Ricotta and Sweet Chilli Blinis

I have not had these Blinis in years!  My Mum makes them and they are divine!

I was cleaning out the sewing room with Scott last weekend and came across a photocopy of the recipe I had begged from my Mum some time ago.  Well I had all but the sweet chilli sauce in the house and thought well why not!

These work brilliantly as an Hors d'oeuvre (or as my Poppa called them Horses doovers) topped with just a little sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, as a side dish with a meal or BBQ or as a light lunch with a salad.

The mixture can be made ahead and left in a well sealed plastic container in the fridge until needed or even overnight.  They take minutes to cook and even cook well on the BBQ.

Go ahead, give something different a try, I'm sure the family will love them. 

1 cup plain flour

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

2 large zucchini

1 cup ricotta

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

2 eggs

You can grate your zucchini in the food processor or as it is not heaps, use your box grater, squeeze the excess juice out of the zucchini.

In the same bowl add all bar the flour and mix together well. 

 The sweet chilli sauce... lets talk that shall we?  I don't use the full amount myself, I add half then taste the mixture and add more if I need to.

Add the flour.

Mix together until the flour is just combined.

In a well buttered pan add tablespoons of mixture and slightly flatten out.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Set on paper towel to drain and place in either a warm oven or a warming dish while you cook the rest.

Call dibs on the ones you want or they will not be there!

Banana Cream Poke Cake

We here in Australia don't have anything like a poke cake and I have seen many posts on fellow Bloggers sites recently about poke cakes, so I thought I would check them out and give one a go.  

I did make one with a from scratch cake recipe however the cake was wayyyyyyyyyyy to moist and heavy afterwards.  Then I just followed the example of others and bought a packet cake mix!  Packet cake mix is the way to go for these cakes.  They are a cake that kids and adults will love.  

The Squadron of Crash Test Dummies at Scott's work loved it as I found out last night at the mid year Squadron dinner.

1 box vanilla cake mix (made to instructions)

1 packet vanilla pudding (made to instructions)

2 bananas, sliced

300 ml cream whipped

Bake cake mix to instructions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  When cool poke holes int he cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Make pudding mix to instructions.  

You do have to move quick here, as soon as the pudding thickens you have to pour it over the cake and spread it out before it thickens.  Place pudding covered cake in the fridge for 2 hours or until ready to serve.

When ready to serve slice your bananas.

Layer your slices over the pudding.

Spread whipped cream over the cake and decorate.

Try and keep some for yourself.

Chocolate Coconut Balls

I love having something small in the fridge that you can have as a snack when you get the nibbles or even as a small treat for the kids.  These kid friendly chocolate coconut balls from Lucy at Play Bake Smile are great for just that.  

I started making these last year, they are so quick and easy to make and great as a little bag of treats to give as a gift around Christmas time.

Get the kids involved with the mixing and rolling they will love it.

1 packet dry sweet biscuits such as nice.

1 cup coconut

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tin sweetened condensed milk

extra coconut for rolling in

Process your biscuits until fine crumb add the cocoa powder and process together in your food processor.

Place crumb/chocolate mix in bowl and add coconut and condensed milk.  

Stir until combined.

I use a cookie scoop to scoop the mixture onto a lined baking tray.

With damp hands roll the balls and then roll in coconut.

Set back on the tray and refrigerate for a couple of hours to set.

As I mentioned above, enjoy as a sneaky snack or in the kids lunch boxes or as a gift for friends or guests.

Mrs Muzyk's Chocolate Babka

One of my fondest memories of growing up was spending weekends at my friend Anne's house running around town, listening to music, chasing boys.  You know normal teenage girl stuff.

Anne's Mum, Mrs Muzyk was the best!  There was always this cake waiting for us to eat.  Mrs Muzyk passed away some years ago and as far as Anne and I know, no one managed to get her recipe out of her, even her daughters!  

I did find a recipe that I thought was similar and just had to try it.  Baking this cake today bought back many memories and I really did feel like she was watching over my shoulder, walking me through the recipe in Polish.  

Mrs M was never confident in her English.  However I think I did surprise her one day, she was telling Anne to ask me if I wanted Kartoffel with Sunday Lunch, and I answered her before Anne could translate.  Hehehe!  She was very surprised that I understood what she was asking... School girl German and a German Uncle to the rescue.

Mrs M you will forever have a place in my heart.

150 gm butter, room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy.

Add in the eggs one at a time giving the mix a good beating between additions.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Add in the dry ingredients and milk alternating in thirds.

Remove approx a third of the cake batter to a separate bowl.

Add cocoa powder to this third and stir to combine thoroughly.

Place half the remaining vanilla cake batter to your prepared cake tin.  Then add the chocolate cake mix and then the remaining vanilla cake mix.  Smooth the top and tap the pan on the bench to ensure no air bubbles.

Bake in pre heated 180C oven for 35 to 45 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Dust with icing sugar and if you wish a small sprinkling of drinking chocolate.