Puddle Cookies

I found this recipe on Stone Soup.  They didn’t look like the ones from the Stone Soup recipe but they tasted ok. 

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Original Recipe by Stone Soup.  Adapted Recipe and Pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients:

155g dates, chopped into small pieces.

225g icing sugar.

30g Cocoa Powder

1 x teaspoon vanilla extract

2 x Egg whites

Method:

Preheat oven to 160C..

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.

Spoon into 2 tablespoon piles on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper.

Leave heaps of space between – they’re really going to spread.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until they have puffed up and cracked on top.

Cool on the tray.

Little Chocolate Pots

Neither a Mousse nor a Custard but somewhere in between, this recipe is old fashioned but classic.  You can add orange, cinnamon or even chilli.  The choice is yours.  Enjoy!

Recipe and picture by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients:

200g Chocolate (I used 100g dark and 100g plain chocolate)
1 x Teaspoon Vanilla Essence.
4 x Medium Eggs, Seperated
1 x Teaspoon Creme Fraiche
4 x Chocolate Buttons

Method:

Melt the choclate over a pot of simmering water.
Beat the egg yolks and add the vanilla essance.
Add the egg  yolk mixture to the choclate and mix well.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold onto chocolate mixture.
Transfer to little ramekins.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours,
Just before serving, add the creme fraiche and garnish with chocolate buttons.

Chocolate Parfait

This recipe was taken from Ainsley Harriott’s “Just Five Ingredients” recipe book.  It’s best to make this in advance as it needs to be frozen for at least 4 hours but ideally over night.  I was really impressed with the way this turned out – it was extremely delicious.

Original Recipe by Ainsley Harriott.  Adapted recipe and pictures by Amanzi-Fundu.

Ingredients:

450g Chocolate (I used half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate)

4 x Egg Yolks

100 g Caster Sugar

600ml Double Cream

Grated chocolate and Strawberries to garnish.

Method:

Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water.

Stir until smooth and allow to cool.

Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until light and fully.  Set aside.

In a third bowl beat the cream until it stands in soft peaks.

Carefully stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture.

Fold in the whipped cream.

Line a loaf tin with clingfilm.  Spray and cook it or grease it lightly.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.

Cover with clingfilm and freeze for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.

Remove from the freezer about 20 mins before serving.

Turn out onto a plate and peel off the clingfilm.

Dip a sharp knife into hot water and cut into slices.

Garnish with strawberries and grated chocolate.

Enjoy!

Magical Mini Chocolate Cakes

These mini chocolate cakes are awesome.  They are easy to make, taste delicious and you don’t use any flour! 

Original recipe by Stone Soup.  Adapted and pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

50g Chocolate

40g brown sugar

40g butter

1 x egg, separated

Preheat to 180C (350F).

Grease 4 x ramekins.

Melt the chocolate and add the sugar.

Add butter, egg yolk and 2 tablespoons boiling water and stir for another few seconds, until well combined.

Whisk egg white with a pinch of salt in a clean, dry bowl.

Gently fold chocolate mixture into the white foam until only just combined.

Divide mixture gently between the prepared ramekins. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

 Cool then serve with ice cream or custard.

Hot Chocolate “Affogato”

I love hot chocolate so knew that I’d be making this recipe when I saw it.  An Affogato is usually coffee based but this recipe calls for chocolate.  Yum!

Original Recipe by Stone Soup.  Pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients:

1 x cup whole milk

70g x dark chocolate

2 x large scoops vanilla ice cream

Method:

Place milk in a small saucepan and heat until almost boiling.

Meanwhile break your chocolate into very small chunks.

When milk is hot remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate, stirring until it is all melted.

Place a generous scoop of ice cream into 2 glasses and divide the hot chocolate between two glasses.

Serve immediately.

Deep fried Mars Bars

Deep fried Mars Bars.  Have you ever since your life?  Having never tried them I decided to see if I could make one.  They are really easy to make and they tasted quite strange yet very nice at the same time. I think they’d be really nice with a bowl of vanilla ice cream.. maybe next time!

Pictures by Amanzi Fundu

Ingredients:

2 x Cups oil (or enough to deep fry)

2 x Small Mars Bars

¼ Cup Flour

2 x Cups prepared batter

Toffee Sauce

Method:

Heat the oil in a pot.

Dip the Mars Bars into the flour and shake to remove any additional flour.

Dip in the batter and ensure that they are evenly coated.

Place (carefully) into the hot oil.

Cook for about a minute.

