In the first episode of the Mamamia Kitchen I made Borlotti Bean Bruschetta and for my next trick I take on Nigella’s Peanut Butter Slice in a new apron.
Now, the first thing I thought when I saw this recipe was that it needed a biscuit base. Just for some crunch and to balance the intensity and richness of the peanut butter and chocolate bits.
I didn’t freestyle on the recipe because I need to get my confidence up a bit before I attempt that but afterwards when I did a bit of digging, I found that The Cake Mistress had had the same thought and adapted the same recipe to include a biscuit base.
Click through the gallery for a step-by-step guide on putting the recipe together and thanks to MM reader Jo M who made the suggestion. Also in the gallery, you can see photos of MM site co-ordinator Nicky and our office dog Henry. Lana was behind the camera but her hand did appear a few times in the video so she’s well represented.
What is YOUR favourite sweet treat? Please share your recipes if you have them. Or maybe something pre-made is your thing. I have a bit of a thing for choc bits at the moment……eaten after dinner.

Have all the ingredients handy






Comments
131 Comments so far
Mia, Your presentation was so uplifting, and I had such a good laugh….shades of Fawlty Towers. A great concept for a TV cooking show and a real antidote to all the serious over the top cooking shows. I will be sending it to my friends…. Oh and I did like your hot pink bra.
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I made this recipe and it is VERY VERY rich. Even for someone who loves rich things. I definitely think adding the biscuit base would be better.
I have been eating the tiny pieces in between two plain wafer crackers. It really helps to cut the richness!!
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I’m having a crap day but Mia this was good for my soul. Made me laugh. Thank you for this.
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We made this last night and the kids who love both peanut butter and chocolate were not up for the challenge-too rich I think. This means more for hubby and me! It is magnificant, but the pieces need to be very small. Nigella mixes the craziest of ingredients, but they work.
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God I loved this little segment Mia! I laughed, I learned, I laughed some more. You are so natural. So real. There should be more of YOUR kind of celebrity chefs! By the way, I cracked up when you said “Far be it from me to Fuck with Nigella”! feel free to F with any recipe you like! I rarely read a recipe anyway – I’m much more of “a bit of this, and a touch of that” kinda cook… Love your style!
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Mia, rumor has it your friend Paula is quite the cook. Can you do an episode with her teaching you something a little more complex?
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Omg Mia, are you trying to kill us?! I made this and ate a small corner piece and now I feel sick. So good.
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I think it would be great if you could refer for instance to “ausbuy” or other means of identifying Aussie made/owned products & use these brands in your recipes eg Dick Smith peanut butter for your slice. This will encourage people to use these products.
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I think that this is a great idea. Use Australian owned and made products whenever possible and highlight the fact that local producers are being supported.
In this way, the Mamamia blog can share a slice (no pun intended) of the “buy your kids a job” pie !
Let’s support this one, Mia and readers !
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Great idea Frank. And free range eggs etc too – but I imagine Lana would already be all over that one
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I dont’ know whether you’ve mentioned this already in older posts but could you please tell me where you got that FAB apron?!
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Mia… I don’t see how you are ‘adapting’ the recipe by adding a base. Biscuits and some butter in a food processor, and you have a base. Pretty easy. Otherwise, I enjoyed the vid!
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Um, there isn’t a base in the original recipe, so adding one is “changing” or “adapting” the recipe?
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What I meant was that Mia mentioned not wanting to mess with the original recipe by making a base. You aren’t exactly changing the original recipe by changing ingrediants or adding anything to the chocolate or peanut butter mix. It is the exact same recipe, just placing it on a base, which is pretty easy!
I wasn’t insulting her, just thought I would mention it as most slices have a basic base that can be used across the board.
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I didn’t know the best place to share this, but I think this image from the home page is a hilarious juxtaposition:
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We like to mix it up on Mamamia, from cooking to childbirth…!
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Miranda Kerr obviously has a lot of time on her hands. Mia doesn’t.
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I love your style. My nearly 4yo daughter LOVED you too, so much so she watched this twice. (I ran off for a shower and I only heard one “uh-oh” from her.) I have yet to watch the remainder, but I do worry about this being used as a ‘How Not To: Safety in the Kitchen” educational film.
