Ferrero Rocher Rich Fudge Brownies

As you can tell, I have been a bit over cupcakes. I was hankering for something a little bit sweet to take on a picnic at Mt. Cootha today and had an excess of Ferrero Rocher's after stocking up at a clearance sale at Target.



So, I made brownies! I used my favourite brownie recipe from www.taste.com.au
They always turn out rich, tasty, fudgy and sooo good! Definitely my go to recipe that I can adapt to suit any flavour I want to add.

They went down a treat. Made the walk down to the gold mine harder. They made me tired! But here are a couple snaps I took on the way..



Skitso Magpie what was insistent that it was going to have some of our risoni salad



Mr. BB racing ahead.. Apparently whilst taking in the scenery, I was going too slowly

Bridge used to cart over gold



Mine Shaft.. had no gold lol

Fererro Rocher Brownies
Adapted from taste.com.au

200g unsalted butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup gluten-free plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates
4- Ferrero Rocher's chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts.


Method

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 5cm deep, 18cm (base) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper.

Prep your chopped Ferrero Rochers and walnuts.

Heat butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

Add eggs and vanilla to chocolate mixture. Mix well. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture. Stir to combine. Mix in chopped Ferrero Rochers and walnuts.



Pour brownie mixture into pan. I have added the Fererro Rochers into the batter just before baking

Bake for 20 minutes or until just set. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, lift out. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place into an airtight container. Stand for 1 day. Cut into pieces. Serve.

Soundwave Choc Mint Rice Bubble Bars

FINALLY! After 6 months of patient waiting... Yesterday was Soundwave Festival! Mr BB had bought the tickets for my Birthday last year and it is the best present I have ever recieved! (Sorry Mum, but a granny-style table cloth isn't going to cut it anymore)

For those of you who don't know what Soundwave is, you can loosely say that Soundwave is a 'Big Day Out for metal bands'. It is MASSIVE!

I saw some of my FAVOURITE bands: Taking Back Sunday, Clutch, Paramore, Meshuggah, AFI, Jane's Addiction, Trivium, Escape the Fate and Finally HIM. I wish I could have seen a few more but ran out of time :(

Below is a video of Paramore.. I was in the crowd somewheres lol:



HIM is my favourite band, and has been for a LONG time. I even have 2 HIM tattoos!.. So, I was in the mosh pit and only 1 Metre from Ville Valo..*drools* (After waiting an Hour, unwillingly watching Escape the Fate who was on before them). Let me just add the Mosh pit is what I would imagine hell to be like - It was hot, damp, crap around your feet, people shoving, fighting, dying of thirst, but no water in sight.. all of that pain to see a band? It was worth it :D

Anyways, I bet you are wondering if I am going to talk about food yet...

As Soundwave was going to take up the majority of my weekend (Prep-sleep, pre-drinking, the actual festival, then recovery Today- Yep I have the WORST headache right about now). I figured that I may as well get my baking fix out of the way in the morning before I left...

These are 'No-bake'.. but you get the point :D

Choc-Mint Rice Bubble Bars

Adapted from http://www.kelloggs.com.au/ricebubbles

Cooking time: Refrigerate until set

Makes: 24

INGREDIENTS

4 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles®- I used Home Brand.. (Its cheaper)

1½ cups icing sugar, sifted

1 cup desiccated coconut -Used Shredded Coconut

250g copha®*, chopped - I just used regular Home Brand unsalted butter.

3 tbsp cocoa

¼ tsp peppermint essence- I added this into the slice mixture

100g of dark cooking chocolate 50g of unsalted butter

M&M's (optional)

METHOD

Line a 23 × 33cm rectangular cake tin with Aluminium Foil

In a large bowl, mix the Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles®, icing sugar, cocoa & coconut.

Slowly melt the copha® in a saucepan over a low heat.

Allow to cool slightly.

Add to Rice Bubbles mixture, stirring until well combined.

After preparing chocolate crackles mixture and press firmly into a foil lined cake tin. Refrigerate.

Slowly melt the cooking chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring in 10 second intervals. When melted. add butter. Microwave for a further 10 seconds and stir to incorporate

Spread over chilled base

Return to refrigerator until firm.

Cut into pieces.

copha®* – Registered trade mark Unifoods Australia *Kremelta in New Zealand

I found this to be quite redneck-ish so I guess I wouldn't make it again lol.

I've also started experimenting with a lighting box to take better photos.. What do you think?

Decadent Brownies!

When I'm seriously craving some sugary food- you know how you just can't get those thoughts of really yummy things out of your head! I know that I can't help but be naughty, and HAVE to get my fix and definitely want something worth being bad for. I know that if I head to Woolies or the bakery down on Park Rd, there is a chance that I may be let down and could be a total waste of my empty calories! Therefore, I always try and make it my sugar fixes myself.

I always wonder what I'm going to make, and this is my fail-safe. Super decadent, chocolate of course, moist to the point where could almost consider it juicy, BROWNIES!

I effing LOVE brownies! Brownies are the bomb, not to forget my Emo doesn't mind NOM-ing a few down too.. Chocolatey, buttery goodness! And would you believe it? I had NEVER tried one up until about 6 or 7 months ago! Usually after about a month or so, I change my mind about what I'm into, but brownies? Well there hasn't been anything close to them yet.

Good on their own, or with toppings like peanut butter icing, chocolate ganache, white chocolate chips? Hell you can even add things like strawberry oil or mint essence.. Mmmmmmmmm.. In the picture above, I've added white chocolate chunks, bittersweet glaze and white chocolate squiggles to dress them up a bit.

So here is one of my successful recipes I use 90% of the time. I can't remember where exactly I sourced it from.

Makes approximately 12-16 pieces.. I suggest doubling this recipe as they won't last.

Ingredients

3/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
200g unsalted butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 5-6cm deep, 18cm square pan with parchment paper.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Add eggs and vanilla.. Mix well then sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour batter into your cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until just set I like to pull mine out about 5 minutes early as the heated mixture continues to cook once removed. Set aside to cool. Once cooled lift out cover in Cling Wrap and refrigerate overnight as this helps it set again

The day after - if you've waited that long, remove from fridge cut into squares and EAT!