Easy Chocolate Fudge

I love condensed milk, it is the most versatile baking ingredient in my pantry. I always have at least three cans of condensed milk in my pantry because you never know when you may need a can for baking. When my friend posted a video for making Easy Chocolate Fudge that involved using condensed milk, I just had to make it.

Most of my inspiration for baking comes from friends posting recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If the recipe seems simple enough, I will always be willing to try making it. This recipe for Chocolate Fudge seemed so easy, that my 4 year old niece could have made it herself.

I had a huge bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups still in the pantry, so I decided to add some to the fudge. I only made half with the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups because I know not everyone is a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fan. The Chocolate Fudge was made within 10 minutes.

Two hours later the fudge was ready to be eaten. I sliced the Chocolate Fudge up so everyone could taste some.

The Chocolate Fudge tasted so amazing, the Chocolate Fudge just literally melted in your mouth. It amazes me that such a simple thing could taste so good.

I have decided that I will continue to experiment with making different types of fudge flavours for Christmas gifts, because it is just so easy to make.

The Chocolate Fudge Recipe can be found on this website:

http://food-life.diply.com/omg-facts/she-poured-condensed-milk-over-chocolate-chips-seconds-later-my/66593

Tim Tam Balls

This morning I looked into the pantry and I realised that it resembled a jungle. In the pantry there was so much food that we have not eaten and also 1 kilo and a bit of desiccated coconut still to use. I decided that I would use the two packets of Tim Tam Biscuits and some of the desiccated coconut and I would make Tim Tam balls.

I gathered all the ingredients together to make the Tim Tam Balls and then realised that I only had a short of amount of time to make them because we had a party to go to. Luckily these Tim Tam Balls only take 10-15 minutes to make.

The Tim Tam balls were again another easy recipe to make. I decided to roll them in some Dutch chocolate sprinkles as well as coconut.

When I got back from the party I taste tested one of the Tim Tam Balls. I found the Tim Tam Balls to taste quite sweet, but maybe that is because I am not a real fan of Tim Biscuits any more. I think if you are a real fan of Tim Tam Biscuits, you will love this recipe.

Apparently there is another recipe for Tim Tam Balls that involves using cream cheese, I think I will definitely try that recipe soon.

The Tim Tam Balls recipe can be found here:

http://www.escapetoparadise.com.au/lifestyleblog/the-famous-coconut-tim-tam-balls-this-recipe-has-gone-viral-/

Twix Slice

Once again I thought I would Google more no bake recipes, I am really beginning to enjoy not spending time fretting by the oven fearing that my cake is not baking properly. I found a delicious looking recipe for Twix Slice on Phoodie’s website.

I discovered Phoodie’s Twix Slice on her Instagram and it looked so delicious that I thought I would try making it myself. The recipe looked pretty straightforward, so it looked like a winner.

I decided that I would be adventurous and make the Twix Slice using a circular tin so that I could practice the new baking paper cutting skill that I learnt off You Tube. I ended up changing the recipe a bit by using larger quantities of ingredients such as a whole bag of Cadbury chocolate melts, 280 grams of Digestive Biscuits and 270 grams of condensed milk.

The Twix Slice turned out really well, for once I actually followed the recipe properly. (I have a bad habit of skim reading recipes). The Twix Slice looked so pretty, that I waited a whole day to cut a slice.

From the buttery biscuit base, to the decadent caramel centre and the yummy chocolate and Twix top of the slice, the Twix Slice ended up tasting so delicious. I was so pleased with the Twix Slice that I made it twice this week.

One helpful tip that I have learnt is to make sure you cook the caramel for ten minutes or more on the stove, because it can be runny and will not set in the slice. I did add more ingredients to the caramel.

I love no bake recipes, I cannot wait to find my next recipe.

Phoodie’s Twix Slice can be found on her website:

PHOODIE’S HOMEMADE TWIX SLICE

Killinchy Gold & Whittakers Creamy Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

I have only been to Auckland, New Zealand once and in that time I did not have enough time to explore their foodie delights. I did however take a wander through the supermarket, because that is something that I love doing in new places. Apparently in these supermarkets they sell a brand of ice cream called Killinchy Gold New Zealand Ice Cream, I wish I had discovered it back then because the version they sell in Australia is amazing.

One evening I was strolling leisurely in my local IGA and I walked past the ice cream section, I noticed a new range of ice cream called Killinchy Gold & Whittakers Creamy Milk Chocolate Ice Cream. I thought about buying it, but I remember I had promised my Husband that I would not buy any more ice cream (our fridge is full of 10 different varieties of ice cream that I have given up on). Luckily for me on the following week my Husband had bought a tub of that ice cream, it was like he had read my mind.

