Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients
1 ¼ cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 heaped tsp baking soda
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 egg
400ml buttermilk
salt
 
Directions
1) Sift flour, bicarb of soda and baking powder
2) Add sugar, egg, oil, buttermilk and a pinch of salt
3) Blend together with a hand mixer until smooth
4) Cook as per normal pancakes
5) Serve with maple syrup or your favourite pancake topping
6) Eat & Enjoy!

Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

The Pudding
200g dates, stoned and chopped
1.25 cups water
1 tsp bicarb soda
60g unsalted butter
¾ cup castor sugar
2 free range eggs
1.25 cups self raising flour
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp ground mixed spice

The Sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
125g unsalted butter
1 cup cream
Few drops vanilla essence
 
Directions

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2) Butter an 18cm square cake tin and line base with baking paper
3) Combine dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil., Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until dates have softened
4) Remove from heat, stir in bicarb of soda and allow to cool
5) Sift the flour and spice together
6) In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
7) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
8) Fold in the flour, dates and vanilla gradually
9) Pour into prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked (test with skewer)
10) In a saucepan combine all the sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes
11) Pour a little of the sauce over the hot cake and put back in the oven for a few minutes to let the sauce soak in
12) Remove cake, cut into squares, and serve with the extra sauce
13) Eat & Enjoy!

Chocolate Crackles

Ingredients
4 cups rice bubbles
1 cup icing sugar
200g copha
4 tbsp cocoa powder
Various sprinkles

Directions
1) Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir through till completely combined
2) Put copha in a saucepan and melt over a low heat
3) Remove from heat and allow to cool
4) Pour over dry mixture and stir until well combined
5) Put into patty pans and put favourite sprinkles on top
6) Allow to set in fridge - approx 30 minutes
7) Eat & Enjoy!

Chocolate Risotto

Ingredients
1.25L (5 cups) milk
40g butter, chopped
220g (1 cup) arborio rice
100g dark chocolate (Plaistowe brand), finely chopped
60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
 
Directions
1) Bring the milk just to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2) Reduce heat to low and hold at a gentle simmer.
3) Heat the butter in a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until foaming.
4) Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the grains appear slightly glassy.
4) Reduce heat to medium-low and add a ladleful (about 125ml/ 1/2 cup)of the simmering milk to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is absorbed.
5) Continue to add the milk, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. The rice will take about 40 minutes to cook.
6) Once the last ladleful of milk is just absorbed, add the chocolate and sugar, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is well combined.
7) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: Served immediately this is soft & risotto-like in texture. However to serve later you can reheat in the oven. It tastes the same, however the texture becomes more like a thick rice pudding.

Tiramisu

Ingredients
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
¾ cup castor sugar
125ml Frangelico liqueur
6 eggs, separated
500g mascarpone
425g savioardi biscuits
150g good quality dark chocolate, grated

Directions
1) Place hot coffee in a bowl, add 2 Tbspn caster sugar, and stir till sugar dissolves
2) Add Frangelico, then allow to cool
3) Using an electric mixer, whisk remaining sugar and egg yolks until very thick and pale
4) Add mascarpone and whisk until smooth like softly whipped cream
5) In another bowl whisk eggwhites until stiff peaks form
6) Fold 1/3 of egg whites into mascarpone mixture to loosen, then gently fold in remaining eggwhites till just combined
7) Dip savoiardi biscuits into coffee mixture, one at a time, turning once, allowing biscuits to soak up coffee mixture without becoming soggy
8) Place half the soaked biscuits over the base of a 22x26cm ceramic/glass dish
9) Cover with half the mascarpone mixture
10) Sprinkle with half the chocolate
11) Repeat with remaining biscuits, mascarpone mixture and chocolate
12) Refrigerate overnight
13) Eat & Enjoy!

Hazelnut Chocolate Tart

Ingredients
12 frozen sweet shortcrust tartlet cases
250g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
chopped roasted hazelnuts, to decorate

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.
2) Place tartlets in foil cases on a baking tray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.
3) Set aside to cool.
4) Meanwhile, place chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on medium (50%) for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds with a metal spoon, or until melted and smooth.
5) Stand for 10 minutes.
6) Place 1 teaspoon spread in each pastry case.
7) Divide chocolate between cases.
8) Decorate with hazelnuts.
9) Stand for 5 minutes or until set.
10) Eat & Enjoy!