nutella truffles

Ingredients:
285 semi chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate morsels)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped






Method: 1.In a double boiler over barely simmering water, combine chocolate, butter, heavy cream and Nutella. Heat until chocolate is melted. Stir until you have a smooth mixture.
2. remove from chocolate mixture from heat and allow it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes
3.whisk in vanilla and frangelico.
4.Pour mixture into a shallow dish (example: 8x8 pyrex dish) and cover with plastic wrap. 5.Refrigerate for about 2 hours. If you refrigerate longer than two hours, the mixture will be too hard to work with. If this occurs, allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until they are pliable enough to work with.
6.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7.Using a small scoop (2 teaspoons) or a melon baller, scoop out chocolate mixture, roll into one inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue with remaining chocolate mixture.
8.Roll balls in chopped hazelnuts.
9.Refrigerate truffles until ready to serve.

chocolate and strawberry tacos

Ingredients:

For the Macerated Strawberries:

• 1/2 cup strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 orange, juiced

For the Cookies:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, or half a cup
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup flour
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, good quality

For the Filling:

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup chocolate ice cream
• 1/2 cup whipped cream
• 6 ounces chocolate, melted

Method:

For the Macerated Strawberries:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and allow to sit in fridge until needed. Stir occasionally.

For the Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
4. In a medium bowl combine the flour and cocoa powder. Mix well.
5. Now pour the wet ingredients from the saucepan into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
6. It’s easier to work in small batches for these cookies because they need to be hot to form the shape. Before you start to cook them, take out two to four wooden spoons, or any utensil with a round handle. Set them up on the counter so they are elevated.
7. I take two cups and invert them about 4 inches away from each other, then lay the wooden spoon across the top. That way it makes a sort of balance beam for the cookie to rest on to form it’s shape. I set up 2-4 at a time. Then I have a couple of plates nearby lined with paper towels so its soft for the cookies to sit on till needed after they are formed.
8. Make two cookies at a time. Spoon a small amount of the batter onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, spooning the dough onto the farthest end. Then do the same on the opposite end. The dough melts and spreads like no one's business, so make sure to allow room for it to spread.
9. Pop the cookie sheet in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. Take cookie sheet out and use scissors to cut the parchment paper in half, it will make it easier to remove cookie and form the shape.
10. Once you cut the sheet in half, take the first cookie and, working quickly and carefully, place it over the handles you rigged up earlier. It will hang over top and naturally form a moon shape, or taco shape. You can help it out by using your hands but work quickly, these things dry and harden fast.
11. Do the same thing with the second cookie. Allow them to set up for a few minutes, til cool, then remove each one from the spoons and place carefully on the paper towel lined plates.
12. Now you need to repeat this until all the cookies are shaped into taco shells. I was not kidding about it being tedious, but it’s totally worth it.
13. Once all the shells have cooled, you can start to assemble the tacos.

To Melt the Chocolate:

1. You can either place it in the microwave for about 2 minutes, checking it every 30 seconds. Or you can use a double boiler method.
2. I typically fill a small saucepan with water, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Then I set a heat proof glass bowl over top (do not let the bowl touch the water) and pop the chocolate inside in broken pieces.
3. This melts it evenly and keeps it smooth while you work on other elements.

To Assemble Chocolate Tacos:

1. Place each taco on a plate.
2. Scoop a little bit of each ice cream flavour inside.
3. Pile on some whipped cream.
4. Toss some strawberries over top.
5. Then drizzle with chocolate.

IBS friendly coconut granola bars.

Okay peeps, Nothing like just throwing it out there, right. I swear I feel like I am defined by my IBS. It rules my life. It makes all my decisions for me. It has become my master. This bugs the crap out of me. No pun intended. Okay, so maybe a little pun intended.Lately I’ve had some huge epiphanies about my illness. On a recent trip I learned not everyone is going

to accept me being so open about my illness. I’ve been hospitalised before with complications so I’ve learned it’s always best to let people know about IBS. I’ve been known to black out from pain on occasion. So it’s always best to be up front with people.Unfortunately IBS is an illness many people do not take quite understand, nor do they take it seriously. So instead of feeling relieved and at ease for speaking up, I end up feeling horribly uncomfortable and alienated. That is IBS. Every. Single. Day.Many people do not understand it. Lots of folks do not realize the intense pain that comes with having it. They are not aware of the side effects that come with medications. Or the feelings a person gets of being different, the odd man out in any social situation. 

