The King of all Desserts!

Let me just start by saying three simple things....

Gooey Chocolate Pudding....

Cheesecake..........

Creamy Chocolate Mousse....

Are we all on the same page here? I thought so.

This dessert is easy to throw together, will impress even the fussiest of guests, and is a chocolate lovers delight!!

All you need to do is whip up a Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding and when it comes out of the oven, mush it all up and allow it to cool.

For the next layer beat 250g of softened extra light cream cheese with 1/2 cup of caster sugar and 300ml of thickened cream. Pour over the cooled pudding.

For the third and final layer combine one packet of prepared chocolate mousse mix with 100ml of thickened cream and 2 tbspns chocolate sauce. Pour over the cheesecake layer.

I swirled some chocolate sauce through the top of mine and placed it in the fridge to set overnight - totally worth the wait, such a fantastic combination of flavours and just what the Doctor ordered after a very long Monday!!

On the flip side, I sold my car on the weekend, I have been trying to sell it for 9 months now, advertising in the local paper, getting up early to park it on the side of the road and wouldn't you know it, out of the blue someone comes to look at it, takes it for a cruise and pays cash for it within the hour....so lucky I got my bike license last week isn't it!!

We also picked up our tickets and final itinerary for Europe and Ireland tonight too, I can't believe this time in a fortnight we will be in Galway....totally blows my mind...also totally freaks me out - I don't do flying!

Anyway, I will fill you in on the trip more over the next few days - in the mean time, make some Triple Chocolate Pudding and enjoy yourself xx

Mrs B xx

Very exciting news!

I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a very stressful day of testing, I passed my motorcycle license test and now all that's left to do is get out there and enjoy riding!! No more skills testing, no more riding for the sake of practising, it's all about riding for the sake of riding...and about time too!!

Huge big thank you to Mr B for all his time, effort and patience...(even when he had a tone in teaching me xx

Mrs B (B for Bad Biker B$%ch!!) xx

Fully Loaded Honey Roasted Pumpkin, Egg and Bacon Pie

So as far as I'm aware it's Easter yes? The time for 4 days of relaxing with cups of tea, buttery hot cross buns and easter eggs yes? Ahhh no....

On Thursday night Mr B and I kicked off the Easter break with a night out to watch the Shaolin Kung-Fu Monks. My god, these guys (and lady) were off tap, we were on the edge of our seats for the whole show and for a theatre full of people, including small children, the number of times the whole place fell dead silent in awe of what they were about to do, was incredible. I would definitely recommend catching this show if you get the chance.

Yesterday Mr B and I headed out with the bikes to do some skills practise for my upcoming license test. I've had my learners for nearly a year now, so it's time I got myself together. I have no trouble riding on the road, but the finer skills that they test you on like cone weaves and obstacle turns just needed some work. So we spent 5 hours in the cranking hot sun working on my skills...and getting frustrated with each other...and throwing tantrums...and getting very excited when I got things right...and dancing around like lunatics...it was an all over the show kind of day, thank god Mum and Dad came down and brought us hot cross buns, easter eggs and a cuppa for lunch! Thanks Mum and Dad!! After all that practise we were all tuckered out last night and in bed by 6:55pm....oh yeah just call me Nanna B!


Which brings me to today....more practise...and I finally nailed everything...HOORAY!!! (That's literally what I was yelling whilst doing a victory lap of the car park....) And I have video evidence to prove it! I wonder if they would accept that at the test??


Anyway, moving on...let's talk Pie. Like real pie....like a huge big savoury pie stuffed full of eggs, bacon, honey roasted pumpkin, onion, cherry tomatoes and spinach!?! Are you sold yet? You should be.


This pie is huge and so far had fed Mr B and I for two nights and we still have half of it in the fridge for the next 2 nights! Not to mention the overwhelming satisfaction you will get when you pull it out of the tin and see how amazing it looks and knowing you did it all yourself simply by following these very easy steps...

All you will need is:

650g butternut pumpkin cut into 2cm cubes
1 brown onion finely diced
1 small punnet cherry tomatoes halved
100g baby spinach
4 rashers of short crust rindless bacon, finely diced
2 tbspns honey
50g butter (melted)
6 sheets filo pastry
6 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 tbspn wet italian herbs (I used Gourmet Gardens Italian Herbs)

Pre heat your oven to 180C (fan forced) and place the pumpkin and onion in a baking dish. Drizzle with honey and toss to coat. Roast for around 20-25 mins. Add the bacon and stir to combine. Roast for a further 10-15 mins or until pumpkin is tender and bacon is browned. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 150C.

