Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Raspberry Choc Chip Blondies

So you might notice by all the pink and red in the pictures that these blondies were meant to be a Valentines post. Oops, better late then never! These blondies are too awesome only to be enjoyed on just one particular day anyway. They're seriously my absolute favourite treat, everyone that had one made various Mmmm/yummm sounds while eating and I've been daydreaming about them ever since.

The blondies have a yummy buttery caramel flavour from the brown sugar and are perfectly gooey in the middle and crispy on top. Not only are these tasty squares packed with choc-chips but they're topped with Mms too. If you haven't tried raspberry Mms yet, do it! they're what make these blondies really wow.
 
For the Blondies
225 grams butter (melted)
2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
2 cups plain flour
230 grams choc chips
100 grams Raspberry Mms (half a bag)

To make the Blondies- Line a 12 x 9 inch baking pan with baking paper and preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

Beat together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Stir in the flour and pinch of salt.

Mix through the chocolate chips or filling of your choice.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and roughly smooth out.

Finally top the blondie mixture with a sprinkle of raspberry Mms.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the middle.

Allow the blondies to cool before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Princess First Birthday

I'm beginning to feel finally that my brain is getting out of holiday mode, I've been back to week 3 weeks and still haven't quite got back into the swing of things. Its time to kick 2014 into gear, starting with the blog. My kitchenaid and I have been taking a well earned break from baking since Christmas, also with the amount of chocolates and treats left in my house baking more sweets seemed a little much. 

I'm starting the year in true ButterHeartsSugar style, with a bit of pretty, a bit of cute and a whole load of pink. A short post today to share this super girly princess party my cousin and I put together for her beautiful baby girl's first birthday. The day couldn't have been better, I woke up to smiles from a tutu wearing birthday girl, the weather was prefect and Miss Mia loved her party.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas

Just a quick post after the craziness of today to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS with 5 minutes left to go!!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day, however you spent it. 




One More Day! Christmas Round Up

One last quick post before I go to sleep to wait for Santa, this years Christmas round up. I didn't quite reach my target of 25 days of Christmas posts, but I came pretty darn close making it to 20. Next year I'll get to 25!

1st. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Advent Cookies
2nd. Christmas Tree
3rd. Last Years Christmas Favourites
4th. Baileys Ice Cream
5th. Pina Coladas
6th. Gift Ideas
7th. White Choc Cranberry Cookies
8th. Eggnog Cookie Shakes
9th. Cheese and Sesame Crackers
10th. Cream Cheese Christmas Tree
11th. Gingerbread Houses
12th. Coconut Whit Chocolate Christmas Tree Toppers
13th. Eggnog Cake
14th. Parcel Prezzies
15th. Slice and Bake Cookies
16th. Candy Cane Ice Cream Pops
17th. 'For Santa' Cookies
18th. White Chocolate Rocky Road Bites
19th. Mint Slice Cheesecakes
20th. Christmas Beer 'Krampus Ale'

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Christmas Beer/ Krampus Ale

I spend the day cleaning and doing the garden getting things pretty for Christmas so I don't have any new bake treats  for you, but I can share one other thing from my kitchen. Christmas beer!

The beer we made is acutely a summer beer, to combat the holiday heat here in Australia, but I cant wait to try some others like eggnog beer in the cooler months. To add a festive touch to our beer, we gave it the name Krampus Ale and made up some fun labels to decorate the bottles ready for gifting.
I got boyfriend a small batch brewing kit for his birthday last year and we have been having fun with it since. The book we've been following to make beer is Brooklyn Brew Shop's beer making book, Its been fantastic so far with easy to use recipes organized by season, each batch is small enough (1 gallon) to make in your own kitchen with standard kitchen tools. The book and a mini beer brewing kit would make a fantastic Christmas gift for the beer lover in your family, if only it wasn't super dooper last minute.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Mint Slice Cheesecake

 
Today was my last day of work before a little break over Christmas and New Years, I'm very much looking forward to relaxing for a short while. In what's become a bit of a tradition for me I made goodies to gift to the people I work with, this year they each got a Mint Slice Cheesecake. I made the cheesecakes directly into containers instead of pans, which might seem a bit odd, but was easy, safe way to transport them.
I made 4 smallish/regular sized cheesecakes and 8 mini cupcake sized cheesecakes using a double batch of the mixture in the recipe below. In the instructions I've included directions to make either one full pie sized cheesecake or a bunch of mini ones from a single batch of filling mixture.
The cheesecakes a festive variation on the cookies and cream idea, with a mild minty flavour added to by the mint slice pieces mixed through the filling. I especially enjoyed the single serve cupcake cheesecakes with  the whole mint cookie base. 

Sadly shortly after taking pictures of the mini ones, I dropped them while trying to fit the container in the fridge. So now I have a box of squished messy cheesecakes, I guess I can't be too sad, at least now I have a great excuse not to share them.
Mint Slice Cheesecake

Chocolate Base
250 grams plain chocolate biscuits (cookies)
120 grams butter (melted)
or
12 mint slice biscuits

Cheesecake Filling
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
375 grams cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
300 mls thick cream
180 grams white chocolate (melted)
200 grams mint slice biscuits (roughly 1 1/2 packets)

Whipped Cream, chocolate, crushed candy canes and sprinkles to decorate.

To make the base- If you are making mini cupcake sized cheesecakes- simply place one mint slice biscuit into the base of a cupcake paper lined pan.

Alternately for a pie sized cheesecake-  In a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and malt and process until combined.

Press the mixture evenly over the base of a pie dish, use the flat bottom of a glass to press evenly.

To make the filling- Roughly chop 200 grams of the mint slice biscuits, a mixture of small and large pieces works well.

In a small heatproof bowl sprinkle the gelatine over the water. Stand the bowl of gelatine mixture over a saucepan of boiling water and stir until the gelatine has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the cream until combined, followed by the white chocolate and gelatine mixture.
Stir through the chopped mint slice biscuits.

Spoon the filling over the prepared base and smooth over the top, refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until set.

Decorate as you like. I piped whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake and topped it with drizzle of dark chocolate and a bunch of sprinkles or candy cane.

Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

White Chocolate Rocky Road Bites

Rocky Road is one of my favourite treats at Christmas time, I've posted quite a number of recipes over the last few years. This years recipe is a bit of a variation on my favourite white rocky road recipe made in bite size form. The mini rocky road bites make a cute gift all packaged up, or a tempting treat each time you pass the fridge.
White Chocolate Strawberry Rocky Road
250 grams pink and white marshmallows
190 grams strawberries and cream lollies
160 grams shortbread
360 grams white chocolate
1/4 cup shredded coconut

To make the Rocky Road- line a mini cupcake pan with papers. Chop the both the strawberry and cream lollies and marshmallows in half. Break or chop the shortbread into small pieces.
Break up the white chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate on medium in 30 second bursts until it is melted and smooth, be careful not to burn the chocolate.

Mix the strawberries, marshmallows, shortbread and coconut together in a medium bowl.

Pour in the melted white chocolate. Mix all of the yumminess together.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans. Cover and pop it into the fridge until it is set.
Enjoy!!