Kit Kat Brownie Cheesecake Bars

Let me just say you need to make these bars.

They are not just regular old cheesecake bars or brownies.....they are cheesecake bars AND brownies, sandwiched TOGETHER with Kit Kats....

Um excuse me but where have you been all my life?!

Initially I was a little hesitant that they would be complicated to make or that Mr B would not be entirely thrilled with them given they were bound to be rich and indulgent but wouldn't you know it, they were dead easy and Mr B fell head over heels in love with them!

I think that aside from how incredible they taste, one of the best things about these bars is how they look when you cut them, I love the defined layers and chunks of Kit Kat!

To make these Kit Kat Brownie Cheesecake Bars you will need:

For the Brownie layer....
115g butter
45g dark chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup plain flour
5 regular sized kat kat bars or one bag of fun size kit kats

For the Cheesecake layer
450g cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tspns lemon juice
2 tspns vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 175C and line an 8x8 inch pan with baking paper or a silicone mat.

To make the brownie base, start by combining the butter and chocolate and heat in a microwave safe bowl for 40 seconds and stir until smooth.

Add the cocoa, sugar, vanilla, egg and flour. The batter will be very thick, but that's good. Beat until combined. Spoon the batter into your pan and smooth the top.

Layer the Kit Kat bars over the top of the brownie batter in one layer, ensuring the whole surface is covered.  It will look something like this....

Now, onto the cheesecake. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and the sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the Kit Kat layer, smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of your spoon. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the top is firm but still has a bit of jiggle to it. A toothpick or skewer inserted should come out clean.

Allow the bars to cool completely and refrigerate overnight before cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Tiramisu Chocolate Ripple Cake with Homemade Mascarpone

Don't you just love it when an idea comes together?

Some weeks I sit and pore over my recipe folders for hours on end trying to come up with a menu for the following week and absolutely nothing takes my fancy.

Sometimes I look through them and have so many ideas I don't know what to cook first.

But when I stumbled across a recipe for home made mascarpone I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

For as long as I can remember my Mum has been talking about Chocolate Ripple Cake and how she has never tried or made one. Personally I have to leave the room when we go to Mr B's Mothers house and there is Chocolate Ripple Cake for fear of inhaling it all, but I too have never made one myself.

I think the reason I have never made one before was because the average Chocolate Ripple Cake, whilst delicious, just didn't really excite me enough to make my own.....plus I was always slightly unsure about which direction to stack the biscuits up....

With this in mind I a) found a recipe that told me which way to stack the biscuits and b) set about re-creating one of my favourite desserts in Chocolate Ripple Cake form.

Now you certainly don't have to make your own mascarpone, but I always tend to ignore recipes that use it due to the ridiculously high price of buying it in the shops. This recipe here is not only unbelievably simple, but it will cost you next to nothing and did I mention the end result is a rich and creamy mascarpone that you will be super pleased about because you have created it all on your own!

Homemade Mascarpone

2 cups thickened cream (full fat and not ultra homogenised so not long life)
1 tbspn lemon juice
1 candy thermometer
cheese cloth / butter muslin

In a saucepan over medium heat, slowly bring the cream up to 88C, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't scald.

Once it reaches 88C, add the lemon juice and whisk for 5 mins while maintaining the temperature.

Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 35-45 mins.

Line a colander or sieve with the cheese cloth / butter muslin and place over a large bowl - try and double it over so you have at least 2-3 layers. Pour the cream mixture into the muslin and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours (preferably 18-24). Scoop the mascarpone into a container or jar and discard the whey (there will only be 2-3 tbspns anyway).

Store in the fridge for up to a week. Not that it will last that long because we are going to use it all to make this Tiramisu Chocolate Ripple Cake!

Tiramisu Chocolate Ripple Cake

1 x 250g pkt of Chocolate Ripple Biscuits
2 cups Mascarpone
300ml thickened cream
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 tbspns icing sugar
1/4 cup strongly brewed black coffee

Combine the mascarpone, cream, vanilla and icing sugar in a bowl. Beat until mixture is thick. Place in the fridge for an hour.

Take your serving plate and smear 1-2 tbspns of the mascarpone mixture in a rectangle shape.

Take one of your biscuits and brush with the coffee mixture. Place 1 tspn of the cream mixture onto the biscuit and stand up on the plate. Repeat with remaining biscuits, coffee and cream to make a row. Continue this process to make 4-5 rows.

Spread the remaining cream mixture over the cake. Chill overnight to set. Serve dusted with chocolate powder.

Holy heck this cake was good. Like awesome good.

