Mum's Chocolate Slab Cake

Mum's Chocolate Slab Cake 

• 2 cups water
• 3 cups caster sugar
• 250g butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp bi carb soda
• 3 cups SR flour
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten

Method:

Place water in pot over heat. Once hot, add butter and sugar, then stir.
When all sugar is dissolved, summer for 5 mins. Add bi-carb soda then turn off.
After 10 mins, add SR flour, cocoa and eggs.
Grease and line a roasting tray.
Bake at 170degress for 45 mins.
Let sit for 10 mins
Ice and serve.

This is my mother's large chocolate slab cake! :) It is not exactly healthy.. lol.. but amazingly yummy! This is great for large family gatherings.

My Favourite, Gnocchi Carbonara

Courtney's Favourite Gnocchi Carbonara

• 1 bag of gnocchi
• fist full of grated cheese
• 1 egg
• fist full of diced bacon
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• large tub of thickened cream
• splash of oil

Method:

Put oil in pan and heat on medium/high. 

Put garlic in pan with cold oil, as the oil heats the garlic will start to smell stronger and will start to spit and pop, throw bacon in and stir.

Once bacon is cooked to how you like it, pour in cream and stir regularly.

Cook gnocchi when sauce is nearly done as it only takes the gnocchi only takes 2-5mins.

When the cream is thick, add cooked gnocchi and stir. Add cheese and once melted, turn off heat. stir for minute then crack the egg into it and stir into mixture. 

Serve.

So if you knew me, you would know that Gnocchi Carbonara is my absolute favourite!! This recipe is from a family from EACH Child. I looked after their daughter when she was a baby and we have stayed in contact since. She is now 5 and going to school next year! THANKS FOR THE RECIPE SHANNON!! :)

Hawaiian Haystacks

Hawaiian Haystacks

• 900mls milk
• 3/4 cups plain flour.
• 125g butter
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cooked bbq chicken
• Serve with rice.

Toppings you may choose to serve:

• coconut
• grated cheese
• pineapple pieces
• flaked almonds
• crispy chinese fried noodles
• corn kernels
• celery
• capsicum
• spring onions

Method:

Melt butter in pot, add flour and milk. whisk till thickened.

stir in cream of chicken soup.

Break up BBQ chicken and mix with other ingredients.

Serve with rice and add selected toppings as you wish. Feeds 8

(great for big family occasions)

American Favourite from my Brother in Hawaii - Brandon Simmons! :)

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 500g-750g chopped chicken fillets
• olive oil
• butter
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbls plain flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup mixed frozen or fresh vegetables
• bush spices for seasoning
• pinch black pepper..

Method:

Cut up chicken and heat oil in fry pan. Cook chicken until tender. Drain juices and return to heat.

Add butter, stirring until melted. Add onion and garlic. Stir for approx 2 mins until nice and soft. Add flour and stir.

Cook for 1 min. Take pan away from heat and add milk, vegetables and seasonings, stir.

Return to stove and bring to boil, stirring all the time. Simmer for 3 mins, and chicken pieces and stir. Remove from stove.

Place 1 pastry sheet into bottom of greased pie dish. Pour children filling in and place second pastry on top. Brush with an egg and bake for 30-35mins on 200degreesC.

This is my sister's recipe, but i love it! It is so easy to cook and yummy to eat! You can serve with salad or steamed veggies.

Eggless Anything Cake

Courtney's Eggless Anything Cake

• 4 cups of SR flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 8tbls butter - melted
• 4tbls golden syrup
• 2tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups of milk

Add 2 cups of anything for flavour, such as:

• Chocolate chips
• Banana
• Apple
• Carrot
• Sultanas

Method:

Mix all together

Bake for 40-50mins in moderate oven or until middle raises when you touch it.

This was another recipe i got from EACH Child. :) Its not that healthy, but AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!! haha

Courtney's Choc Mint Self Saucing Pudding

Courtney's Choc Mint Self Saucing Pudding

• 1 cup of SR flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbls cocoa
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1tsp peppermint essence
• 30 gms butter - melted

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cocoa
• 1 1/3 cups hot water

Topping:

• 200g chocolate mint biscuits from coles.

Method:

Preheat oven on 170degrees C. Sift flour, salt and cocoa.

Add sugar to the mixture. Stir in milk, peppermint and melted butter until smooth.

Spread evenly into a greased oven proof dish.

To make sure, combine brown sugar and cocoa. Mix well and sprinkle over cake mixture. 

Pour hot water on top - slowly, over the back of a spoon. Bake for 50-60mins. 

Once out of the oven, Sprinkle chopped up choc mint biscuits over pudding and let sit for a few mins.

Serve with ice cream.

This is Steven's favourite! He loves to add double the chocolate pieces! haha Note: you can add any flavour, like caramel biscuits and vanilla essence instead of peppermint.

Mars Bar Slice

Mars Bar Slice

• 3 Mars Bars
• 3 cups rice bubbles
• 75g butter
• 1 tbls golden syrup
• 250g chocolate melts

Method:

Chop up Mar bars and place in microwave bowl with butter and syrup. Heat until melted, approx 1 min.

Stir in rice bubbles and press into greased and lined slice tray. Refrigerate till set.

Melt chocolate and pour over slice. Set. Slice and Enjoy!! :)

This recipe is from my Nana Del! This is a family favourite!!

McDonald Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 225g butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 2 tsp hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups of chocolate chips

Method:

Cream together butter and both sugars until smooth. 

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

Dissolve bi-carb soda into hot water. Add to batter along with salt.

Stir in flour and chocolate chips.

Drop large spoonfuls onto trays lined with baking paper.

Bake for 10 minutes at 170 degrees C, until edges are nicely brown.

Makes approx 30.

My brother in law, Jason, made these for me when i was younger and I COULD NOT STOP EATING THEM!! Oh my gosh, they were, i mean ARE amazing! I usually cool the cookies off on the bench top. I put the baking paper over the tray and let it rest on the bench for 2 mins because placing them on the drying rack. That way, they are extra soft.

Moroccan Lamb

Moroccan Lamb

• I kg stir fry cut lamb
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cummin, ginger.
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 tins crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup diced dates
• 1 onion, diced
• Handful of spinach leaves
• 1x tins chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch fresh coriander.
• ½ cup corn/peas
• 1 cup couscous

 Method

Fry onion and lamb in a bit of oil.

Add all the spices, except fresh coriander.

Once cooked, add crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock 

plus baby spinach and dates, diced carrots.

Put on simmer and add chickpeas and fresh chopped coriander. 

Cook until lamb is tender.

Serve with couscous and corn/peas.

I first tried this recipe at my first workplace at EACH Child. Angela was the best cook and this was amazing! I need more recipes from her!

The Beginning

Well all i can say is that... I SUCK AT COOKING!! But i am learning. By watching my Mother and my Mother in Law, as well as my sisters, i am becoming increasingly more open to different flavours and ways to cook. So i thought i would start this blog, mainly for me, so that i could add my favourite recipes from my family and cook books, that i have made in the past and that i love to cook. So have fun and keep an eye out for new recipes and if you have any recipes that i may love... PLEASE... let me know so i can try something new!

Love Corky Handley

xxx