wpc christmas goodie plates

it's that time again - and i have slaved away for countless hours in the kitchen in order to plate up the western power good trays for 2020.

this year i did a few new ones - including a licorice allsort slice, a white chocolate and cranberry slice, a timtam hedgehog slice and a caramilk rocky road - along with my standard chocolate truffles, choc chip (santé) cookies (this is the standard edmonds recipe, but mine are a little different as below), chocolate rocky road, brownies, caramel fudge, salted cracker toffee (and peanut butter pretzels and kisses to boot, but i can't take credit for those.)

Licorice Allsort Slice 

Ingredients

125 grams Butter, diced

½ Cup Brown Sugar, Packed

½ Tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (180ml)

1 Cup Licorice Allsorts, sliced in half

1 x 250g Packet of Milk Arrowroot Biscuits (crushed) 

Icing

1 1/2 Cups Icing Sugar

1 Tablespoon Butter, Melted

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

2-4 teaspoons Water

(If making Lemon Icing, add zest of one lemon and use the lemon juice in place of the water.)

Instructions

Lightly grease a 25 x 25 cm slice tin, or prepare with baking paper, and set aside.

Using a food processor, crush the biscuits to a fine crumb and set aside.

Slice the licorice allsorts and set aside.

In a large sauce pan add the butter, brown sugar and condensed milk and heat gently until the butter has melted but do not boil, remove from the heat.

Add the crushed biscuits and licorice allsorts to the saucepan and combine well with a large wooden spoon.

Pour into the prepared tin, press mixture down firmly and smooth with the back of the spoon and then aside and prepare the icing

 

Icing

In a medium bowl add the icing sugar, melted butter and vanilla and stir to blend.

Add water a teaspoon at a time, stirring well, until you have a thick but pour-able consistency.

Spread this over the prepared slice, give it a jiggle to settle the icing.

Place in the fridge to set, or overnight, then slice and store in the fridge until needed.

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White Chocolate and Cranberry Slice

 

Ingredients

1x pkt 250g milk arrowroot biscuits, crushed

3/4 Cup (75g) Desiccated Coconut

½ Cup (75g) Dried Cranberries

155g White Chocolate

100g Butter, cubed

395g Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

 

Chocolate Topping

190g White Chocolate

1 tsp Vegetable Oil

 

Instructions

Prepare a 25cm square slice dish or baking tin with baking paper

Using a food processor crush the biscuits to a fine crumb

Add the biscuits to a large bowl and add the coconut and cranberries.

Use your fingers to mix to ensure no lumps of con-joined cranberries are in the mixture and set aside.

In a large saucepan slowly melt together the first measure of white chocolate, butter and condensed milk, stirring often to ensure it does not catch until butter completely melted and ingredients blended together.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add to this the crushed biscuits, coconut, cranberries and mix thoroughly.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and using the back of a large spoon or damp hands spread it around and flatten mixture until it is completely smooth and packed tight.

Put the biscuit base in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes while you prepare the topping

Place the chocolate in a medium sized microwave proof bowl. Heat for 30 second bursts, stirring in between until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the oil to the chocolate and combine well, then pour over the cooled biscuit base. (The Oil is to prevent the topping from cracking!)

Place back in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight until set

Bring the slice to almost room temperature before slicing to ensure it does not crack.

Slice using a sharp knife & store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

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 TimTam Hedgehog Slice

Ingredients

250 g milk arrowroot biscuits

2 x 200 g packs Tim Tam biscuits

200 g butter

3 tbsp cocoa powder

⅓ cup desiccated coconut

395 g tin sweetened condensed milk

200 g milk chocolate

Method

Line a 20cm x 20cm square baking tin (which has high sides) with baking paper.

Roughly chop 6 of the Tim Tams into large pieces and set aside until needed.

Place the plain biscuits into a food processor and blitz until they have just broken up. Add the remaining whole Tim Tams and blitz for 5 seconds or until they have broken into large chunks. Place the crushed biscuits into a large bowl and set aside.

Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan and add the butter and cocoa. Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the ingredients have combined.

Pour the condensed milk mixture into the bowl with the crushed biscuits and add the coconut. Working quickly, use a large metal spoon to mix the ingredients together.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and flatten the surface with the back of a spoon.

Break the milk chocolate into squares and place it into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave on high for 30 second spurts (mixing in between), until it's just melted. Pour over the top of the slice and sprinkle the Tim Tams you set aside earlier over the top. Place the slice into the fridge for 6 hours (preferably overnight) to set.

Once set, remove the slice from the tin and cut into pieces.

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Caramilk Rocky Road

 

Ingredients

2 x 180g bars Caramilk chocolate

100g roasted almonds (I used the 190g chocolate coated almonds from Woolworths)

100g white marshmallows

100g Maltesers

 

Instructions

Melt the Caramilk chocolate in the microwave in a large glass bowl in 20 second bursts. 

Pour in the almonds, marshmallows and Maltesers then mix together with the chocolate. 

Line a 20 x 20 cm tray with baking paper and pour in the chocolate mixture.

Push the mixture right to the edges.

Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until set. 

Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before you want to cut into bite sized pieces.

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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

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Santé cookies

 

​125g butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

¾ cup desiccated coconut

¾ cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Few drops of vanilla essence

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC (Fan Forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cream together the butter, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking powder and mix into the creamed mixture, followed by the chocolate chips.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls, place on the prepared tray and flatten with a fork.

Bake for 12 minutes until golden. Leave on the tray for 1–2 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool. 

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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!)

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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

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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.

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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.

top - salted caramel cracker slice (with christmas sprinkles this year haha)

and brownies below.

white chocolate and cranberry slice

i got photos of these two newbies when they were cooling, but forgot to get one with the topping on, which is probably better anyway, considering they would have just been white then, they look much better when you can see the fillings.

licorice allsort slice

edmonds sante biscuits

chocolate truffles

caramilk rocky road (omgosh, this was amazing, i will absolutely be making this again and i may eat the whole lot on my own!)

milk chocolate rocky road

plating/ packaging in process... 

and ready for delivery!

my first one went to clackline and was plastered on the internet by a very grateful bestie who was busy making her christmas cookies.

we had so many this year (totally becoming famous) that we filled up the esky and worked out the shortest route through ellenbrook to drop them all off. worth the effort though, we are always met with so much love... i'll keep going just for that!