- Wedding ring was nearly a secret ingredient
- Using teeth to open a packet
- Sharp knives cutting butter in midair
- LEANING OVER OPEN FLAME with untied hair dangerously close to going ‘woof!’
And I haven’t even seen the rest yet…
Next time, instead of a disco apron, perhaps a fire-retardant safety suit? Thank goodness there are two grownups supervising, cause we can’t wait to see your next stunts in action!
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I made The Cake Mistress version today, with the crust. It would be better without the crust. Thus, will not make with the crust again, however, will likely make many hundreds of times without the crust. OMG!!!
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That was very funny! I would love to see you do a segment with Julie Goodwin.
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Martha Stewart Dark Chocolate Cookies. Even better than Mrs Fields. I LOVE this recipe
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/dark-chocolate-cookies-with-espresso?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/chocolate-cookie-recipes#slide_25
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My Nan would make this at Christmas, and when I was old enough, it was heavenly. It literally requires no cooking.
Super easy, (albeit naughty) Scallywag Chocolate Log.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 (or 3) packets of Scallywag chocolate biscuits
- Bottle of any liqueur you choose
- Whipped cream (you can whip the cream yourself or use it from the can, doesn’t matter)
- Jam (any flavour you wish)
METHOD:
Soak Scallywag biscuits in liqueur until quite soft, but not soft enough to break. Place four bisuits feet/head and side by side on a tray, and smear on jam. Smear cream on top of jam, and cover with Scallywags. Repeat layers until you have a messy, decadent, creamy, jammy, heavenly.. (sorry rambling!) chocolate log
Place into fridge for a few hours before serving, or can be left overnight to allow liqueur to soak into biscuits and make the log soft. (You must use some sort of liqueur or liquid to soften the biscuits otherwise you won’t be able to cut it)
NB: Milk based liqueurs like Baileys and Kahlua don’t seem to work all that well from experience, as the biscuits don’t soak them up and you may find the biscuits are still a little hard.
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Absolutely brilliant. Thats all I can say!
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Mia – didn’t your mother tell you not to open things with your teeth?????
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tee hee… The Unco Cook. Very cute. I like.
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Fabulous viewing! I don’t care what you make next, Mia, but I would really like to see you separating some eggs.
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Recipe for separating eggs.
Place one egg in the kitchen. Place one egg in another room.
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you are a crack up! love your funny comments they make my day!
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Mia – you’ve got butter and chocolate and pyrex bowls, and you’re standing in front of a microwave. Ditch the saucepan!Don’t create extra washing up! The microzapper is the best way to melt chocolate (you can’t get water vapour in it that will make it go hard), it’s much quicker and it avoids that nauseating melted butter smell. Zap for 10-15 seconds, then stir and repeat till it’s almost melted (you have to stir or the chocolate in the middle of the bowl will burn – a fascinating science lesson but a waste of chocolatey goodness).
Love it!
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Hahahahaha…..I’m a food tech teacher….wish I could do my food dems like you….lol
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By the way I put my rings down my bra too when I don’t have pockets
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Yum!! just wish I had of made some to eat whilst watching Packed to the Rafters..
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Mia you are soo cute!
PS A reason as to why the choc could have been hardening so quickly is that when you melt choc I was always told (by my mum who is a chef) to never use a wooden spoon, but instead a metal one! I dont know why and I never asked, I just do as I’m told
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I think it has something to do with the fact that wood can suck up the moisture (as it’s… not porous exactly… grained?) whereas it just slicks off the metal. Plus if you use wooden spoons for something like curry that could infuse your sweet food with an odd taste
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Actually it’s because wooden spoons already contain moisture (even if you think it feels dry) and moisture is the natural enemy of chocolate – it makes it ‘seize’ which just means it goes grainy and hard. Always use a metal spoon and your chocolate will be silky smooth and yum.
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Ahh, yes! I made a point to try and find out if someone had already mentioned this before I did. I once melted a whole block of chocolate, CADBURYS, and stuffed it up by using a wooden spoon. I consulted Google, and was told never to use wood, but metal. Didn’t steer me wrong!
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That was funny. Loved the cutting of butter in mid air, wiping your hands on your jeans (eww your hair?)and is your apron a car sun reflector?
