Malteaser Chocolate Biscuit Cake

I came across this recipe one morning on Cake Recipe.co.uk and I thought it looked delicious! I make my own Rich Chocolate Biscuit Cake but I said that I'd definitely try this one because it looked a little different and because I LOVE Malteasers!!! So here goes...

Image from TheCakeRecipe.co.uk

INGREDIENTS

100g/4oz Butter
200g/8oz Chocolate (dark works best approx. 60% cocoa solids)
3 tbsp Golden Syrup
225g/9oz Digestive Biscuits (crushed)
225g/9oz Malteasers

1) Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a bowl over a pot of simmering water
2) Add the crushed digestives and mix
3) Add the Malteasers but don't stir too much as not to melt them
4) Pour the mixture into a small baking tray lined with grease proof paper
5) Refrigerate for at least two hours
6) When cool, lift the baking paper out of the tray and cut the cake into squares on the paper and enjoy!!!

Blueberry & Kiwi Smoothie

I woke up this morning and didn't feel too good so I decided I needed something healthy and packed with vitamins for breckie. I thought about eating plain old fruit and yogurt but I fancied something different... As I walked into the kitchen I saw the smoothie maker looking up at me and I decided that was it ....

I robbed this recipe from a really cool 2013 Diary that my mam got free with Keeling's Strawberries during the week. It features loads of healthy fruit recipes....

INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 glasses)

250g Blueberries (roughly)
1 large Banana
2 Kiwis
3 large tbsp of Natural Yogurt
100ml Apple Juice or Milk
Small cup of Crushed Ice

1) Peel and roughly chop the banana and kiwis (The easiest way to peel a kiwi is to chop the top off and using a spoon, scoop the kiwi flesh out)
2) Put the chopped kiwi and banana and the blueberries into your smoothie maker or blender and blend
3) Add the yogurt, followed by the apple juice/milk and blend again
4) Add the crushed ice and blend once more
5) Pour and enjoy :)

FACT: This smoothie is packed with vitiamins

 and antioxidents that will 

help boost your immune system.

Banoffee Crumble

I absolutely LOVE Banoffee and if I'm out for dinner its almost always what I'll order for dessert. I usually make a traditional round Banoffee Pie, but, I thought I'd try something new and make a Banoffee Crumble in a glass as a sort of a crumbly, sticky Yummmmyy dessert.....

Its a really simple recipe - the most work you'll have to do will be crushing the biscuits - well and making the caramel of course. So here goes....

INGREDIENTS

(Makes roughly 4 glasses)

BISCUIT CRUMBLE
200g Digestive Biscuits
60g Butter

CARAMEL
25g Butter
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
200g Carnation Condensed Milk (half a tin)

FINISHING TOUCHES
2 Large Bananas (sliced)
250ml Fresh Cream (Whipped)
2 Flake Bars (or regular chocolate grated)

1) Melt the butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water

2) While the butter is melting, crush the biscuits by putting them in a food bag and using a rolling pin

3) When the butter is melted, add the biscuit to it and mix

4) Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to sit while you make the caramel.

5) Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat

6) Add the brown sugar when its fully melted  (make sure to continuously stir the mixture)

7) Add the condensed milk, turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil

8) Leave the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes

9) Turn off the heat but leave the mixture on the ring while you prepare your bananas and cream

10) Chop the bananas into thick circles

11) Whip the fresh cream

12) Crush the Flake Bars or grate the chocolate

13) Spoon some of the biscuit crumble into each of the glasses, followed by some banana, then by some caramel and after that the cream

14) Repeat this once or twice more and on the top layer sprinkle the crushed Flake or your grated chocolate

You could always try it in a jar rather than a glass like in this image from FingalFoodie

Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

So seens as the first week of January's over and everyone's back to the usual work and school routine I've decided to share a cheeky Cupcake recipe - I think we all might need a little cheering up :) 

For these Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes you basically 
follow an ordinary Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe which is really simple...


INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CUPCAKE BATTER

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

Zest of 3 Lemons

4 eggs

FOR THE LEMON DRIZZLE

Juice of 3 Lemons (-1 tbsp)

90g Caster Sugar

FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM

100g Butter

200g Icing Sugar

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

 FOR THE CUPCAKES....

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4
2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until the mixture is light and creamy
3) Add in the eggs one by one and continue to mix
4) Add in the sieved flour - spoon by spoon until the  mixture is light and fluffy
5) Grate the zest  of the lemons and add it to the mixer
6) Line a muffin/cupcake tray with bun cases and put 2 spoonfuls of the mixture into each case
7) Cook for approx. 20 mins
8) When cooked, leave the buns to cool in the tray

FOR THE LEMON DRIZZLE....

1) Put the lemon juice into a small pot over a low heat
2) Gradually add the sugar and stir
3) When all of  the sugar is dissolved remove the pot from the heat
4) Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of each of the cupcakes (they should still be in the tray)
5) Using  a spoon pour the lemon drizzle over each of the cupcakes allowing it to drizzle into each of the holes
6) Leave the cupcakes to sit while you make the icing

FOR THE LEMON ICING...

1) Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer

2) When the mixture is light and fluffy, add the lemon juice

3) When the cupcakes have cooled fully begin to ice them (I use two spoons for this - it works pretty well)

Enjoy!!! :)

2013: A Fresh Start

Almost everyone makes a vow to eat healthy and exercise more as each new year draws near. So, I have decided to begin to blog more healthy recipes for the year 2013. - That's not to say I won't be sharing my usual Muffins & Chocolaty treats, but, I'll try and help you on your way with healthier alternatives to get you back on track so you won't be feeling like this for too much longer... 

I was only made up this Christmas - my Dad and my coolest little Godson Josh bought me some new baking books to add to my collection. I'm definitely sorted for desserts and recipes for yummmmyy treats for the year anyway :)

Now to source some more healthy 

recipes and I'll be on my way :)

Breakfast Bread

So last night I decided to stick a Brown Bread in the oven, but, when I went to the fridge to get the Natural Yogurt we had none - I didn't want to have to run down to the Supermarket so I decided to be brave and try out a new recipe using what I had... To be honest I thought I'd be giving this bread out to the dogs this morning but, to my surprise, everyone here loved it - Guess I'll be making it again :)

Don't worry, this bread won't interfere with any healthy eating resolutions you may have - It's full of goodness: nutrients from the nuts and seeds, calcium from the yogurt and fibre from the whole grain oats...

INGREDIENTS

225g Self Raising Flour

225g Wholemeal Flour

1 tbsp Bread Soda (sieved)

1 tbsp Sunflower Oil

2 tbsp Brown Sugar (if you don't have brown sugar, ordinary sugar will do)

4 tbsp Porridge Oats

2 tbsp Crushed Hazelnuts (buy them crushed or chop them finely yourself)

2 tbsp Crushed Walnuts     

1 tbsp Almond Flakes (crushed)

1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds

3 tbsp Raisins

200ml Milk

400ml Yogurt 

I used Onken Mango, Papaya & Passionfruit Yogurt - Peach or Mango & Apple would work too

** Feel free to add in any other nuts or seeds of your choice**

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4

2) Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl

3) Add all wet ingredients (yogurt, milk and oil) and mix - the mixture should now "plop" off the spoon - if it is too runny then add some more wholemeal flour and if it is too dry, add some more milk.

4) Line a loaf tin with grease proof paper and empty the mixture into it

5) Sprinkle the top with nuts or seeds of your choice

6) Cook in the oven for 45 mins, then take the bread out of the loaf tin, put it back in the oven directly on the shelf and cook for another 10-15 mins

7) Poke the bread with a sharp knife to make sure that the middle is cooked

8) Leave it cool on a wire tray

We all thought that Lemon Curd went really
well with the bread, but, if you really want to
stick to those New Year's resolutions
try it with Natural Honey 

Check out  the Wellness Warrior for more info 

on the super qualities of nuts and seeds at....

http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2012/05/the-super-qualities-of-nuts/?doing_wp_cron=1357309783.2845818996429443359375