Remove from oil, place on a plate, drizzle with toffee sauce and serve immediately. 

Chocolate Clafoutis

As a newly found family tradition, Wednesday and Sunday nights are pudding nights at home.  I’m not very good at the whole pudding / baking thing but I am getting better.  I found this recipe on Stone Soup which is one of the blogs that I follow.  The actual pudding was really nice but you definitely need to serve it with ice cream if you are using dark chocolate.  Enjoy!

Original recipe by Stone Soup.  Adaptation and pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients:

40g Plain flour

40g Brown sugar

2 x eggs

1 x Cup Double Cream

50g Chocolate (I used dark and milk)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

Grease 2 x 1 cup capacity ramekins or cups with butter or oil.

Combine sugar and flour in a mixing bowl.

Add eggs and cream and whisk until combined.

Divide chocolate between ramekins

Pour batter into the prepared ramekins.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until clafoutis are puffy and risen like a souffle and deep

golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

A belated Christmas get together

My friends, Kelly PM, Sandra, Kelly PG and Darren were supposed to come for dinner before Christmas but we had to cancel it because of the snow.  We eventually got around to getting together and I decided to make Spaghetti.  I also made them cross stitch keyrings using the first letter of their names and their favourite colours.  My mom also came so in total there were 9 of us.  The entire meal cost me £12.00 which I thought was really good as it's still a long way till pay day and I am having to watch the pennies. 

Main Course:

Spaghetti with Tomato, Chorizo and Bacon

Dessert:

Chocolate Mousse

Splodge

Home made bread

Home made Salad dressing

Salad



They key rings that I made




Add a chocolate heart




Wrapped up




Ready to garnish




Spaghetti




Chocolate Mousse and slodge




Home made bread - hand made.




Home made bread





Home made salad dressing

 

Rum & Date Chocolate Truffles

I finally decided to make some truffles.  They are easier to make than I thought and the added dates took me back to my primary school days.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

300g Chocolate (200g milk, 100g dark)

4 x Dates, diced

2 x Teaspoon Rum

2 x Tablespoons Clear Honey

250 ml Double Cream

30g Cocoa Powder

30g Icing Sugar

Method:

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl over simmering water.

Stir until the chocolate as it gently melts.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Mix the dates, cream, rum and honey together.

Fold in the chocolate.

Chill the mixture for at least 3 hours.

Take small pieces of the mixture and roll between your fingers to form balls.

Mix the icing sugar and cocoa together and coat each truffle.

Pop them into truffle cases and refrigerate.

Please note:

Before rolling the truffles, rinse your hands in cold water to stop the chocolate from melting.

Should make between 25 – 30 truffles.

Will last for up to a week in the fridge.

Chicken, Chocolate and Special Friends.

I invited my friends, Kelly PM, Sandra, Kelly PG, Darren and Angie over for dinner.  As I was working during the day I decided to make things that were quick and easy.  We had:

• Chicken Casserole and Rice
• Macaronni and Cheese (for the kids)
• Chicken Salad (for those of us watching what we eat)
• White and Brown chocolate brownies with ice cream
• Home made bread
• Garlic bread
• Salad - minus the cucumber.

Coconut and Chocolate Cookies

I made cookies for the boys at work.  Some of them were cut using a cookie cutter.  The others were rolled.

Ingredients:

3 x cups of flour, plain

2 x teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ cups sugar

2 x eggs

½ cup butter

2 x teaspoons vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat the oven.

In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat the eggs and vanilla and add to the butter and sugar.

Slowly add the flour mixture.

When it forms a stiff dough divide into 4 parts.

Roll each part out using a rolling pin.

Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter.

Place on lightly greased baking trays.

Bake for 10 mins

Please note:

For the coconut cookies add 1/2 cup coconut.

For the chocolate cookies add 4 tablespoons coco.

Cosmopolitans, Chihuahua Chicken, Chocolate and Friends

I invited some friends over for dinner last Saturday night.

I made Chicken in a Basket (whole baby chicken and chips), Salad with garlic and chilli sauce and a double layered chocolate mousse for dessert.

Cosmopolitans

Ready to rock and roll

Chicken and Chips

Plating up

Double layered chocolate mousse

So much chocolate so little time..

I made a garlic, lemon and herb marinade for the chicken and I thought it was really nice.

I called it “Chihuahua Chicken” because my daughter decided that the chickens were small – just like Chihuahua’s!  Don't you just love the innocence and sweetness of children?

We had a lovely evening and consumed lots of alcohol - apple sours, tequila, cosmo's and mimosa's... :-)