Double chocolate and peanut butter bars

I can't remember how I came across this recipe, but the photos of these bars won me over straight away as I found myself salivating in front of my screen.  Plus, the added bonus to this recipe was that it required no baking -- absolutely perfect given my living arrangements at the time (without an oven ... I know)!  It was my first foray into natural peanut butter, and which I hadn't heard of before.  Turns out that it's purely made from peanuts and has nothing else (not even added salt).  I managed to find it quite easily at Woolies in the health food section, and used the (only) one which was from Sanitarium.  Having had some left over from making these bars, I used the rest in lieu of the normal (unnatural?) Kraft stuff.  At first it tasted quite bland, probably due to the lack of salt, but the peanut flavour does come through and certainly tastes more 'nutty' than Kraft.  It took me a few slice of toast to get used to it but now I'm a natural peanut butter convert (and have also converted the parentals).  Besides, it makes me feel less guilty knowing it doesn't have an ingredients list with words I can't even pronounce.

These bars are awfully addictive, and are so good for the soul but definitely have more than a couple of friends over to share with, otherwise lo and behold, you may realise that you'll have finished the tray, and thus 1 whole cup of peanut butter by yourself!

Double chocolate and peanut butter bars

Adapted from Guiltykitchen.com
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

Base Layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar (minus 2 tablespoons)
  
• 5 tablespoon Cocoa
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups sweet biscuit (eg. Arnott's Marie), process or break into small crumbs

Middle Layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly.
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
• Pinch of salt

Top layer

• 120 g good quality dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method

Base layer

1. Place a bowl over a saucepan of lightly simmering water and melt the butter, sugar and cocoa together. 
2. While still over water, add egg and beat to combine (will thicken quite a bit here, and this helps to cook the egg).  Remove from heat and add crumbs.
3. Press into a lined 8" x 8" cake pan. Set aside.

Middle layer

1. Add peanut butter and butter together in small bowl.  Mix in sugar, salt and vailla to form a thick paste.
2. Add onto the base layer and smooth over, patting down to make a flat, even layer.  Place in fridge for about 15 minutes.
   

Top layer

1. In a bowl over a saucepan of lightly simmering water, melt butter and chopped chocolate together. Stir until complete dissolved and smooth.  Allow to cool slightly while keeping it smooth
   
2. Remove pan from fridge and pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter layer and spread out evenly.
3. Place in the fridge and let it cool completely to become hard.  Once hardened, remove from baking pan and slice into small squares. 
   

Chocolate panna cotta

The first time I had panna cotta was at an end of year dinner about 2 years ago.  Only knowing it as a sort of cream and milk jelly, I wasn't sure what to expect but my first taste won me over as a panna cotta lover.  It was creamy, silky smooth, and with a texture that was like barely set jelly.  Later did I learn that to achieve that sort of balance in texture required a precision in using gelatin which can be a pretty fussy and temperamental ingredient.  Undeterred, and with left over cream to use up, I found a recipe online and gave it a shot.  I used powdered gelatin this time, but having done a bit more research, I'll definitely invest in gelatin leaves.  This one turned out a bit firmer, verging on being a mousse but it was just as smooth and I loved the chocolate in it!

Dark chocolate panna cotta 

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 4-5 (depending on size of ramekins)



Ingredients 

• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatin powder
  
• 2 cups double cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 200 g good quality dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids) -- I use Lindt blocks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Place 5 ramekins on a baking sheet (and if you plan to invert them, brush lightly with some oil), set aside. Pour the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the milk, and let soften for 5 minutes.
2. Combine cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add gelatin mixture, whisking to combine. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. 
3. Pour through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup. Divide mixture evenly between ramekins; chill until set, at least 4 hours.
4. Serve sraight from the ramekins or if you want to invert them, dip the ramekin in some hot water for about 30 seconds, and invert -- if it still doesn't come out, run a round-bladed knife around the panna cotta. 

Pinwheel cookies

I came across a recipe for pinwheel (otherwise known as swirl cookies) in a magazine which required using melted white and dark chocolate for the separate doughs.  Not wanting to go out just to buy a block of white chocolate, I had a look on the web for a recipe where I could use a basic shortbread dough for the 'white' of the pinwheel, and I did find one!

It was a bit of a fight between myself and the dough to get it to roll up without it cracking, and in the end I just rolled it up quickly, and went fixing the cracks by smooth dough over it.  Had that failed, I would've probably made checkerboard cookies though Mum said that I could've just used the dough made them into separate cookies but I was determined to make a two-toned cookie!  The biscuit is buttery and crumbly and nor too sweet and keeps well in an airtight container for days.