You see IBS comes with lots of stress. If you have it you probably understand what I’m talking about. The constant worry over whether you should eat while out in public. I mean an attack can happen at any time, right. The endless planning where the bathrooms are. The amount of planning that goes into having an exit plan everywhere you go. Let’s not even get started on how painful an attack can be, so you are constantly worrying about having one that will double you over in public. Or worse yet, you completely black out from pain. Yet people trivialize it, make fun of it, and make you feel horrible for having it. You start to feel like you’re walking around with a huge sign on your back. “Kick me while I’m down”, because living with IBS is not hard enough. That’s how it feels. Every. Single. Day.The good news is there are also lots of folks who do understand it. There are so many people who have it, or similar issues. It’s always nice to talk to someone else who suffers from it. You start to feel like you’re not alone. You feel like other people get it. That can be a powerful thing.I’ve learned so much in recent weeks about myself, my illness and other people. I do not want to be defined by my IBS. I don’t want it to be the only thing I can talk about. I do not want to feel like it’s controlling my life. I want to be in control of my own life. I want to walk out of the house and not have a back-up plan.I’ve learned my absolute biggest trigger is stress. Not the big kind of stress, it’s the little things. I am very careful to avoid stress, to surround myself with positive people, and to not look at the big picture in life. I do not handle getting overwhelmed very well, it can spiral me into an attack very easily. I tend to be very OCD about things, and I’m a total control freak. If things are not in their place my stress level rises.  It’s part of the reason I was not posting as much in recent months. I have found coconut to be very healthy for my IBS. I was diagnosed when I was 18 after quitting my job due to stress 3 days later I was worried because of all the pain I was getting, worried it might be bowel cancer as my uncle died of it. A year later they said I had IBS, tried every kind of pill to help it calm down no luck, so after learning about the coconut and what it does I tried it and since then I have had no pain since *fingers crossed*

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup rice syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

Method: 

1. Spray a 10 x 15" baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Stir the first five ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until combined.
3. Now add the remaining ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until well combined. The mixture should resemble stiff cookie dough.
4. Now transfer the mixture to baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes on the counter.
5. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
6. Place baking dish in oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top should be golden brown.
7. Cool completely. Then slice into bars.
8. Store in an airtight container. Or shove them in your face while still hot like I did.

oreo ice-cream cake

• 
  

• Ingredients:
• 4 cups oreo graham crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 L vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 L Cool Whip, divided
• 300 g package of Oreo Cookie, divided
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup hot fudge sauce

Method: 

1. In a large bowl combine the oreo graham crumbs and the melted butter. Mix thoroughly, and then press into mini spring form pans. Tamp the crumb mixture down, the bottom of a glass works, so does the blunt end of a honey dripped. Whack it down till it packs tight. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer combine the ice cream and about ¾ of the tub of cool whip. Whisk until combined.
3. Place about ¾ of the cookies in a ziploc bag, take a rolling pin and whack the crud out of the bag until you break the cookies into small pieces. Now toss those pieces into the mixer. And good luck with this step, if you're like me you've inhaled about half the bag of oreos by now.
4. Mix the oreo pieces and ice cream mixture till fluffy, add the almond extract and give it another whir till it's mixed in.
5. Now before you pour this, right into your mouth if you're anything like me, let's go grab that hot fudge sauce. Don't even try to pretend you don't hide a jar in your fridge. We all do it. Just own it so we can move on.
6. I want you to heat the sauce, but only slightly. It should be barely warm, just loose enough to spoon out. Take this mixture, while trying to resist drinking it straight from the measuring cup, and spoon it over the oreo crumb base. Do not try to smooth it, that will create the crumbs to lift back up. Just pour the hot fudge sauce over randomly. It you want it more even, just swirl the dish around a bit.
7. Now pour the oreo ice cream mixture over top. Smooth the tops.
8. Place in the freezer for about 4 hours, or even overnight.
9. Remove from freezer and top with remaining whipped cream. Then top each one with a cookie.

