After-dinner choc-ices

Photography by Geoff Lung

These ice-cream treats are the perfect way to finish dinner. Or have after lunch. Or as a snack. Or anytime really...

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 700ml vanilla ice-cream
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate
• 25g milk chocolate

Method

1. Cover a large, flat baking tray with foil. Place small scoops of vanilla ice-cream on the tray and freeze until hard.

2. Melt chocolates in separate bowls over pans of simmering water. Once melted, set aside to cool.

3. Transfer ice-cream scoops to a wire rack over a baking tray and spoon the dark chocolate over each scoop; it should harden immediately.

4. Garnish each with a little of the milk chocolate. Freeze until firm before serving.

Cherry ripe slice

Cherry ripe slice

Love Cherry Ripe bars? Then you'll adore this easy slice! With a baked biscuit layer, it combines a sweet cherry filling with luscious dark chocolate top. Rich and delicious, you won't be able to stop at one piece.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 ½ cups coconut
• 250g butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 200g good quality dark chocolate
• 25g copha

Cherry filling

• 200g desiccated coconut
• 400g condensed milk
• 200g glace cherries, chopped
• 3-4 drops red food colouring (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease a slice tray (mine is 31 cm x 22cm). Combine flour, cocoa and coconut.

Place butter (or margarine) in a saucepan with sugar and heat until butter has melted.

Pour butter over dry ingredients, mix well and press into tray.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

For the filling, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Spread over warm chocolate base (patience is a virtue).

Melt chocolate and copha in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave.

Stir until melted and smooth then pour over cherry filling.

Refrigerate until set.

Cut into small triangles, bars or slices.

To cut neatly through the chocolate, dip a knife in hot water and cut through the chocolate first.

Then cut through the base of the slice.

Notes:

• My mum is a huge fan of Cherry ripe bars and I have adapted this recipe from one of hers.
• I used the base of the Chocolate coconut slice , but for a simpler method, line the tray with baking paper and place Morning Coffee biscuits over the base.
• I made this gluten-free using 1 cup of tapioca flour (from Asian grocers), 1 cup gluten-free plain flour (Orgran brand) and 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

Easy chocolate fudge

This is a basic fudge recipe made from pantry ingredients. You can add flavours like orange or peppermint and even add fruit and nuts.

Category:

Cake stall, Chocolate, Easy recipes, Fridge baking, Kids cooking, Slice recipes, Confectionery

Ingredients:

• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk
• 50g unsalted butter, cubed
• 350g milk chocolate, roughly chopped

Method:

Line a slice pan with baking paper and set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, place the butter and condensed milk and heat on high for 2 minutes.

Remove from microwave oven and add the milk chocolate. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted.

Pour mixture into the slice pan. Refrigerate until set which is approximately 2-4 hours. Slice into bite size pieces.

Notes

• You can add anything you like to the basic mix to jazz it up. I like to add walnuts, almonds or sometimes some orange or peppermint essence to flavour it. My kids love decoration, so they choose 100's and 1000's.
• This makes a great gift at christmas. I like to wrap mine in coloured foil (available in the superma

Double choc fudge brownies

Double choc fudge brownies

Melt butter, sugar. Place in a bowl and add sifted flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Line Ingredients:

• 250gm chopped butter
• 1 1/2 cups castor sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/8 tsp of baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1 block good quality dark chocolate

Method:

Melt butter, sugar.

Place in a bowl and add sifted flour, cocoa, and baking powder.

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.

Line a cup cake tin with cases and add mixture.

Place a piece of good quality dark chocolate in the middle of each one.

Bake for 20 mins in preheated oven at 180 C.

Lamingtons with strawberry jam

Cafe latte lamingtons with strawberry jam

Photography by Rob Palmer

A true Aussie classic, lamingtons go from morning tea to luscious dessert with jam and coffee cream.

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 tbs coffee liqueur (such as Tia Maria)
• 1 tbs icing sugar
• 6 Woolworths Chocolate Lamingtons, halved horizontally
• 115g (1/3 cup) strawberry jam
• Dark chocolate curls, to serve

Method

1. Place the cream, liqueur and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until firm peaks form. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cream mixture.

2. Spread the cut side of the lamington bases with the jam.

3. Spoon or pipe the cream mixture over the jam. Top with the remaining lamington. Divide among serving plates. Top with the reserved cream mixture and chocolate curls to serve.

Notes

Cook's tip: To make chocolate curls, run a vegetable peeler along a block of chocolate.

Chocolate mint bark

Photography by Mark O'Meara

Too many candy canes this Christmas? Re-invent them into this chocolate treat that can be used as a dessert garnish or a stand-alone treat.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 50g mint-flavoured candy canes
• 200g dark chocolate melts, melted

Method

1. Break canes into pieces. Place in a plastic bag. Squeeze bag to expel air. Wrap bag in a tea towel. Place on a hard surface. Pound with a hammer or rolling pin until canes are crushed into small pieces.

2. Spread chocolate on a large lightly greased baking tray until about 2mm thick. Sprinkle with crushed cane. Set aside for 20 minutes or until set (see note). Break into pieces. Serve.

Notes

Store bark in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days. Place bark in the fridge to set if room temperature is too warm.

Chocolate and hazlenut slice

Photography by Sue Ferris

The great thing about a winning combination like chocolate and hazelnut is there's no need to go to any trouble — let the flavours speak for themselves.

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 12 savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)
• 80ml (1/3 cup) chocolate or hazelnut liqueur
• 1 x 600ml ctn thickened cream
• 160g (1/2 cup) chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 75g (1/2 cup) dry-roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
• Cadbury Flake bar, crumbled

Method

1. Line the base of a 5cm-deep, 20 x 20cm (base measurement) square dish with half the savoiardi, cutting the fingers to fit. Drizzle over half the liqueur.

2. Use an electric beater to beat the cream in a bowl until firm peaks form. Stir in the chocolate-hazelnut spread.

3. Spread half the cream mixture over the savoiardi. Sprinkle over half the hazelnut. Top with remaining savoiardi. Drizzle over remaining liqueur. Spread over remaining cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to develop the flavours.

4. Combine the Flake bar and remaining hazelnut in a bowl. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture over the slice.

Notes

With a twist: Lemon & almond slice: Replace the chocolate or hazelnut liqueur with Cointreau liqueur. Replace the chocolate-hazelnut spread with lemon curd. Replace the finely chopped dry-roasted hazelnuts with flaked almonds.