christmas baking

it's lucky this baking got done this year to be honest... i have delayed it over and over, dougs dad is in hospital - and it just felt like it was all too much to actually get it done... but i persisted and pushed through and the western power boys got their treats! yay!

it's been a while since i have shared all the recipes on one post - so stay tuned, they are all following...

merry christmas boys! 

top left: brownies

top right: peanut choc chip cookies

second row: mars bar slice

third row left: fudge 

third row right: salted cracker toffee slice

fourth row: apricot and white chocolate slice

fifth row: chocolate rocky road

sixth row: chocolate truffles

bottom row: white chocolate rocky road

Brownies

200g butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

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. melt butter in a big saucepan on a very low heat, add brown sugar, allow to melt a bit and mix together. do not boil!!

3. add cocoa 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

Peanut 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 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

Mars bar slice

50g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

200g (ish) Mars bars (use the fake ones! They totally work) finely chopped 

3 cups rice bubbles

200g milk chocolate

20g copha

1. Grease and line the base and side of a slice tray

2. Combine the butter, golden syrup and 3/4 of the Mars bars in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until Mars bars and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

3. Place the rice bubbles and remaining Mars bar in a large bowl. Add the Mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Place the chocolate and copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water, stir until chocolate melts. Pour chocolate over the top of the slice to evenly coat. Set aside until to set. Cut into squares to serve.

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

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.

Salted cracker toffee slice

1 cup salted butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups choc chips

premium crackers

unsalted peanuts

1. 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.

2. Lay a flat layer of crackers on the paper

3. 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.

4. Bake for 8-10 mins, until toffee is bubbly, then remove pan from oven and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.

5. Sprinkle choc chips over, allow them to soften and melt and then spread them into an even layer. Sprinkle peanuts (optional!) over top and top with ground salt to create a sweet salty flavour.

6. Set in fridge then cut into slices.

Apricot and white chocolate slice

250g packet scotch finger biscuits (crushed in a food processor)

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup desiccated coconut

395g can condensed milk

100g chopped butter

1/2 packet white chocolate chips

50g melted white chocolate

1. Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm slice pan with baking paper. 

2. In a large bowl, combine biscuit crumbs, white chocolate chips, apricots and coconut. 

3. Combine condensed milk and butter in a medium saucepan. 

4. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until smooth. 

5. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. 

6. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. 

7. Chill until firm. 

8. Drizzle top with cholate, then chill again until set.

Milk chocolate rocky road

500g melted milk chocolate

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped peanuts

1 bag pink and white marshmallows (halved)

1pkt coles honeycomb squiggle biscuits (chopped)

1 pkt party mix lollies

1. Melt chocolate on a low heat in microwave for short intervals until completely melted and smooth.

2. Mix all ingredients into melted chocolate and pour into prepared tray, refrigerate until just set and then cut into bite sized pieces. 

(really the sky is the limit, you can add pretty much anything you want... glace cherries, any kind of nuts, honeycomb, biscuit chunks... let your imagination run wild!)

Chocolate truffles

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 pkt (250g) milk arrowroot biscuits

2 cups desiccated coconut

1. Crush biscuits finely in a food processor

2. Add to milk and cocoa and mix well

3. Take teaspoon sized amounts and roll into balls

4. Roll in coconut

5. Place on baking paper in fridge to set

White chocolate rocky road

2 x bags white chocolate melts

1 x bag  marshmallows (cut into pieces)

1 x bag lolly bananas

1 x bag lolly raspberries (cut into pieces)

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 packet gingernut biscuits (chopped into pieces)

1. Melt chocolate melts in low in microwave

2. Add chopped lollies, biscuits and coconut, stir well to mix

3. Pour into greased lined pan and place in fridge to set

(As with the other rocky road recipe, this is totally a make it up as you go recipe, add anything you want (within reason) and it works!)