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God, I should totally use my apron for that! Because it’s craptacular as an actual apron.
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It’s pretty but. Like a disco ball apron.
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This looks delish.
Wish I’d come over and tried them!
I have the SAME apron. Oddly, it’s lasted me 13 years and two countries.
N x
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Bloody funny. You are so impatient – love it. Very heavy handed – hilarious.
I challenge you to do gwyneth paltrows tacos on goop.com
She does a video too
I challenge you to do a quicker and better job Australian style!!!! They are easy and good for a family
Go for it mia! Would be funny. Also I reckon you would be quicker!
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I like a challenge. I may well rise to this one.
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I didn’t have the best of days today, but I now have the hugest grin. So thanks for the laughs, but also the great recipe. The kids and I will give it a run on the weekend.
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Tribute to this delicious looking slice…
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Mia, you are a classic!
I’m sitting here yelling at you for risking your teeth (use some scissors) and for cutting the butter in mid-air (put it on the bench!!) Hope you had someone with first aid training standing by!!!
Love that you get to tell Nigella (respectfully of course!) that her recipe needs a base. Awesome!
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Yes Annie, I mean what would Nigella know?
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“This already smells like a lot of fun.”
“I love a recipe you can get amongst.”
Magic! Loving Nicky and Lana laughing in the background.
Nice work ladies. Please keep them coming
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Mia,
It looks fantastic & tasty! Your dog looks so cute! Is she/he a Labradoodle?
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Lana’s dog who has rapidly become the MM mascot, usurping my own dog who is taking it not very well.
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I laughed so hard with this- especially the ring down the bra trick- that’s where mine goes! Or else sometimes I’ll clip it onto a hoop earring to stop it getting sticky. Though best if I remember, because I’m really not cool enough to pull of the asymmetrical earring look when I go out.
My last minute emergency cake/ dessert is a rustic fruit tart thing that’s a version of a Donna Hay. I pull this recipe from ‘Off the Shelf’ out quite a bit depending on what dregs of sad fruit are in the bowl and it’s pretty indestructible.
Rustic fruit tart/ emergency cake
(Via Donna Hay’s Peach and Raspberry Tart, p 155 from Off the shelf)
Shopping/foraging
125 grams unsalted butter
1 cup caster sugar (though admittedly, not as much fun as brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 and a half cups of self raising flour
Splash of vanilla extract
choice of fruit for the top
Ice cream, yogurt or custard to serve.
How you roll
You’re going to want to take 125 g of unsalted butter out of the fridge and let it soften a bit while you preheat an oven to 160 degrees.
Take a round cake tin with a removable base and line it pretty rustically with greaseproof paper. I find if I lightly grease the tin, the paper then sticks to the grease and it’s no drama to get it to stay.
Put the cubed, softened (not melted) butter in a mixing bowl with 1 cup of caster sugar and a splash of vanilla extract and beat them with electric mixers until they’re duckling yellow and fluffy. Then add two eggs and beat well.
Lightly fold in 1 and a half cups of sifted self raising flour. Spoon the mixture into the tin.
Top it in a pretty pattern with some sliced fruit. Donna suggests thin segments of peach and frozen raspberries, which has a nice peach melba kind of touch. When I haven’t had peaches I’ve busted out apples and blueberries, pear and blackberries, and sometimes, just a very sad looking lonely apple.
Bake it for an hour. Remove it from the tin. It’s best served warm with ice cream.
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Yum! Methinks everyone should have an emergency cake recipe to hand – what a great idea!
I especially love the description of ‘sad fruit’ – that’s just priceless!
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A lesson in baking and accessorising. I like it!
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Clip your ring into your hoop earring? Victoria, I think that’s bloody genius.
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We can only try
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So I actually tried this one out last night with my three year old- thanks Victoria!
We did rhubarb and apples and added a bit of cinnamon to the mix.
No icecream to hand- but some yoghurt made a great side.
Nice one!
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Simple recipe for the humble sausage roll.
1 sausage.
1 inclined surface.
Place sausage at the top of the inclined surface. Push.
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Yes I want you to do this one Mia!
