Feb 13, 2018
Photography by Darren Bester
Say ‘I love you’ with this decadent chocolate dessert made for two !
Featured on The Pretty Blog for Valentines Day back in 2016, this chocolate pot of yumminess seems to have made a lasting impression.
Go on, give it a go … after all, ‘sharing is caring’
xxx
Yield: 2 large chocolate pots or 1 x 30cm quiche pan
Ingredients:
2 Packets of Oreo Biscuits – blitzed in a food processor to form a crumb like consistency
5 tbsp Salted Butter, melted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
500g Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Double Thick Cream
1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
x 1 350g jar of Nutella
2 tbsp Cocoa
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
For the Topping: 3 Ferrero Rocher Chocolates crushed & extra fresh Raspberries
Method:
Combine the Oreo crumbs with the melted butter and pour into bottom of your jar, pressing up the sides, I like to be quite generous with the biscuit base vs. filling ratio. Press with the back of a spoon to smooth down the mixture before refrigerating while you prepare the filling. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and Nutella until smooth. Add the cream and beat until just combined. Add the raspberries and stir by hand before gently pouring the mixture onto the Oreo base. Refrigerate for approximately 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, top with the crushed Ferrero Rocher and fresh raspberries. Serve with 2 spoons.
Nov 12, 2015
Photography by Darren Bester
Another childhood favourite that has stayed with me is Banana Bread. I can quite easily eat an entire loaf by myself (I don’t, it must be said … but I would , if I could get away with it on the scale and if it wouldn’t scare my husband quite as much as I think it would). Besides being delicious, its also just so comforting and I wonder if its because it subconsciously conjures up carefree feelings from childhood. This recipe is so quick and easy that its surprising that the loaf is as delicious as it is.
Yield: 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
375ml ripe bananas, mashed
250ml white sugar
375ml cake flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
60ml vegetable oil
125ml crème fraîche
2 eggs, whisked
pinch of salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to bake at 180ºc. Grease a 23 x 13 cm banana loaf tin with butter or ‘spray & cook’ and set aside. Mix the bananas, sugar, crème fraîche, eggs and oil until well combined. Sift all the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture, until combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking tin and bake at 180 for 40 minutes to an hour. Test with a skewer, if it comes out clean, the loaf is ready.
Cooks Note: Cooking time can vary depending on your oven and its settings. Best to start keeping an eye on it from the 40 minute mark. If you don’t have a baking skewer, an uncooked piece of dry spaghetti will do the job just fine. You could add walnuts or poppy seeds for a nice variation.
