Day 319 - Tropical Rocky Road

I made this one last night, for our Parent Helper Morning Tea today. Basic ingredients were:

2 blocks of white chocolate
1 pack of macadamias
1 pack of dried mango
Apricot marshmallows
Toasted coconut (just a handful)

Day 316 - Jenna's Little Soiree

Jenna was allowed to have two friends over for dinner tonight for her birthday. I have to say that it was a big improvement from the time where Dale and I offered to host her 7th birthday with 11 children invited (the less said about that one, the better!) Jenna's friends were polite, adored Henry, watched Twilight, helped cook dinner and were no problem! This is a pic of them with Henry about to sing Happy Birthday to Jenna. I made her chocolate cupcakes with a white chocolate ganache. Fun to decorate, but I do recommend waiting til the ganache is set (I got a bit over excited about decorating and they turned a bit drippy). I again, loved Henry's "birthday cake face"... Mummy the cake is on fire!!!

Great cupcake recipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22173/chocolate+cupcakes

Day 305 - Melbourne Cup Day

I did take a photo of the Donna Hay chocolate cheesecake that I made, but by the time I got to it with my camera it was looking a little demolished! So instead, the recipe and my fascinator, made a couple of years ago with my trusty hot glue gun. Although we never get to see the race (because you can't show it to school kids) I do enjoy our Melbourne Cup Day lunch and sweeps. I was lucky to triple my $12 this year!

Day 304 - Another Rocky Road

My third Rocky Road ever is blueberry and macadamia in dark chocolate and I made it to post to Dale's Mum for her birthday. I love how the dried blueberries look so black and shiny in it! This is almost like fruit and nut chocolate, except that it has the added bonus of marshmallows. Very yummy and easy; here's my recipe:

2 blocks of dark chocolate (about 400g)
the white marshmallows out of a mixed pack
small pack of macadamias
dried blueberries - I think that I put in about a cup or so

Melt the chocolate, mix it all up and set it in a tin lined with glad bake.

Enjoy!

Day 297 - Pink Rocky Road

Tomorrow at work we are having a pink morning tea to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and so I thought it would be a good chance to make the strawberry rocky road that I have been thinking of trying. I used two blocks of white chocolate, the pink marshmallows from one mixed packet, a packet of dried strawberries, one of macadamias, and handful of coconut, toasted and a handful of dried cranberries. I'll definitely make this one again; it was great!

Day 259 - Strawberry and Pink Marshmallow Chocolate Skewers

After making Cookies 'n' Cream Rocky Road the other week, which only uses white marshmallows, I was left with a whole heap of pink marshmallows to use up. Caroline, who I work with, suggested making skewers with strawberries and chocolate and when I found strawberries for $6 a kilo on my way home I thought it would be a delicious dessert for tonight. I got Jenna into the chocolate dipping and they were ready in time for after dinner. Henry was allowed one chocolate covered strawberry. Not sure if he was disappointed in that considering all his help in the kitchen!

Day 190 - First for Many

I cannot believe that Henry will be one at the end of the month, but it feels a little more real after today. My mothers' group got together today to have a big birthday party for all the babies who are about to turn one (in fact some already have). Every time I see everyone it is amazing to see how the babies have changed and it was lots of fun to see them play together today. I made the birthday cakes above and it was lovely for Henry to have his own little cupcake with a candle. I blew it out quickly as he looked a little too interested! Happy Birthday to all the bubs :-)

Day 188 - Enough Chocolate?

The last couple of times I have been over to the newly refurbished Westfield at Belconnen, I have noticed the huge queue out the door at Max Brenner. I thought the first week of the NSW holidays would be a good time to go (before the hordes of ACT people are infiltrating the shops in droves) so Peta, Cathy and I and met up over there today. The above is a chocolate brownie... almost black in colour and drizzled in pure melted chocolate to feed my addiction! I really should go back to Koko Black in Civic so I can decide which I like best!

Day 186 - Shopping with Henry

Well I had to take a squash from him at the checkout so they could be weighed, so the second item that Henry decided to pilfer from the trolley was a block of rum and raisin chocolate! He loves a bit of a rummage through the bags looking for tasty items - but no, this one is definitely for Mum!

Day 183 - Long Awaited Date Night

We have had a few nights out since Henry was born, but this is the first one that was for no reason other than to enjoy an evening together. Mum offered to look after Henry so that we could go out, so Dale booked a table at our favourite restaurant (bit of a treat!) Aubergine at Griffith, which is where we had out wedding reception in 2009. I had a gorgeous entree which had lentils, scallops and pancetta and barramundi for mains, but the dessert was the highlight of dinner for sure. A chocolate fondant, salted caramel ice cream and a chocolate delice with toffee. Yum!

Day 123 - Everything Goes Better With Chocolate

It was a night of marking tonight and I am sad to say that I am almost out of Easter chocolate! I somehow stumbled across a pile of things that had missed being marked but I have to say that chocolate helps :P

Day 114 - Henry's First Easter

Yes I know... it's a little bit naughty to give Henry a chocolate, but I couldn't let his first Easter go by without taking advantage of the photo opportunity. The Easter Bunny brought him a little Peter Rabbit egg cup and spoon, with a little Easter Egg in it and I have to say that after he got used to the sticky feel of chocolate in his mouth, he loved it. I wonder if he will end up a chocoholic like me?

Day 107 - Pudding Weather!

I adore this really easy chocolate baked rice pudding of Bill Granger's that I made for dessert tonight. Robbie and Robert stopped in overnight on their way back from the Snowy, so I made this after dinner. The recipe is as follows;  Enjoy!

Grease a shallow ceramic baking dish and place 1/3 cup of aborio rice, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.  Place 150g of dark chocolate, chopped, 3 cups of milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract in a saucepan and heat until melted and combined. Pour over rice and bake for an hour at 160.

Day 81 - Best Smell in the World!

And by morning, with the aroma of a warm chocolate mud cake permeating the house, this is what the top of the cake looked like! Yum! Now to begin the assembly process to be done by Sunday.

Day 80 - Mmmm... Mmmmud Cake

Before we went to bed it was decided that the mud cake would be put into the oven at 3.30am overnight so that it would be ready by 6am. Upon deciding this, it suddenly struck me how funny it was that I didn't think that putting a cake in the oven at 3.30am was so odd, because I am usually up at that time anyway! I set the alarm, but I happened to be up not long before that anyway, just as predicted. While I worked on some of the decorations for the cake, my assistant chef Dale helped out by chopping chocolate and measuring out other ingredients. I only wish I had thought to get a pic of him licking the bowl which was bigger than his head.

Day 73 - Baking Bill's Brownies

Ahh... love a bit of alliteration... Tuesdays are morning tea day at school and everyone always appreciates something homemade. I was one of the people on duty this week, and I was quite proud that I managed to make something myself (time is limited these days and last time I think I brought in a big bag of Fantales and some bought hot cross buns). Anyway I have to share Bill's recipe, because it is so easy and full of chocolatey goodness. He made them on Sunrise a couple of months ago and I have made them many times since. Visit bill-grangers-brownies to get the recipe!