Red Velvet Cookies

Using the simple method for a cake mix cookie, I was able to make Red Velvet Cookies.

Take 1 store bought cake mix for Red Velvet Cake, mix in 2 eggs and 1/2 cup vegetable oil.

Scoop spoonfuls onto a lined baking tray and bake in a 180C oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once cool dip or swirl melted chocolate on top, chill, and you're done.

Now as I live on my own, a whole batch of cookies gets wasted. So I usually bake 8 to 10 cookies and with the remaining cookie dough I roll it into a log, wrap in cling film and then aluminium foil and place it in the freezer.

When needing a little sweet snack, I can slice a few rounds of dough off the frozen log and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

With my first frozen batch I added a white chocolate melt to each as soon as they came out of the oven. It melted just enough to stay stuck to the top.

This method will work for just about any cake mix. I am yet to find one that doesn't work.

I may be linked up to these fab parties.

Banana Pistachio Bread

This would have to be one of my most favourite recipes for banana bread.

It is very simple to make, and even better topped with cream cheese icing.

Banana Pistachio Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 bananas, mashed (1 cup)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180C (or350F).

2. Grease one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

3. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl stir together bananas, oil, milk and egg; stir into flour mixture and add the chopped pistachios just until moistened; do not over-mix.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle a few whole shelled pistachios over the batter for garnish.

5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove loaf from pan and cool on wire rack. Store bread tightly covered; or wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 cup icing sugar

100g cream cheese, softened

45g unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp lemon juice, if you want that extra zing.

Place all ingredients for the icing into a medium mixing bowl and mix well until the icing is creamy. Spread on the loaf once cooled.

I may be linked up at these fab parties.

Giant Easter Freckles

Chocolate freckles, yum one of the first things I pick out of a lolly mix. 

So long as it's decent chocolate. and by that I mean decent in my eyes (or taste buds). I am very fussy when it comes to chocolate, there are only a few brands I like, many big brands here in Australia I really dislike. It's not just the taste it's the melting texture that can have me cringing.

With Easter coming up it's time to drop a few hints of the two brands that are ok to give as gifts. Well in all honesty they are the same manufacturer, they just trade under different labels with Easter chocolate.

We are not big Easter gift givers anyway and over the past few years, we have had a family lunch sometime around the Easter long weekend, sometimes even the next weekend, due to family going away etc. 

I have been making Easter gifts for a few years now. Some haven't been great. But these chocolate freckles went down well.

I melted some milk chocolate over a double boiler and then poured it into small pizza trays. I sprinkled lots and lots of Hundred and Thousands on top and let them set in the fridge.

They easily popped out of the trays. I sealed each into a cellophane bag with a little bunny gift tag. I think I found the image by doing a simple image search.

I may be linked up at these parties.