Cheat's Choc Mint Pudding

Here is a recipe that Julie (one of our Facebook followers and a friend of mine) has made and said it went down well with the family. I am going to make this very soon Julie, it looks fantastic.

Ingredients

Packet of chocolate self-saucing pudding
1 peppermint crisp, roughly crushed
1/2 teaspoon cocoa added to pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon cocoa added to sauce
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee added to sauce
1 teaspoon mint drinking chocolate (optional)

Method

1. Make packet choc pudding mix according to directions, except for substituting milk for the 2 tablespoons of water for the pudding mix. If it is a bit dry looking, add a touch more milk or water so you can beat it with a wooden spoon.
2. Once you have mixed the pudding, add the cocoa, mint drinking choc (optional), instant coffee and cocoa, and the crushed peppermint crisp.
3. Sprinkle the sauce mix from the packet as per instructions, then sprinkle the other half teaspoon of cocoa and half teaspoon of coffee on the sauce mix.
4. Pour on the boiling water, as per the packet instructions.
5. I made this in a large glass bowl and put it in my biggest saucepan, put some foil over the top and steamed it with the lid on for about 45 mins. Alternatively, you can make the baked version in the oven, following the packet instructions.
6. Serve with cream or ice cream.

This turns an ordinary packet dessert into something truly delicious! It was recommended by the three chocolate loving males in my family.

Cheers
Julie

If you have a recipe you want to share, email it to me (the email address is on the right of the blog post).

Christmas Morning Crown (fruit bread rolls)

I made this for Christmas morning but it looked so good we started it Christmas Eve (see the 3 missing rolls in the photo). This would be fantastic to make if you want to have something yummy for guests for breakfast (not necessarily for Christmas).

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups strong flour (I used plain)
7g dried instant yeast
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg beaten
50g brown sugar
2 tbs chopped hazelnuts (I used pecans)
1 tsp mixed spice
1/3 cup chopped mixed peel
1/3 cup sultanas
1/4 cup glace cherries, chopped
(instead of the last 3 ingredients above, I added a cup of mixed dried fruit)

Method

1. Sift flour into a large bowl, add yeast and 1/2 tsp salt.
2. Rub in 40g butter to form coarse crumbs.
3. Mix in warm milk and egg to form a dough (I had to add more flour).
4. Place in a greased blow, cover with a tea towel and leave for 1 hour in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Beat remaining butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined.
6. Add nuts, spice, mixed fruit and stir to combine.
7. Punch down to expel air, knead briefly then roll out on a floured surface to form a 30cm x 23cm rectangle.
8. Spread fruit mixture over dough, leaving a 2cm border on the long sides.
9. Roll up from one long side then cut into 9 equal pieces.
10. Place slices, cut-side up on the lined or greased baking tray so it forms a circle with the slices just touching.
11. Cover with a clean towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until slightly  risen (I placed a piece of baking paper between the roll and towel as the roll is sticky).
12. Once risen, you can cover the crown and chill overnight, then bring back to room temperature before baking.
13. Preheat over to 180 deg c. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

The original recipe from the taste website made an icing with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3/4 cup icing sugar and drizzled over the crown before serving. I didn't think it needed more sugar so I left it out.

Also, when I make this again, I will put less butter in the fruit and nut mix as there was a lot of melted butter in the middle of the crown after it cooked. I will also add more nuts as this tasted fantastic.