Mars Bar Slice

Stand on a street corner with this stuff, and just see how many new friends you make!

50g butter

1 tbs golden syrup

4 x 53g mars bars, finely chopped

3 cups (60g) rice bubbles

200g milk chocolate

20g copha

Method

1. Grease and line the base and side of a 19 x 29cm slice pan with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Combine the butter, golden syrup and three-quarters of the mars bars in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until mars bars and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Place the rice bubbles and remaining mars bar in a large bowl. Add the mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 1 hour to cool completely.
4. Place the chocolate and copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water, stir until chocolate melts. Pour chocolate over the top of the slice to evenly coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Muesli Slice

Very delish, and healthy too.

50g butter

110g (1/2 cup) raw sugar

60ml (1/4 cup) honey

200g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 Sanitarium Weet-bix, crushed

90g (1/2 cup) sultanas

50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Place the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Combine the pepitas, Weet-bix, sultanas, oats and flour in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and stir until combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into the lined pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Set aside in the pan for 30 minutes to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Lemon Friands

This is a good basic recipe which could be 'jazzed up' further with some fruit.

190g unsalted butter

60g plain flour

1 1/3 cups (200g) icing sugar, plus extra to dust

120g almond meal

5 eggwhites

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.
2. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal.
3. Place eggwhites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to dry ingredients with melted butter and zest, stirring until completely combined. Fill each friand hole two-thirds full. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Date and Walnut Loaf

We don't condone being quite so heavy handed with the butter as shown in the illustration.

1 cup pitted dates, chopped

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3/4 cup traditional rolled oats

1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

light cream cheese, to serve.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 6.5cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm (base) loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.

Place dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water and maple syrup. Stand for 15 minutes.

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a bowl. Add oats, walnuts and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the date mixture. Stir until well combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand loaf in pan for 5 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve with cream cheese.

Scones

This recipe makes 16 first-class scones.

3 cups (450g) self-raising flour

1 tsp caster sugar

Pinch salt

50g butter, chopped

1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk

Milk, extra, to glaze

Boysenberry or raspberry jam, to serve

Double cream, to serve

 

Preheat oven to 230°C. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.

Pour the milk into the well and use a butter knife in a cutting action to stir until a soft but sticky dough forms (add more milk if necessary to make the dough soft).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead until dough just comes together. Use fingertips to gently pat the dough into a 2cm-thick disc.

Lightly dust an oven tray with flour. Use a 5cm-diameter round pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut out scones. Arrange scones on the tray. Gently brush the top of each scone with a little extra milk to glaze.

Bake scones on the top shelf of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and scones sound hollow when gently tapped. Turn scones out onto a clean tea towel and cover lightly with another tea towel. Serve scones warm or at room temperature with jam and cream, if desired.

Chocolate Crackles

Rest easy, this recipe is copha free!

200g Mars bars, chopped

2 tbs thin cream

2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

3 cups Rice Bubbles

20 Smarties, to decorate

Place the Mars bars, thin cream and cocoa in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, making sure bowl does not touch water. Stir until melted and smooth. Place Rice Bubbles in a large bowl, pour in Mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Pile mixture into paper cases and decorate each with a Smartie. Place in the fridge until firm.

Pink Lamingtons

The cake mix is included for this recipe, but of course, you can always buy a ready made sponge slab or use a packet mix.

340g packet golden butter cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
60g butter, softened
2 cups desiccated coconut

Pink icing
3 cups icing sugar mixture
20g butter
1/2 cup milk
pink food colouring
1 teaspoon strawberry essencePreheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 17cm x 27cm rectangular slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.

Prepare cake mix following packet directions, using eggs, milk and butter. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Stand for 2 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Trim cake edges. Cut cake into 32 pieces.
Make icing: Sift icing sugar into a heatproof bowl. Add butter and milk. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir icing until smooth. Tint pink with food colouring. Stir in essence.
Using a fork, dip 1 piece of cake in icing to coat. Toss in coconut to coat. Place lamington on a wire rack over a tray. Repeat with remaining cake, icing and coconut. Stand at room temperature for 2 hours or until set.