Today I baked some biscuits to use up some leftovers from the Choc Hazelnut Puddings from the other night.  I used this recipe from the Taste website with some modifications.  Replaced pecans with hazelnuts, added more apricots and used chopped up leftover Lindt Dark Chocolate mixed in instead of choc bits pressed into the top.  Result = Scrummy!

Apricot & Coconut Choc Cookies

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 200 g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 90 g (1 cup) rolled oats
• 85 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 80g (1/ 2 cup) diced dried apricots
• 70g (1/ 2 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
• 125 g butter, melted, cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 50g (1/ 4 cup) dark choc bits

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the oats, coconut, apricot and pecans and stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre.

2. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

3. Use your hands to roll heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place balls, 5cm apart, on prepared trays. Press 3 choc bits into each ball, then flatten slightly until about 6cm round.

4. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Self-Saucing Pudding

Last night was the Junior Masterchef Cook-Along where the instructions on how to make the self-saucing pudding, cream chantille and candied orange were given on the TV, and those of us at home cooked at the same time as the Junior Masterchef finalists.  It was kinda fun!  The worst thing was having to have all the ingredients ready beforehand in little containers which meant I had a tonne of washing up to do afterwards!  Normally I just bung things things in the mixing bowl as I go along.

Despite that, the outcome was awesome, very, very rich though.

Chocolate Hazelnut Self-Saucing Pudding with Cream Chantille & Candied Orange

Ingredients

• *** PUDDING ***
• 1 cup SR Flour
• ⅓ cup hazelnuts, roasted, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 60 grams dark eating chocolate, roughly chopped
• 140 ml full cream milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 50 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• icing sugar, to serve
• *** SAUCE ***
• ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
• 100 ml warm water
• *** CANDIED ORANGE ZEST ***
• 1 orange, zest of
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 50 ml orange juice, strained
• *** CREAM CHANTILLY ***
• 400 ml thickened cream, whipped
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Directions

1. *** PUDDING ***: Preheat oven to 190C. Place flour, hazelnuts, cocoa, sugar, and chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add milk, egg and butter and mix well to form a batter. Divide mixture between 6 greased 200ml ramekins.

2. *** SAUCE ***: Dissolve the cocoa and sugar in the warm water. Gently pour the sauce over the top of the puddings. Place the ramekins on a tray and into the oven for 12-14 minutes.

3. *** CANDIED ORANGE ZEST ***: Place the zest, sugar and juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil the reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced slightly and become a syrup.

4. *** CREAM CHANTILLY ***: Place the cream in a mixing bowl with the sugar and vanilla. Whip to soft peaks.

5. Place a ramekin on a serving place with a quenelle of cream which is topped with some orange zest and syrup.

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