Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour
⅓ cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
 ½ cup milk
 40g butter, melted
 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  1 cup brown sugar
 2 tablespoons cocoa (extra)

 1 cup boiling water
  Cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180˚C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 4 cup ovenproof dish. Sift flour, sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared ovenproof dish. Combine brown sugar, extra cocoa and boiling water into another jug, mix well. Gently pour the sauce mixture into dish and bake for 20-25. Serve warm with cream.

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Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer) beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one.

Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Add it into the creamed mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mixing it until just combined. Mix in the oats until just combined.

Use your preferred size cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to drop portions of dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until dark and chewy. If you'd like a crispier cookie, just cook a little longer!

Let them cool slight on the pan after removing from the oven, then transfer the cookies onto a plate for serving.

* Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts to the flour mixture if you'd like a nutty flavor and crunch.

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Warm roasted tomato,onion & feta salad

Ingredients

1 medium-large red or yellow onion

1/4 cup  olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Variety of small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape etc. no larger than golf-ballish size

A couple of larger tomatoes, cut into thick slices

6-7 oz.  block of feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices

Fresh basil leaves (or 1/2-1 tsp. dried basil)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Salt, for finishing (*feta is salty, so don’t salt until the end and only a bit is needed)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Cut onion into thin wedges. Place in baking dish or roasting pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Place feta slices into roasting pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Scatter any feta crumbles around the pan. Place a large tomato slice over most of the large rounds of feta. Scatter smaller tomatoes around the pan. Give one final drizzle of olive oil over tomatoes and a bit of freshly ground pepper (if using dried basil, you can add now, as well). Return to the oven and roast another 35-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside.

Allow to cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, a bit of salt and drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

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Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

36 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
2. Divide dough in half; add cocoa to one portion. Divide each portion in half. On a baking sheet, roll out each portion between waxed paper into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Remove waxed paper. Place one chocolate rectangle over a plain rectangle. Roll up tightly, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices.
4. Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

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