I was really impressed with how this came out and truth be told, prefer it to the traditional versions of both Chocolate Ripple Cake and Tiramisu. The biscuits had gone beautiful and soft, the subtle coffee flavour had made it's way into the cream....and the cream....oh I could eat it by the truck load.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a small piece hidden in the back of the fridge and I plan on demolishing it before Mr B finds it!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Raspberry, Nutella and Coconut Brownies

These brownies need absolutely no introduction. They are gooey and fudgey and studded with toasted coconut and juicy raspberries with just the slightest hint of hazelnut from the Nutella.

You don't need any excuses or special occasions to make these.....just do it. It's Wednesday, there is still half a week to go....surely that is reason enough!

For these Raspberry, Nutella and Coconut Brownies you will need

140g butter
90g dark chocolate
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup Nutella
2 eggs
2 tspns vanilla
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
2/3 cup plain flour
2 tbspn cocoa
3/4 cup frozen raspberries

Pre-heat oven to 175C and grease and line a 8 x 8 inch baking tray.

Combine the butter and chocolate in a heat proof jug and heat in 40 second bursts, stirring in between until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, Nutella and sugar. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix to combine.

Add the flour, coconut and cocoa and mix. Gently stir through the raspberries.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 mins or until set in the centre. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Mr B hasn't even complained about the coconut in them....yet!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream and Strawberry Champagne Sauce

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday and we celebrated in style by indulging in some banana bread for breakfast, going to see The Great Gatsby (in 3D) and enjoying lunch on the waterfront at one of Mum's favourite restaurants.

It was the first time Mum and Dad had been to a 3D movie and unfortunately Dad was given a dodgy pair of glasses with one lense blacked out....and even more unfortunately, he didn't know that they were not supposed to be like that so sat through the whole movie thinking that this whole 3D caper is not all it's cracked up to be.....

Those of us that could see the entire movie thought it was brilliant. Those of us that missed out on all of the 3D effects, also thought it was pretty good.....

We stopped at a restaurant called Blue Skies for lunch. When I was younger, Mum, Dad and I used to go there all the time and share a bowl of chips on a Sunday afternoon so it was really nice to go back and share a few different plates of food while we soaked up the sun.

The day got even better later in the afternoon when Mr B started talking about his 'PMS'......he had meant to say 'ESP' and needless to say the rest of us were laughing so hard we were in tears

And last but not least, it was home for presents and cake. This year when Dad suggested maybe we do cupcakes instead of a cake, I knew just the thing. Well Ok I didn't know exactly, but I was thinking champagne, champagne and more champagne. After loads of research I decided on a Champagne Cupcake with Champagne Buttercream and, after initially leaning towards a Champagne Pastry Creme filling, at the last minute decided to go with a Strawberry Champagne Sauce instead.

I was only after a couple of cupcakes seeing as they were just for the 4 of us to share so I halved the original recipe and still got 8 out of this! That's totally fine though because they were amazing and a lovely decadent birthday treat for my Mum. 

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream and Strawberry Champagne Sauce

For the Champagne Cupcakes
55g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla
.85 cup of plain flour
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/8 tspn baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup champagne

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease and line a cupcake pan.

Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until just combined and smooth.

Spoon mixture into prepared cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 mins or until they bounce back when touched.

For the Champagne Buttercream
1/2 cup champagne + 1 tbspn extra
220g butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence

Heat 1/2 cup of champagne in a saucepan over medium high heat until it has reduced to roughly 1 tbspn. Set aside to cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and creamy.

Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the reduced champagne and 1 tbspn extra champagne and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe onto your cupcakes....or eat straight out of the bowl.

For the Strawberry Champagne Sauce
200ml champagne
500g strawberries (hulled and halved)
2 heaped tbspns caster sugar
1 tbspn corn flour

In a medium pot over high heat combine champagne, sugar and strawberries.

Bring to the boil.

Allow the strawberries to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 7-10 mins. You want them to be really broken down.

Place two tbspns of the sauce into a jug and add the cornflour. Mix well to remove any lumps and so that it is all combined.

Pour the cornflour mixture back into the pot and continue to simmer and stir for a further 3-5 mins or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before placing in the fridge.

Spoon over cupcakes to serve.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Pink Lemonade Bars

This week while I've been off work I've been trying to do a little bit of work from home whenever I feel up to it. Initially I thought I would pretty much get five solid days of work in and knock off everything on my list plus more, but the way things have been going I've only been able to do an hour or so in the morning, have a rest and then I get this burst of energy at about 5pm when I manage to squeeze in another few hours.