home-made marshmallows

i have been enjoying marshmallows since i have been old enough to chew. i have never been really picky as to what types of marshmallows i will indulge in. I'm content with them straight out of the bag or melted between two graham crackers. when i decided to make my own hot chocolate mix as an edible gift idea. i thought that homemade vanilla marshmallows were only a natural accompaniment. i mean whats hot chocolate without the marshmallows, right?
these marshmallows has such a rich and velvety texture- i could not stop making hot chocolate as an excuse to eat more! also, the recipe is easily adapted just in case you are interested in adding a little something-something into the mix, really the possibilities are endless, but i am thinking some peppermint extract would be the perfect, festive twist.





Ingredients: 
3/4 cup water, divided
3 packages unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon *vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar


Method:

1. Line a 9x9 inch baking dish with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spray another piece of plastic wrap to cover the top, and set aside. 

2. Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to soak. 

3. While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for 1 minute. 

4. Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on high for 12 minutes with electric mixer, until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks. Add in vanilla extract and beat until just combined.

5. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a greased spatula to smooth the top. Cover the candy with the piece of prepared plastic wrap, pressing it down lightly to seal the covering to the top of the candy. 

6. Allow the marshmallow candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight. Mix together cornstarch and confectioner's sugar in a shallow dish. Using oiled scissors or an oiled kitchen knife, cut the marshmallow candy into strips, then into 1 inch squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in the cornstarch mixture and store in an airtight container.

Notes:

- For a peppermint twist, add in 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract with the vanilla extract.
- I used clear vanilla extract because I wanted to maintain a bright white color.
- I used a small, round, biscuit cutter to cut my marshmallows.

roasted berry and goats cheese popsicles.

sweet and tangy roasted berry goat cheese popsicles are the perfect icy treat to beat the summer heat.
we are smack dab in the middle of July. i pretty much boycott my oven. i avoid it at all costs and typically break out any no-bake desserts that i can think off. thinking; no- cake cheesecakes, ice-cream and popsicles. yes, popsicles are quite the treat when the humidity is through the rood.
the fun thing about popsicles is the way they are insanely easy to make. just put the ingredients in the moulds and then freeze. the waiting game is the hardest part of the entire process. sometimes i use fruit purees and other times i use greek yogurt as a bade for cream popsicles.
these roasted berry goats cheese popsicles are an unexpected combination of tangy and sweet. the goat cheese is sweetened with honey and a touch of vanilla and cardamom. then its swirled with a bit of roasted berries and frozen to create lovely, cream, fruity popsicles. these pops are the best kind of humidity cure



Ingredients:
1 cup milk
115g goats cheese
3tbsp honey
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
berries ( roasted and then pureed with a some icing sugar and water)

Method:

in a small saucepan set over medium/low heat, gently heat the milk, goats cheese, honey , cardamom and vanilla extract. whisk constantly until the milk mixtures warm and the goats cheese is completely melted into the milk. set aside to cool. spoon 1 tbsp of berry coulis into the bottom of each popsicle mould. pour in a bit of the milk mixture until moulds are halfway filled. drop 1 more tbsp of berries in each mould then top off with the mix mixture. freeze for usually 4-6 hours. gently un-mould the popsicles and enjoy

5 fall-themed donuts!

get ready for fall with these five over-the-top harvest season donuts!







S'mores donut or the s'monut:
both donuts and s'mores are super trendy at the moment, so why not combine them and make a s'monut? take a round of yeast donut and fill it with marshmallow fluff using a pastry bag. top the donut with a generous spread of melted chocolate, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. and top with toasted mini marshmallows.