After dinner I decided to try some of the Killinchy Gold & Whittakers Creamy Milk Chocolate Ice Cream and straight away I was very impressed. The ice cream was so creamy, chocolatey and not too overly sweet. I really had to restrain myself from eating more. The ice cream was so good that my Husband who is not a sweets fan, loved it.

I also noticed that Killinchy Gold & Whittakers Ice Cream also comes in two other flavours Ghana Peppermint and Berry and Biscuit, I think I will definitely try the Ghana Peppermint flavour next.

Hmmmm… I wonder if my Husband will notice if I sneak more ice cream into the freezer?

Stockists:

Killinchy Gold & Whittakers Ice Cream is available at IGA Supermarkets

Website:

http://www.killinchygold.co.nz/KILLINCHY++WHITTAKERS.html

Baking Conversions

Quite often I would find a recipe that may need conversions from ounces to grams or from tablespoons to grams etc, I found this website to be the most helpful. This website takes the confusion out of working out conversions.

Website:

Baking Conversions

Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes

I will make a confession, I may have gotten a tad obsessed and bought three more jars of cookie butter. I think it has become obvious that I am clearly a cookie butter addict, I think I need to stop eating it, otherwise I may turn into a jar of cookie butter.

Whilst laying on the couch eating spoonfuls of cookie butter, I decided I would look for more cookie butter recipes . I stumbled across a recipe for Cookie Butter Balls. The recipe ticked all my boxes, it was easy to make and it looked delicious. I decided that instead of making Cookie Butter Balls, I would make them into Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes.

The reason why I opted for the dome shape, because they reminded me of the type of chocolates that you find in chocolate boxes, plus I think it looks nicer. I may have hesitated slightly when I noticed in the recipe that I had to do some chocolate melting and coating, which is something I HATE, but I really wanted to make them, so I powered on.

One thing that scared me the most about this recipe, was the large amounts of sugar in the recipe. I ended up using a tad less icing sugar in the recipe, but unfortunately in the end the Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes tasted too sweet for my liking.

Nevertheless despite the Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes tasting so sweet, I was very impressed with my chocolate coating. (pats self on back). I think that for the first time I was able to get a smooth perfect finish for my chocolates. I discovered that the secret to getting a shiny coating was to leave the bowl of melted chocolate on top of the warm water, this meant that the chocolate would not harden up quickly.

If I choose to make these Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes again, I may try to find a recipe that uses less sugar.

Cookie Butter Chocolate Domes recipe can be found on this website:

http://www.epicuricloud.com/blog/2013/2/6/chocolate-covered-cookie-butter-balls

Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls

In continuation with my no bake recipe crusade, I decided to Google more ball recipes. I wanted to use up the Digestives Biscuits that I had left in the pantry. I ended up finding a very easy recipe for Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls.

The recipe for Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls was very very easy and right up my alley. I was able to make the Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls whilst my baby was sleeping in less than 10 minutes. I was so happy that I finally got to use the Nestlé Top “N” Fill Caramel that has been sitting in the pantry for months.

The Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls tasted very nice, they were not too sweet and had the same chewy-fudge like texture like my previous recipe for Chocolate Balls. I really loved the addition of desiccated coconut and toasted desiccated coconut and the caramel flavouring was actually quite mild.

I think I have a easy no bake recipe winner, what sort of ball should I make next?

Caramel Chocolate Snow Balls recipe can be found on this website:

http://www.bakers-corner.com.au/recipes/truffles/caramel-choc-snowballs/

Chill Factor Ice Cream Maker

When I saw the Chill Factor Ice Cream Maker online, I got so excited. I was intrigued how this small contraption could make ice cream so easily, and of course I was quite sceptical. Nevertheless I bought the product anyway.

The Chill Factor Ice Cream Maker claims that you can make ice cream in minutes by simply squeezing and shaking the cone device.

I tried using the Chill Factor Ice Cream Maker four times and to my disappointment, it did not really work, Each time I got chilled mixture and not ice cream. The mixture looked like melted ice cream and in minutes it melted back into sauce.

(yes I followed the instructions)

I am apparently not alone with my thoughts on the Chill Factor Ice Cream Maker, because other people have had the same problem. There are of course people who claim it works.

I have decided to give up and will throw this in the bin, it is not worth wasting my time and effort.

Sigh…

Chocolate Balls

When it is a 40 degrees Celsius day and it is not a wise idea to use the oven, what can myself as a baking addict do? The answer is to Google easy no bake recipes. I ended up finding a recipe for Chocolate Balls on 4 Ingredient’s website.

I really like some of the recipes on 4 Ingredient’s website, they are always so simple and only require the use of 4 ingredients. In my opinion they are geniuses. I chose this recipe for Chocolate Balls, because it is so simple to make and did not require the use of the oven.