All in all I have really enjoyed working from home. Even though I have only been managing a few hours a day, it's been so much more productive without the constant interruptions working in an office can bring. Plus it's just nice to be home I think. I wish I could do it all the time, you know, minus the whole surgery thing! This is where I set myself up for work each morning.

And when I needed a rest, I spent my afternoons curled up on the couch with a heat pack, a hot coffee, a brioche roll and caught up on some reading.

Yesterday I decided it was about time I did some baking. All of Mr B's supplies were running rather low and it was either that or I start sending him to work with a lunch box full of egg, flour and milk and hope it miraculously turned into something edible before morning tea time....

I found this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen and have been meaning to make it for ages now. I loved the sound of a pink lemonade bar but for some reason I always just assumed that they were going to be complex to make and just kind of kept putting them in the 'I'll make that next week...' pile.

Wouldn't you know it, they were actually really easy....I mean I am having trouble just doing the basics like having a shower and washing up this week so for me to say this is simple in my current state, it's got to be like super duper do it with your eyes closed kind of easy.

And you're reward for next to no effort (aside from having to clean your microwave out but I'm thinking that will just be me and not effect you in the slightest....) is a gorgeous soft buttery shortbread base topped with a not too tangy, not too sweet layer of raspberry lemony goodness.

To make these Pink Lemonade Bars you will need:

For the base...
1/4 cup caster sugar
115g butter, softened
1/8 tspn table salt (only necessary if you use unsalted butter)
1 cup plain flour

For the lemonade layer....
1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup plain flour

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a 20cm x 20cm baking pan.

Now you may as well start with the raspberries because that's the fun part.....said no one ever.
Heat the raspberries in the microwave in 40 second bursts until they are falling apart. Strain to remove the seeds. Place the syrup in the fridge until you need it. Sounds simple you say? Yes well...I left my raspberries to do their own thing in the microwave and they kind of boiled up and went everywhere....pay close attention to your raspberries people!

Ok, back to the base. Combine the sugar, butter, salt (if using) and flour using a food processor. Process until a soft dough forms. Press the dough into the base and slightly up the sides of your baking pan. It doesn't have to be pretty and it doesn't have to go all the way up the sides, just enough to form like a little lip when you pour the lemonade layer in. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins or until the edges are starting to lightly go brown.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Add 3 tbspns of the raspberry puree and the flour. Mix until smooth.

Pour the lemonade mixture into the crust and place the pan back in the oven for roughly 25-30 mins or until they are set. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Little Chocolate Cars

I have said it before and I find myself  in a position to say it again. Baking is good for the soul.

Last weekend I was feeling a bit flat and needed a distraction. Normally when this happens I would either go for a walk or bury myself in the kitchen and given it was a cold and rainy day I decided a walk would probably do more damage then good.

So there I am standing in front of the cupboard scouring its contents for inspiration and tapping my foot impatiently when I spot 2 king size Milky Ways peaking out at me from underneath a pile of marshmallows and chocolate melts. You see for my Dad's birthday earlier in the year I originally wanted to make him a race track cake with little cars on it, but then my Mum came up with the idea of making the Iced Vovo Tart and well the rest is history!

These little cars were so much fun to make and bring a big smile to my face every time I see them - they are just so adorable! Mr B has been taking them to work in his lunch box and everyone that's seen them has asked him for one! It's amazing how even grown men can be swayed by tiny little chocolate cars....

I even made one into a little trike.....Mr B and my Dad ended up battling it out in a card game to see who would be declared ultimate champion and get to take that one!

You will need:

2 large Milky Way Bars or Mars Bars sliced into thirds
Tiny Teddies
Smarties
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted

Start by taking your milky way and use the melted chocolate to stick your four smartie 'wheels' on.

Use the melted chocolate to stick on your smartie 'steering wheel' and your tiny teddy 'driver.

Super easy and super cute!! The hardest part is not eating all of your 'car parts' and finding 4 matching coloured 'wheels!'

And here are the cupcakes I whipped up later that same day. I love the look of these and they were also really easy.

Take a basic vanilla cupcake and cut the top off of it using a sharp knife.

Use a small cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the cupcake top. Keep both the piece you cut out and the piece you cut it out of.

Frost your cupcakes with buttercream (I divided mine up into portions and dyed each one a different colour.)

Top your cupcakes with either the cut-out shape or the outline piece.

Enjoy!!

And remember, you're never too old to make, eat or race little chocolate cars!

Mrs B xx

Aero Bar Slice

After a long day at work on Friday I came home desperate to bury myself in the kitchen. I had been eyeing off this recipe for a long time and finally had all of the ingredients to throw it together. The only problem was that after I had combined all of the ingredients for the slice I was absolutely convinced that it was not going to set properly and leaning more towards the fact that it was going to end up a big crumbly mess.

