Monday, August 24, 2009

Crunchie Munchies


These delicious bicuits take me back to my childhood. Growing up in Africa these were a staple pantry item, but I'd actually completely forgotten about them until I stumbled across this recipe, baked them for my kids, and then started having flashbacks to friends birthday parties around swimming pools eating crunchies and sipping kool aid.

Crunchies

Grease a 20cm x 30cm baking dish

Mix together the following ingredients in a mixing bowl

90g flour
180g oats
125g dessicated coconut
pinch salt
125g sugar
2.5ml cinnamon
125g melted butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
5ml bicarbonate of soda
30ml milk

Press into baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees

Cut into squares

Bella Biscotti




I love biscotti especially with a cup of real coffee or accompanying a chocolate mousse. This recipe is so easy, and is much tastier than the variety you get in coffee shops. I have included milk chocolate in this instance as I am baking them for children, but you can add different flavour chocolates like dark, or white, you can roll the biscotti mix in the kneading stage in a tablespoon of instant espresso powder for a coffee flavour, or add nuts like almonds.

Biscotti

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup of castor sugar
60g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
250g slab milk chocolate

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Mix the flour, baking powder and castor sugar
Cut in the melted butter
Beat the eggs and vanilla
Add to the flour butter mix to make a dough
Sprinkle flour on clean work surface
Knead the dough lightly before flattening dough on surface an inch thick
Chop the chocolate in 1cm square pieces and push into flattened dough
Roll the dough into a sausage shape approx 30cm long
Place on greased pan and flatten with the back of a spoon
Sprinkle top with castor sugar and bake for 30 minutes
Cut log into slices 1cm thick
Place slices on a greased baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes
Allow to cool before indulging in one or two or the whole lot