Coco-Nutty Crunchies

This is for all of you that like to live life on the edge! This is a flourless recipe and has four ingredients with the magic ingredient being potato chips!

These are great to whip up for a quick sweet treat and are very very addictive!!

Coco-Nutty Crunchies

COCO-NUTTY CRUNCHIES

Ingredients:

80 grams salted potato chips/crisps
140 grams crunchy peanut butter
140 grams shredded coconut
1 x can sweetened condensed milk (395 grams)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients into bowl in above order.
3. Mix 30 seconds/Speed 5.
4. Spoon teaspoons of mixture onto a lined baking tray.
5. Bake for 7 - 10 minutes or until browned.

Add all ingredients to bowl

Mix 30 seconds/Speed 5

Spoon teaspoons of mixture onto lined baking tray

Bake at 170 degrees (preheated) for 7 to 10 minutes or until browned

Coco-Nutty Crunchies

YUM!

20 Second Crunchy Lemon Muffins

This is a really quick and easy muffin recipe, and the muffin itself is really moist and fluffy with a crunchy topping. These are way too easy to eat!!!

20 Second Crunchy Lemon Muffins

This recipe can also be made EGG FREE! I accidentally forgot to put in the egg in my first batch so I thought it would make a good experiment!! They look and feel pretty similar, quite moist and fluffy, however with the egg the muffin is a little more 'crumbier'. If I didn't taste one after another I probably wouldn't even tell the difference! The one without egg is slightly more denser and doughier in texture (similar to the doughnut muffins) and is a bit like a packet mix cupcake texture. Either way, these are soo delicious and very easy to make and eat!

Left (brown casing): Recipe as below with egg

Right (white casing): Recipe as below WITHOUT egg

20 SECOND CRUNCHY LEMON MUFFINS

Makes 8 - 10 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffin

300 grams self raising flour
150 grams white sugar
75 grams butter
230 grams milk
1 egg (optional)
Zest of 1 lemon

Topping

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Add all 'muffin' ingredients into the bowl - mix 20 seconds/Speed 5.
3. Spoon into muffin cases.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. As soon as the muffins come out of the oven, brush the tops of the muffins with lemon juice, and sprinkle with sugar.

Add all muffin ingredients to bowl

Mix 20 seconds/Speed 5

Spoon into muffin cases 

Bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Prepare sugar and lemon juice in bowls

As soon as the muffins come out of the oven, brush the tops of the muffins with lemon juice, and sprinkle with sugar.

20 Second Crunchy Lemon Muffins

Pumpkin Pancakes

This is a yummy breakfast for the whole family and a great way to sneak in some pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Served up for the boys

This is also great for babies/toddlers or kids in their lunchbox as it is very moist and not very crumbly.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Ingredients:

250 grams pumpkin (cubed)

160 grams milk

220 grams plain flour

40 grams butter

90 grams maple syrup

1 egg

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Add pumpkin to bowl - blitz 5 seconds/Speed 7.

2. Add milk - cook 3 minutes/100 degrees/Speed 2.

3. Add flour, butter, maple syrup, egg, baking powder, cinnamon and salt - mix 10 seconds/Speed 6.

4. Spoon onto a frying pan (medium heat) with a little bit of butter, fry approx. 2 minutes on each side or until browned.

Serve with extra maple syrup, icecream, whatever you feel like! This is tasty enough for the little ones to eat them by itself (and a lot less messier this way!)

  

 Add pumpkin to bowl - blitz 5 seconds/Speed 7.

Add milk

 Cook 3 minutes/100 degrees/Speed 2

Add flour, butter, maple syrup, egg, baking powder, cinnamon and salt

 Mix 10 seconds/Speed 6

Spoon onto a frying pan (medium heat) with a little bit of butter

Fry approx. 2 minutes on each side or until browned

Pumpkin Pancakes

Knafeh

We have been lucky enough to try the famous Knafeh (pronounced 'Ka-na-feh') from the Knafeh Jerusalem street food truck which travels around Sydney, parks their truck in a spot for a weekend and opens at night. The Knafeh food truck experience is an amazing electric atmosphere with Middle Eastern music, entertainment from the bearded chefs and a community atmosphere (https://www.facebook.com/knafehbakery).

Knafeh

Ever since my first taste of Knafeh I have been busting to make it at home!! 

