Coconut Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Fudge

I can't believe I saved this in my folder but forgot to publish. This actually went into my little goodie packs for Christmas in 2013! Having said that,  it was also a very nice refreshing little treat to have in our freezer/fridge on hot summer days.

There is never a time when it is too hot for chocolate right?

I did this after I realised that coconut milk and chocolate goes SO well together. In all honesty, I think I need to experiment with this a little more because it becomes really soft in the heat. I believe I did not add enough chocolate for it to harden. In the freezer though, it becomes like a bite size chocolate crunch ice-cream.

That works for me too. ;)

Coconut Chocolate Pistacho Cranberry Fudge (around 16)
400 ml coconut cream
300 grams dark chocolate

1/4 cup of cranberries
1/4 cup of shelled pistachios

Simmer coconut cream till it becomes warm. Melt chocolate in it. Stir till it thickens- this will take around 20 minutes. Cool and place in moulds sprinkle pistachios and cranberries in it. Cool in fridge or freezer.

Peppermint Patties

Has it been a good Christmas for you? It certainly has for us. We started the day with church- Lasted 2 carols before I went into the cry room with cranky Asher. We had a lovely lunch with family members and just chilled for the afternoon. Presents were opened through the day rather than in one sitting. I promptly stored away some of Asher's toys for future use and let him enjoyed some of his new rattles and smaller items. Looking at the photos, he is one blessed baby!

I'm a little behind in my posting but I figured out better late than never. Every year around Christmas, I have the urge to make sweets. Maybe it's the season, but I feel that it just calls for something sweet to end the day with. I have been really good lately and am very close to gaining back my pre-pregnancy weight, and so have been experimenting with healthy sweets.

Speaking of which, it does feels good having my strength back. I'm not 100% back yet but just feeling more like myself is great and very close to where I was. You know how they say breastfeeding helps with weight lost? Well, it kinda did nothing for me until I start exercising. I mentioned this before but this experience has taught me to appreciate my body and read myself better.

Back to this little treat. My husband LOVES coconut. I wasn't a coconut lover before but is now a convert. I stumbled to this blog and found a treat that he loves in a much healthier version. I was delighted and made this just for us. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of honey but I added only 1 tsp and found it was sufficient for us. A Christmas after dinner mint.

Peppermint Patties (I made 14 and adapted from Meaningful Eats)
1 cup of desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons of coconut cream
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/2 tsp of peppermint essence
1 tsp of honey
100 grams of lindt dark chocolate

In a food processor, blitz coconut, cream, oil, honey and essence together. It will form a paste. If it is too dry, add a few tsp of water. Shape them into little balls using a teaspoon and pat them into patty shapes. Freeze them on a baking tray lined with paper for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in microwave. Using a fork, place each patty into the chocolate coat it and place it back on tray. Fridge it. Eat after 1 hour. Store in air tight containers in the fridge.

Gluten Free Healthy Christmas Cakes

Counting down to our first Christmas with Asher. I LOVE Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Christ, presents and sparkling lights- what not to love? So far, we bought him a little outfit, did up our tree and bought a Christmas ornament with his name and year on it.

Oops- except I nearly left him off my Christmas list for presents from us. Ha! Talk about mummy brain. Lucky Asher probably wouldn't remember much for his first Christmas. At least there is still time to get something by the time I remembered.

I'm a little stingy as a mum. Truth be told, I really think that babies do not need that many toys before they turn 6 months. We have a play gym, a few gifted rattles and a swing (also 2nd hand)..and oh perhaps 2 toys which keeps him entertained when doing his tummy time. Often, I find that hubby and I are his entertainers as he prefers looking at us making funny faces and talking to him.

After 6 months though, I think children do need some form of stimulation but oh mind! The range is mind blowing. What a find balance between not going over the top versus trying to select the right toy for him. Finally, we decided that he can have 2 outfits and a small pram toy as his gifts. We did decided on n activity table but that will only arrive a few weeks later.

Every year, I try to make edible gifts for some friends and family. I think muesli one year and roasted nuts last year. This year, I decided to do a mixture- grabbing every precious hour that I can get in between Asher's play time. This is one of them.

This is actually my favourite. Christmas cake. Yes, it is a fruit cake during other times of the year but it is a Christmas cake in my books in december. I soaked mixed fruits in DOM a week before and got on with it. Teresa Cutter is my inspiration as usual as I mix and match my own version of this little gift. I reduced the fruit amount (to reduce sugar content), and added baking powder to create a lightness. Hers is certainly more dense than mine but I'm a fan of hers all the same.

