Coconut & White Chocolate Biscuits

I made these delicious biscuits on the weekend, about 5 minutes it took to mix together and another 10 minutes in the oven, this is my kind of baking! I used left over bits of fabric as lovely napkins which looked lots of fun. Kellie xx

Recipe: Coconut & White Chocolate Biscuits:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup (220g) white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
100g white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 180ºC (355ºF). Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the plain and self-raising flours and coconut and mix with a butter knife until a soft dough forms. Add the chocolate. Using your hands, mould 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture into a flat round. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on trays. Makes 18.

Recipe via Donna Hay x

Weekend Dessert!

I made vanilla panacotta over the weekend and instead of passionfruit, i used mangoes and strawberries for a change. This dessert is one of Luke's favourites, and best of all, it takes about 5 minutes to get mixed up to be popped into the fridge. I just love summer fruits, i cannot wait for peaches and plums to come into season.

View here for the panacotta recipe.

Kellie xx

Caramel and Chocolate Muffins

Yesterday I baked these Caramel and Chocolate Muffins with caramel sauce (i also added icecream as they were served warm). And, they were very, very delicious. Inside the muffins are whole bits of caramel and chocolate chunks. Perhaps not the most healthy option, but, really good nonetheless! The recipe is below... Have a lovely week. Kellie xx

Recipe:

100g caramel-filled chocolate block
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
80g butter, melted

Caramel sauce
100g butter, chopped
2/3 cup brown sugar
125ml pouring cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:

Place chocolate in freezer for 1 hour or until frozen. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a non-stick, 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.
Combine milk, egg and butter in a jug and pour into well. Using a large metal spoon, stir until just combined. Chop frozen chocolate and fold into batter. Three-quarters fill muffins holes with batter.
Bake muffins for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 1 minute. Carefully transfer to plates.

Make caramel sauce:

Meanwhile, place butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Return pan to heat.

Caramel Oat Slice

My darling sister in law makes this divine Caramel Oatmeal slice, we were pottering around the shops yesterday and suddenly I had the urge to make it! It's not quite as good as Nicole's (she's the queen of baking) however it wasn't a bad shot for first go...

See the recipe here....

On a side note, turquoise and pink is such a beautiful combination, seems I just never get tired of it. Kellie xx

Passionfruit Panacotta

This weekend I made some Passion fruit Panacotta after my darling best friend Kate made it for us a few weeks ago... I still love jars so made this delicious dessert in this for a pretty look. I was very excited to see the stunning colour of my passion fruit as well, so bright and fabulous!

Kellie xx

Here is the recipe...

2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
1 cup pouring cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
fresh passion fruit

Place water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatine over the water. Set aside until the water has absorbed the gelatine. Place cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir through gelatine until it is also dissolved in mixture. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and butter milk. Place in glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve with fresh passion fruit. {via Donna Hay}

Pear and Raspberry Crumble Tart

I was very lucky to receive the fabulous Frost Bite; Easy Cooking For Your Freezer - being slightly time poor, this kind of recipe book ticks all the boxes for me! This weekend I made this delightful Pear and Raspberry Crumble tart which was absolutely delicious... This lovely book is available here and for more on the author; Susan Austin, visit her facebook page. Kellie xx

Something savoury...

Such a lovely weekend that just went by, yesterday I made this fabulous Prawn & Chorizo Gumbo from this month's Real Living Magazine and it was out of this world. Such an easy meal to put together. Try is here... Have a lovely Monday everyone. Kellie xx

Triple chocolate biscuits...

I made these delicious biscuits over the weekend. So much chocolate but incredibly good. Biscuits generally aren't my strength, often they end up so flat like a crepe but these turned out really well. Hope you have time to try them, if you love chocolate, it's definitely one perfect treat. Kellie xx

120g butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
125g chocolate melted
140g chocolate pieces
140g white chocolate pieces

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Place the sugar and bowl in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and extract and beat for another 3 mins. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and melted chocolate. Add the additional chocolate to the mixture.

Roll mixture into small balls and then place and lined baking paper. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until biscuits have cracks showing in them. Allow to cool.

Source: Modified Donna Hay recipe x

Recipe time: Milk Chocolate & Coffee Layer Meringue Cake

I made this delicious dessert which, whilst for first go wasn't as neat and tidy as it could have been it was definitely really good to eat. Next time i'd make my layers a little neater but as long as it tasted yum that's the main thing - right!?