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Mia, will you bra be the special guest in each cooking installment? “In the kitchen with Mia’s bras” – love it
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My go to dish when I was on dessert duty was Galettes:
Puff Pastry
Egg wash (egg and milk mixed together)
cinnamon sugar (or just plain if you don’t have cinnamon)
Tinned fruit (my favourite is pears)
OK, so what you do is heat your oven to 180 or whatever the puff pastry packet tells you.
Then, get the puff pastry, and give it a brush with the egg wash, sprinkle your sugar on top.
Get your pear halves, and fan them out – leave about 1.5cm at the top, and slice each one down to the bottom to make them squash down.
Now, knowing how big your pear pieces are, you can go fancy and cut your pastry into pear shapes, which allow about 1.5cm around the edges, or you could just cut the puff pastry into rectangles or squares.
Put them on your prepared tray (glad bake helps A LOT), and then put the pears on the puff pastry. Sprinkle a bit more sugar on them, and into the oven until the pastry’s cooked and golden.
Yummy hot or cold, with or without icecream etc.
I’ve said pears in this one, but that is purely because we had to present them and pears fan out nicely, but you can use anything you want.
You could also do like a crumble as well…
Puff pastry is awesome!
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I dooo this all the time with tinned peaches or apricots.
I actually did it last night as I cooked a Chunky Steak Pie and needed to use up the rest of the puff pastry
dusting of iceing sugar and I feel like a pastry chef
Adriano Zumbo Who??? I’m the queen!!
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hahahahaaaaa i just laughed through so much of that!!
LOVE IT!!!! keep them coming mia
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I had tears of laughter again while filming this ep
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That’s what I was thinking Nicky and Lana – how weren’t you cracking up so much – the camera would have been shaking w laughter & more!!
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Is that Fluffy Pencil? He’s cute!
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And did I mention I am still laughing at your video??? Beyond gorgeous, you are a cook after my own heart lol
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Ok, got this from SFI but it is so yummy and easy that even a total kitchen klutz like me can do it LOL
Choc Mint Ice Cream Cake
Crush 1 pkt of Choc Ripple biscuits. Pour 250g of melted butter over and mix well, then press into a round tart base/dish. Refrigerate for 15 mins.
Get 2 litters of any Vanilla Ice Cream and let melt a little.
Chop up/crush 5 Peppermint Crisp Bars. Stir through the ice cream, leaving a little aside for serving.
Refrigerate 1 hr, top with reserved Peppermint Crisp and serve!!!!
Honestly, it’s so yummy, and I feel all Nigella ish when I make it hehehehehhee
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It’s a stove… Not an oven!
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Mia am I the only one that felt a sense of panic every time I saw you with a sharp knife in your hand? The way you cut the butter, I thought we were going to see an upcoming post on emergency rooms! lol
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I love the way chocolate sounds when you break it… just sayin’.
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That was SO funny
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I made this cake for a friends housewarming/birthday party and everyone was so surprised that when it came time for dessert I went and started to dish up the “plant” I’d brought as a housewarming gift!
Oreo Dirt Cake
Ingredients:
120g light Philly, softened
3tbsp castor sugar
100g instant chocolate pudding mix
400ml skim milk
160g light whipped cream in a can (eg Dairy Whip)
2 pkts Oreos
Gummy worms
Directions:
Chop Oreos very finely in blender, the white cream will disappear.
Mix Philly and sugar in a bowl.
In a large bowl mix milk and pudding. Add whipped cream after pudding is mixed thoroughly.
Combine pudding mixture and Philly mixture together.
Layer in a new flower pot, starting with Oreos then pudding mixture. Repeat layers finishing with Oreos.
Add gummy worms as you go or just add to the top layer for effect.
Chill until ready to serve.
Add artificial flowers and serve with trowel.
Surprise everyone and enjoy!
NB – all ingredients are light or skim versions but can be full fat if desired. It is a high calorie recipe and the light options taste really good so I choose to use them and enjoy with a little less guilt!
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That’s brilliant! I love it, what an ingenious dessert!
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I love this idea!
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Lana, dear Lana, next ep of Mia in the kitchen (just to stop my worries) can you please make sure the dear fledgling cook has the following:
-,hand or tea towel
- a chopping board
- scissors to open packets
That is all.
Another lovely look at your kitchen!!
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FAN-TASTIC!
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I love this, my grandmother used to make us dirt all the time when we were in the States. Total nostalgia!