Gluten Free Healthy Christmas Cake (Makes 30 mini cakes)
800 grams mixed fruit (I used a mixture of raisins, cherries, cranberries and sultanas)
1.5 cups of DOM alcohol 

6 eggs
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 orange juiced and zest
2 tsp of vanilla paste
3-4 tsp of cinnamon (Because I love cinnamon at this time of the year)
2 tsp mixed spice


4 cups of almond meal
1/2 cup of mixed nuts
2 tsp of baking powder

50 grams lindt dark chocolate melted

Preheat Oven to 180C. Line muffin trays with liners. Marinate mixed fruits at least 3 days, but a week will be better before making the cake.

Mix fruits, eggs, oil, juice, vanilla paste, cinnamon, mixed spice together. Fold in almond meal and baking powder. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes till brown.

Cool little cakes. Melt chocolate and use a fork to drizzle chocolate over these little cakes.

ps- do not waste chocolate. I like to roll strawberries or cherries onto the sides of the jar i use to melt chocolate in! ;)

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Christmas Cake Chocolate Balls

What do you do with leftover Christmas cake? I blogged about my hazelnut Christmas Cake last week and due to the massive amount of cake I baked, we had a few slices left. Christmas cake keep well and it would last forever in the fridge really. However, I was looking at a recipe for rum balls and thought, hey, I could probably make a version of it using christmas cake rather than cookie crumbs or store-bought chocolate cake!

I did not add rum, but you could if you have some. I used some milk to moisten the mixture instead. Then I rolled in with some chocolate sprinkles. I would have used nuts, but I realised my granulated nuts wasn't fine enough. However, I am sure you could rolled it in some cocoa powder to make it truffle like or even some coloured sprinkles!

I love to see my friends reactions when they bite into these. They were probably expecting rum balls and on first bite, they realised it was filled with kalua soaked fruit!!! They taste better after resting a day in the fridge.

Christmas Cake Chocolate Balls 
Any quantity of cake you have left
around 2-3 tablespoon of milk or more if mixture appears dry. You can add rum or any liquor
chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder

Crumble cake. Then moist it with milk. Using clean hands, roll it up into little balls and rolled it on a plate of sprinkles or cocoa powder. Rest in fridge for an hour or two or even overnight before serving.

Hazelnut Cranberry Christmas Fruit Cake

Oops! I am a few weeks late with posting this cake. Nevertheless, it is never too early to prepare for 2012's christmas right? Well, I sure wish I will be more organised this year.

Truth be told, I have not made a Christmas Fruit cake in years. The last time I made it, I had the patience to soak the fruits in DOM or brandy if you have any in October. Then, I baked the cake in November and stored it in the fridge, patiently brushing the cake with liquor every week to ensure that it is a booze filled cake by the time it was Christmas time.

I did not know how I found such patience!

As this year, we get to celebrate Christmas in Perth, I thought I should make something. Getting into the baking mode, I found a hazelnut Christmas cake recipe from Taste.com. I adapted a few things, including adding in cranberries and using Kalua instead of Frangelico (I simply did not have it in my kitchen).

The result was a rich, fruit filled cake. Even though the recipe called for a 9 inch cake tin (Or around 22 cm), I found that there was enough batter to make 10 more mini cakes! It was certainly a very generous recipe. I am sure you could even use your muffin tin if you do not have one of those mini loaf tin like mine.

Bite into a rich, juicy fruit cake with the crunch of hazelnuts..yum. I want Christmas again!

Hazelnut Cranberry Christmas Fruit Cake
500 grams of mixed fruit
100 grams of glade cherries
400 grams of cranberries
1 cup of Kalua or Frangelico

250 grams butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of mango marmalade or lime if you have any
6 eggs lightly whisked
150 grams of crushed hazelnuts, toasted
2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of self raising
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
2 tablespoon of kalua, extra

Soak fruits in 1 cup of kalua overnight.

Preheat oven to 150C. Line a 9 inch cake tin and oiled a muffin tray or mini loaf tray.

Beat butter and sugar together. Add eggs, and marmalade. Add in all the fruits. Fold in both flours and cocoa powder. Finally fold in hazelnuts.

Spoon in cake tins. Bake for around 1 hr for the mini loaf/muffin, and 1.5 to 2 hours for the cake. Test with a skewer (that if it comes out clean). Remove from oven and cool slightly before brushing it ith extra kalua or frangelico. COver with foil and set in pan to cool completely.

Christmas Cinnamon Cranberries and Walnut Muffins

How time has flown by and we are onto Christmas already!! Are you ready for it yet? I don't feel that I am!

I find these muffins a real easy treat to make. It's good to bring to last minute gatherings that you have been invited for this festive season. I love experimenting with olive oil and this recipe uses just that. It gave my kitchen a very festive feel when it is out from the oven.

The best thing about these? I really like the sprinkle of brown sugar and walnuts as a topping. It makes them just a tad more special.

Oh my, I still have so many treats that I want to make! Looks like these posts would have to be for after Christmas (or maybe a New Year treat?).

Nevertheless, I'm hoping that you are having a fantastic Christmas this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Cinnamon Cranberries and Walnut Muffins (Makes 12)
200 grams cranberries
300 grams self raising flour
100 grams brown sugar
80 grams walnuts or half a cup
2 tsp ground ginger
1 giant tablespoon of ground cinnamon
185 ml butter milk
80 ml of olive oil
1 egg

1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2-3 handful of crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 180C. Place wrappers on tray or muffin tin.

Combine flour, cranberries, all spices and walnuts in a bowl. Whisk oil, egg and buttermilk together. Pour into well of dry ingredients. Fold through. Spoon into wrappers/muffin tray.

Combine remaining brown sugar and walnuts. Sprinkle some on each muffin. bake for 20 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookies

I can assure you that usually I am very organised. I love things being in order and I love to plan ahead. In fact, all our meals are planned way in advanced for the week.

When it comes to baking however, I seem to rely on the "I feel like baking" mode. That has it advantages of course, but it means I usually do not have every single ingredient or tools I need in my kitchen. Take these gingerbread cookies for instance. You may have known them as Gingerbread MEN. However, somehow, in my cookie cutter collection I do not have a gingerbread man cutter!!

I recall that d from Daily Affairs gave me a set of Christmas cutters before. I look through them..Nope.. No men. Oh well, but they are gorgeous. With bells, christmas tree, stars, snowflake..etc. I thought oh well, I shall turn them into gingerbread cookies instead. Did I mention that I have nothing to decorate the cookies with except for icing sugar?

My decorating skills isn't the best but I have to say that a drizzle of icing does make a difference. One thing I like about this recipe is that it is not overly sweet. They are slightly crunchy with a chewiness to them.

I'm not usually a fan of ginger-things related but even I am getting into the mood thanks to hubby. Oh and I think I'm finally back to the baking Christmas mode.

Hopefully, with more prepared ingredients!

Gingerbread Cookies
125 grams butter
90 grams brown sugar
120 ml golden syrup
325 grams plain flour
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1 tsp of ground cinnamon


Icing
1 egg white
1/2 cup of pure icing sugar

Preaheat Oven to 180C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Beat butter, sugar and golden syrup. Fold in egg yolk then flour, ground ginger and cinnamon. Fold it through well. Then using hands, knead it till it becomes smooth.

On a floured surface and rolling pin, roll dough out. Using christmas cutters-or if you are better organised than myself, use a gingerbread man cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Ice them and eat!

Christmas Bake- Cinnamon Cranberry Choc Chip Bites

A belated post as I made these little bites before I left for SG/KL. Christmas is a season of giving and on most years (since I started baking), I would try to make something small as a giveaway to neighbour, friends and colleagues. This year, I was not very ambitious and chose a familier recipe as a base to work from. My Cranberry Chocolate Oat Cookies was inspired by Little Corner of Mine. Since then, it gave me the confidence to work olive oil into bakes.

This year Christmas bake is similar and incorporates touches from Choc Chip, Peanut Butter and Cranberry Cookies. Well, I guess I used the idea of adding pepita for a festive touch. Not forgetting Cinnamon of course!

Cinnamon Cranberry Choc Chip Bites (Makes around 50 cookies)
(A)

2 egg, beaten

250ml Olive oil

1.5  tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 cup of sugar

(B)

2 1/2 cup self-raising/rising flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup cranberries 

1/2 cup of pepitas

1 tsp of Cinnamon powder

Method:

1. Mix (A) in a bowl. Add in (B). Mix well.

2. Use your hands, roll and press into balls. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake at preheated 180C oven for 15 minutes 

4. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in air-tight container.

Merry Christmas 2010!!

Wishing Everyone A Blessed Christmas! Christ Love is upon us!!!

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Cranberry Cookies

Usually at around this time of the year, I start looking at recipes to make some Christmas Cookies for friends and ourselves. This year, I spotted this recipe and thought I could give it a go. Afterall, it has peanut butter in it!!