Pinwheel cookies 
Recipe from My Buttery Fingers
Makes about 30

Ingredients

Vanilla Dough

• 160 g plain flour
• 100 g salted butter, cold, cut into 1cm cubes
• 50 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 large egg yolk
  

Chocolate Dough

• 140 g plain flour
• 20 g dutch process cocoa powder
• 100 g salted butter, cold, cut into 1cm cubes
• 50 g sugar
• 1 large egg yolk

Method

1. Make the vanilla dough - place flour and butter into mixing bowl and rub together until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add vanilla, sugar and egg yolk, mix together gently until a ball of dough forms. Form dough into a disc and warp dough with cling wrap and chill whilst you prepare the chocolate dough.
2. Prepare the chocolate dough as per the vanilla dough, adding the cocoa in with the flour.
3. Unwrap the vanilla dough and roll until 5 mm thick between 2 pieces of baking paper, trying to maintain a square shape.  (Wendy places it in a large Ziploc bag to roll which I'll try next time).  Place in fridge while you do the same with the chocolate dough.  
4. Place the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla dough and roll up tightly but gently like a Swiss-roll gently (I found it pretty difficult to roll without it crumbling, and not too sure why ... in any case, I just patched up the cracks). Chill for 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.  
6. Remove dough from the fridge and slice into 5 mm slices and place them slightly apart on baking sheet (they spread only slightly). 
7. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are just turning pale golden around the edges, let cool on the tray for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Basic cupcakes

These were the very first thing that I remember my Mum baking for my brother and I back when we were 5 or 6 and also the first thing I learnt to bake for the family and for other people.  I think this was a recipe that Mum got in a Woman's Weekly recipe book back in the 80s which has been stuck on our fridge for years for easy reference. 

My family tends to prefer things to be less sweet, thus we've cut down on the sugar.  You can also have the plain or add choc-chips instead of the sultanas, or add a 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut.  It's hard to go wrong; for the best results, have the eggs and milk at room temperature (or at the least not fresh out of the fridge).  It's also best eaten fresh from the oven, or it can be warmed up again the next day.

Basic cupcakes

Makes about 24

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup of caster sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour, sifted
  
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sultanas
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180oC and line muffin tray/s with patty cases.
2. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract if using.  
3. Add in a third of the flour and half the milk, and mix until just combined.  Add in another third of the flour and the rest of the milk, and mix.  Add in the rest of the flour and sultanas (or choc-chips).  Mix until just combined.
   
4. Divide mixture between patty cases -- fill about 3/4 of the way. 
5. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until tops are golden and the cupcake springs back to the touch.  Alternatively, the cupcakes are down when a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Cranberry, oatmeal and chocolate cookies

My first recipe post on this site (and of this year) happens to be a batch of cookies I made as Christmas presents.  I can't remember what inspired me to use cranberries, but perhaps seeing more than a handful of cranberry breads, cranberry shortbreads, cranberry cookies, etc, turning up on my Google reader feed in the weeks leading up to the festive season.  I settled on a cranberry cookie (easy to pack, easy to eat, and keeps longer).  As is habit before I set out on a new recipe, I read over a dozen recipes to read, compare and pick out before I have the one I will try.  It can be time-consuming but sometimes I end up some uncovered food blog gems and a fabulous recipe, which then makes everything worthwhile.

The original recipe is from Epicurious.  After reading the reviews, I've cut down on the chocolate chips, which I make by chopping up a good quality block of chocolate, to make the cookies less sweet (so one can have more and not feel guilty!) and have substituted fresh cranberries for the dried ones (there are no fresh cranberries grown in Australia apparently!).  These turned out to be my favourite kind of cookie -- crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle and the tart cranberries gave a great flavour surprise amongst the sweetness of the chocolate.

Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate cookies

Makes 25-30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose (plain) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• 140 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not instant)
• 3/4 cup dark, milk or white chocolate chips (personal preference)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Method

1. Position rack centre of oven and preheat to 175°C. Line 2 baking pans with baking paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt in medium bowl to blend.
3. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in a large bowl until smooth (4-5 minutes).  Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture and oats and stir until blended.  Stir in all chocolate chips and cranberries.
5. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, about 5 cm apart and flatten. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light brown, about 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven). Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.