Weetbix Slice

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a 18 x 28cm tin.

125gm butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 weetbix, crushed
1 cup dessicated or shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped (raisins, dates, dried apricots, cranberries.. whatever is in your pantry will do!)
1/2 cup dark chocolate bits

Combine butter, syrup and sugar in a pot and stir over a medium heat until the butter melts.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding vanilla and egg.

Mix in flours and baking powder.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly combined.

Press mixture into lined tin and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the centre is as firm as the edges.  Remover from oven and cool for 5 - 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.  Allow to cool completely before cutting into slices else it will fall apart!

You can drizzle melted chocolate over the top before slicing if you're feeling fancy too!

Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oh man, I love autumn!  It's been pouring down for the past couple of days and my boys are on school holidays so it's been the perfect time to get in the kitchen and get a few things done.  Mr B bought a massive butternut squash a few days ago so I have a freezer full of pumpkin puree for Baby B and 30 muffins just about to come out of the oven..

Spiced Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes about 24 muffins

1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup rice bran oil
4 eggs
2 cups mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (as always, be generous)

Preheat oven to 200C.  Grease and line 24 muffin tins 

Mix sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl.  Add pumpkin and milk and combine thoroughly.

In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  Add to wet mixture and stir through chocolate chips.  Do not over mix!

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when you press lightly on the tops.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Truffles

These. Are. Awesome.

They taste like Christmas... but I'll be they're great any time of the year.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup golden syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
pinch salt
Dark chocolate for coating (I just used chocolate melts, but better quality chocolate wouldn't go amiss here.  The dough is pretty rich)

Beat butter, syrup and sugar with an electric beater until it's light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla and then flour, spices and salt.  Beat on a slow speed until everything is incorporated.  Chill dough for 30 minutes or until it's firm enough to handle.  Meanwhile, line 2 or 3 cookie sheets with baking paper and make some space in your freezer.

Form dough into teaspoon sized balls.  Don't be tempted to make them too big as the dough/chocolate ration will too sickly!  Arrange on lined cookie sheets and place in freezer for at least 15 minutes.  Melt chocolate in the microwave, being careful not to overheat.  Using a skewer, dip truffles in chocolate and tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.  Quickly return to the cookie sheet and repeat for the rest of the truffles.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge once they're set.  They keep well for a few days.. possibly longer if you don't eat them before that!

Peanut Butter Icecream

I thought I got this idea from Nigella (and I still might have) except when I tried to find the recipe, it turns out hers involves adding peanut butter to the chocolate sauce rather than the icecream. Never mind my version was delish ;)

Tub of good quality Vanilla icecream (we had Green & Blacks but it doesn't need to be QUITE that good)
2-3 T crunchy peanut butter

Take icecream out of freezer and allow to soften.
Spoon into a mixing bowl, add peanut butter and stir. Not too vigourously, it's nice to leave a bit of a swirl ;)
Once you've mixed in the PB, return icecream mix to the tub, replace the lid and put it back in the freezer for 30 mins or so. I left it as long as it took me to make chocolate sauce, which wasn't QUITE long enough but it was still yummy.

chocolate sauce

1/2 block of 70% bittersweet chocolate
big glug of cream

Melt chocolate in the microwave, stir cream through. Pour over icecream and feel your ar$e getting bigger as soon as it touches your lips!