So rather than actually putting the slice in the fridge and giving it a chance to redeem itself, I stood in the kitchen picking bits off the end of it and willing it to visually set in front of my eyes......5 mins later, nothing and I was just getting more and more frustrated.....

In case you're wondering, patience was never my strong point.......especially when it comes to waiting for things to set or waiting for things to cool before slicing.....I'm totally the girl who always cuts her brownies straight from the oven and then complains about their shape....

So right when I was considering my options for crumbling the whole thing up and starting again Mr B came along, quietly put the slice in the fridge and steered me out of the room. He gave me a big glass of Jamesons, sat me on the couch and confirmed his place as best husband ever.

Although I did sneak back into the kitchen later on to do the melted chocolate for the topping.....

Several hours later and not only was it perfectly set but it tasted just like a Mint Slice biscuit - hello deliciousness!!!

Aero Bar Slice

1 x 250g pkt chocolate ripple biscuits, crushed
150g block Aero Mint Chocolate, broken up
2 tbspn condensed milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbspn cocoa
125g butter, melted
150g milk chocolate melts
50g butter (extra)

Combine 125g butter and caster sugar. Heat in the microwave for 60 seconds. Stir to combine.

Stir through the cocoa, condensed milk, biscuits and chocolate.

Pour into a slice tin.

Combine remaining butter and chocolate melts and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds. Stir until combined. It may need another 40 seconds to completely melt the chocolate.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the slice and place in the fridge to set for 3-4 hours before cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Bread Maker English Muffins

Whilst I was doing my usual baking on the weekend, it occurred to me that Mr B and I were planning on having English Muffins for lunch....and that I may have had the last one for breakfast....

So there I was madly trying to figure out how I was going to finish the cupcakes I was making and get to the supermarket before lunch time when it crossed my mind that maybe I should just make the muffins myself.

After about 1/2 an hour of procrastinating that involved several conversations with myself about how hard it would be, not to mention rising times and all sorts of flour related cleaning issues, I actually stopped to read a recipe and as it turns out, they were neither difficult, nor complicated and could be done using the trusty bread maker. Before I knew it I had all the ingredients piled into the bread maker and it was happening.

These were much easier to make then I thought and just as good (if not better) then the ones you buy from the supermarket. I can't wait to try these again with some cinnamon, nutmeg and sultanas added into the dough cycle!

Bread Maker English Muffins - Makes 15
You will need:
1.75 cups milk
45g butter (salted)
2 tbspns sugar
1 egg
2.5 cups plain flour
2 cups wholemeal flour (If you're not keen on wholemeal flour, you can replace it with an additional 2 cups of plain flour.)
2 tspns yeast

Place everything in the bowl of your breadmaker and set it to the dough cycle.

Once the cycle is completed. Remove the dough to a lightly floured work bench and roll out to a large rectangle. Use a large circle cutter or even the top of a large clean empty can to cut the dough into 15 discs. Place the discs on a baking tray and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest and rise for 20 mins.

Spray a large cast iron pan with cooking spray. I used a bench top fry pan but you could use a regular fry pan as well. Cook the muffins on low to medium low heat for about 10-15 mins on each side or until they are golden brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side. You don't want your pan to hot or the outside will cook before the inside does.

Serve toasted with butter and jam or butter and tomato and cheese!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Limoncello Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Raspberry Buttercream

Well here we are at the end of another weekend and you know, as far as weekends go, it's been a pretty good one.

Mr B and I had 3 days off so we made the most of the beautiful sunny weather on Friday, got out of bed early (an achievement on it's own!), packed ourselves lunch and went fishing. Being a Friday it meant the jettys were not packed full of people and we could just sit down and relax in the sun for most of the day which was exactly what the Dr ordered. And as an added bonus we even caught a few fish, most of them were under-size and had to be thrown back, but we did manage to come home with a lovely little Salmon which we had for dinner and it was delicious!

Saturdays are fast becoming my baking / housework day and Mr B's day to potter around outside doing odd jobs. This works out really well because it means we have all day Sunday to spend together and today was no exception. When we finally managed to drag ourselves out of bed this morning we trundled on up to the Derwent Valley Autumn Festival which is held on the beautiful banks of the Derwent River at the beginning of Autumn each year and is just jam packed full of stuff to see and do. Every year it gets bigger and bigger and for a free event, the quality of the stalls is fantastic and you could pretty much spend all day there doing a few laps, listening to the different bands, watching the black smith at work and eating your way around the different food on offer.

