Chocolate Malt Banana Cakes

I hate being late, and yet I feel it is happening more and more.  I want to say that when my husband is with me it is more him than me, that or I just haven't mastered the art of packing up with a toddler.  He thinks it takes less time to get places than it actually does.  I also think he never wants to be on time.  He doesn't like to be the first person at places, and I hate to be the last.

This morning I got a call from the midwives asking if I was on my way,  and I said "not yet" , apparently I was 10 minutes late for my appointment!  AAH!  According to my phone my appointment didn't start until for another 40 minutes.  Do you know how much this drove me crazy.  I hate to be the person that throws off the schedule and makes everyone else late.  That is why I hate being late, I don't like making other people late or wasting their time.  I rushed over and literally had maybe the fastest appointment ever so I didn't cause to much of a disruption.   I booked my next three appointments and actually put the time of the appointment in the subject as I fear daylight savings may have adjusted the date in my phone.  This could just be an example of my never ending technology curse.

I have another reveal dessert idea coming but with Easter rapidly approaching I couldn't resist picking up some Chocolate Malt eggs.  I love chocolate malt balls in general and these are just so pretty, colorful and fun to use this time of year.

Chocolate Malt Banana Cakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup malt powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 bananas, ripe and mashed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup chopped malt balls/eggs
• 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray an 8 mini loaf pan with non stick spray or butter.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, malt powder, baking soda/powder and salt and whisk together.
3. In a large bowl or mixer bowl , beat butter until whipped. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add each egg, one at a time, beating just a minute.
5. Add the mashed bananas and mix on low to incorporate.
6. Add the dry ingredients in 2-3 additions on low until just combined. Add buttermilk and mix until mixed in.
7. Fold in the chopped malt balls. Divide the batter evenly between the 8 mini loafs.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
9. While cooling heat whipping cream in a small sauce pan until simmering. In another bowl place the chopped chocolate, cover with the whip cream and let sit a few minutes. Stir to combine and melt all the chocolate. Let sit a few more minutes and drizzle over the banana loafs and topped with more chopped malt ball eggs.

Mini Egg Cone-olis

It is amazing how crazy the stores get when there is a holiday.   I don't know if it is people getting ready for company or just the fear that the store is going to be closed for one day, but wow.   I need to remind myself of this each holiday and not go grocery shopping the day before.   I hate crowds when grocery shopping.    Being on mat leave is great because I can go during the day when it isn't that busy.  When working I try to go during the week at night, it is so much more relaxing to shop when it isn't busy.

What is my other favorite day to shop, today!  Half price Easter candy.  I scaled myself back this year and didn't buy as much as I usually do. I just picked up a couple bags on mini eggs which I immediately threw in my freezer for a rain day.  Or a day I want these Cone-olis again.

Mini Egg Cone-olis
(adapted from Food Network)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup light ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, with some for dusting.
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 -2/3 cup crushed mini eggs
• 5 sugar cones

 INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Place the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl and let drain in the fridge for at least a half an hour.
2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl, beat together cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and vanilla.
3) Fold in 1/2 cup of crushed mini eggs
4) Cover the mixture and place it in the fridge to thicken, min of an hour.
5) Place the mixture in a piping bag with a large circle tip and pipe into the sugar cones.
6) Decorate with more mini eggs and dust with confectioners sugar

Only fill the cones about 3-4 hours before you are going to eat them as they will softened

These are so simple, light and fun.   Oh the possibilities......

Almost No Bake Chocolate Malt Tart

So I have spent the last several months it would seem going through most of my cookbooks and making notes of recipes I like and want to play with.  A list that should last me for quite some time now.   During this process, which started because we got new cupboards I also decided to go through several of my magazines and tear out recipes and tips that I deemed were most important.  The rest of the magazine would get recycled in an effort to maximize cupboard space.   This way I could make room for more magazines and more cookbooks. :-)   This tear out process if you will left me with the following...

After I had a huge stack of papers,  I then separated it into desserts and savory items, which were then separated into chicken/beef/pork etc and desserts were separated into breakfast, cookies, cakes, pies, etc.  I am happy to say that 90% of the papers are now in binders and all organized, just in time to have the family over for Easter.

Happy Easter Everyone!


Almost No Bake Chocolate Malt Tart

INGREDIENTS:

Pie Crust

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 heaping cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup malt powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, in cubes
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1 tbsp almond milk

Filling

• 1/2 cup cream cheese (1 package)
• 3/4 cup whipping cream 
• 3 tbsp agave 
• 3 tbsp malt powder
• 1 cup crushed malt eggs

Ganache

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 3 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Combine flour, cocoa, malt powder, sugar and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until a coarse crumb develops. 