150ml egg whites (approx 4)
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup almond meal
400gm milk chocolate
1/2 cup of pouring cream
2 teaspoons coffee
1 1/2 cup of freshly whipped cream

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Beat the egg whites into a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar until mixture is thick and glossy. Fold through almond meal.

Create 3 x approx 20cm round circles - ensure they are the same size as possible. Bake on baking paper for approx 25 minutes or until shell on meringue is firm to touch. Allow to cool in oven for 30 minutes.

Place chocolate, cream and coffee into a saucepan and melt until mixture is smooth. Allow to cool.

To assemble place meringue, then chocolate mixture then cream then layer again.

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay. x

Banana and Maple Syrup Pudding Recipe

Over the weekend I made a delicious dessert for Luke and myself - Banana and Maple Syrup Puddings.

Topped with thickened cream, icing sugar (I didnt have a sifter so excuse the chunky bit!) and extra maple syrup, I could have eaten 5 - I can't wait to make them again! This super easy recipe is below, these worked out perfectly and being the pretty average cook I am, this is definitely the type of recipe you can try first go even with guests coming. Enjoy! Kellie xx

Banana and Maple Syrup Pudding Recipe:

2 tablespoons of fine caster sugar
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 egg
50g butter
2/3 mashed banana
1/2 cup of self raising flour
Icing sugar
Thickened cream

Turn fan forced oven to 180 degrees. Mix sugar, maple syrup, egg, butter, banana and flour until combined. Place mixture into 2 x 250ml oven dishes. Bake for approx 25-30 mins (or until golden and skewer comes out clean).

Serve warm with sprinkled icing sugar, thickened cream and additional maple syrup.

Recipe source: Donna Hay.

Something sweet

I made this yummy, but not so pretty chocolate caramels. Just mix in the following in a sauce pan until it turns golden - 125g butter, 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tin condensed milk. Pour into a linen pan, then when cold top with melted chocolate. Delicious!! Kellie xx

Delicious caramels...

I decided we needed something festive in our home given Christmas is only a few weeks away. I made some caramel lollies to keep in little bowls around our home. They are delicious! The only thing I found a little tricky was cutting through the bottom of the caramel, I think its because I let the caramel get too cool. Other than that, it was delicious!

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing pan

1½ cups heavy cream

2 cups sugar

½ cup golden syrup

Pinch salt

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, optional.

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a broad saucepan or deep skillet and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.

2. Mixture will bubble and darken; when color is dark beige and mixture measures 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, it is butterscotch sauce. (Use immediately or refrigerate for up to several weeks; warm in a microwave oven or over hot water to soften.) To make caramels, keep cooking and stirring until mixture is even darker, nearly brown, and measures 245 degrees (or until a piece of it forms a firm ball when dropped into a glass of cold water).

3. Stir in the vanilla and pour into prepared pan. Cool, then remove from pan in a block and refrigerate, but not for too long - what you want is a mixture cool enough so that it's not too sticky, but not so cold that it's solid; this is the easiest state in which to cut and wrap.

4. Use a sharp knife to cut caramel into pieces, then wrap each square in waxed paper or plastic wrap. These keep for weeks, especially if refrigerated, but are best eaten fresh and at room temperature.

Kellie xx

Baking: Raspberry and White Chocolate Cake

I do get a bit nervous baking but this lovely cake turned out delicious yesterday - a raspberry and white chocolate cake with raspberry cream! Kind of like a giant friand. I have noted the recipe below just in case you wanted to give it a shot. The original recipe didnt have white chocolate but I just added it in as I love the white chocolate and raspberry combination. Kellie xx

1/3 cup plain flour

2/3 cup almond meal

1 cup icing sugar

90g melted butter

3 egg whites

1t vanilla extract

1 cup raspberries

Additional raspberries and whipped cream

Preheat oven to 160c. Combine flour, almond meal, icing sugar, butter, egg whites and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Fold through berries and place in a greased 18cm cake tin. Place remaining raspberries on top of mixture and bake for 35 - 40 mins. Serve with whipped cream.

Recipe source: Donna Hay ; No Time To Cook x

An Ada & Darcy Style - Thai Green Chicken Curry!

I'm not much of a chef, actually I'm generally a pretty boring cook so imagine Luke's delight last night when I decided to cook a Thai Green Chicken Curry. And his absolute surprise when it turned out delicious! There is hope for me yet. Replicate it {here} ... xxx

Photographs by Kellie Collis for Ada & Darcy x

Delicious little chocolate mousse cakes!

I have been thinking about making something extra yummy on the weekend and thought this might me a delicious option... Sadly I don't think I will be sharing with my guests these images from Canelle et Vanille as absolutely under any circumstances will mine come out looking remotely like this. They may taste ok, but good looking, they certainly will not be! Luckily though, I have had a lovely mother who has always been incredibly encouraging and couldn't care less how on earth these little babies turned out! Thank goodness I say... Kellie xx

Chocolate and Hazelnut Biscuit

makes 1/2 sheet pan

180 grams egg whites

185 grams muscovado sugar

75 grams sugar

150 grams hazelnut flour

20 grams cocoa powder

pinch salt

225 grams butter, melted or coconut oil

Whisk together the egg whites and the sugars. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the whites to the dry. Whisk until combined. Whisk in the melted and cooled butter or the coconut oil.

Line half a sheetpan with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly.

Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes until cake baked.

Chocolate Mousse

enough for 10 3x2 ring molds

45 grams sugar

100 grams egg yolks

300 grams dark chocolate (use couverture if you can)

400 ml heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Bring the bowl to a double boiler and cook until it starts to thicken, like making a sabayon. Remove from heat and bring to the mixer and whip to a thick ribbon.

In the meantime, melt the chocolate over a double boiler and let it cool.

When sabayon has cooled, fold in the soft peak whipped cream. Whisk some of the chocolate into it and then, fold in the rest.

Place the mousse in a piping bag. Line ring molds with acetate paper or parchment paper the fits around the circumference. Cut a disk of chocolate biscuit and place it on the bottom of the ring mold. Pipe in the chocolate mousse and refrigerate until set.

Coconut Mousse

150 ml heavy cream

30 ml heavy cream (to temper the gelatin)

10 grams freshly grated coconut or unsweeneted dry coconut

1 tsp coconut extract, optional

30 grams sugar

1 sheet of gelatin

100 grams plain whole yogurt

Whip the 150ml heavy cream with the sugar, coconut and coconut extract till soft peaks form. In the meantime, bloom the gelatin in ice water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water.

Heat the 30ml of heavy cream and dissolve the gelatin into it. Fold in a bit of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture to temper. Fold back into the rest of the cream. Fold in yogurt.

Place the mousse in a piping bag and pipe on top of the chilled chocolate mousse. Refrigerate until it sets and serve with coconut shavings.

Recipe and stunning images courtesy of Canelle et Vanille xxx

Hedgehog Slice Recipe...

I made this delicious slice/dessert yesterday, not only was it so easy and quick, it's also fool proof (perfect for cooks like me). I have shared the recipe with you below...

• 125g butter
• 395g sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 200g dark chocolate
• 5 sponge fingers cut into cubs (approx 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup roughly cut almonds
• 1/4 cup roughly cut cashews

Steps:

• Place butter, condensed milk and sugar in saucepan, stirring on low heat until it comes to the boil. Simmer for a further 3 minutes.
• Add chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and all ingredients are combined
• Add sponge finger cubs and nuts, mix well.
• Place into a baking paper lined tray.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour then cut into bit sizes pieces.

And done! xx

Photo by Kellie Collis for Ada & Darcy x

Home made caramels...

I saw this posted at Cupcakes and Cashmere and it reminded me of the divine caramels I had at Rockpool for dessert recently. Oh they were so delicious. Everyone thought I was weird ordering caramels for dessert but when I shared them around everyone else had food envy. I must, must, must try these at home! Save me heading out for dinner to enjoy them. Kellie x

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing pan

1½ cups heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized

2 cups sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

Pinch salt

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, optional.

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a broad saucepan or deep skillet and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.

2. Mixture will bubble and darken; when color is dark beige and mixture measures 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, it is butterscotch sauce. (Use immediately or refrigerate for up to several weeks; warm in a microwave oven or over hot water to soften.) To make caramels, keep cooking and stirring until mixture is even darker, nearly brown, and measures 245 degrees (or until a piece of it forms a firm ball when dropped into a glass of cold water).

3. Stir in the vanilla and pour into prepared pan. Cool, then remove from pan in a block and refrigerate, but not for too long - what you want is a mixture cool enough so that it's not too sticky, but not so cold that it's solid; this is the easiest state in which to cut and wrap.

4. Use a sharp knife to cut caramel into pieces, then wrap each square in waxed paper or plastic wrap. These keep for weeks, especially if refrigerated, but are best eaten fresh and at room temperature.

Yield: At least 50 caramels.

Recipe from here. x