So anyway, back to Saturday and the baking.....

A few days ago when I asked Mr B what sort of cupcakes he would like in his lunches this week he came up with this flavour combination and I think he nailed it - although I think he is getting a bit technical in what he asks for, he used to just say vanilla!

Limoncello Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Raspberry Buttercream

For the Limoncello Cupcakes you will need:

1.5 cups plain flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
60g butter, at room temperature
60g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
2 tbspns limoncello
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 - 1 cup lemon curd

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat until fluffy and creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.

Add the limoncello and beat until combined.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Beat on low until everything is just combined.

Divide the batter between 15 lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cool, use a teaspoon or melon baller to remove a small section from the centre. Fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd.

To make the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting you will need

200g cream cheese
150g butter
2.5 cups icing sugar
Handful of fresh raspberries

Heat the raspberries in a microwave safe jug for 60 seconds and set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until pale and creamy.

Add the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the raspberries and beat well. You may need to add a little more icing sugar to get a nice stiff consistency, but as my raspberries were still hot when I added them to the mixture, I just placed mine in the fridge for about 30 mins and it was soon ready to pipe onto the cupcakes.

Only thing left to do now is sit down, relax, forget about the bowls and beaters and pans piling up in the sink, eat a cupcake (or two) and enjoy it!

 

Mrs B xx

Tropical Fruit Salad Butter Cake

This recipe has been in the back of my mind for awhile now and a few weeks ago I finally had the opportunity to bring it back to life. I was so pleased when it tasted exactly how I remembered it because my Mum and I used to make this cake all the time when I was younger. Even though I haven't made it or eaten it in well over 10 years, it's amazing how one bite can bring a world of memories flooding back and I knew I had to make it again so that my Mum and Dad and Mr B could experience it as well.

This is a really simple cake, but it is so moist and light and bursting with fruit that you can serve it hot or cold, for dessert or afternoon tea, but always with a generous dollop of cream.

Tropical Fruit Salad Butter Cake

You will need:

1 pkt of Butter Cake Mix
425g tin of super well drained tropical fruit salad mix (the one I use is a mix of pineapple, peach, banana and passionfruit, but I pick the seeds out!)

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease your desired size cake tin. If I'm making it for dessert I make it in one large round cake tin or if I'm making it for afternoon tea I make it as two cakes so I can sandwich them together with whipped cream.

Prepare the butter cake mix as per the packet directions.

Stir through the drained fruit salad.

Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 40-50 mins for one large cake or 30-40 mins for 2 smaller ones. The cake is done when golden in colour and bounces back when touched.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

Just stopping by for a quick post today because I'm off out to dinner tonight and then tomorrow Mr B and I are finally heading away on a belated Valentines Day road trip! We were supposed to go on Valentines Day (obviously....) but due to the bushfires around home we had to postpone. Nevermind though because it's finally here and tomorrow we are heading off to the north of the state for a few days to do all sorts of exciting things like sampling some whiskey at Hellyers Road Distillery, camping, visiting a planetarium, museum and science works, staying in a swanky hotel that we fell in love with on our mini-moon and just generally hanging out and relaxing, I can't wait!

But before we disappear off into the sunset (...or sunrise given the time Mr B tells me we have to be on the road tomorrow morning!) let me tell you about these Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats I made for Mr B a few weeks ago, I was keen to try something different and have been toying with this idea in my head for awhile now. Thankfully Mr B loved them, he said they taste just like a cinnamon roll (obviously in rice krispie form) but without me having to deal with all that annoying yeast and dough and kneading! 

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispie Treats

You will need

For the bars
60g butter
200g marshmallows
4 cups rice bubbles or rice krispies
1 heaped tspn cinnamon

For the topping
60g softened butter
1 heaped tbspn brown sugar
1 tspn cinnamon

For the glaze
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence
1 tspn milk

Add the butter and marshmallows to a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in 40 second bursts, stirring inbetween, until melted and combined.

Mix through the rice bubbles and cinnamon.

Grease and line a small slice tin.

Press mixture into the tin - if you have trouble with the mix sticking to your spoon or whatever your using to press it down, try running the spoon under hot water first. Leave in the fridge for an hour before applying the topping and glaze.

To make the topping, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and spread over the top of your rice krispie bars. Try the mixture and change it up to suit your preference, add more cinnamon if you want to.

To make the glaze, combine the icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk until you have a smooth consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle over the top of your rice krispie bars and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight to set.

Remove from the tin, slice and enjoy!!

Mrs B xx

The Not So Mythical Lemon Cheesecake

As long as I have known Mr B he has been obsessed with my Mum's lemon cheesecake.

