Triple chocolate mini muffins

These triple chocolate mini muffins are moist, delicious, oh so chocolatey and super easy to make. I can whip up a batch in 25-30 minutes end to end and there is no heavy labour involved and the results are fantastic.

You will need (makes 15 mini muffins):

1 cup of flour (I use wholemeal flour but all purpose white flour can also be used)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of pure unsweetened cacao powder

1/4 cup of white chocolate chips

1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons of oil (I use rice bran oil)

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:

Before you start assembling the ingredients turn on your oven and set it at 180C. This way, the oven will be preheated by the time the muffin mix is ready. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, cacao and baking powder, add the sugar and chocolate chips and mix well. In a smaller bowl beat an egg and add the milk, oil and vanilla extract. Mix well and add the wet ingredients to the flour and chocolate mixture, mix to combine, taking care not to over mix the batter and pour into paper cases or a muffin tin. You will get about 15 mini muffins or between 6-8 large ones.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes (for mini muffins) or 20 minutes for large muffins.

Enjoy them warm or cold - The choice is yours but I am quietly confident that it will be hard to stop at just one.

Mango lassi - yoghurt and mango smoothie

The other day while enjoying a dip at the beach on a sweltering Melbourne evening we bumped into a few friends. The kids and adults (included) had a great time and before long it was dinner time so we headed to a local Indian restaurant for a meal. Generally, I avoid eating out as much as I can as I prefer to cook at home and know exactly what is in my meal. But that is not the point of this post, my husband along with our friend and their boys ordered Mango lassi and he gave me a sip to try and I must say I was pretty disappointed. Even though it is peak mango season, they had (just like many other restaurants) used canned mango nectar. I often make plain lassi and mango lassi at home using home made yoghurt and fresh mango and you can really notice the difference. It is also very easy to make at home so I thought I would share my recipe. 


To make two tall glasses you will need:
1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
1 cup of natural yoghurt
1/2 cup of cold milk 
2 level tablespoons of sugar
Add the mango, sugar and half the milk in a blender and blend until the mango is completely blended. Add the remaining milk and yoghurt ( and ice if you prefer) and blend briefly. 

Pour into tall glasses and enjoy!

Peach and raspberry tart

I first made this free form fruit tart when I had some extra short crust pastry left over while baking some mince pies. Now, whenever I am using shortcrust pastry, I reserve the left over scraps of pastry to make a fruit tart by using any stone fruit or berries I have at home and end up with a bonus desert.

To make a small tart you will need:

Shortcrust pastry

1 peach

Handful of raspberries

2 teaspoons of raspberry jam

Yoghurt to serve

This really is one of the simplest deserts you can make. I use scraps of leftover shortcrust pastry, which I bring together and roll. However, you can also use a sheet of frozen shortcrust pastry ( to make 4 little ones, but will need to increase the quantity of fruit and jam).

Place the rolled pastry on a baking tray. Spread the raspberry jam (leaving a small border around the sides) and top with the sliced peach. Since the peaches are normally sweet, you do not need to add any extra sugar, however if you decide to use a tart fruit like plums, you may need to add some sugar or honey (that will also help caramelise the fruit).

Fold the edges of the pastry around the fruit and brush with some milk. Place in a 180 C fan forced oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Dust with icing sugar. I serve it with natural yogurt and some fresh raspberries, but it is also delicious on its own or served with custard or ice cream.

Choc almond tarts

This is one of the simplest yet moorish and delicious treats that I make for my family. Three simple ingredients, twenty minutes, a warm oven and you have a dainty and delicious treat for your table. No one will believe how simple they really are.

You will need

Shortcrust pastry (for these tarts, I use frozen shop bought pastry sheets)

Choc-hazelnut spread (I use my homemade version or Nutella)

Slivered almonds (hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamias etc. also work well)

I have not listed any quantities as they will depend on the size and the number of tarts you are making. I make little bite sized ones by using a mini muffin tin. To make 12, you need 1 sheet of pastry and 12 teaspoons of chocolate spread and nuts respectively.

Keep the sheet of frozen pastry on a flat surface for 10 minutes to allow it to thaw slightly. Cut out little rounds with a cookie cutter and place in a greased muffin tin. I use a lump of the extra pastry to push the circles into the mould so that I do not tear it with my fingernails. Line each mould with baking paper and fill with dry beans. Blind bake in a 180 C oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Add one teaspoon of chocolate spread into each mould and top with slivered almonds. Bake for a further 5-7 minutes or until the nuts are toasted. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy warm or cold. Perfect for afternoon tea, picnics, the school lunch box or to bring along to social get togethers.

As a bonus any left over pastry can be brought together and rolled out to make a simple fruit tart. 