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For anyone who wants to cook the Nigella recipe, here it is..
Nigella’s chocolate peanut butter slice
BASE:
50g dark muscovado sugar
200g icing sugar
50g unsalted butter
200g smooth peanut butter
TOPPING:
200g milk chocolate
100g plain chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Stir all ingredients for the base together until smooth, I find it helps to melt the butter and peanut butter together first. Press into a baking-paper lined tin. Melt together the ingredients for the topping, pour over. Put in the freezer until firm. Easy and amazing.
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Just so you know: melting the butter and peanut butter was me freestyling. Yes, I f**ked with Nigella. I know. Heathen.
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What a crack-up! Mia don’t take this the wrong way, but don’t give up your day job. Slice looks fab, great fun to watch your cooking style, “Mia cooks” is such a treat for us. But I gotta tell ya – Nigella’s job’s not in any danger!!!!
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Yeah, I think Nigella is sleeping pretty well at night…..
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If you want a really easy melt and mix recipe with chocolate and peanut butter you can’t beat the Chocolate Spider recipe.
Chocolate Spiders
1x100g pack Chang’s fried noodles
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
200g milk cooking chocolate
1. Microwave the chocolate and peanut butter until melted
2. Mix well to form a smooth paste
3. Add noodles and coat well with chocolate mix
4. Spoon the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper and refidgerate until set.
This recipe is inexpensive, yummy and great to whip up for kids birthday parties
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My grandma does this but uses white chocolate – really really good.
You can also do something similar using cornflakes, chocolate and dried berries.
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Oh a topic close to my heart! These brownies are super easy and I always get requests for more!I’m more known for my lemon meringue pie tho but I haven’t got that saved anywhere to quickly copy and paste, must write it out! Will post more soon
Kelly’s Brownies
200g Cadbury Old Gold, broken up
200g butter, chopped
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ cups caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup plain flour
¼ cup self-raising flour
1 block Cadbury Caramello chocolate
Preheat oven to 180c no fan. Grease and line 3cm-deep 20cm x 20cm (base) slab pan with baking paper allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends (you can then lift the brownies out of the pan).
Place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered for 2 minutes on High/100% stirring every minute with a metal spoon until smooth.
Stir cocoa powder into the warm chocolate mixture until cocoa dissolves. Stir in sugar, then eggs. Mix well. Sift flours together over the chocolate mixture then stir to combine.
Spread mixture into prepared pan. Break Caramello chocolate into squares and arrange evenly in rows of five on surface on mixture. Push chocolate into mixture with a knife and spread surface smooth.
Bake brownie for 60-90 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs sticking. Cool completely in the pan. Cut into squares.
ENJOY!
NB: These brownies just won’t work with the oven fan on-the top will set and form a crust while the inside stays raw.
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Green Tea and Red Bean Cupcakes
Makes 12 muffins in a 1/3 cup muffin tray
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
300g almond meal
150g sugar
3 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
1 cup milk
Red bean paste*
Icing:
Philadelphia spreadable cream cheese
icing sugar, sifted
1tsp green tea powder*
milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a muffin tray with paper cases. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk until just combined. Add sugar and vanilla and beat by hand until well combined. Add almond meal and stir to combine; add milk in stages until mixture comes together well. Fill the muffin cases halfway with this mixture. Next, place teaspoonfuls of red bean paste in the middle of each muffin case. Cover gently with the remaining cupcake batter. Fill the cases completely: these cupcakes will not rise as much as “normal” cupcakes will. If you fill them to the top, they will rise to the usual height.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (just make sure you don’t hit the red bean paste when you insert the skewer!). Allow to cool completely.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, mix cream cheese, icing sugar, green tea powder and a dash of milk in a bowl. Add as much milk as is needed to get the consistency of icing you would like. I used about half a small tub of Philadelphia, about two dessertspoons of icing sugar and a few splashes of milk.
* Available at Asian grocery stores. You can cheat with the red bean paste, like I did, and buy a can of premade paste. Otherwise, buy some azuki/adzuki beans and boil them with sugar and water, then simmer until they’re mushy. You can mix in some milk or cream if you want to. I’ve done it this way before and it does come out pretty much the same as the canned paste, but you have more control over the sweetness.
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