Brush the base and sides of a 20cm springform tin with butter. Place 1 sheet of filo on a flat surface and brush with butter. Carefully push filo into pan, allowing it to extend over the edges. Repeat with remaining filo and butter ensuring all surfaces of the pan are covered. (The best way to do this is to layer them in a clockwise pattern around the pan)

Whisk the eggs and evaporated milk together in a bowl. Stir through the herbs, cheese, tomatoes, spinach and pumpkin mixture. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for around 55-65 mins or until the filling is golden and set.

Carefully remove the sides of the pan and stare in awe at the amazing pie you have created, take photos, call friends to come have a look at it, but most importantly, serve it up with some salad and enjoy it!!


Wishing you all a Happy Easter for tomorrow!!

Mr and Mrs B x

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Creme Pie

I know this week is a short one due to Easter and I know that should excite me...but to be honest it doesn't. Work is so flat out and everyone keeps saying to me Oh gee are you busy because you're getting ready to go away, but I haven't even thought about getting ready to go away yet...hectic...that is the word for it!

But on the upside the weather is beautiful so I'm balancing the hectic-ness out with early morning walks, late evening bike rides, large amounts of chocolate and this Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Creme Pie....not only is it soothing to the frazzled and fried mind, but it is a great quick and easy mid-week treat that takes next to no time to prepare!


Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Creme Pie
1 tub marshmallow fluff / marshmallow creme
1 pkt chocolate chip cookie mix
Chocolate topping

Pre-heat oven to 160C

Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough as per packet directions and push into the base and around the edges of a greased round 20cm cake tin.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until cookie is golden and cooked.

Spread with marshmallow creme / marshmallow fluff and bake for a further 10 mins.

Once cooked, swirl chocolate topping through with a skewer and place in the fridge to cool for 3-4 hours - if you can wait that long...if you can't it's no big deal because whilst this is easier to cut when it's cool, it's best eaten slightly warmed in bed with a big fluffy doona and a good book!


Mr B and I are off to see the Shaolin Kung Fu Monks tomorrow night and we are both really looking forward to it. We are long over due for a night out and Mr B was very excited when he saw this show was coming to town so I brought him some tickets as a surprise!

And did I mention it's only 3 weeks till we depart on our honeymoon for Europe...3 WEEKS!!! Eeeek!

Mrs B x

Double Chocolate and Caramel Cake Mix Bars

Some days you win, some days you lose....

Yesterday Mr B and I went on my first long ride on the motorbike...we went right down around Woodbridge (where we had a picnic), through the mountains to Cygnet and back up through Huonville. All in all it was about a 3 hour ride, I was so proud and so pleased with myself and I really really enjoyed it. And we stopped to do some skills practise on the way home and everything was looking great.


Today we continued with the skills practise and I couldn't weave in and out of cones, I stalled and I nearly fell off my bike doing a left hand turn....and on top of that my bike was revving really high which meant it kept wanting to take off and meant it chewed through the fuel and all of that meant that I cracked the sulks and called game over for the day.


On top of that Mr B and I had a lovely date planned for this afternoon at The Autumn Festival...and well seeing as he is hiding in the shed and I have my pjs on and am eating these double chocolate and caramel cake mix bars from the pan...I can't see it happening.

Some days, you should just stay in bed.

And some days you should sleep in really late, where your pyjamas around the house all day, make these Double Chocolate and Caramel Cake Mix Bars and watch some cheesy dvd's....you know you do it just as much as I do....


These were another accidental success....I seem to be having a few of those lately, which either means I'm getting very sloppy in the kitchen...or very creative....or a combination of both!

I was all set to make some Rolo Cake Mix Bars...the general idea is you mix your vanilla cake mix with some evaporated milk and an egg so that it is kind of crumbly...push half into a cake tin, top with a block of rolo chocolate and then crumble the rest of your cake mix over the top, bake for 30-40 mins and ta-da! Bars of shortbready, roloey goodness yes!? No....mine basically baked up like a cake with a block of rolo chocolate in the middle...which proceeded to sink to the bottom...and the whole thing fell apart...EPIC FAIL. So I smushed it all up, mixed 2 tbspns of caramel fondant through and left it in the fridge with good intentions of making some Hot Cross Cake Balls for Easter. But the more I thought about it last night, the more I decided I wanted to do something different with them.

Here's how it went down...

1 box of vanilla cake mix
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 block of Rolo chocolate
2 tbspns caramel fondant or topping
375g milk chocolate
80g butter
3 tbspns brown sugar
2 tbspns thickened cream

Pre-heat oven to 180C and grease a cake tin.

Combine the cake mix, evaporated milk and egg in a bowl and stir until combined.

Pour half the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Top with broken up rolo chocolate and remaining cake mix.

