‘Snickers’ satisfaction? Damn straight it is!

I really wanted to share another slow cooking recipe this week, because I’m utterly obsessed with that type of cooking now the weather has turned. Adelaide went from a week of mid to high 20’s to mid to high teens in a matter of a day. I had everything all planned out and ready to go, until I received this month’s issue of Delicious magazine. I’m doing the quick flick through, ‘oooooooh’ing and ‘aaaahhhhhh’ing over the wonderful recipes, when a particular recipe stops me dead in the tracks. My jaw drops open and I gasp in amazement. I see the words ‘Snickers brownie’ and everything else disappears into a haze. Stuff the slow cooking, I need to make these brownies! These brownies don’t contain proper Snickers. I didn’t cut up any Snickers bars and chuck them into the brownie batter. Instead, these brownies are inspired by Snickers; more of a deconstructed version. Nonetheless, I think this recipe is pretty cool and the results were very satisfying indeed. Well worth putting aside the slow cooking recipe! This recipe makes about 18 brownie squares.

‘Snickers’ satisfaction brownies
1½ cups (225g) plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
²/3 cup (200g) smooth peanut butter
125g unsalted butter, softened and chopped
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 firmly packed cup (220g) brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g dark chocolate chips
50g vanilla marshmallows, halved then quartered
200g salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Caramel topping
200g caster sugar
200ml double cream (thickened)
50g unsalted butter, chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C (fan forced). Line a 22cm x 32cm x 5cm-deep non-stick baking pan with baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and sugars with an electric beater on medium speed (I used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer on setting 3) for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one, then beat in the vanilla extract.

Reduce speed to low (setting 1 on the KitchenAid stand mixer), then beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips, marshmallows and three-quarters of the peanuts, and fold in until just combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the brownies to cool in the pan until it cools down to room temperature, then chuck the pan in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.

To make the caramel topping, place the sugar, 1 tsp salt and 200ml of water into a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil, swirling the pan occasionally. Use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pan if you see any sugar crystals forming. Cook for 6 minutes, or until you get a light golden caramel. Remove from heat and gradually pour in the cream, whilst stirring to combine. Add the butter and stir until smooth, then leave to cool slightly.

Pour the caramel over the brownies and spread out to the edges. Sprinkle the top with the remaining one-quarter of the nuts and allow to set for 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.

Note: I’ve only made slight adjustments to the original recipe to make the recipe. For example, I used a little more peanut butter than the original recipe because a small jar was 200g and it would’ve been ridiculous to leave a teaspoon of peanut butter left in the jar. I cut up larger marshmallows rather than using mini marshmallows, because I had the large ones already in my pantry, and it seemed silly to but a 250g packet of mini marshmallows when all I needed was 50g. Otherwise, I followed the original recipe as printed. If you would like access to the original recipe, it is in this month’s (June) issue of Delicious magazine. It’s a fantastic magazine with wonderful recipes. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll see that I make plenty of dishes from this magazine. It should also be noted, that this is my genuine opinion about the magazine and I am in no way affiliated with the magazine or its publishers.

Forget the champagne! Celebrate with Maltesers!

Oh yes, these tasty chocolate covered malty balls are a favourite in my household (along with almost every other chocolate), and I’m always more than happy to find an excuse to eat them. So, when Australian Good Taste magazine released their ‘Chocolate’ issue several weeks back, I was delighted to see an amazing Malteser cake gracing the front cover. But, when to make this spectacular cake? The recipe called for almost 500g of Maltesers. This was not a cake you would whip up to gradually eat on your own. It was special and needed a suitable occasion to go with it.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get in my belly!

OK, so those who are vegan or vegetarian might not think that was a funny joke (I wouldn’t really be surprised if my friends thought my attempt at telling a joke was a little lack lustre too), but in all seriousness, I’ve been wanting to cook some sort of casserole using chicken for a while. I’ve cooked many casseroles with beef or lamb, but not so much with chicken. I love chicken and it’s less expensive to buy than beef or lamb, so it’s perfect for me being on a strict Uni-bum budget. The other thing I love is how casseroles can be one pot wonders. I bought myself a casserole dish (on sale, of course) that was able to be used on the stovetop as well as the oven, and it is one of the best cookware items I have ever bought! I can cook off the ingredients and bake the casserole, all in one dish! No extra mess or fuss. Another thing I love about casseroles is that you usually end up with plenty of leftovers (which always taste better the next day) to either eat again the next day, or shove in the freezer for the next time you’re in the mood for casserole – another Uni-bum budget saver! This recipe can serve 4 people.

Get in my belly chicken, leek and bacon casserole
2 tbs olive oil
40g butter
8 chicken thigh cutlets (I use Lilydale free range chicken)
2 medium leeks, trimmed, halved, washed and sliced
4 rashers middle bacon, trimmed and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs dried thyme leaves
1 mini bottle of white wine (I used a 187ml bottle of Chardonnay)
¼ cup plain flour
2 cups chicken stock
200g button mushrooms, quartered
Mashed potato and crusty bread, to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced). Heat half of the oil and butter in a flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 5-6 minutes or until golden. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

Heat remaining oil and butter in casserole dish. Add leek, bacon, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the leek has softened. Add the wine and bring to the boil to cook the alcohol off. Stir in the flour, and cook for a minute. Slowly add the stock, stirring constantly to combine. Add the chicken back into the casserole dish.

