Gooey Nutella Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 heaping cup Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, milk and vanilla. Beat until blended.

4. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).

5. Spoon Nutella into a small dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, it will seem a tiny bit undercooked but that’s what makes it good. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Yield: 3 dozen cupcakes or 3, 9 inch round cake pans.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter
• 2 & 1/2 cups Sugar
• 5 Eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 & 1/4 cups Pureed Strawberries
• 3 cups Cake Flour, sifted
• t teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• pinch Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes.
3. Add egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes.
4. Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Mix just till combined.
6. In another bowl and clean beaters, beat egg whites till stiff and add in an increment of 3 to cake batter, being sure to fold in thoroughly but gently.
7. Bake for 18 or so minutes for cupcakes and 20-25 minutes for 9 inch round cake pans

Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 - 8oz Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1/2 cup Butter, room temp
• 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 lb. Powdered Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and butter, whip till light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add liquids and blend.
3. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing, (to keep the sugar from decorating your counters and appliances, not including you.)
4. At this point you may need to add more powdered sugar. You are trying to achieve a medium stiff consistency. Whip for several minutes.

KIT KAT CAKE

How cute is this cake?! Not only does it look awesome, it is so easy to make! No cake decorating skills required.

All you do is take your favorite cake recipe, bake and let cool. Before frosting, make sure your cake is shorter than a kit-kat bar, if not trim some off the top to leave room for the M&M’s. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Take a bunch of kit-kat bars (about 4 large packages), cut or gently break each bar into two sections. Place the bars on the cake, gently pushing into the frosting. Tie with a ribbon and fill the center with M&M’s (about 1 large bag). You can leave some out to pour around the base of your cake. That’s it! Easy peasy!

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.