Black Bean Brownie Muffins

60g butter (or coconut oil)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar (or maple syrup/honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g can black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave. Remove from microwave and stir together until blended together. Add the chocolate mixture to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients except the flour. Blend well. Pulse in the flour. Divide the batter among muffin cups. Flatten a bit with a spoon. Bake for 10-12 mins or until firm to the touch. Let cool fully in fridge before serving.

Makes 12 regular muffins or 24 mini muffin bites.

Via

Salted caramel nut bars

230g butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups flour 

 

For the Filling

115g butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup plus

2 Tbs honey

2 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt 

2 cups peanuts (or mix of any nuts)

vanilla extract

Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Mix in salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition and dough comes together in large clumps. Press dough into a lined slice tin, pierce the dough with a fork and chill until firm, about 20 mins. Bake in 190C oven until golden brown, 20 mins. Cool completely. 

Reduce oven to 160C. Place filling ingredients (without nuts) in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1min. Stir in nuts. Pour filling into the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15-20 mins. Cool completely. Remove from pan and cut into squares. 

Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. 

Don't skimp on salt. Can add rock salt to top.

via 

Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies

Coffee Dipping Mixture
1 cup strongly brewed coffee or espresso 
¼ cup dark rum 

Brownies 

115g melted butter (cooled) 

1 Tbs coffee dipping mixture

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar 

⅓ cup cocoa 

½ cup flour 

¼ tsp baking powder 

¼ tsp salt 

Cheesecake 

225g mascarpone cheese (room temperature)

225g cream cheese (room temperature)

½ cup sugar 

2 large eggs 

2 Tablespoons coffee dipping mixture 

Assembly 

8 Di Leo I Savoiardi lady finger biscuits 

¼ cup mini choc chips

Preheat oven to 160° and line an 20×20cm square baking pan with parchment paper and grease generously with butter or baking spray. In a shallow dish, combine coffee and rum together and set aside. 

In a medium sized bowl, combine melted butter, 1 Tbs of the coffee dipping mixture and eggs. Add sugar, cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until all of the ingredients are just combined. Pour brownie batter into prepared baking dish and set aside. 

In another medium sized bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. Beat cheeses on high for 2 mins until well combined. Add in sugar, eggs and 2Tbs of the coffee dipping mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed together. Set aside. 

Briefly dip each lady finger into the coffee dipping mixture and place in a single layer on top of the brownie batter. Break lady fingers in half if needed to fit evenly into the pan. Pour finished cheesecake batter on top of the dipped lady finger cookies and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the mini chocolate chips. Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 mins or until cheesecake is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. The cheesecake should be cooked through when it is no longer shiny on top and it has a light brown color to it. Once cooled refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight for best results.

Could try without the lady finger layer or add more (2 layers of biscuits)/place on their sides.

via Saporito Kitchen

Mocha Brownies with Caramelised White Chocolate Ganache

Mocha brownies
170 g unsalted butter
170 g dark chocolate
1 Tbs instant coffee
3 large eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar (180g)
3/4 cup plain flour (100g)
3 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20cm square baking tin. In a medium bowl set over a small pot of simmering water, gently melt the butter and chocolate together. Stir in the instant coffee then set aside to cool. Beat the eggs and caster sugar together until pale and thick - they should form smooth ribbons when lifted with a spoon (about 3-5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mix and fold in to fully combine. Sift over the flour, cocoa and salt, and fold to just combine. Pour into the baking tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until just set and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with some moist crumbs (not completely clean). Cool to room temperature.


