Crazy Bar Slice

Today has been a lovely lovely day - believe me it deserves 2 x lovely's....if not 3!

 

To start with Mr B and I had an RDO today, absolutely everything about having a 3 day weekend kicked off with a sleep in is good! Secondly, we finally got Mr B's taxes done and it was good news so he shouted me out to a beautiful lunch at a local pub called The Ocean Child. Neither of us had been there before, but we will definitely be returning - it had so much character and the meals were incredible!

And last, but certainly not least, we got to meet Bubba Chopper and have a bit of a snuggle, he is a gorgeous little man! Plus it was nice to catch up with the new parents - we are so proud and happy for them!

So yes....final verdict, today has been a 3 x lovely day....and if Mr B makes me a cup of tea and feeds me hot apple and strawberry crumble with cream while I sit in a toasty warm bed reading a book it might even stretch to 4 x lovelys!!!

And do you know what a day of 3 or even 4 x lovely day potential deserves? Some Crazy Bar Slice!!!

 

This slice, oozing with caramel, studded with mini M&M's and topped with a chewy ANZAC like layer will have you lost for words and it will become a 5 x Mmmmmmmmm day!!!

 

For the crust you will need:

300g butter
1.5 cups oats
1.25 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups flour
1.5 teaspoon baking soda

For the topping you will need:

1 1/2 - 2 cups thick caramel topping / caramel sauce
6 tbspns plain flour
1 pkt (roughly 1 1/2 - 2 cups) of mini M&Ms

Preheat oven to 160C

Melt butter in the microwave. Stir through the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Grease and line a slice pan. I use a square cake pan. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 - 15 mins.

In the mean time, combine the caramel sauce / topping and the remaining flour.

When the crust is done, scatter with 1 cup of the mini M&M's. Pour over the caramel mix.

Combine the remaining crust mix with the remaining mini M&M's. Scatter over the top of the caramel.

Bake again for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

ANZAC Slice....or is it a Cake???

Now this is not your average Anzac slice or your average Anzac cake....This takes the best parts of an Anzac biscuit, the chewy golden goodness studded with coconut and oats, and combines it with a soft, moist delicious Anzac flavoured cake ....I will go as far as to say it is Anzac perfection.

Now start by making your Anzac cake....

1/2 cup Golden Syrup
125 grams Butter
2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Milk

Pre-heat oven to 180C.
Combine the butter and golden syrup and melt either in a saucepan over medium heat or in a jug in the microwave for around 60 seconds. Stir until smooth.

Combine sifted flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl.

Add syrup mixture and mix well.

Add the milk and eggs and beat to combine.

Pour mixture into a greased and lined 20x30cm cake tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes (the cake will be that beautiful golden Anzac colour when it's done)

Now once the cake has cooled a little, break it all up into a bowl.

Melt an extra 50g butter and 1/3 cup golden syrup and pour over the broken up cake. Get your hands in there, get dirty, mix it all up until it's all well combined and holding together nicely.

Push it into the bottom a lined slice tin and place in the fridge to cool.

Now for the caramel layer you will need:

200ml thickend cream
1/3 cup golden syrup
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Combine the cream, golden syrup and brown sugar and melt either in a saucepan over medium heat or in a jug in the microwave for around 60 seconds. Stir until smooth.

Stir in the oats and coconut and pour over the base layer.

Bake for around 20 - 30 mins or until it is a nice dark golden colour and looks set. It won't go hard or completely set, but it will be cooked enough to not run off the edges and hold it's shape. Now I have to say that at one stage I looked in the oven and had a small panic attack because the middle of the slice had arched up quite high...but when I took it out of the oven it settled back down nicely....so if yours does that, just chill out and stay calm. Think caramel goodness thoughts.

Allow the slice to cool in the pan before removing, slicing and enjoying with a cup of tea :)

I really wanted to do something different to the normal Anzac biscuits this year and I'm really pleased with the way this slice came out.


Now go on....try it for yourself!! But I'm warning you, you will not want to share...and you may end up hiding in the cupboard eating all the caramel layer with a spoon....it's ok, I did it too.....