Not bad seeing as he had never tried it.

I'm not sure how it came up in conversation, but one night Mum mentioned her Famous Lemon Cheesecake and I have to say it was met with lots of puzzled looks around the table. I'm now 27 and I don't remember ever trying it.....Dad has a vague memory of it.....but for Mum it's still there at the forefront of her mind, she included it in a book she made for me of all of her favourite and most popular recipes and even still knows the recipe off by heart!

Needless to say, over the years Mum has copped a lot of flack about the 'mythical' cheesecake. Mr B is not one to let up on anything....especially when it comes to cheesecake.

So last night when we went to Mum and Dad's for tea....our very first dinner cooked in their brand new kitchen...and after a little bit more furniture moving and a delicious frittata made in Mum's brand new oven-proof fry pan...Mum presented Mr B with her homemade (and non-mythical) lemon cheesecake! Mr B is actually lucky he didn't end up wearing it because Mum banned him from looking in the fridge all night, to the point where Dad stood guard in front of it to stop any sneaky looks, not that it stopped him from trying...or from stirring Mum up about what was actually in there.

I love this series of photos, look how excited Mr B is and how proud my Mum is....

All that was left to do now was top it the cheesecake with whipped cream and a light sprinkling of nutmeg and dig in!

Is there anything better than a big slice of cheesecake with a gorgeous buttery biscuit base, light as air filling and fluffy whipped cream?? Oh that's right there is....sharing it with your nearest and dearest. And I think it was the perfect way to christen Mum and Dad's new kitchen.

Here is a sneak peek at the kitchen in Mum and Dad's new house (and my Mum pottering around in it!).....isn't it amazing? It's so bright and there's so much space to move around and don't even get me started on the storage space. I just love it.

Now back to the Famous Lemon Cheesecake

You will need:

375g plain sweet biscuits
115g butter
1 tspn mixed spice
225g cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 pkt of lemon jelly crystals
1 cup boiling water
Juice and ring of 2 lemons
1 tin (375ml) of Carnation evaporated milk
Whipped cream and nutmeg to serve

Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs.

Add the butter and mix spice. Process to combine.

Lightly grease a round 25cm diameter springform tin with butter. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base and up the sides of the tin. Try and get as close to the top as you can around the sides. Place in the fridge to chill.

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat well.

Meanwhile, combine the jelly crystals and boiling water with the lemon juice and lemon rind. Set aside to cool.

In a clean bowl, beat the evaporated milk until stiff.

Gently fold the evaporated milk into the cream cheese mixture.

Add the jelly mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed until all ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth.

Pour the filling into the prepared biscuit case. Place in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to set.

Serve topped with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice

Every year I try and bake my Dad something as part of his birthday present, wether it be a batch of ANZACS or some Peanut Butter and Cornflake Slice, just something home made as a little treat. I think this is partly because I just love making things for other people, but also partly because as I get older I see more value in creating memories and gifts that really show you have put some time and effort and your heart into them rather than giving material things just for the sake of it you know?

Anyway, as soon as I saw this Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice on Pinterest a few weeks ago I knew that with a few tweaks here and there, it was going to be the perfect birthday treat for my Dad this year! It smells absolutely delicious fresh out of the oven and it tastes amazing.

For this Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice you will need

1.5 cups plain flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 brown sugar
115 g butter
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla
3/4 cup strawberry jam

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line an 8x8x2inch baking pan with baking paper or a non stick liner and spray with cooking oil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the peanut butter, sugar and butter and beat until smooth.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated.

Press 1/2 of the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry jam.

Crumble the remaining mixture over the top. Bake for 30 mins.

Allow the slice to cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan.

Slice and enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Filling and Lime Frosting

After the success of our Hot Chocolate Cupcakes a few weeks ago, I immediately began thinking of my next cupcake creation of Mr B's lunches. I started throwing around some ideas involving pineapple and lime and the obvious addition to that was coconut. I am really happy with the way these turned out - the pineapple cupcakes with their chunks of juicy pineapple, the creamy coconut filling and the subtle hint of lime in the frosting, plus Mr B demolished the one I gave him to try so I'm thinking I might have done something right!

Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Filling and Lime Cream Cheese Frosting - Makes 16

For the pineapple cupcakes you will need: 

1.5 cups plain flour

1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
115g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla
2 eggs
225g tin of crushed pineapple

Pre-heat oven to 180C and line a muffin tin with liners.

In the bowl and an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs and beat well.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined.

Add in the crushed pineapple, including the juice. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Fill the liners 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 15-20 mins or until they bounce back when touched. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5 mins, before removing to wire racks to finish cooling.