It was a tad too soft for my liking, though we totally did enjoy it. AR likes the touch of pumpkin seeds which has the added crunch to it. 

I  baked it for an additional 5 mins just to make it more crisp... I suspect though that with the high content of fat from peanut butter, it make it crumbly but not crisp. pr maybe... just maybe.. it's because i ran out of almond meal and used flour!

If you like your cookies crumbly, this one is for you!

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Cranberry Cookies ( makes around 45) Taken from Australia House and Garden Magazine
250 grams peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/3 cup of honey
2 eggs
1/4 cup light olive oil
2 cups of almond meal(I forgot so i added flour instead!)
1/2 cup of dark choc chips
2/3 cup cranberries
2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

Preheat Oven 175C. Mix nut butter ad honey. Add eggs, oil and combine. Fold in almond meal, choc chips and cranberries.
Place tsp of mixture onto baking tray lined with paper. Flatten slightly and press pumpkin seeds into it. Bake 15-20 mins. Cool and store.

Holidays!

Woohoo! The holidays are upon us. While we celebrate this festiveness, rest assured I will be back soon with even more fabulous ideas and adventures. I will attempt to update periodically- good food galore! So come back to check.


Here is wishing everyone a  

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A FABULOUS NEW YEAR!

Christmas Dinner- The Australian Classic Pavlova!

Oops.. this post is way overdue but I have no idea why time passes sooo quickly as one gets older. Darn!



on Christmas day, we were invited to a lovely family potluck dinner. It's quite a mix and match-with people bringing all kinds of food (i.e. steamed yam cake, sticky date pudding muffins, prawns, bee hoon, fried rice, glutinous rice, sausages...etc). Not forgetting the classic....Baked Ham with a Chinese twist (honey 5 spiced baked ham!)



What I enjoyed most? Looking at the children's faces as they open their presents.

My contribution? Classic Australian Pavlova of course. In all honesty, this was the first time I made a pav so I was really nervous about it. Especially after seeing the great pav of Have your cake and eat it too and Lyrical Lemongrass. Still, I wouldn't say my first attempt is an absolute failure...

Pav was sitting sooooo pretty in the oven when I removed it the next morning. And the itcy hands of mine decided to assemble it 1 hr BEFORE the the dinner.



First lesson learnt- Having abit of patience and cutting fruits into smaller pieces AND placing less fruits on pav reduces the chance of it being smashed..

Second lesson learnt- There is a reason why it is best to assemble the pav just before serving!

Third lesson learnt- *knock daphne's head*- pav, cream and heat doesnt go together. The fridge is your best friend at that point.

Forth Lesson learnt- Thou shall not transport pav with toppings. Keep them seperate. Be prepared for a destructed pav if you do so.

Well well, at least the pav was crisp on the outside and mashmellowy on the inside.



Apperance doesnt matter as much right?

:p



Pavlova
4 Egg whites
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 tsp of white vinegar
3 tsps of corn flour

1) Preheat oven to 150C. Line baking tray and draw a 7inch circle on it.

2) Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat will till glossy and stiff. Sift cornflour and fold through vinegar.

3) Spoon meringue mixture onto baking paper. Place in oven and reduce temperature to 120C. Cook for 1 hr. Turn oven off and leave it to cool overnight in the oven.

4) To serve topped with freshly whipped cream and fruits. Serve immediately.

1 day to Christmas- Christmas Dom Fruit Cake

What is your Christmas list?

Would it be a puppy? a Kitchen aid? or perhaps a diamond ring?

One of my favourite songs is My grown up Christmas list a cover by Kelly Clarkson. There is something about this song that get me in the spirit somehow. It's a song that reflects on giving and receiving. It's about how life is alot more than material gifts and how I take things for granted easily.

One of the things I take for granted is how blessed I am to have loved ones by my side. This year has been painful-and I have witness and experience losing close ones. It did taught me a lesson though, it made me realize that we should always cherish the people beside us.

Then the economy meltdown that has been happening around us. I can't help but feel for others who are affected by it. As it hit home (like literally), the tightening of our belts somehow trigger memories of when we first dated-where money was really scarce but the walks in the parks and the laughs we had were far more precious than what we cannot afford.

Dreams-that's what it was. Dreams always get us going isn't it? And somehow, Christmas time made me dream more. It's contagious I think. And Dream is a goal with a time line attached to it isn't it?



What do you dream of? a car? a house? Maybe something bigger like volunteering without worrying about finances? What about a cure for Autism? Or perhaps greater money being placed for interventions for Autism... or more intervention for families in need?

