Baking – 3and3quarters

May 7th: Mum’s Chewy Chocolate Slice!

If you already couldn’t tell, I love baking! And there’s nothing better then to make a classic recipe you grew up with your mum making!

So I thought, in lieu of Mother’s Day coming up tomorrow, I’d share with you a wonderful memory from my childhood and of my wonderful Mother in the form of this delicious Chewy Chocolate Slice!

Enjoy!

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You will need:

125g (4 ounces) of melted butter

220g (1 cup) of brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or essence)

75g (1/2 cup) of plain/all-purpose flour

35g (1/4 cup) of self-raising flour

2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder

40g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut

For the chocolate icing you will need:

160g (1 cup) of icing sugar

2 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder

10g (1/2 ounce) of melted butter

1.5 tablespoons of hot water (approx.)

Method:

First, preheat the oven to 180C or 350F. Grease a 20cmx30cm slice pan and then line it with baking paper, extending it about 5cm (2″) over the sides.

Combine together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl.

Neatly sift the two flours and the cocoa powder over the wet ingredients and then gently mix them together.

Add in the coconut and stir to combine.

Carefully spread the mixture evenly into the pre-prepared tin and then bake for about 30 minutes or until it is firm to touch.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Add in the melted butter and hot water and stir until it becomes a spreadable consistency.

While the chocolate slice is hot, evenly spread over the chocolate icing, finishing it with a sprinkle of some extra coconut.

Allow the slice to cool in the tin before cutting it into 12 or so slices, depending on how you choose to cut it!

Store the slice in an airtight container for up to a week.

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I always get such a huge rush of nostalgia when I make (and eat) this lovely slice and I really hope you enjoy making it!

Happy Baking, Friends!

Inspiration: Baking Day by The Australian Women’s Weekly.

May 2nd: The World’s Most Delicious Banana Bread!

Here’s a fab little recipe to get your week on track!

Over the weekend, we had a very sad looking bunch of bananas that begun ripening way too quickly before we could even contemplate eating them! Boo!

So what better excuse than to use the best Banana Bread recipe that I’ve come across in years! (A highly subjective opinion of course!!) And big bonus: It tastes great too!! It’s super dense and moist, rich in flavour and colour and is surprising (and quite satisfyingly) crunchy around the edges!

This recipe has been sourced from one of my favourite baking books…

Baking Day by The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Here’s what you’ll need…

1 cup of mashed (overripe) banana (I used four smallish bananas but you can use two larger ones)

1 cup (220g) of brown sugar

2 eggs

40g (1.5 ounces) of melted butter

1/2 cup (125ml) of buttermilk (use full cream milk as an alternate)

1/4 cup (90g) of treacle (you can also use golden syrup or honey)

1.5 cups (225g) of plain/all-purpose flour

1 cup (150g) of self-raising flour

2 teaspoons of mixed spice

1 teaspoon of bi-carb soda (baking soda)

And now to make…

First, preheat your oven to 180C or 350F. Grease a 14cmx21cm (5.5″x8.5″) loaf tin and then line it with baking paper, extending it about 5cm (2″) over the sides.

Next, combine the mashed banana, brown sugar, both eggs, the melted butter and buttermilk as well as the treacle in a large bowl.

Gently sift both of the flours, the mixed spice and bi-carb soda over the wet ingredients and stir them together. Try not to over mix – the lumpier the better!

Carefully pour the batter into the pre-prepared tin and place it into the oven to bake for about 1 hour.

Leave the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack so that it can cool.

This hearty banana bread can be served as is or toasted with a dollop of butter and accompanied with a hot cup of tea!

Serves 10-12 (depending on how generous you cut your slices!)

Happy Baking, Friends!

Festive White Chocolate Fudge | December Diary

Ooo, are you ready for a last-minute, deliciously sweet and naughty treat for your Christmas table?? I think I may just have the recipe that will top your day off! It’s simple. It’s easy. And it’s delicious!

This silky smooth fudge is packed full of juicy ruby-red cranberries, festively green pistachios and lashings of snowy white shredded coconut!

The ingredients:
400g of white chocolate
400g tin of sweetened condensed milk
150g of unsalted butter
1 cup of desiccated coconut
1 cup of shelled & chopped pistachios
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

The making:
First, break up the chocolate into a large heat-proof bowl and then add the condensed milk, butter and vanilla.
Slowly melt this all together over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
Take the bowl off the heat and carefully stir in the coconut, pistachios and cranberries.
Pour the mixture into a paper-lined tin that measures 20cmx30cm (8″x12″) and then evenly smooth the top using a flat spatula.
Place the tin full of fudge into the fridge for about four hours (overnight is best!) to set.
Finally, remove the fudge from the fridge and cut it into small squares using a sharp knife.

Enjoy!!

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I wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and hope you enjoy the day with family, friends and your community!

Thank you to each and everyone of you for your amazing support and lovely words when it has come to my blog and YouTube channel this year! You’ve made my year one that will always mean so much to me! I really couldn’t ask for better friends than what you all are to me!

Merry Christmas, Friends!!

September 9th: Baking Day!

Happy Hump-Day!

We’ve made it to the middle of the week and now we’re on the down-hill to the weekend! Yay!!!

Today I thought I would share with you a most beloved and favourited recipe of mine that I absolutely love to bake as the warmer Spring days slowly come back into our lives!

And that recipe is… Shortbread! Usually, I make it with a good handful of orange zest, but today I was feeling brave and choose to see how well it tastes with lemon zest instead! (Oh!! The fresh sweet smell of lemon filling my kitchen was just simply devine!) By adding the lemon or orange zest, it will just give the Shortbread a lovely subtle fresh fruity flavour that will make you go back for more and more!

So here’s how to make this delicious and fail-safe Lemon Shortbread!

You will need:

To make:

Begin by preheating your oven to 150C/300F/gas2. Then butter well a square slice tin measuring about 22cm or 9″.

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream them together using a wooden spoon until it looks light and fluffy.

Add the plain flour, cornflour and lemon zest to the buttery mixture and gently fold them together with your spoon. Then get your clean hands into the bowl and mix until you have a lovely smooth dough.

Place the dough into your buttered tin and press it evenly throughout the tin and into the corners using your fingers. (The rougher looking the better!) Before popping it into the oven, grab a fork and prick the surface all over.

Place it into the oven for about 50 minutes until the top of the Shortbread is looking lightly golden brown.

While the Shortbread is still oven warm, cut it evenly into squares and sprinkle a generous amount of caster sugar over the top.

This Shortbread is best enjoyed with a lovely hot cup of tea!

Recipe adapted from one by Jamie Oliver called ‘The Best Shortbread in the World’ from his book, Cook With Jamie, published in 2006.

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Let me know if you’re going to give this recipe a go! Even if you’re not the best chef in the kitchen, this Shortbread is insanely easy to make and just as easy to eat as well!!

Happy Baking, Friends!!

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