Caramelised white chocolate ganache
300 g white chocolate
1/2 cup cream (125ml)
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 130°C. In shallow rectangular baking dish, break up chocolate into small pieces (no need to line the dish). Place in the oven for 10 mins, then remove and stir (the chocolate will be white and melted at this point). Bake for about another 50 mins to 1hr, removing and stirring about every 10 mins, until the chocolate is a deep brown. Your chocolate may seize and crumble, especially if it has less than 30% cocoa (most supermarket brands have less). Don’t worry! Just keep stirring until it is a nice toffee caramel colour. Tip into a medium bowl. Heat the cream until it just bubbles at the edges (but don’t boil it), then pour over the caramelised chocolate. Stir with a whisk until you get a smooth ganache. If there are still some small white chocolate granules, use a blender to get it smooth, but won't make much difference to end product. Stir in vanilla and salt. Place in the fridge to cool until almost set but still spoonable (a thick Nutella-like consistency). Beat until lighter in colour, thick and frosting-like. Spread over the cooled brownie base.
Trouble shooting: If it's still quite liquid and doesn't lighten when beaten or ever seems to split (get oily)- refrigerate for 10mins then beat again. More trouble shooting tips.

Tastes great after being refrigerated to firm up. Cut once set.


Via The Brick Kitchen 

Apple Slice

1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
250g butter 
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg, whisked 
stewed apple

Preheat the oven to 180C. Sift together the plain flour and SR flour then stir in the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour mixture. Add egg and mix into a firm smooth dough. Divide the dough into two. Roll out one to fit into a greased lamington tray. Spread the stewed apple over the top. Top with the rolled out other half of dough. Score the top sheet of pastry into desired slice serving sizes. Bake for 25 mins. Allow to stand in tray until cold.

Stewed apple
Peel, core and dice 6 apples into about 1 to 2cm cubes. Add apples, 4 Tbs water, 2 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to a saucepan. Bring to boil with lid on. Simmer until softened.

Via

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Crust
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature

Filling
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups diced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 180C. Line the bottom of an 20cm slice pan with baking paper bringing it up the sides so that it will be easy to remove the squares after. Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor and then press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15min. (crust will still remain very pale in colour.) Meanwhile mix together eggs, sugar, flour and salt and whisk well. Stir in rhubarb. Pour onto the hot crust and continue to bake for 40-45min. Let the bars cool and remove with the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

via Noshing with the Nolands

Billionaire Bars (Caramel Slice)

Butter Cookie Base

1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar

Pinch of salt
2 1/4 cups plain flour
250g unsalted butter

Filling

125g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (400ml) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Topping

2 cups (350g) dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup (90g) white chocolate chips

Soften butter and add it to all the dry ingredients for the base. Mix ingredients until it holds together like a dough. Press into lined and greased baking tray. Bake for 25 mins at 160C or until lightly browned. Let this cool fully.

For the filling, heat the butter, brown sugar and condensed milk over low heat in a heavy sauce pan. Let the mixture lightly simmer, and stir constantly until it thickens and becomes a medium caramel color (about 20 mins). Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Pour the filling over the cookie base, and spread evenly. Let this cool completely before adding the chocolate topping.

To make topping, melt the the chocolates separately (using a double boiler).  Spread dark chocolate over caramel and drop spoonfuls of white chocolate on top. Lightly drag lines of melted chocolate all over the top to create a marbled effect. Let the bars sit in the refrigerator, until the chocolate becomes firm. Allow them to sit at room temperature before cutting to avoid chocolate cracking.

Coconut Jam Slice

1 cup (150g) plain flour 
1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar 
125g butter, melted 
1 1/4 cups (405g) strawberry jam (or replace with your own favourite jam)
2 cups (170g) desiccated coconut 
1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar 
2 eggs, whisked

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 16cm x 26cm slab pan with non-stick baking paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and mix until well combined. Press the mixture firmly over the base of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Spread the jam evenly over the base. To make the topping, combine the coconut, sugar and eggs. Spoon the coconut mixture over the jam, pressing down slightly. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Set aside in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Carrot Slice

Best carrot cake from the best cookbook! Yum! Always popular!

Seedy Spiced Protein Bites

20 dates, pitted 
3/4 cup shredded coconut 
150g toasted sesame seeds 
4 tsp cinnamon 
2 tsp ginger
60g butter
1 Tbs honey 
1 tsp salt 

Toss everything into a food processor and process. Put in refrigerator to half set before rolling into bite size balls. Keep refrigerated in air tight container.