Maple-bacon donut:
add some bacon mania to your donut by
first glazing your donut with maple frosting
 and then top with loads of crumbled crispy
bacon. just before serving, cover it with some
extra maple syrup.













apple pie donut:
slice a round yeast donut 3/4 of the way through, coat the top with vanilla glaze, then pile apple pie filling ( with added cinnamon and nutmeg if wanted) in the middle. top the donut's vanilla glaze with cinnamon-sugar-coated, baked pie crust crumbles.
















Halloween candy bag donut:
coarsely chop the candy bars, then add to the top of the orange candy-coated donuts for a decadent treat.

















pumpkin pie donut:
using a pastry bag, fill a round yeast donut with prepared pumpkin pie filling, glaze the top with vanilla cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with pumpkin spice for a perfect fall treat.

spiked mudslide cake

this old - fashioned cake is buttery, tender and not too sweet, with a slightly dense crumb. elegant frosting, made with a meringue-based buttercream, is perfumed with coffee liqueur.

Total time: 2 hrs 25 mins
Prep: 30 mins
Inactive: 1 hr 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Makes: 12 servings
Level: easy





Ingredients:

cake:
8 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 cup plain flour
3tbsp corn flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur, such as baileys.

frosting:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
20 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup coffee liqueur, such as kahlua
1 tbsp instant coffee

Method:
for the cake:
1. preheat oven to 180 degrees c, butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; dust with flour and tap out the excess
2. whisk together the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
3. beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium- high speed until light and fluffy.
4. beat in the eggs, one a
t a time, making sure the batter is well mixed before adding the next egg, beat in the vanilla until blended.
5. alternate folding in the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk into two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. ( the batter may look slightly curdled as you mix it, but this is not a problem. divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
6. bake until the cakes are golden and the centres spring back to the touch, 35-40 minutes. let cool in the pans about 10 minutes and then turn onto cooling racks and let it cool completely. turn the cakes over, and poke the tops with a form and then generously brush the tops with the liqueur, letting it soak in before brushing on more.

for the frosting:
1. make a ban marie and set a bowl over it. add the egg whites and sugar and whisk until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved. remove the bowl from the pan and beat the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff and flossy peaks form 4-7 minutes, bet in the butter a few pieced at a time, and continue beating until the frostings smooth. stir in the kahlua and instant coffee together until dissolved. beat into the frosting with the mixture and beat until fluffy 1-2 minutes

to assemble:
1. place 1 cake layer right side up on a cake plate, spread with 1 cup of the frosting. top with the second cake layer. frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting

tip: if your kitchen is hot and your frosting becomes to soft and thin for spreading, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes and then beat it until smooth.

baked chocolate truffle and oreo dream tart.

This tart is quite literally what dreams are made of. So much so, that it just HAD to have the word dreamin the title.In my spare time, I love flipping through food magazines and cookbooks, looking over recipes and getting inspired.

The Oreo crust is dark, crunchy and delicious. The filling is so good that I can’t even describe it. It melts in your mouth. It’s creamy and luscious and luxurious and decadent, and I don’t quite know whether to call it a soufflé or a baked mousse or a chocolate truffle. Whatever you want to call it, it’s amazing, and flourless, and an absolute dream.

Rarely do I actually bake anything from the magazines, and very rarely is a recipe I do bake worth ever making a second time. But this recipe? This recipe was the exception to the general rule.And it blew me away.  

 Ingredients:

• FOR THE OREO BASE
• 400g Oreos
• 125g melted butter
• 
  
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE FILLING
• 200g dark chocolate
• 175g butter
• 4 eggs
• 175g brown sugar
• 200ml cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease a 9 or 10 inch tart with removable base. Make sure the tart tin has high sides, at least 1½ inches.
2. To make the base, blitz the Oreos in a food processor to make a fine crumb. Mix in the melted butter.
3. Press the cookie crumb evenly into the sides and base of the prepared tart tin. Refrigerate.
4. To make the filling, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth and combined.
5. Meanwhile, whip the eggs and brown sugar together using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment for about 5 minutes, until light and creamy.
6. Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the cream.
7. Pour this mixture into the Oreo crust, stopping short about 1cm from the top of the crust.
8. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until puffed and just set.
9. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and decorate as desired.

