Mars Bar Krispie Squares

Mars Bar Squares are definitely one of my faves and they are SO easy to make it's ridiculous -- They're basically a Rice Krispie Bun, but instead of using plain chocolate you use Mars Bars and instead of putting them in individual bun cases, you let them cool in a tray and then cut them into squares. They're ideal for bringing on picnics, for kids parties or even for having out on the table when guests are over. BEWARE - they're ridiculously tasty, once you take your first bite you might not be able to stop!!! 

I use the Avoca recipe for my squares which I adapt slightly by using white chocolate drizzled on top instead of a later of milk and by adding a few other extra touches.

Ingredients

200g Butter

200g Rice Krispies

1 tbsp Golden Syrup

8 Lg Mars Bars

100g White Chocolate (for top)

Method

1) Prepare your baking tray by lining it with greaseproof paper.

2) Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat.

3) When fully melted, add in the golden syrup.

4) When combined, add in the broken Mars Bars and begin to whisk gently to combine (this may take a while so be patient) 

5) When the majority of the lumps have dissolved, turn off the heat.

6) Pour half the Rice Krispies into a separate large bowl, pour half the chocolate mixture over them and stir until all Krispies are covered.

7) Empty the combined mixture into your lined baking tray and to the same with the remaining half of the Krispies and mixture. 

8) Flatten the mixture in the tin and refrigerate for at least half an hour. 

9) When cooled, you can melt the white chocolate (I find the easiest way to do this in the microwave - stop and stir after every 30 seconds) 

10) Using a spoon drizzle the white chocolate over the Krispies in a zig zag motion.

11) Refridgerate again for a further 30 mins and then slice it into whatever shapes and sizes you wish.

I doubled the mixture so the measurements above will make half the amount pictured :)

Raspberry & Fresh Cream Light Sponge

Sometimes there's nothing better than baking a fresh sponge cake to have in the afternoon with tea. This particular one is really light as it only uses three simple main ingredients; eggs, sugar and flour. This sponge is really quick and easy to make and could also be used as a cake for any special occasion :) 

Ingredients 

6oz Self Raising Flour (sieved)

6oz Caster Sugar 

6 Large Eggs / 7 medium sized 

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 tsp Baking Powder (sieved)

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 190C/ 375F/ Gas Mark 5, and grease two 8 inch round baking tins with melted butter.

2) Cream the butter and eggs together using an electric mixer until the mixture has almost doubled in volume.

3) When the mixture is light and fluffy (be patient, this could take a while), add in the vanilla essence followed by half of the sieved flour and baking powder and continue to beat. - the mixture should be quite airy.

4) Turn off the beater, and, using a metal spoon, fold the the remaining flour. (this allows lots of tiny air pockets to form)

5) Divide the mixture evenly amongst your two baking tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins. (the cakes should be firm and golden brown when cooked)

6) Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack and then prepare them for filling by slices any risen bumps in the centre off to make them flat.

For the filling, I used fresh cream, raspberry jam and a few fresh raspberries. You can use any fillings of your choice - buttercream instead of fresh cream, strawberry jam, Nutella, whatever you like really :) 

 I also dusted the top of my sponge with icing sugar but berries or chocolate can also be used as delicious toppings :)

I had a little helper during the week; my godson Josh whose favourite job was definitely licking the beaters :) 

Orange Butter Cream Squares

My triplet brothers made their debs a few weeks ago, and, being typically Irish, Mam asked me to make a few bite-size treats as their three dates plus their families would be arriving up the house. I decided to go for bite-size Mars Bar Squares and Orange Butter Cream Squares. Both were extremely easy to make and they went down a treat :) 

Ingredients

(FOR THE CAKE)

225g Butter (softened)
225g Caster Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)
4 Eggs
Zest of 2 Oranges

(FOR THE BUTTER CREAM)

100g Icing Sugar
50g Butter (softened)
1 tbsp Orange Juice


Method

I never used to weigh up all of the ingredients before starting to get to work which was a bad move. Whenever I bake now, I weigh up everything beforehand which I highly recommend you do :)

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4
2) Line an approx. 30 x 30 cm flat baking tray with greaseproof paper .
3) Using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar together.
4) When light and creamy, add in the eggs one by one and continue to beat.
5) Add in the sieved flour bit by bit and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
6) Then add in the orange zest and mix through.
7) Pour the mixture into the flat tin and put it in the oven.
8) After 20 mins check the cake (it should be golden brown, but if not bake for further 5-10 mins)
9) Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack while you make the butter cream.

10) Cream the soft butter and icing sugar together using an electric mixer until its really light and fluffy - BE PATIENT, it could take a while!!
11) Add in the orange juice and continue to beat through.
12) Leave the butter cream to sit while you cut the cake into small squares.
13) Then using the star shaped piping nozzle, pipe a small amount of the butter cream onto each piece of cake.

When serving, I like to dust over he squares with icing sugar - It makes them look that little bit prettier and it covers up any little mistakes ;) 

Homemade Hawaiian Style Beef Burgers

I spent the past two weeks minding my auntie's house while she was away so that meant free reign on the kitchen for me :) I had taken mince out of the freezer one night and didn't fancy the usual spaghetti bolognese or tacos so I decided to make homemade burgers. I'd never made burgers before but I went for it anyway. I cooked the burgers on the George Foreman Grill but they could easily be cooked on a barbecue, pan or under the grill. The burgers were surprisingly easy to make and they tasted deeeeelicious...