Mrs B xx

Hot Cross Buns and ANZACS

Well seeing as next weekend is not only Easter, but Anzac Day too, I was really left with no choice but to spend yesterday afternoon whipping up some Hot Cross Buns and some Anzacs - keeping in mind I had to make enough Anzacs to keep OH and Dad happy (coz they fight over them) so I made 3 batches (around 72 biscuits!) and I had to make Hot Cross Buns for OH (who doesn't like fruit in them), for me (who likes them low cal and with sultanas) and for Mum and Dad (who like sultanas too!). So we had quite a flurry of baking activity yesterday afternoon, but after having a chewy Anzac straight out of the oven and a soft buttery Hot Cross Bun for brekkie this morning, it was well worth it!

I think I have posted my Anzac recipe before, but I've changed it a touch so I'll do it again!

ANZACS

Too easy!! All you need is:

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut
2 tbspn golden syrup
125g butter
1/2 tspn bicarb
1 tbspn water

Pre-heat oven to 150C (fan forced) and grease two baking trays.

Combine flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a bowl.

Melt the golden syrup and butter together in the microwave. Once combined, add the bicarb and water and stir well.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix.

Shape the mixture into 24 balls with your hands and place on the trays. You will probably only get 6 on each tray so you might have to do two batches.

Bake for 12-15 mins until the biscuits are golden. They will still be soft but they will harden up once out of the oven (but still keep that gorgeous chewy centre we all love!)


Hot Cross Buns (with or without sultanas!)

You will need:

7g sachet (2 teaspoons) dry yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed
2.5 tbspns caster sugar
2.25 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon allspice
40g butter chopped at room temp
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sultanas

For the Glaze
1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon boiling water

For the Flour Paste
1/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon caster sugar

Grease a large square cake pan.

Place yeast, milk and 2 tablespoons sugar in a heatproof jug. Stir to combine. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy.

Sift flour and spice into a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in centre. Add yeast mixture, egg (and sultanas if you want them). Stir to combine. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. I always sit mine in the microwave :)

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes or until smooth. Roll into 16 balls. Place balls in prepared pan. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until risen slightly. Be warned they will spread! I had mine nestled all snug in the pan....but then they rose a bit more and got a bit too snug!

Meanwhile preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced).

For the flour paste - combine flour, sugar and 2 tablespoons cold water in a jug - it should be nice and thick. Spoon into a snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner from bag. Pipe crosses onto buns. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

For the glaze - place gelatine, boiling water and remaining sugar in a heatproof jug. Stir with a fork until gelatine and sugar dissolve. Place buns, top-side up, on a wire rack. Brush with gelatine mixture. Sometimes I skip this step coz OH prefers them unglazed but it does make them look pretty.


This is my favourite bun recipe though, they come out light and fluffy and they just pull apart like hot cross buns should and they are spectacular hot or cold with a bit of butter. We have a tradition in our house that we always have home made hot cross buns for brekkie on Easter Sunday but we are in Melbourne this year so I might have to smuggle some over in my bag!

Em x

And I'm spent......

I came home from my grocery shopping today thinking I might make a batch of Anzacs to go with Dad's bday present....this is what we ended up with....

Some gooey choc-caramel brownies...

some chocolate fruit slice......

enough lasagne to feed a small country....

some creamy strawberry mousse....

oh and the Anzacs!!

And I am utterly exhausted and going for a lie down!!

Nighty night!!

Em xx

The chewiest ANZAC recipe

As long as I can remember I have been making ANZACS. My Dad loves them and now OH does too. My parents even brought me an antique ANZAC mixing bowl with the recipe printed around the rim, but this recipe is my tried and true and my favourite. It makes the best biscuits, even after 3 or 4 weeks in the cupboard they are still chewy and delicious and will keep for ages. I think I got it off the back of an oats packet many many years ago....

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup dessicated coconut
125g butter
2 tbspn golden syrup
1 1/2 tspn bicarb soda
2 tbspn boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Melt butter and golden syrup
Mix bicarb and boiling water, add to butter mixture and then add to dry ingredients. Combine well.
Drop tspns of mixture onto a greased oven tray.
Bake at 150C for 15 mins or until golden. They will spread alot and sometimes you end up with one giant biscuit (which isn't a bad thing!) if this happens just let them cool and then cut into squares.
If some of them do break when you try and remove them from the tray (if you are impatient like me and don't always wait for them to cool) simply roll them into balls and hey presto...chewy ANZAC balls!

OH has an aversion to coconut...something about it getting stuck in his teeth so these days I make the recipe without it and they are just as good!

Enjoy!!



Em xx