugar,  to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan forced. Lightly grease 16 1/3-cup capacity muffin holes.
Cut 4, 10cm rounds from pastry. Place into muffin holes.
2. To make the custard  place sugar & water in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring for 3 minutes.
3. Combine the cornflour, milk & cream & mix well.. Add the sugar mixture slowly, whisking continuously.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan & place over a medium-low heat. Cook stirring until mixture has just come to the boil. Set aside to cool.

Dominos

90g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup dark choc bits

1. Preheat oven to 180/160 fan forced. Grease & line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Use electric mixer to beat butter & sugar until light & fluffy & creamy. Add egg, beat well until combined. Stir in coconut & sifted flours.
3. Roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Use a rectangle cookie cutter to cut out domino shapes from the dough. Place 3mm apart on the trays. Use the back of a butter knife to mark, do not cut, a line across each rectangle. Press the choc bits into each domino square.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on tray before playing & then eating!

CHOCOLATE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

This cake is moist, rich & a definite winner!
If cinnamon isn't a favourite in your house, limit or exclude it altogether.

1 cup self-raising flour
2 tbspoons cocoa
1 tspoon cinnamon
1/2 tspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
100g dark chocolate, melted
1 cup grated carrot
225g crushed pineapple, drained

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease & line a 10 x 20cm loaf pan with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon & bicarb together in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut.
3. In a large jug whisk sugar, oil & eggs together. Whisk in chocolate. Stir carrot & pineapple through.
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Lightly stir in the pineapple mixture until combined.
5. Pour into pan, smoothing surface. bake 40-45 minutes, until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

TOPPING CHOICES
Beat 250g cream cheese in an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in 100g dark chocolate, melted & cooled & 1 cup sifted icing sugar & mix until combined
OR
Combine 250g dark chocolate and 1/3 cup cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove bowl from heat & spread over cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

DAIRY FREE, EGG FREE VANILLA CAKE
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/3 cup custard powder
1/2 tspoon salt
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tspoon vanilla essence
1. Preheat oven at 180°C (160°C fanforced)
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Combine the wet into the dry ingredients & mix until smooth.
5. Pour into a greased & floured tin & bake for 40 minutes.

Easter Leftovers

The best part of any family gathering is getting to taste all the wonderfully yummy desserts.
Better still is getting to take some home!

Yogurt Sugar Muffins

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups yogurt ( I used Coles Passionfruit Swirl)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
250g melted butter
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice


Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease 12 hole muffin tray.
Sift flour into a bowl & stir in 1/2 cup of the caster sugar.
Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together yougurt, eggs, vanilla & pour into well.
stir until just combines.  Mixture should still be lumpy.
Pour into muffin tray & bake for 30 minutes or until risen & springy to touch.
Brush the warm muffins with lemon juice & roll in the remaining caster sugar.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”- Charles M. Schulz

 XX HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY XX

Dark Chocolate & Berry Cookies
125g softened butter
2 eggs
3/4 packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb-soda
90g chopped dark chocolate
125g mixed berries or raspberries

In a small bowl, mix butter, eggs, sugar & vanilla until  just combined & smooth.
Stir in the sifted flours, cocoa & bicarb-soda into the butter mixture.
Add the chocolate & berries. Spoon mixture onto lined baking trays & bake for 12 minutes at 180°C.
Leave 2cm gap between each cookie. Allow to cool on tray for 5minutes. 
Individually wrap a cookie in baking paper & tie with coloured thread for a sweet gift.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

How Time Flies

'I wonder if you could possibly understand,

How hard it is for me to let you grow.

On this day know that my heart breaks,

For this is the first step in letting my baby go.'

 

 

 

 

Holiday Favourite

Every holidays the kids love making good-old-fashion-homemade PLAY DOH.
This is the quickest & easier recipe I've found.
NO COOKING INVOLVED!
ALL IN THE ONE BOWL!

1 cup flour
1/3 cup salt
1 tablesppon oil
1/2 cup water
food dye

What a lovely way to start the day...

Blueberry & Lemon Pancakes

1 large egg
1 1/2 lemons juiced
1 grated lemon zest
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
20gm butter, melted, plus additional melted butter for cooking.
220gm self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 punnets of blueberries, roughly chopped

In a bowl whisk together the egg, the lemon juice & zest, the milk, the brown sugar & butter.
Add the flour, the baking powder  & the salt & whisk the batter until it is just combined.
Stir in the blueberries.
Heat a pan over moderate heat & brush it with some additional butter.
Pour the batter onto the pan & cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to a plate and keep them warm.
Serve the pancakes with the syrup, yogurt or extra blueberries.

Just PEACHY!

Once again our peach tree has given us a more-than-we-can-eat supply of peaches.
So yep, here's it is...

Upside Down Peach Cake

6 peaches (halved and peeled)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water 

120g butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven to 180°F 

Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round cake pan or spring-form pan.
Place peaches cut side down in a large pan with brown sugar, vanilla and water.
Simmer 5 minutes. Cool.
Combine butter and sugar and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. 

Add flour, salt and syrup from cooked peaches; beat until blended.
Place peaches cut side down in prepared pan; top with batter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
(I made 4 individual cakes with this recipe)