goodie plates

(left point, up to right in rows...)

caramel fudge, chocolate caramel slice, clinker slice

brownies, white chocolate rocky road, chocolate truffles

salted cracker toffee slice, white choc chip and peanut cookies

every year without fail, my lovely mother makes goodie plates for family and friends, people she and dad work with  - and quite often some other randoms that she thinks deserve them. this year she wasn't here to do so, and when doug mentioned he would like to do something nice for the men he works with, i thought about it for a while and then decided that it must be my turn!

so two nights in a row, well into the night i baked and baked and baked and managed to have the trays ready for doug to shuttle to work this morning. done done done. and i was so (maybe a little too) pleased with myself. i truly felt like superwoman and thought how proud my mum would have been that i was keeping the tradition alive!

it was a lot of cutting as well - something i am sure i will perfect if i decide to have another go in years to come, as all mums slices seem to match perfectly, never ever have a cracked top - and sit perfectly on the plates when complete. hmmmm. we'll work on that.

and now... for the recipes! - mainly so i can find them when i want them, but just in case anyone wants to try any of these... they're well worth it!

caramel fudge

125g chopped butter

395g can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white choc chips

1. grease and line metal dish (side note, i just buttered the heck out of it, no lining used here - and it still came out okay with a spatula)

2. in a saucepan, stir butter, condensed milk, golden syrup and sugar together over a low heat until simmering (and sugar is melted!) stir constantly for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and golden brown

3. remove from heat, add choc chips and until mixture is smooth and chocolate is completely melted

4. pour into dish and refrigerate until set. slice with a hot knife into small squares.

chocolate caramel slice

base:

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

125 gms. melted butter

mix altogether and press into greased tin, bake at 160 about 15 minutes.

caramel

1 tin condensed milk

2 tablespoons of golden syrup

60 gms butter

melt altogether in a saucepan, pour over base and cook about 20/25 minutes. let it cool completely

chocolate top

125 gms dark chocolate

tablespoon of butter

melt together and pour on top.

chill but not too long only until firm, then cut into squares

tip onto a board and cut from the bottom with sharp knife

clinker slice

180g pkt clinkers

250g pkt malt o' milk biscuits

395g tin sweetened condensed milk

125g butter

250g block milk chocolate

1. crush biscuits and clinkers in a food processor and mix together

2. heat butter and condensed milk in saucepan on low

3. once melted mix with biscuit and clinker mix

4. spread into slice tray and allow to set in fridge

5. once set, melt chocolate and pour over slice - return to fridge to set

brownies

200g butter

1/2 cup cocoa

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup plain flour

2 eggs

1. grease a 20 x 30cm tin, pre-heat oven to 180 deg cel

2. put cocoa and butter in a big saucepan on a very low heat, melt gently and mix together. do not boil

3. add sugar and vanilla, stir very well

4. take off heat, sift in flour, stir it in

5. add eggs, beat in really well

6. spread mixture evenly in tin, bake for 20 - 25 mins

white chocolate rocky road

2 x bags white chocolate melts (i think they were 375g each?)

1 x bag 4 colour pascal marshmallows (cut into pieces)

1 x bag lolly bananas

1 x bag lolly raspberries (cut into pieces)

1 cup desiccated coconut (can be more or less to taste)

melt chocolate melts in low in microwave

add chopped lollies and coconut

stir well to mix

pour into greased lined pan

place in fridge to set

this is totally a make it up as you go recipe, add anything you want (within reason) and it works!

chocolate truffles

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 pkt (250g) milk arrowroot biscuits

2 cups desiccated coconut

crush biscuits finely in a food processor

add to milk and cocoa and mix well

take teaspoon sized amounts and roll into balls

roll in coconut

place on baking paper in fridge to set

salted cracker toffee slice

1 cup salted butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups choc chips

premium crackers

unsalted peanuts

preheat oven to 180 deg celcius

line a baking dish (i used a lasagne sized one...) with baking paper then grease the inside of the paper well.

lay a flat layer of crackers on the paper

melt sugar and butter in a saucepan until boiling.

reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, until it thickens and sugar is dissolved.

pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly.

bake for 8-10 mins, until toffee is bubbly

remove pan from oven and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.

sprinkle choc chips over, allow them to soften and melt and then spread them into an even layer.

sprinkle peanuts over top and top with ground salt to create a sweet salty flavour.

set in fridge then cut into slices.

peanut, white choc chip cookies

125g softened butter

1/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth doesn't matter...)

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

1/2 cup white choc chips

1. preheat oven to 180 deg celcius, cover oven trays with baking paper

2. beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and egg in bowl with electric mixer until smooth. stir in flour and soda, then nuts and choc chips

3. roll small balls of mixture and place on trays, flatten slightly with fork

4. bake for 12 minutes, then cool on trays