These Hazelnut Cherry Brownies have it all: they’re super fudgy, ultra decadent and are filled with crunchy hazelnuts and sour cherries. Brownies are one of my favourite treats, when they’re done right. And by ‘right’ I mean they’re chewy, fudgy, with an intense chocolate flavour. Some people prefer cakey brownies, but they’re definitely not my…
Recipes
Kahlua Chocolate Cake
If you love coffee and chocolate, you must try this Kahlua Chocolate Cake! It makes for an impressive yet simple dessert, with Kahlua and chocolate in every bite.
I got the idea for this cake one evening while enjoying some Tiramisu. Tiramisu consists of ladyfingers dipped in espresso (sometimes spiked with a liqueur), and layered with a lightly sweetened mascarpone cream.
Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Perfect for whenever that chocolate craving strikes, these Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies will hit the spot every time!
One of the things I love most about this recipe, is that there is no chilling time. How many times have you wanted a freshly baked batch of cookies, only to realise when you read the recipe that it will be several hours before you can enjoy your cookies?! Well now you can have these irresistible double chocolate cookies baked fresh from the oven and into your tummy within the hour. Or within half an hour, if you’re like me and can’t wait for them to cool.
Raw Caramel Slice
If I know one thing, that is surely sweet treats. And you and your family are going to go crazy for this raw caramel slice.
I have had quite the love affair with the caramel slice over the years. I know exactly what constitutes a great one, and unfortunately a lot of them don’t make the cut: Too sickly. Gritty caramel. Not using quality chocolate. The list goes on.
The caramel slice I grew up with was typically made with condensed milk, which would bake in the oven (or still in the can, on the stovetop) until a rich, golden caramel was achieved. It was then poured on top of a coconut shortbread base. Once the caramel was set, melted dark chocolate was poured over the top. True decadence. But sadly, if you’re eating healthy and try to steer clear of sweet treats, it’s not an option for many people. A life without caramel slice?! How depressing. But fret no more! If you want a healthy version of this classic treat, then you have to make this.
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread
This Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread makes for a delicious snack any time of the day. And let’s be honest; who doesn’t love cinnamon and chocolate together? This quick bread has it all: it’s soft, tender, moist and has an irresistible ripple of cinnamon, and lots of chocolate chips. We’ve been having some very…
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
This has been one crazy week, to say the least! I left New Zealand on Tuesday to return to New York City and I was feeling a range of different emotions. Even though my Mum has made an amazing recovery in the past 7 months, I still worry about her a lot and it was very hard to leave her. For now, we will have to make do with phone calls and video chats. It eases my mind somewhat to know she has a great support system around her. We really made the most of our last few weeks together, including a trip down to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. The beaches down there are among my favourites, and we took her dog Jessie with us, and she was loving all the bush and beach walks.
Dulce De Leche Brownies
In the brownie world there are two distinct types: the fudge kind and the cake kind. If you are like me, and fudge brownies are your thing, then you are going to need to make this recipe! Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of brownie recipes, and had issues such as the brownies being too flat, too dry, or not chocolatey enough. This recipe has none of these issues, and the addition of gooey dulche de leche really takes these brownies over the top, into new territory.
A traditional dessert that originated in South America, dulce de leche directly translates to ‘sweet of milk’ in English. It can be used as a filling, a topping or enjoyed straight from the jar. Because who doesn’t enjoy sneaking spoonfuls of caramel while nobody is looking?!
Crepes with Almond Butter & Raspberries
Crepes are one of the easiest and most versatile things you can whip up in the kitchen. You can make them sweet or savoury, and top them with just about anything you fancy. Since Valentine’s Day is upon us, I wanted to make something with raspberries & chocolate, and these crepes were born. Perfect for either breakfast, brunch or dessert, these crepes get a protein boost and will keep you fuller for longer thanks to the almond butter.
I used the almond butter from Forty Thieves and I absolutely love it. The almonds are dry roasted in small batches and have no added sugar, salt or preservatives. So it’s as natural as it gets! Made here in New Zealand, the Forty Thieves brand also includes salted macadamia butter, cacao hazelnut with toasted coconut and cashew butter.
Chocolate Ganache Filled Cupcakes With Meringue Ghosts
It’s almost Halloween! I’ve always enjoyed dressing up in costume and going to a party or event to celebrate. I think my favorite costume was when I dressed up as a lolita doll (Japanese style). I went all out, including buying those special contact lenses which make your iris look extra large & round. I chose purple ones and I had such a hard time putting them in my eyes! I’d never worn contacts before, and it took me 20 minutes just to put one of them in! It certainly took some getting used to, but I loved the effect it gave my eyes. This year I’m not dressing up (boo!) but I had to make something Halloween-themed to eat. I decided on chocolate cupcakes, filled with chocolate ganache, and finished with whipped ganache and a meringue ghost. Talk about chocolate overload! This is seriously one of the best cupcake recipes I’ve made, the cupcakes are so rich but not overly sweet, thanks to the ganache. And the meringue ghost makes a cute addition. You can either ‘paint’ the eyes on the ghosts with melted chocolate or by using an edible gel pen. The pen would be the easiest way, but I went with the melted chocolate & a toothpick as it’s what I had on hand. I hope you all have a scarily good Halloween! 🙂
S’mores Cake
Today is National S’mores Day, so what better day than to share with you the S’mores cake I made last weekend for a friend’s birthday. This girl loves anything chocolate, so when i asked her what kind of cake she would like this year, she first replied ‘something chocolate’. Then a few minutes later she sent a text saying ‘Actually, can you make a s’mores cake???’ The funny thing is, I had planned to make a s’mores cake back in June for my boyfriend’s birthday, but I didn’t have some of the necessary equipment (you will need a blow torch!) and I was short on time. I ended up making a chocolate cookie dough bundt cake, which didn’t require any decorating time.