Minced fruit pies

I generally make a big batch of mince pies around Christmas, they are great for entertaining or taking to work or my mothers group catchups. They freeze well as well. This year I made a batch of small bite sized ones (so that even the mince pie haters can try one), regular sized ones as well as a large #gluten free, #vegan pie (the recipe is available on my other blog allergenfreemum.blogspot.com which is dedicated to allergen free cooking). The fruit mix quantity mentioned  catered for 1 dozen small, 1 dozen medium and 1 large pie.  Depending on the number of pies you make, you may have some extra mixture left over, which can be refrigerated for later use. Alternatively, you can use it in a fruit cake or serve it with plain vanilla ice cream.

Fruit mix

1 cup of chopped sultanas
1 cup of currants
1/2 cup of chopped cranberries
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons of brandy
1 heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey

Short crust pastry (to make 12)

You can either use frozen shop bought short crust pastry sheets (which I have used in the past, but feel the pastry turns out dry) or make your own (the quantities can be doubled to make a bigger batch). You will need:

200 gm plain flour
1 tablespoon of icing sugar
100 gm cold butter
1egg
2 tablespoons of cold water

Egg wash

1 beaten egg, mixed with a little milk

Method

For the dry fruit mixture, mix all the ingredients together and allow to stand for a minimum of 20 minutes or overnight if time permits.

Make the short crust pastry by cutting the cold butter into small cubes and mixing it in with the flour. Add the sugar and beaten egg and bring the dough together. Use the cold water only if and as needed. Take care not to over work the dough. Wrap it in cling wrap and chill it for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper. If using frozen pastry, ensure it has thawed slightly. Use a cookie cutter to get the desired sizes and place into a greased muffin tin or pie tin.  Reserve some pastry for the pie tops. The pastry scraps can be brought together and rolled out later (but must be kept in the fridge to stay chilled)

Line the pies with baking paper, add some dry beans/ rice and blind bake in a 180 C oven for 10-15 minutes. The smaller the size of the pies, the less time they need in the oven. Remove the grease proof paper and dry bean filling and bake for a further 2-5 minutes.  Spoon in the mince fruit mixture, place strips of pastry on top, or use a star shaped cookie cutter to make little tops and place them on the fruit mix. Brush with egg wash and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy warm or cold. They are also delicious served with custard or ice cream.

Merry Christmas!!!

Fruit and nut cake

It's nearly Christmas, and at this time of the year I love a nice fruit and nut cake, but I hate the shop bought ones full of cheap glacé fruits - which have loads of sugar and nasty colours. Dry fruits are beautifully sweet already so do not need the extra sugar. I also buy organic and preservative free dry fruits which limits my options but most supermarkets have currants, sultanas, prunes, figs etc . available.  For my mix I have used currants, sultanas, dates, figs, prunes and cranberries. Sometimes,  I also add dried cherries (if I am lucky enough to find them). For the nut mixture, I have almonds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. You can also add pistachios or macadamias. This cake is alcohol free as I want it to be toddler friendly, but you can soak the dried fruit in a few tablespoons of brandy and either leave overnight to reconstitute or for a minimum of 20 minutes. Sometimes, I also use orange juice instead of the brandy but in this instance have eliminated that step.

You will need
2 cups plain flour
1 and 1/4 cup dried fruit
1 and 1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Glaze (optional)
4 tablespoons of fig jam
2 tablespoons glucose
1 tablespoon of water
Handful of nuts for decoration

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Now add the chopped nuts and chopped dry fruits.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs before adding the cream, milk and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix and pour the cake mix into a lined springform tin. Bake in a preheated 170°c fan forced oven for 50-60 minutes.

Once the cake is cooled, I make the glaze by heating fig jam, glucose and water on a low heat.  You can also use pear, apricot or peach jam, just by itself thinned down with a little water. Brush the warm glaze on to the cooled cake making sure the entire cake including the sides are covered. Decorate with the reserved nuts, the glaze helps the nuts adhere to the cake and I also brush some of the glaze on to the nuts to give them a beautiful sheen.

The cake keeps very well, that is if it is not devoured by your family and friends.

Happy holidays!!!

Banana and Walnut loaf

This is a super easy recipe and a favorite with my family and friends. It is easily adaptable and I often make different variations using different nuts or chocolate chips or plain with cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

10 walnuts, shelled and chopped (1/2 cup)

1 ripe banana

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the brown sugar and mix well, ensuring there are no lumps in the sugar. Add the chopped walnuts.

In a separate mixing bowl beat an egg before adding the milk, oil and mashed banana.  Combine all the wet ingredients and then add them to the dry ingredients. Mix together, taking care not to overmix the mixture, and add the batter into a lined loaf tin.

Bake in a pre heated oven (170c fan forced) for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The baking time depends on the oven, in my previous oven it would take 55-60 minutes, whereas in my current oven it is done in 45 minutes.

Cool completely before slicing.You can also use a cream cheese frosting to ice the cake, but I prefer to eat it plain with a cup of tea or lightly toasted with some butter. Keeps well for a couple of days in an air tight container.