For the coconut cream filling you will need:

100 ml of coconut cream (not coconut milk)

Using a teaspoon or a melon baller, remove a small section from the centre of the cupcake and set aside.

Fill with a teaspoon of the coconut cream.

Replace the section of cupcake that you cut out and press down.

For the lime frosting you will need:

Zest and juice of 1 lime
120g cream cheese, softened
125g butter softened
2.5 - 3 cups of icing sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale.

Add the lime zest, cream cheese and icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Pipe or spread onto your cupcakes.

And the most important part, sit down and enjoy!!!

Mrs B xx

Banana and Raspberry Bread

When I first came across this recipe, it was called 'Best Ever Banana Bread.' Now really that is a pretty big call because banana bread is not only one of my favourite induglences, but I mean this recipe had raspberries in it....there was only one thing to do - make it and see if it stood up to the name (which by the way, it totally did!)

Banana and Raspberry Bread

You will need:

1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 tspn ground cinnamon
3 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tspn vanilla essence
125g fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 150°C and brush a 7cm-deep, 10 x 20cm loaf pan with melted butter. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flours, sugar, coconut and cinnamon. Add the eggs, banana, oil and vanilla and beat until just combined. Gently fold in the raspberries.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface using the back of a spoon or a spatula. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Set aside in pan for 20 minutes to cool before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Now this bread is going to smell incredible, you are going to want to dive right in and cut yourself a huge big piece of it and slather it with butter....and I mean if you really want to then go ahead, but I highly recommend waiting for the bread to cool before you slice it and serving it at room temperature...still slathered with butter of course!

 

Mrs B xx

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

On Saturday just gone, Mr B and I had a gigantic pile of wood chips to spread around the front garden.

Obviously our first mistake was getting the wood chips and assuming they would spread themselves around (I really think gardening companies could boost their profit ten fold if they included a complimentary gardener to spread your wood chips or plant your 60 trees or what not....) and the second mistake was when I said 'no darling, I didn't have anything planned today, what did you need me to do?'

Silly silly girl.

Although in saying that it was lovely to spend the day outside doing something productive and the difference it has made to our front yard is amazing.

However I won't deny that around 3pm we came inside for a cup of tea and a snack and when we got back outside, my motivation was definitely hiding in the kitchen screaming 'please don't make me go back out there!!' It was just one of those situations where we should never have stopped because even though we only had maybe an hours worth of work left, it seemed like an eternity! But we stuck it out and I resisted the urge to say 'Ok so you can finish up out here, I'm going inside to do some baking / wash my hair / pass out from exhaustion.'

In all honesty, I've totally done that before.

When we finally did drag our weary, dusty bodies inside, I decided we could both use a treat, so I whipped up these Hot Chocolate Cupcakes for Mr B's lunches this week!

Now when I told Mr B I was going to make Hot Chocolate Cupcakes for his lunches, he was less than thrilled....when I say less than thrilled, I don't mean he was obviously disappointed, but he didn't do the little squeal, happy dance, spin around thing I did when I first read the recipe for them, which in hindsight I'm probably glad he didn't do.

Despite Mr B having a massive sweet tooth and the world's most awesome metabolism, he has occasionally been overheard saying that my baking is going to either
a) make all his teeth fall out
b) send him into a sugar coma from which he may never recover,
c) give him premature diabetes or
d) all of the above.

When it came to these cupcakes though, all of that was really neither here nor there because I knew I had him won over when I said they would be filled with toasted marshmallow fluff. I mean really, who is going to argue with that? And as it turns out, the recipe I used for the chocolate cupcakes was much more of a fudge cake so it didn't have a really rich chocolate flavour, which I think definitely worked in this combination.

This recipe makes around 15 cupcakes and you will need:

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 tspn bicarb soda
1/2 tspn baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tspn vanilla essence

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line and grease 2 x 12 cup muffin trays.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cocoa, plain flour, caster sugar, bicarb soda, baking powder and egg.

Add the buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. The mixture will be runny at this stage, but don't worry about that.

Fill your muffin trays 2/3 full and bake for 20 mins or until set.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, remove from the trays and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once they have cooled completely, use a teaspoon or a melon baller to scoop a hole in the top of your cupcake. You want it to be deep so you can cram as much filling as possible, but you have to be careful not to break your cupcake and make sure the sides and base are still nice and thick so they don't crack or split.

I brought a tub of toasted marshmallow fluff from the local bargain shop, but you can buy normal marshmallow fluff at the supermarket near the Nutella and sandwich spreads. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the marshmallow fluff into the centre of each cupcake.