Apple Sour Cream Slice

1 plain cake mix

1/2 cup coconut

125g butter

1 tin pie apples

1 carton sour cream

1 egg

cinnamon

Mix cake mix, coconut and melted butter together. Press into base of leamington tin and cook 180C 10mins. Place apples on base. Cover with sour cream mixed with egg. Sprinkle with cinnamon on top. Cook another 30mins. Serve hot or cold. 

Brownie Slice (Nita's)

1 cup SR flour 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup desiccated coconut 

2 Tbs cocoa 

400g can sweetened condensed milk 

125g butter, melted 

200g block milk chocolate, broken into squares 

 

Grease 19x29 rec slice pan, line with baking paper. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, cocoa, condensed milk and butter in medium bowl. Mix well. Pour into pan, press chocolate squares into mixture about 5cm apart. Cook in mod. oven 180C for about 20mins or till brown, cool and cut.

Cherry Ripe Bites

4 cups desiccated coconut
400g glazed cherries
2 Tbs cherry brandy essence
3 drops red food colouring
400g tin sweetened condensed milk
375g dark chocolate
30g copha

Combine coconut, cherries, essence, food colouring and condensed milk in a bowl. Mix well. Roll heaped teaspoons into balls and refrigerate until firm. Melt chocolate and copha together. Re-roll balls before dipping in chocolate. Set aside to set. Re-dip balls for an extra thick chocolate layer.

Coffee Cream Biscuits

125g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups SR flour
1 tsp instant coffee
1 Tbs hot water

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and coffee dissolved in water. Add sifted flour and mix thoroughly. Pipe and place teaspoons of mixture on greased trays. Cook 180C 12-15mins. Cool and sandwich together with coffee butter cream.


Coffee Butter Cream

1 1/4 cup icing sugar
30g butter
1 level tsp instant coffee dissolved in water

Soften butter slightly and beat to a cream. Gradually add sifted icing sugar, then coffee.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Crust
1 1/2 cups digestive or arrowroot biscuit crumbs
75g unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
75g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling
280g cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. In another bowl beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours. Cut into squares for serving.

Via

Chocolate Stuff

1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 Tbs cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
155g butter
vanilla
1 Tbs golden syrup

Melt butter and syrup together, add vanilla. Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl, add sugar and coconut. Pour butter over dry ,mixture. Press into grease slab tin. Bake in mod oven 15min TAKE OUT AFTER 15MIN NO MATTER WHAT!!

Chocolate Crackles

4 cups Rice Bubbles
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
3 Tbs cocoa
250g copha

Mix Rice Bubbles, icing sugar, coconut and cocoa. Slowly melt copha in saucepan over low heat. Allow to cool slightly. Add melted copha to Rice Bubble mixture, stirring until well combined. Spoon mixture into paper patty cases and refrigerate till set. Makes approx 24

Chocolate Truffles

 

1 packet plain biscuits
1 cup coconut
2 Tbs cocoa
1 tin condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut extra

Crush biscuits into fine crumbs. Mix crumbs, coconut and cocoa together in a large bowl. Mix in condensed milk. Roll into walnut sized balls, coat in coconut. refrigerate for 20-30min

Cherry Ripe Slice

Base:
1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
185g butter

Sift flour, add coconut and brown sugar. Add melted butter and mix well. Press into greased lamington tin lined with greaseproof paper. Mod oven 20-25 mins or till golden. Spread filling evenly over base, pour topping evenly over filling. refrigerate till set.

Filling:
2/3 cup condensed milk
45g glace cherries
1 1/2 cups coconut
45g copha
red food colouring

Combine condensed milk, chopped cherries and coconut. Add melted copha. Mix well. colour if desired.

Topping:
90g copha
1/2 cup drinking chocolate

Melt copha, mix in chocolate.

Cookies (No bake)

125g butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
shredded coconut (optional)

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, orange peel and juice. Continue stirring slowly over moderate heat till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in oats and walnuts. Spread into a square cake tin, chill 1 hour, then shape into small balls. Roll in coconut.