Back Again... :)

The last couple of weeks have not seen the arrival of our new baby yet but at the same time neither did my desire to start cooking too! But having started mat leave, its about time to stat getting back into the swing of things... So I start with something close to my heart and especially sweet. I was offered a recipe from my cousin, tweaked it with some others I found on websites and came up with the following:

Chocolate Macaroon Brownie

Brownie:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
½ cup chopped nuts

Filling:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 cups flaked/shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
½ cup baking cocoa
¼ cup milk
¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa until smooth. Blend in eggs, sugar and extracts. Stir in flour mixture and nuts.

Pour into a parchment lined 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking pan.

In small bowl, combine condensed milk, coconut and vanilla. Spoon over brownie base.

Bake at 350o for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean.

For icing, in small bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency.

Spread over filling. Sprinkle with nuts (optional). Cool in pan. Cut into bars.

Enjoy! (I know we did!)

Frozen, creamy and it needs Nutella...yummy!

Original recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis and I have to admit this may be the best homemade gelato that I've ever had. Soooooooo creamy. What a keeper!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup Nutella spread (recommended: Nutella

Directions

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour ½ cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the almond, cocoa powder and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with chopped/toasted hazelnuts.

Please note: I’ve incorporated some of the changes I made to the recipe including lowering the sugar from ½ cup to a 1/3 cup, using almond extract instead of vanilla extract, adding 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and omitting the ½ cup of hazelnuts. For the original recipe please visit the www.foodnetwork.com website.

Chocolate fondue...yummy!

After a long week of many assignments and college open houses, we wanted to treat my little sister to a fun evening.... So chocolate, cake and strawberries was on the menu (actually it was the only thing on the menu...oops). Not the healthiest but oh so yummy!

Having never used my fondue pot, I was a little worried but this couldn't have been any easier.

Toblerone Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

300 grams of Toblerone chocolate
½ cup of heavy (whipping) cream, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons of Blue Curacao (orange flavoured) liqueur

Directions

1. Over a double boiler melt Toblerone chocolate.
2. Slowly stir in heavy cream and the liqueur.
3. Add to fondue pot (over low heat) and serve with pound cake and strawberries.

Enjoy!