And then we have life simple's pleasures. Food. What is Christmas without good food? Seafood? Roast? Turkey? Honey Baked Ham? Maybe a slice of Dom infused fruit cake?

So besides my very grown up Christmas List- My bake for this year Christmas is Dome Fruit cake! My grandma bought me a bottle of DOM liqour and has been encouraging me to use it somehow...and since I have been procrastinating about doing my Christmas baking this year-I decided to use whatever I have in the kitchen.

In fact, I was quite generous while marinating the mixed fruits and glace fruits with Dom-TWO full cups for 5 days! WOAH! Now that's suppose to be lethal right?

But for the final product.. my grandma said "NOT strong enough" DOH DOH DOH!

Having said that, the fruit cake passed her quality inspection-and it was moist enough. I loved it!



Christmas Dom Fruit Cake (Adapted from Australian Women's Weekly Food We Love)
2 cups of DOM
3-4 cups of mixed fruits and mixed peel
1-2 cups of mixed glace fruits (I love glace cherries so I was really generous with them!)

250grams of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
5 eggs
1.5 cup of flour
1/3 cups of self raising flour
1-2 tsp of mixed spice

1) Marinate fruits with DOM for 5 days.

2) Lined square cake pan and preheat oven to 160C.

3) Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs slowly. Fold in sifted flours and mixed spice.

4) Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the marinated fruits and mixed well. This will prevent the fruits from sinking.

5) Fold fruits into flour mixture and spoon to cake pan.

6) Bake for 2-3 hours (Mine was done in 2 hrs!). Cool.

7) Slice and serve with some custard orrrr... cherries!! =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! =)

My Grown up Christmas List
Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with all childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now and still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas List
not for myself
But for a world in need

Chorus* No more lives torn apart That wars would never start and time would heal all hearts And everyone would have a friend and right would always win and Love would never end, no This is my grown up Christmas List

As children we believe
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely wrapped beneath a tree
But heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal a heart ached human soul

Repeat *

What is this illusion
Called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief
Can we ever find the truth

Repeat *

4 Days to Christmas- Christmas Cookies and Dark Chocolate Turkish Macademia Rocky Road

Last year this time, I participated in FoodBlogga's Christmas Cookie event-baking cookies for our engagement party as an entry. This year, I decided to write about little goodie bags that I have prepared for our friends and neighbours.


The first item in the goodie bag feature a Christmas cookie (duh!). Thanks to Ruth-my best friend from SG who kindly forwarded a cookie cookbook (Gorgeous Biscuits from Periplus Mini cookbooks) as a surprise gift for my birthday earlier this year. Using the basic cookie recipe, I cut the dough up using some Christmas cutters given to be by Singairishgirl and her little girl! Thanks dears!! Then I sandwiched these giant cookies with some caramel or peppermint icing.



The rocky road was inspired by the Australian Women's Weekly. Who can resist the combination of turkish delight, dark chocolate and roasted cinnamon macadamia nuts? I can't. It is a slight twist from your usual coconut chocolate rocky road but certainly as rich if not richer. Small amounts of these is potent.

Christmas Cookies

Basic Biscuits
250grams soften butter
3/4 cup of caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups of self-raising flour.

1) Preheat Oven to 160C. Line baking trays.

2) Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat till well combined. Fold in flours to form a soft dough.

3) Turn dough into a sheet of baking paper and cover with another sheet. Roll out to 5mm thick.. using biscuit cutters, cut out shapes and place on trays. Bake for around 10-15 minutes. Cool on tray before placing on wire rack. Cool completely before icing.

Peppermint Icing
2 cups of icing sugar
5-6 tsp of hot water
1 tsp or less of peppermint essence.

Sift icing. Add hot water and essence and stir well. The filling will be runny but stiff enough to be spreadable.

Caramel Filling
30 grams butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk

Place all in a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute till mixture thickens. Cool then spread on biscuit! Sandwich them =)

Dark Chocolate Turkish Delight Roasted Macadamia Rocky Road


500 grams dark chocolate
350 grams rose almond Turkish delight-chopped
250 grams marshmallows-chopped
150 grams of cinnamon roasted macadamia nuts crushed

1) Melt chocolate over pot of boiling water. Fold in Turkish delight, marshmallows and macadamia nuts. Spread on lined trays. Fridge for 2 hrs or so. Serve with hot coffee! =)


Thanks to Foodblogga who is hosting the Christmas Cookie Event!