Knafeh is a Middle Eastern dessert and tastes like a baked custard with crunchy topping. It is a sweet cheese or cream dessert which is topped with pistachios and sugar syrup. According to Wikipedia, 'Kanafeh' is a Levantine cheese pastry soaked in sweet, sugar based syrup, typical of the regions of the Ottoman Empire. There are different variations of Knafeh depending on the different regions in the Middle East.

This is my take on Knafeh based on a recipe I found with ingredients that are readily available. Most recipes I found used Akawi/Syrian Cheese - a Palestinian cheese which I have never heard of or seen (I believe you can get them at Middle Eastern grocery shops).

You can get the Semolina at Coles/Woolworths in the organic or pasta/grains section. The Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water can also be bought from Coles/Woolworths in the Indian section, or you can get it at your local Indian grocery shop, some fruit/veg shops, or Harris Farm markets (if you have one near you).

The topping and syrup is based on my 6 x deep ramekins and is a perfect amount for them! If you use a shallower dish to make 1 big Knafeh or distribute the custard in more ramekins, then double/triple the topping and syrup ingredients.

THIS IS SOOO DELICIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you don't have orange blossom water or rose syrup you can always use Vanilla extract/paste for a Vanilla Baked Semolina Custard!

KNAFEH
(adapted from http://www.projectsweetstuff.com/knafeh-made-for-memories/)

Topping

60 grams cornflakes
20 grams pistachios

Custard

1000 grams full cream milk
300 grams thickened cream
80 grams cornflour
85 grams semolina
120 grams sugar
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 tablespoon rose water

Syrup

100 grams sugar
60 grams water
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
1/2 teaspoon rose water

Method:

Topping

1. Add cornflakes to bowl - turbo x 2. Set aside (note if you want 'finer' cornflakes blitz 5 seconds/Speed 7).
2. Add pistachios to bowl - turbo x 1. Set aside.

Custard

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add all custard ingredients to bowl - cook 11 minutes/90 degrees/Speed 4.
3. Pour into 6 ramekins.
4. Top with cornflakes and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Wash and dry bowl then make the syrup whilst the custard cooks...

Syrup

1. Add all syrup ingredients - cook 2 minutes/100 degrees/Speed 2.

To serve

1. Top with syrup and pistachios to serve. 

This is best served fresh and warm! Mmmmmm...

If you are making this beforehand, it tastes best reheated in the microwave, not oven. In the oven it seems to get firmer, in the microwave it maintains the original custardy sloppy consistency (possibly because the oven is dry heat??) I microwave 1 x ramekin for 2 minutes and it is perfect!

Add cornflakes to bowl - turbo x 2. Set aside.

Add pistachios to bowl - turbo x 1. Set aside.

Add all custard ingredients to bowl

 Cook 11 minutes/90 degrees/Speed 4

Pour into 6 ramekins

Top with cornflakes and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Add all syrup ingredients

 Cook 2 minutes/100 degrees/Speed 2

Top with syrup and pistachios to serve

DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water

Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

If you LOVE dark chocolate, this is the brownie for you!! 

Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

This is my husband's all time favourite brownie which I have tweaked over the years until he said it was better than any other one he'd ever tasted, and would request this on a regular basis. I have adapted it from an old school Women's Weekly Mocha Brownie Recipe. I've been making this for years, pre-Thermomix days, being one of the most regularly baked item in my house! 

This is amazing served warm with oozing melted chocolate by itself or with icecream, however my husband loves this in bite sized pieces in the fridge with each bite with a bit of brownie and a bit of hard crunchy chocolate!

My Milo Brownies were a twist on a traditional brownie, however this brownie is so indulgent, it is the hard core stuff that you would get at your local bakery/cafe!

This brownie has chocolate in the brownie mixture, plus extra chocolate bits stirred through.  I use 100 grams Cadbury Old Gold 70% Cocoa for some of the chocolate bits as my husband loves his dark chocolate a little bitter, and I mix it with 50 grams dark chocolate chips (I use either the Costco Kirkland brand, or Nestle Dark Chocolate Bits).

DOUBLE DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients:

150 grams dark chocolate (chocolate chips or a block broken into squares)

180 grams butter

250 grams dark chocolate

150 grams sugar

3 eggs

230 grams plain flour

Method (Thermomix):

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

2. Place a small bowl on top of the Thermomix lid and weigh out 150 grams dark chocolate. Set aside.

3. Add butter and dark chocolate to bowl - melt 2 minutes/50 degrees/Speed 2. Scrape down. 

4. Melt a further 1 minute/50 degrees/Speed 2 (you may need to melt a further minute or 2 if you are using larger chunks/chips of chocolate).