Bake for 30 mins or until cake is cooked.

Now for something unconventional....pull the cake to pieces....get in there, break it all up, smush it all together and add in the caramel fondant or topping too...really get it all combined. The mixture should hold together well.

Push the mixture into the bottom of a lined loaf tin.

Combine the brown sugar and cream in a microwave safe jug and heat for around 60 seconds, just keep an eye on it because it does tend to rise. Stir well. Continue heating until the sugar is dissolved. Place in the fridge to cool down.

When the brown sugar mixture has cooled, pour over the cake mixture and place in the fridge.

In a microwave safe bowl, add the broken up chocolate and butter. Heat for around 60 seconds, stirring regularly, until mixture is smooth.

Pour over the cake and smooth out.

Place in the fridge to set.


Oh my god...I am sitting here...after having eaten far too much of this slice...but it is heavenly, the combination of textures from the soft chewy cake mix to the gooey caramel layer and the snap of the chocolate top....wowsers...my brain and my belly are in serious debate with each other about wether to have another slice...but in the meantime I'm going to sit here with a big grin on my face and my cup of coffee and contemplate if I should tell Mr B about it...or hide it in the back of the fridge!!

Guest Post from Mr B!

Hello out there. This is the OTHER HALF here. I was asked to do a guest appearence so here it goes.

It was early in the morning and there was a bit of racket going on in the kitchen so i thought i would investigate. When i got there i found Emily making hot cross buns so me being me decided to stay and give a hand. Luckily all the hard work had been finished :) and I ended up with the easy part. I got to roll the buns and place them in the pan then once they rose i had a crack at piping which isnt that hard lol dont tell EM. When they were ready all was left to do was to put on the glaze and yes I aced it



Yay they looked so shiney. Then all was left to do was my favorite part.... EAT and OMG were they good she is defenitly a keeper that one lol. Well im all out of words so i just want to thank you for reading my rambles and to EM for the opportunity till next time good bye. PS this is for you NETTY




Hot Cross Buns

2 x 8g sachets dried yeast
1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk, warmed
1/4 cup caster sugar
4 cups plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp salt
60g butter
2 cups sultanas
2 eggs
1/3 cup self-raising flour
jam, warmed for brushing (I used a combination of marmalade and strawberry jam)

Whisk the yeast, milk and caster sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes to foam.

Combine the plain flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt in the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the softened butter, eggs and yeast mixture. Use the dough hooks on your mixture to combine. Add the sultanas.

Move the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and leave in warm spot for around 45 mins.

Punch the dough down and knead until smooth.

Grease a 30cm x 20cm baking tray. Shape the dough into 12 balls and place in tray.

Set aside for a further 15 mins to allow the buns to finish rising.

Meanwhile preheat your oven to 200°C.

Combine the self-raising flour and 1/4 cup (60ml) water in a small jug and stir until you get a thick (yet pipeable) paste. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe crosses onto the buns.

Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for a further 15 minutes. Brush buns while warm with jam.

Enjoy with butter and cuppa!!!

MR B

Broccoli and Cauliflower Cannelloni

We are definitely cannelloni lovers in this house....from your traditional beef, tomato and cheese cannelloni, right through to your spinach and ricotta and even your grated carrot and zucchini, hell Mr B will even eat lentil cannelloni....so the other night we tried a recipe I have had hanging around for quite some time because I was abit dubious about it....but may I just say it was spectacular!! Brocolli and Cauliflower Cannelloni, it's cheesey, packed full of flavour and down right awesome! Plus if you have kids...they might be quite partial to the green filling...and not even notice it's packed full of vegies!!


All you will need is:

2 small heads of broccoli finely diced
1 medium head of cauliflower finely diced
2 tspns crushed italian herbs
1 tspn crushed garlic
1 x 565g jar of Carbonara Sauce
1 x 565g jar of Tomato Pasta Sauce
12 x Cannelloni Sheets
1/2 cup grated pizza cheese

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Combine the broccoli and cauliflower in a large saucepan with water over high heat and bring to the boil.

Once the broccoli and cauliflower are tender, drain the water and roughly mash. Season with salt and pepper and stir through the carbonara sauce, italian herbs and garlic.

Pour 1/4 cup of tomato pasta sauce over the base of a casserole dish.

Spoon 2 tbspns of the broccoli and cauliflower mixture along the egde of each cannelloni sheet, roll up and place in the dish. Repeat with remaining sheets.

You will have some mixture leftover. Spoon it over the top of the cannelloni in the dish, pour over the remaining tomato sauce and top with grated cheese.

Bake for around 20 mins or until cheese is melty and golden.

Serve with salad, friends, family and enjoy!!

Mrs B x