The Chocolate Balls were made in no time at all, I had all the ingredients ready to go in my pantry. I was so happy that I finally got use some of the 3 kilograms of desiccated coconut that I bought from Costco. The Chocolate Balls ended up tasting very nice, they were not too sweet and had a nice chewy fudge type texture. Whilst eating them, I almost felt like I was eating something healthy. The Chocolate Balls even got the thumbs up from my Husband who does not have a sweet tooth.

I think I may try to add something other ingredients into the Chocolate Balls, I was thinking maybe some dates or some nuts, the possibilities are endless.

The Chocolate Balls recipe can be located on 4 Ingredient’s Website:

https://www.4ingredients.com.au/recipe/chocolate-balls

Sweet Eats in Canberra

For my birthday, my family and I went to Canberra for the weekend. Many of my friends associated Canberra with boredom, but I corrected them and told them that Canberra is one of the best places for eating.

I was so excited to go to Canberra, I had drawn up a list of sweet places that I should visit. There were so many other places that I wanted to go to, but it was too hard with a teething 7 month old baby.

Here are some places that I visited:

Penny University Roasters

I had heard so many great things about this café. I was drawn to this café mainly because they sell my beloved cronuts. Unfortunately for me, they only sell cronuts Wednesday-Sunday. I was so devastated! Nevertheless, I ate here anyway. I ended up ordering two breakfasts, because I got serious breakfast envy when I saw my Husband’s Croissant French Toast.

The Croissant French Toast was so amazing that I was having a food orgasm whilst eating it. The Croissant French Toast is a croissant made like a French Toast and is filled with caramelized banana, topped with strawberries, cinnamon mascarpone and maple syrup. The combination of all those ingredients worked so well, and I did not find it too sweet. This Croissant French Toast was to die for!

I also ended up ordering a hot chocolate. I always order a hot chocolate when I visit new cafés. Most of the time when I order a hot chocolate they have been disappointing. The hot chocolate at Penny University Roasters did not disappoint. The hot chocolate was made with real chocolate, you just have to give it a stir to mix the chocolate in the milk. The milk was not too hot and was frothed to perfection.

For coffee lovers, my Husband said their coffee is amazing. (I do not like coffee)

Hopefully I can re-visit soon so I can try their cronuts.

Penny University Roasters is located at:

15 Kennedy St, Kingston ACT 2604

Ricardo’s Café and Patisserie

Ever since I saw their photo of their Cronuts on Facebook, I have been obsessing over visiting Ricardo’s Café and Patisserie. I ended up going to Ricardo’s Café and Patisserie on my birthday. When we arrived at Ricardo’s Café and Patisserie, it was so packed, so we decided that we would not eat there. I went inside and lined up to order my Cronut. Whilst lining up, I noticed they had many amazing looking desserts in their displays.

The Cronuts looked very nice. I thought that the Cookie Dough Cronut was filled with Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, but the staff working there told me it is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream made into a mousse.

In the end I decided that I would buy a Cookie Dough Cronut and the Gay Time Cake.

When I got back to the hotel I tried the Cookie Dough Cronut, my first reaction was “too sickly sweet” , I could not eat any more of the Cronut.The filling was too sweet for me, however the Cronut itself was nice.

Next I tried the Gay Time Cake, and once again I found it to be too sweet for me, I just found the whole dessert to taste too sugary. The mousse inside the cake was a nice texture though.

I honestly felt that whilst their cakes look good, I did not think they tasted good.

Ricardo’s Café and Patisserie is located at:

Jamison Plaza Bowman Street Macquarie, ACT 2614

Mr Frugii

A visit to Canberra is not complete until you make a visit to Mr Frugii at the Old Bus Depot Markets. I had been dying to get my Mr Frugii Ice Cream fix for weeks. I ended up buying a large and a small tub of the Pavlova Ice Cream. This time the Pavlova Ice Cream was made with mango ice cream. As usual, it tasted amazing.

Mr Frugii is located at the Old Bus Depot Markets:

21 Wentworth Avenue, ACT.

Sundays 10am-4pm

Dutch Divine

I happened to stumble across Dutch Divine at the Old Bus Depot Markets because I noticed there was a large crowd gathered around her stall. I went and had a look and noticed lots of home made delicious biscuits, Stroopwafels and Caramel Waffles. I ate a sample of her goods and I was so impressed. The Stroopwafels were amazing and I immediately fell in love with her Almond Delicates Biscuits. The Almond Delicates Biscuits were very buttery and had a lovely hint of cinnamon. I ended up buying three packets of her Almond Delicates Biscuits.

Dutch Divine is located at the Old Bus Depot Markets:

21 Wentworth Avenue, ACT.

Sundays 10am-4pm

Overall I had a fantastic time in Canberra, I probably would have eaten more sweet things, but I could not stomach any more sweets. I cannot wait to visit Canberra again soon. There are so many new cafés that I want to try.