5. Add sugar - mix 5 seconds/Speed 5. Scrape down.

6. Set for 1 minute/Speed 2 - add eggs 1 at a time through the MC hole throughout this minute.

7. Add flour - mix 10 seconds/Speed 5.

8. Add chocolate squares/chips - mix 10 seconds/Speed 3/Reverse.

9. Pour mixture into square baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm. Wait to cool before cutting into squares. 

Method (Non Thermomix):

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, weigh out 150 grams dark chocolate. Set aside.

3. Melt butter and chocolate in a pan over low heat, stir until smooth.

4. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar.

5. Stir in eggs 1 at a time.

6. Stir in sifted flour.

7. Stir through set aside chocolate squares/chips.

8. Pour mixture into square baking pan.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm. Wait to cool before cutting into squares.

Place a small bowl on top of the Thermomix lid and weigh out 150 grams dark chocolate. Set aside.

Add butter and dark chocolate to bowl

Melt 2 minutes/50 degrees/Speed 2. Scrape down. 

Melt a further 1 minute/50 degrees/Speed 2 (you may need to melt a further minute or 2 if you are using larger chunks/chips of chocolate)

Add sugar - mix 5 seconds/Speed 5. Scrape down

Set for 1 minute/Speed 2 - add eggs 1 at a time through the MC hole throughout this minute

Add flour - mix 10 seconds/Speed 5

Add chocolate squares/chips - mix 10 seconds/Speed 3/Reverse

Pour mixture into square baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm

Wait to cool before cutting into squares

Dust with icing sugar to serve

Golden Gaytime Bliss Balls

This is a variation of the Healthy Golden Gaytime Easter Eggs. This time using blitzed up dark chocolate to roll them in for a little chocolate hit! You can use cocoa/cacoa powder or drinking chocolate to roll them in instead, however I like the blitzed chocolate for some texture!

This is most definitely the BEST bliss ball I've ever eaten - I ate a few before it even hit the fridge!! #nomnomnom

Golden Gaytime Bliss Balls

GOLDEN GAYTIME BLISS BALLS

Ingredients:

50 grams dark chocolate

100 grams oats

150 grams medjool dates (pitted)

10 grams chia seeds

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

10 grams maple syrup

40 grams coconut oil

25 grams rice bubbles/puffed rice

Method (Thermomix):

1. Add the dark chocolate to the bowl - blitz 10 seconds/speed 7. Set aside.

2. Add the oats, dates, chia seeds, vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil - mix 15 seconds/Speed 8.

3. Add the rice bubbles - mix 15 seconds/Speed 2/Reverse.

4. Use a teaspoon to measure out a spoonful of mixture and roll/shape into an ball shape (make sure to get excess rice bubbles from the bottom of the bowl so that you get an even mixture)

5. Roll the ball in the set aside dark chocolate and place in fridge to set for at least an hour.

Method (Blender/Food Processor):

1. Add the dark chocolate and blitz until fine. Set aside.

2. Add the oats, dates, chia seeds, vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil - mix until all the ingredients are combined.

3. Add the rice bubbles and do a quick turbo mix, you may need to further mix with a spoon/spatula - try not to blend it too much as you may lose the rice bubble crunch!

4. Use a spoon to measure out a spoonful of mixture and roll/shape into an ball shape (make sure to get excess rice bubbles from the bottom of the bowl so that you get an even mixture)

5. Roll the ball in the set aside dark chocolate and place in fridge to set for at least an hour.

Add 50g dark chocolate 

Blitz 10 seconds/Speed 7

Add the oats, dates, chia seeds, vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil - mix 15 seconds/Speed 8.

Add the rice bubbles - mix 15 seconds/Speed 2/Reverse

Use a teaspoon to measure out a spoonful of mixture and roll/shape into an ball shape (make sure to get excess rice bubbles from the bottom of the bowl so that you get an even mixture)

Roll the ball in the set aside dark chocolate

Place in fridge to set for at least an hour (if they make it to the fridge!!)

*****If you love Bliss Balls, try these other recipes:

Ferrero Rocher Bliss Balls

Apple Pie Bliss Balls