Potato Chip-crusted Magic Bars

Potato Chip-crusted Magic Bars

Found this recipe on Epicurious.com  I was intrigued by the use of “potato chips” (crisps to us Brits) in the base.

1 x 10oz bag plain salted crisps. (2 x 150g) preferably not thick cut

3 tbsp flour

4 tbsp butter (melted)

1 x 14 oz (390g) sweetened condensed milk

1 x 12 oz bag chocolate chips (about 240g)

1 cup coconut flakes, preferably unsweetened

1 cup salted smoked almonds or nut of your choice.  ( I used blanched almonds), roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180ºC

Line a 9” x 13” baking tin with parchment paper so it overhangs the sides. (This helps to get it out of the tin)

In a food processor, pulse the crisps with the flour (I forgot the flour and it didn’t seem to make any difference) until they form fine breadcrumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the crisps are evenly moistened and finely chopped.

Press the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 15 minutes until the crust is dry and very lightly browned. Let the whole thing cool.

Pour the condensed milk over the crust and top the pan gently to form an even layer.  Scatter over the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and press gently into the milk with the back of a spoon.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes until the coconut is toasted and the condensed milk is lightly browned at the edges.  Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool in the tin.

When the bar is cool, use the paper to remove it from the tin.  Cut into squares and serve.

The bars can be wrapped in foil and kept for 3 days at room temp. They can also but wrapped in plastic and frozen.

Notes:

The condensed milk I used didn’t specify whether it was sweetened.  It was sweet enough though, so any will do.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Streusel Muffins

Peanut Butter & Jelly Streusel Muffins

Came across this recipe on the Food52 website and just had to try them. 

The rolled oats in the mix seem to give the muffins a bit of “body” so they are quite filling.

The recipe was to make 12 but I only got 10 large muffins from it. I was using a standard muffin tin, not the one you would use to make butterfly cakes.

Makes 10-12

1¾ cup plain flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch salt

1 cup milk

4 tbsp butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup raspberry jam

For the streusel topping:

¼ cup flour

⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

⅓ cup peanut butter, (chunky or smooth)

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp butter

Pre-heat the oven to Gas 4/180ºC

For the muffins, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.

Mix together the milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet into the dry ingredients, quickly and gently until the flour is mixed in, but don’t overmix or your muffins will be dense.

In a separate bowl, mix the streusel toppings and gently mix with your fingers to form a crumbly mixture.

Butter the muffin pans or use muffin cases.  Spoon the batter into the cases.  (The recipe said almost to the top but mine were large muffin cases and they were only half full in 10. Maybe it was supposed to be butterfly cake sized muffins?)

Spoon a generous dollop (yes that is a scientific term) of raspberry jam on top of the batter and top with about a tbsp. of the streusel mix.

Bake 20-25 minutes.  They are done when  they are just turning golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate and Banana Bread

Raspberry Dark Chocolate and Banana Bread

This recipe is from www.recipeboy.com

Don’t be put off by the American style of this recipe.  It’s delicious and easy to make. You can buy a set of cup measures cheaply. If you are in any doubt about the ingredients, google always helps.

2 cups all purpose flour (plain flour)

¾ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

½ tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

2 large eggs

1½ cups mashed ripe banana (approx. 3 bananas)

⅓ cup plain low fat yogurt (I used buttermilk as I had it in)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (this was about 120g)

1 cup halved raspberries, (keep a few for the top of the cake) tossed in 1 tbsp plain flour.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/Gas 4.  Spray a 9” x 5” loaf pan (2lb loaf tin) with cooking spray or line with baking parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt or less messy, sieve them.

In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until well blended,  Add the eggs, one at  a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the banana, yogurt and vanilla and beat once more. Gently fold in the flour mixture until just mixed. Stir in the chocolate chunks/chips (keep a few for the top if you want).  Now gently stir in the raspberries and flour.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin.  Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the tin on a wire rack then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Tips from the recipe creator:

Don’t used frozen or washed raspberries, they will add too much moisture.

If the top browns too quickly cover with foil.

Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya

Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya

From the BBC Good Food website. 

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves crushed

75g chorizo, sliced

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

250g long grain rice

400g can chopped tomatoes

350ml chicken stock

Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and brown the chicken for 5-8 minutes until golden.  Remove and set aside. Tip in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.  Add the pepper, garlic, chorizo and Cajun seasoning and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and the rice.  Add the tomatoes and stock.  Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender.

Notes:

This dish is quick and very tasty, we’ve had it a couple of times now.  Nothing to stop you adding prawns or other seafood to it or other types of meat/sausage.  Enjoy.

Tamborine Chicken

Tamborine Chicken

From the BBC Good Food website

A nice, quick dish which is great with a salad but would be nice cut up and done in wraps or sandwiches.

Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (I used skinless)

1 tsp black peppercorns

3cm chunk fresh root ginger, peeled

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp soy sauce

Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges to serve if you want

Slash each chicken breast 3 times and put into a shallow dish.  Crush the peppercorns in a mortar. Finely grate the ginger and crush the garlic.  Mix all together with the soy sauce and lime zest and juice. 

Pour over the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Line a grill rack with foil and lightly brush with oil. Lay the chicken on the foil and curl the edges of the foil to catch the juices. Grill for 6-8 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 6-8 minutes.

If cooking on a barbecue cooking time will be similar but make sure the coals are not fiercely hot and check the chicken is properly cooked through before serving.

Transfer to a serving dish and pour over any cooking juices.  Serve with the lime wedges.

Notes: I cooked these wrapped in foil in the oven for about 15 -20 minutes, with the marinade and it worked well.

Banana Cake

Banana Cake

A recipe from www.foodandwine.com

Vegetable oil cooking spray

4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup low fat (1.5%) buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

2 large overripe bananas plus 1 large ripe banana

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups cake flour (SR flour)

1½ tsp baking soda (baking powder)

1 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºC/180ºC Gas 4.  Lightly spray a 8” x 12” baking dish with cooking spray (or line with baking parchment)

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, beat in the brown sugar and then beat in the buttermilk. Beat in the whole eggs and egg whites.

Mash the 2 overripe bananas, this should give 1 cup of puree. Halve the ripe banana and cut crosswise into ½” chunks.  Add it to the puree.  Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Gently fold the banana mixture into the batter and then fold in the flour and baking soda until no white streaks remain.  Spoon the batter into the prepared dish and sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed in the centre.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting into pieces.

Notes: you could use demerara sugar instead of the granulated to sprinkle on the top.  It would be nice with other fruit added or spice such as cinnamon.