Ingredients

500g Minced Beef

Half a Small Onion (finely chopped)

2 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Mixed Herbs

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Handful Breadcrumbs

1 egg (beaten)

Salt

Mature Cheddar Cheese

Fresh Pineapple (cut into rings)

Rocket Leaves

Mango Chutney

Sesame Seed Bundies 

Method

1) Mix the mince, finely chopped onion and garlic in a large bowl

2) Add in the pepper, cumin and mixed herb seasonings followed by the breadcrumbs and beaten egg.

3) When combined, empty the bowl onto your worktop and mold the mince into medium sized patties.

4) Refrigerate the burgers for at least 20 mins before cooking.

5) After the 20 mins have passed, sprinkle a small amount of salt on each of the burgers and grill them until the meat is cooked through.

6) Grill the pineapple, toast your burger buns and serve with cheddar cheese, mango chutney and rocket leaves.

Someone liked them anyway :)

Philadelphia Simply Stir Review

A couple of weeks ago I woke up to find a special package from Kraft Foods sitting in my kitchen. They sent me a cooler bag full of samples of their new "Simply Stir" range. They included a recipe for a chicken dish along with some of the other ingredients and kitchen utensils I'd need to make it. I was over the moon and I said I'd definitely give it a go for dinner some evening. It really was a quick and easy dish to make that everyone at home loved. I made both variations; the mushroom and the garlic & herb, and I have to say that the garlic and herb was definitely my fave ...

My cooler bag full of goodies !!!

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins      
(Super Quick!!!)

YOU WILL NEED...

1 Sachet of Philadelphia Simply Stir Sauce
4 Chicken Fillets
1 Small Head of Broccoli
A few Mushrooms

 

1) Slice the chicken fillets into cubes or strips and brown them in a pan
2) Par boil the broccoli while the chicken is cooking and when the chicken is brown add it to the pan
3) Throw in the mushrooms, followed by the Simply Stir Sauce and stir until it has heated through
4) Philadelphia recommend that you serve the chicken with Basmatti Rice

I definitely recommend these Philadelphia Simply Stir Sauces to anyone who is looking for something quick, easy and healthy to make for dinner

Summer Berry & Almond Muffins

I seem to always stick to a recipe when I find one that I like, but yesterday I decided to switch things up a little and try out a new muffin recipe which I stole from my boyfriends mam Helen (the really good baker). I have to say that I actually preferred this one to my original. This recipe uses Buttermilk rather than the natural yogurt and full fat milk combination which means less work and less ingredients to buy...

INGREDIENTS 

(Makes 12 muffins)

7oz Plain Flour (sieved)

6oz Caster Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice

2oz/ 500g Ground Almonds

4oz Summer Berries (your choice)

2 tbsp Chopped Almonds 

200ml Buttermilk

2 Eggs

50g Butter 

METHOD

1) Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6 and line a muffin tray with muffin cases

2) Add all of your dry ingredients to the one bowl and mix

3) In a separate bowl, melt the butter over a pot of simmering water 

4) When melted, add the egg and buttermilk and whisk

5) Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold until combined 

6) Spoon 1-2 spoonfuls of the mixture into each muffin case and put the tray in the oven for 20 mins

7) Allow the muffins to cool on a wire tray and then dust them with icing sugar  

Lemon & Lime Summer Cupcakes

If you're looking for something Summery and that little bit different to make for a BBQ or garden party, these Lemon & Lime Cupcakes are what you need. They take a little bit longer to make than regular cupcakes because of the lemon & lime drizzle, but they're still a pretty handy dessert :) So here goes....

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE MIXTURE...

225g Caster Sugar

225g Butter/ Margarine (softened)

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

4 eggs

Rind of 2 Lemons

Rind of 1 Lime

FOR THE DRIZZLE...

120g Caster Sugar

Juice of 2 Lemons (-2 tsp)

Juice of 1 Lime

FOR THE LEMON BUTTER CREAM....

200g Icing Sugar

100g Butter (softened)

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases
2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl
3) When combined and creamy, add in the eggs, one by one and continue to mix
4) Add in the sieved flour, one spoon at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy
5) Add in the lemon and lime rind and continue to mix the fluffy mixture
6) Spoon 2-3 spoonfuls of the mixture into each muffin case and bake in the oven for 15-20 mins (you will know they're done when the tops are golden brown)
7) Leave them to cool on a wire rack while you make the drizzle...

8) For the drizzle, put the lemon juice, the lime juice and the sugar in a small pot over a low heat and stir until  combined 

9) When combined , turn off the heat and leave it to sit while you use a sharp knife to poke a cross shape into the top of each muffin

10) Using a spoon, pour the drizzle into the crack on top of each cupcake and watch it soak in ( this can be messy so I usually put the cupcakes on a tray or plate so the drizzle doesn't go everywhere!)

11) Then leave your cupcakes to sit and cool while you make the butter cream...

12) For the Lemon Butter Cream, cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy
13) Add the Lemon Juice and continue to mix
14) Use a piping bag or the back of a spoon to ice each of the cupcakes and use small lemon or lime wedges for decoration