Raspberry Almond Tartlettes (thumbprints)

Well as the title suggest, this recipe is actually for thumbprint cookies! But After two failed attempts (they kept spreading big time!) I used a muffin tin and got these tartlettes instead!! Love the Almond taste and good to use up any jam you have! Recipe from Landolakes.com.

Cookie

1 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup raspberry jam*

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions

Combine butter, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine all glaze ingredients in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Baileys Balls

I stumbled across this recipe on the trademe (NZ's answer to Ebay) recipe messageboard. It was posted by member jimbob37. It sounded so good I couldn't resist giving it a go! I reckon a ferrero rocher would be AMAZING in the middle too!!

Baileys Balls
1 packet of vanilla wine biscuits (crushed fine)
200grams softened butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups of icing sugar
1 cup coconut
1 tsp vanilla ess
1 large block of caramello chocolate
4-6 tablespoons of baileys
combine the biscuit crumbs, cocoa, icing sugar, butter, coconut, vanilla ess and baileys - mix well (I often put chopped up apricots in them as well.)
Roll pieces of the mixture around a piece of caramello chocolate then roll in coconut. Leave to set in the fridge.

Cherry Ripe Cheesecake!!

I found this recipe in a magazine, that a reader had sent in. I made it for a shared lunch today and had a few people beg for the recipe!!

Here is the recipe!

250g packet choc ripple biscuits finely crushed (I used oreo's)
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup condensed milk
100g melted butter

Combine above ingrediants in a bowl and press firmly into 22cm spring-form pan, using a flat bottom glass. Chill until firm.

4 X 65 cherry ripe bars, chopped
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup thickened cream
3 drops pink food colouring
2 x 250 cream cheese, chopped, at room temp.

Filling:

In a medium saucepan, melt cherry ripe over low heat, until smooth. Add sugar, cream and colouring, stirring over heat until well combined, cool down.

In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in cherry ripe mix until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared shell. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Serve with chopped up extra 1-2 cherry ripe bars on top!

Chelsea Double Chocolate Biscuits

                                        This recipe was on chelsea.co.nz and was really good!!

Ingredients

125g butter, chopped and softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups Chelsea Soft Brown Sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C and grease or line a tray with baking paper.

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla essence and egg until smooth (don’t overbeat). Sift dry ingredients and stir into butter mix, then mix in the chocolate.
Roll heaped teaspoon sized balls of mixture and place on tray, press lightly with a fork - allow space for spreading. Bake for 8 minutes, remove and stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approx. 20 - 24 biscuits.

Crumbed Apple Slice

Ingredients

• 1½ cups self-raising flour
• 1½ cups coconut
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 185g butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 425g can pie apples, drained

1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180C. Lightly grease an 18x28cm slice pan. Line with baking paper, extending 2cm above two long sides.

2. In large bowl, combine flour, coconut and sugar. Mix in butter and egg. Press half mixture evenly into prepared pan.

3. Cover base with apple. Crumble the remaining mixture over apple.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pan. Cut into squares.

Makes about 24

Pops for Juliet's 1st Birthday

I made a few pops of various kinds, to take to my friend Kelly's gorgeous wee girl Juliet's 1st birthday. The bears are marshmallow, with white choc melted for glue, sprinkles, and a sugar art pen for the mouth.  The mini marshmallow pops were 6 mini marshmallows, rolled in white choc, with sprinkles!! Bears were popular with young mouths!! Tried making pie pops, but I realised halfway through making them, that I had used savoury pastry!! FAIL! Didn't bother cooking!

Beaut Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting :P

I had a couple of huge over ripe banana's so I looked for an interesting recipe to use! As per usual Kim from the amazing loveintheoven.com had something to offer! I love cream cheese icing and these sounded deliciously moist and perfect! They turned out great! I only had the 2 huge bananas, but the bars were still bananary as!!

• 4 mashed very ripe bananas
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2. Mash the bananas and then mix in the sugar, oil, and eggs.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Pour into the pan and bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. While the bars are cooling, make the frosting.

• 5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream the cream cheese and butter together.
2. Mix in the vanilla and powdered sugar (slowly).
3. Spread on cooled bars.