Now for the chocolate frosting, you will need

125g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk at room temperature
2 tbspns cocoa

Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until butter is pale and creamy.

Gradually add about half the sifted icing sugar, beating constantly. Add milk gradually then gradually beat in the remaining icing sugar and cocoa.

Pipe or spread the frosting onto your cupcakes and sprinkle with mini marshmallows.

When Mr B got home from work today I asked him how these were and he said they were off the charts incredible.....and this coming from someone who doesn't necessarily like chocolate!! So go on, give them a try!

Mrs B xx

Old-Fashioned Apple Tea Cake

Last Thursday night, Mr B lined up a lunch date with his Grandfather for Friday and seeing as I was going to be at work that day and unable to attend, I did the next best thing - I baked them a cake!

Now on Friday night when I asked Mr B how it was, he broke out some serious descriptive words like 'cakey' and 'appley'...oh and let's not forget 'great,' meanwhile I'm sitting there saying...'but was it moist? dense? light? fluffy? damn it I need to know!' My final understanding, after quite some time, was that it is a beautiful light butter cake, topped with a appley goodness....I'm good with that.

Old-Fashioned Apple Tea Cake

You will need:
180g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup milk
2-3 apple
2 tbspns boiling water
1 tspn gelatine
2 tbspns apricot jam (or orange marmalade works just as well)
Cinnamon

Grease and line a 20cm deep cake tin or springform pan. Pre-heat oven to 180C

Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flours and milk and beat until just combined. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin.

Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut into thin slices. Arrange the slices on the top of your cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you want.

Bake for roughly an hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand for 5-10 mins before removing from pan.

While cake is still warm, combine the water and gelatine in a jug. Stir well until gelatine is dissolved. Stir in the jam. Brush over the top of the cake.

Allow to cool completely before serving.

This cake makes a lovely afternoon tea on it's own, or if you're feeling a little bit fancy, it would be heavenly with a dollop of whipped cream too.

On Friday night, Mr B and I went out for a romantic Italian dinner for two! We went to a little old local restaurant called Don Camillo's and the food (and the company) was perfect. Plus it gave me a chance to wear my new dress (partly purchased with a voucher Mr B gave me for Christmas!)

On Sunday the sun was shining and for a change the wind wasn't blowing so Mr B and I took the opportunity to jump on our bikes and go for a ride. We headed down the highway to Huonville where we hired a pedal boat and went for a paddle up the Huon River. It was a beautiful day for it and cruising up the river was quite peaceful and relaxing.

On the way home we rode up through Cradoc, Cygnet and Margate, and on the way we passed a big strawberry farm, it seemed like all we could smell for miles was fresh strawberry jam! A quick rest (read thickshake) stop later and we were home.

Another hectic, but lovely weekend in the Mr and Mrs B household!

Mrs B xox

Pina Colada Cupcakes

I feel like I should start this post by telling you that at this particular moment in time, I am not being a good wife.

I am sitting on the couch in our garage writing this post, while Mr B paints the ceiling.

Not long after we moved into this house, Mr B converted the garage into a bar and he has done a fantastic job. The walls and ceiling in the garage / bar are like a grey colour and they really needed some livening up so Mr B went out and brought himself some bright blue paint and some bright green paint with visions of green walls with a blue roof and blue trims.

To be honest I thought he was mad and I believe someone may have said it was going to look like Cookie Monster and Kermit threw up.....but despite all this, Mr B stuck with what he wanted and I have to admit, it is looking amazing! I will put some photos up as soon as he is done (which should be just in time for our annual Christmas 8-ball tournament!!)

So how did I get away with sitting on the couch with my feet up whilst Mr B finishes the painting? I made him these Pina Colada Cupcakes of course! And I couldn't help but make them in these two little Christmas pans I got last year, how cute are they!!

You will need:

115g butter, melted
1 cup of caster sugar
3 eggs
1.5 cups of self raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tspn rum essence
1 tspn coconut essence
125g tin of crushed pineapple (and juice)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs and beat until well combined.

Add the flour, essences and milk and beat until mixture is smooth.

Stir through the pineapple and juice, ensuring everything is mixed through.

Grease 2 x 12 hole cupcake tins and line with paper liners. Fill each one 3/4 full and bake for 20 mins. These are a very moist cake so they may not look done, but if you gently press on the top and it bounces back, they are good to go!

This recipe should make around 18 cupcakes.

And here are some Rice Krispie Christmas Trees and Christmas Wreaths I made for Mr B's lunch boxes using this recipe and adding just a couple of drops of green food dye!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx