Delectable Brownies!

These brownies are to die for! Chewy and more-ish you can adjust the recipe and add nuts, choc chips or even dry fruit!

(Serves 25 small squares or 12 indulgent portions)

Ingredients:

100g cocoa powder sifted

200g melted butter

2 cups castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

90g sifted plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Optional: 200g choc chips or nuts

Method:

Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 150 C.

In a large bowl mix the cocoa with the butter.

Add the eggs and the vanilla.

Add the sugar.

Mix really well until you have a chocolate goey mess.

Add the flour and baking powder.

Fold in gently, don't overmix! If you overmix you develop the gluten proteins in the flour and your end product will be a hard chocolate cake instead of a chewy and fudgy brownie. (if adding nuts or chips do so at this stage)

Pour mixture into tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. Test with a cake tester, the crumbs should be moist but not wet. If still wet bake for another 15 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin and unmould once it has cooled down. Cut with a sharp knife.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Facts:

• Chocolate is compared to blueberries in being a super food rich in antioxidants.
• It is a mineral rich food, it contains potassium and magnesium which are vital for good heatlh.
• It is surprisingly rich in fibre.
• It contains little or no cholesterol. Any cholesterol comes from the addition of milk ingredients.

A few notes on Chocolate:

• Chocolate is made by extracting cocoa solids and cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans and blending them in varying quantities with different ingredients (such as sugar, vanilla, milk products etc). The solids provide a rich bitter flavour and the butter and smooth mouth-feel.
• The best cocoa beans are produced in countries that lie on the equator such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
• The best chocolatiers are the French and Belgians producing exceptional quality couverture* such as Valrhona and Callebaut.
• Is white chocolate considered chocolate? Technically no. White chocolate doesn't contain cocoa solids. It is made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla.
• What is compound chocolate? It is a lower quality chocolate used in most households. Vegetable oil is replaced for cocoa butter. It doesn't have the flavour or texture of the more expensive chocolates but is is easy to work with and melts quickly.
• Cocoa Powder is made by rolling cocoa solids to produce a dark, bitter powder.

*Couverture is French for "covering" and this is the chocolate professionals generally use as it has a higher percentage of cocoa butter than ordinary chocolate, which means it is glossier and has more flavour which then carries through to the finished recipe.

Peach Slice!

Absolutely delicious and more-ish this slice is beautiful for morning or afternoon tea but can easily wear party shoes and be served with ice-cream or warm custard for a decadent dessert!

I have used peaches this time but in the past I've used frozen berries, pears and apples- whatever fruit you use this slice is sure to become a favourite!

(Serves 8 for tea or 6 for dessert)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups plain flour

125 g chilled cubed butter

1.5 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp extra

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup castor sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup of your fruit of choice (I used tinned peaches and drained them well- if you use frozen fruit use it whilst frozen and bake straight away)

Method:

Prepare a 20 x 20 cm tray by lining it with baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

In a large bowl place the the butter, 1.5 tsp baking powder and flour.

Rub them together until they resemble breadcrumbs.

Mix in the sugars.

Roughly divide in half (you can weigh each half but rough measurements will do!).

Press half of the dry mixture into the tin aiming to cover all of the surface.

Lay the fruit on top of the pressed mixture.

Add the 1/2 tsp baking powder to the rest of the crumb mixture.

Mix the egg, milk and vanilla. and pour the liquid mix into the remaining crumb mixture.

Pour over the fruit and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour.

Leave to cool in the tin and unmould.

Cut into cubes and serve with tea or coffee.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Facts:

• Peaches, nectarines and most stone fruit are not only the ultimate summer treat but they are also packed with vitamin C, betacarotene and potassium (a mineral that helps defend against high blood pressure and stroke).
• It's ok to used canned/tinned varieties as long as they have been packed in juice.

Other ways with peaches:

• Top pancakes with peaches and vanilla yoghurt.
• Poach peaches in sugar syrup or wine and rosewater, cool in syrup and serve with a dollop of cream or icre-cream.
• Grill peeled, peach halves and toss with a little vinaigrette, rocket, toasted hazelnuts and prosciutto for a quick salad.
• Blend peaches with yoghurt for a delicious smoothie.
• Add chopped dry peaches to your breakfast muesli.
• Sprinkle cinnamon on peach slices and pan fry with a little butter. Smear toasted brioche slices with ricotta and top with panfried peaches.

Cinnamon and Pecan Cigars!

There is something about cinnamon- it must be it's barky spicy-ness and the fact that it is so versatile, it can be used both in sweet and savoury dishes. It imparts a lovely aroma to curries and casseroles as well as pretty much anything sweet! It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka and has been widely used for medicinal purposes (ie. tummy pain) throughout the centuries!

Here is a recipe that exudes this beautiful spice- it is easy as well as delicious. You can make it an absolute treat by using Careme Puff Pastry and then serving it with King Island Dairy's Vanilla bean yoghurt! You can also substitute the pecans for walnuts, almonds or brazil nuts (all very very good for you!), you can use castor or demerara or brown or raw sugar. Be inspired by this cinnamon treat!

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry sheets (thawed)

Cinnamon

Sugar

Nuts

Yoghurt to serve

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Mix cinnamon and sugar of choice to taste (some people like to use 1:1 while others prefer it sweeter).

Toast the nuts and roughly chop them- set them aside.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into squares (5cm x 5cm is a good guide), sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Scatter some nuts over the surface of the square.

Roll tightly to form cigars.

Place your knobbly cigars on the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with tea or for a light dessert with plain or vanilla yoghurt! Enjoy!

Photography by Stefanie Thoms