Cover, and bring to the boil. Transfer casserole dish to the oven, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the lid, then bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve with mashed potato and crusty bread.

Note: I have changed the original recipe slightly, so if you would like to see the original recipe, click here. If you’re in the mood to change things up a little, this casserole is wonderful served with pasta. Also, I am in no way affiliated with Lilydale. I just happen to be a big fan of their free range chicken. If you haven’t seen their latest TV ad, click here to view it. I think it’s pretty cool.

The end of summer means the end of summer berries….Or does it?

One of the things I love about summer is the abundance of summer berries, because they taste so darn good in desserts and baked goods. So, when the weather starts cooling down and a 250g punnet of blueberries cost $9 (say what?), I feel a little sad. This is a sign that summer is well and truly over…..or is it? One tip that I’ve picked up on my foodie adventures is using frozen berries instead of fresh ones. Frozen berries are great, because not only can I continue to make my favourite treats at any time of the year, they last a lot longer (unlike fresh fruit) and I can buy a 500g box for less than $5! Perfect for my Uni bum budget!

New kid in town

There is something about reading a blogger’s first post that makes me really happy. I think it’s because every time I read that first post, I remember the wonderful feelings I had about sharing what’s in my head (and kitchen) with the WordPress community (and beyond). It was no longer about me having a passion that only I knew about; it was about reaching out and sharing my passion with others, who in turn, shared their passion with me. It’s always a bit difficult to break into a new group when you don’t know anyone, and don’t have anyone to introduce you so I thought I would take the time to introduce to you all, my friend Melinda who is the owner of the blog Bookabye Baby. Melinda and I have been friends ever since high school, and we share A LOT of the same interests including a love of reading books, which is the focus of Melinda’s blog. So, if you have a passion for reading and books too, please welcome Melinda to the WordPress community and check out her blog

Sometimes I like to take it SLOOOOOOW

So, Australia is now in the throes of autumn (not that it feels like it in Adelaide; daily temps are still in the mid to high 20’s) and I love this time of year because it means I can start cooking some comfort food! To me, comfort food is all about food that has been cooked slowly, over a few hours and makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I’m talking about hearty soups, casseroles, roasts, bakes, just to name a few of the things I love to cook. I’ve been itching for WEEKS to be able to make something that was season appropriate. As soon as the Bureau of Meteorology forecasted cooler weather (I’d been cyber stalking the site for a few weeks) I immediately thought of osso bucco.

What do you do with leftover lemon curd? Make lemon curd butterfly cupcakes!

In my previous post I blogged about making lemon curd macarons. The recipe I used to make the lemon curd was exactly the same one I used to make a lemon tart a little while ago. The recipe makes about 1½ cups of lemon curd but I only needed about half of that amount to fill the macarons. What on Earth was I going to do with the other half? Make lemon curd butterfly cupcakes, of course!

My love affair with French macarons

I love macarons. Ever since my partner brought home some Laduree macarons for me from Paris in 2008, I have been obsessed! When I started becoming a little more serious about my baking last year, I decided that I would try more challenging recipes, and from what I had read, French macarons do require some technical skill being the hardest type of macaron to make (more difficult than the Italian and Swiss meringue). For a little while, I was apprehensive about giving macarons a crack, until Cath Chen from Confessions of a Glutton blogged about making Raspberry Tea & Honey macarons. After reading her post, I was inspired to have a go.

You can’t have WHAT in your chocolate cake?

I love baking. The entire process of baking is such a stress relief for me; from measuring out the ingredients right up to the end where I get to eat what I’ve made. Baking makes me happy. It makes me so happy that I love to share that happiness with those close to me by giving them bits and pieces of my creations. So, you can imagine my dismay when one of the girls from my study group, Monica, had to refuse my offering of baked goods because she is gluten intolerant. Her refusal was like being slapped in the face! I felt terrible that I would bring along my baked goods to study group, and she couldn’t have any. I needed to remedy this situation. You shall not go without cake Monica! This recipe is a cut-down version of a recipe I found on the Taste.com.au site. I halved all the quantities to make a smaller cake that serves 6 slices.

Spaghetti Cheapballs

Whilst exploring the blogosphere, I’ve noticed a bit of a trend when reading other people’s posts about food. The three things that come up quite regularly are that food should be: 1) cheap; 2) quick, and; 3) easy to prepare. A couple of years ago, I came across a recipe for Spaghetti Meatballs in a Women’s Weekly cookbook. What’s so special about this recipe, I hear you ask? Well, instead of making the meatballs from scratch, the meatballs are made from the meat in sausages. How clever is that? And if you use bottled pasta sauce or passata, then you are saving a whole heap of time and money; the two things that are very important to me now that I’m a Uni-bum. This recipe can easily serve four people in about 25 minutes.