Baked a Cake

With only one sleep to go until the big man in red makes his way down the chimney you would think that I would be a little bit organised but this year I feel anything but. I am usually feeling pretty relaxed with all my presents wrapped and sitting underneath the tree but this year couldn’t be more different. So what do I do instead of wrap said presents? Bake of course!

Just in case any of you are still deciding on something yummy to enjoy with your loved ones tomorrow, I thought I would share three easy (but delicious) treats (two involve no oven!).

 

Red velvet, white chocolate and coconut truffles

 

Ingredients

 

150g unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 ¼ cup (185g) self raising flour, sifted

¼ cup cocoa, sifted

½ cup (125ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons red food colouring

¼ cup (20g) desiccated coconut

¼ cup coconut milk (could use coconut liquor but I substituted for the littlies)

300g white chocolate, finely chopped

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cups (150g) coconut flakes

 

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (325F) and grease and line one 20cm x 30cm tray and set aside.
2. Place softened butter in electric mixer and beat until pale.
3. Add sugar to butter and mix until fluffy, add vanilla extract.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Sift the flour and cocoa in a bowl and add half to the egg, butter and sugar mixture until combined. Add the buttermilk, mix, and then add the remaining flour. Mix the entire mixture and add the food colouring until just combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and smooth the top with a spatula.
7. Bake in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until cooked (once a skewer comes out clean). Allow to cool on a cake rack for 10 minutes.
8. Once cooled, break the cake into pieces into a food processor and pulse to form crumbs. Add the coconut milk and coconut flakes and combine. You want to be able to form balls with the mixture so you may need to add a little more coconut milk if your mix is a little dry.
9. Roll the cake mixture in to balls (approx 1 teaspoon) and set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.
10. Melt white chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over simmering water and place coconut flakes in a bowl.
11. Roll cake balls in the melted chocolate and then into the coconut and place in a container in the fridge until serving.

 

White chocolate rocky road

 

Ingredients

 

1kg white chocolate

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup popcorn

1 cup dried cranberries

200g marshmallows

180g Turkish delight

½ cup coconut flakes

1 cup unsalted pistachios

 

Method

 

1. Lightly grease and line a 25cm x 32cm slice tin and set aside.
2. Roughly chop the cranberries, marshmallows, Turkish delight and pistachios and place in a large bowl with the popcorn, nutmeg and coconut flakes. Mix to combine.
3. Melt white chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over simmering water and stir until smooth.
4. Cover the mixture with half of the chocolate and combine with a spoon. Reserve other half of melted chocolate for the next step.
5. Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and spread out into one layer. Pour remaining chocolate over the top to cover.
6. Place tray into the fridge of 30 minutes or until set. Cut into squares and keep in an air tight container.

 

Reindeer caramel tarts

 

These little cuties are super easy to make and a fun one for the kids to help with.

Makes 36 reindeers dashing through the snow

 

Ingredients

 

2 packets Arnott’s Butternut Snap biscuits

1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk

30g butter, chopped and softened

3 tablespoons brown sugar

250g milk chocolate, melted

1 packet of Jaffas

1 packet mini marshmallows, halved

1 packet star pretzels

Black gel icing

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.
2. Place biscuits in small patty cake pan and bake for 3-4 minutes until the biscuits have softened slightly. Working quickly, carefully push the edges of the biscuit into the patty cake pan to form a slight curve, allow to cool so that they hold the shape and set aside (be careful not to burn your fingers).
3. In a small saucepan, combine condensed milk, brown sugar and butter over a low heat and stir continuously until mixture becomes a light caramel colour and thickens slightly. Set aside to cool and thicken slightly.
4. Place chocolate in a bowl and melt in microwave on medium power for 20 second increments until smooth and melted.
5. Create a little assembly line with the biscuit cups, caramel, melted chocolate and lollies.
6. Spoon a teaspoon of the caramel mixture into the biscuit cup and then top with a layer of melted chocolate. Top with two antlers, marshmallow eyes and a Jaffa nose (or six marshmallow eyes and two Jaffa noses like my little helper this morning).

 

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas with those you love and I look forward to sharing more projects and recipes with you in 2014.

 

Much love x