boozy s'mores

these spiked s'mores are just the thing for cool-weather hangouts- with or without a campfire

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup condensed milk
2tbsp rum
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup chocolate graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut
100g butter

Method:

grease an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper, leaving excess along the edges so that you can remove the s'mores later

in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour and condensed milk

stir over medium heat, add two table spoons of the rum into the mixture, while continuing to stir. continue stirring over medium heat, then add salt. heat until the mixture thickens. set aside to cool

in a large bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers and oats 

once the melted mixture has cooled, spoon it into the bowl with oats and graham crackers, then stir until well blended.

spoon the mixture into the baking pan, then gently press the mixture flat and into the corners.

begin layering on the toppings, starting with the chocolate chips, then add marshmallows, ground graham crackers (crushed) and a layer of shredded coconut. 

bake at 180 degrees c for 15 minutes, when finished baking set the oven to broil and brown the top a bit if needed

whilst warm, remove from the baking pan and lift of the parchment paper, cut and serve warm

 

HOW TO: pancakes

whether you like them old-school plain or buttermilk, jazzed up with fruit or chocolate chips, uber fancy, a la giada de laurentiis with stirred-in ricotta, pancakes always hit the spot on a cozy weekend morning. here is everything you need to know to flip out the perfect golden disc after another

start with flour: whisk all the dry ingredients first.lumps are OK! whisk your dry ingredients together, then whisk in the wet, but only until they are combines. dont worry about those lumps, as long as the powdery dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed in, youre done. fruit add-ins can be folded into the batter or dotted in manually once your batter circles have spread ( chocolate chips need to be added this way)

add the butter: whisk in melted butter:

non stick iron: you need a nonstick surface to ensure that your pancakes behave. a well seasoned cast iron skillet or griddle is a nearly universal favourite at food network, because of its even heating and superior heat- retaining capabillities - and for that old- fashioned griddle flavour it contributes.

ensure non stick: melting some butter across the bottom of the pan ensures that nothing will stick. wipe out the excess for classic tender pancakes. leaving a slick of hot butter in the pan will result in crisp, lacy surfaces, which aint to shabby either.

timing is everything: DONT JUMP THE GUN! get your pancakes on too soon and theyll be place, flabby and greasy. test readiness by wetting your hand slightly, thn flicking a few water droplets at the skillet. when the water  droplets sizzle and dance across the skillet. when the water droplets sizzle and dance across the surface, its time to start your pancakes. 

dont flip until your bubbles have burst: how do you know when they are ready to turn? the edges will start to look done, but more importantly, bubbles that form across the surface of the cakes wil start to pop, leaving pocks behind. this is when it is time to turn - any sooner and you risk splattering batter out the side. 

almost done: after another 30 seconds - 1 minute they are ready to eat

topping them off: sure, you can keep them warm in a low oven, but theres nothing like serving them right of the griddle. just make sure you have got plenty of butter,ice cream,  syrup and hot coffee on hand, and keep those hotcakes coming.

peach bellini shots

im rather nutty about bellinis- give me all the prosecco and all the fruit. i adore trying new combos.for the party shots, i stuck to a classic, the peach bellini. these are my new favourite party trick. and they couldn't be better for summer, now that peaches are finally in season.

makes: 8 x 8 inch dish.

Ingredients:
290ml prosecco
2tsp sugar
3 packages unflavoured gelatin
170g peach nectar or juice
2 peaches, thinly sliced

Method:
1. whisk the prosecco and sugar in a saucepan until combined. sprinkle gelatine over the top, allow to sit for a few minutes. heat the mixture over medium- low heat until the
gelatine is dissolved and the liquid just starts to simmer. remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the peach nectar.
2. pour the mixture into the baking dish ( something smaller for thicker shots!) drop the peach slices into the dish ( they will float up) refrigerate the dish for 2-3 hours. slice into squares.

NOTE: i also like to slice these into cubes and serve in champagne glasses