2) In a small bowl beat together the egg and milk.  Add to the processor and pulse until dough starts to come together. 

3) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring dough together. Form into a disk, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

4) Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove from the fridge, let sit for 15-20 minutes.  Roll out to a fit a 9 inch tart pan.  Prick the dough with a fork.   Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool. 

5) In a large bowl or mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, cream, agave and malt powder on medium high for 3-5 minutes until thick and fluffy. Fold in the crushed malt eggs.  

6) Spread the mixture into the chocolate crust.  Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

7) Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat cream and butter in a small sauce pan until simmering and bubbling on the outside. Pour cream over chocolate, let sit for a few minutes.  Stir together, then spread over tart.  Top with a few malt balls and place back in the fridge to set. 

I love chocolate malt balls, especially pretty egg malt balls.  I always must find a reason to bake or well no bake with them.

Cookie Pudding Bars

I am going to catch you up on an old story to get to me these pudding bars.   My sister works as a food and beverage manager in a nursing home.   Last spring there was a purchasing seminar, at least I think that is what is was, where the guest speaker was Anna & Michael Olson.    At this point in my life had never seen her speak before.   I also assumed there was an opportunity to meet her.   My sister was kind enough to get me into this event for the few hours to see them speak. They spoke for about an hour on focusing on menus using local, seasonal ingredients.  It was very informative and Michael is very funny.
Now my sister and I had a little mis-communication.  She informed me that I could by a cookbook there to get signed. However the cookbooks she saw were for a giveaway and could not be purchased.   Crap,  I was there with no cookbook for Anna to sign.  What was I to do?   Luckily since my name was technically registered at the seminar my name was in the draw for the cookbook and wouldn't ya know it my name was called.   I got my signed cookbook and a photo.   Good day.

What does this story have to do with pudding bars?   Meeting Anna & Michael Olson, nothing.     At the conference though I managed to pick up a large bag of instant pudding mix.   Up until last week I still hadn't used it,  I also wanted cookies.  Problem solved.    I also got to start to dig into baking with Easter candy, which remember I love love.   Easter M&M's are so much prettier than regular M&M's.

Here is hopefully one of many Easter candy love recipes.


Cookie Pudding Bars
(adapted from Kraft Canada)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pkg. (1.7 oz.) Vanilla Instant Pudding
1/2 pkg (1.7 oz) Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups spring time M&M's

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray with non stick spray an 8 inch square pan.   In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.
2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.
3) Add flour mixture to eggs, beating on low until just combined.  Split the mixture in half.
4) Using a wooden spoon to combine,  add the chocolate dry pudding mix to one half and the vanilla to the other. Split the M&M's and stir into both.
5) Place one of the mixtures in random chunks into the prepared pan.   Add the remaining mixture in chunks around the other mixture.  Using a knife or spoon blend the two mixtures together to create swirls and blends.
6) Bake 18 to 20 min. or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min  Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

The bar form is much easier than the cookie if you are going for the swirl effect but they can be made into cookies as well.    Just make sure your consistency of both doughs is the same or you will have uneven cookies.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

Cake eggs in a chocolate haystack basket

I can't even tell you how excited I was to make this dessert.  Once I got it in my head that I was going to do this, I was pumped and then very anxious to see how it would turn out.   For some reason,  I love baking with easter chocolate.  Maybe it's the colours or simply how the chocolate and candy eggs can be incorporated in so many different ways. Easter baking is too much fun!  You can probably expect to see quite of lot of great chocolate egg desserts in the next three weeks.  I was originally thinking I would just make the little cookie haystack nests with mini eggs sitting on top but then realized I could bring this dessert to a whole new level.   This is centerpiece worthy, colourful, pretty and completely edible.  My co-workers didn't even want to crack in to it because it looked to beautiful too eat.   Don't worry eventually we all dived into it.









Cake egg pops in a Haystack basket

INGREDIENTS:

Cake Pop:

• Your favorite prepared cake - I had left over chocolate cake in my freezer.   I used about 850 gr. 
• Your favorite icing - 250 gr
• Coloured chocolate
• Candy sticks or wooden skewers

Haystack Cookies

• 3 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate  (your preference)
• 2 cups butterscotch chips
• 4-5 cups (500 grams)  of chow mien noodles, slightly crushed
• 1 1/2 cup praline peanuts

Basket peices

• Edible grass
• Easter jelly beans

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Make the cake pops.  Crumble up the cake and mix it together with the icing until all incorporated.

2) Form the cake into eggs either free hand or using an egg mold.  Put them in the fridge or freeze to set the shape before dipping. 

3) Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips over a double boiler.  Stir to mix together and incorporate,  until completely melted.

4) Once completely melted add the chow mien noodles and peanuts and stir together with a wooden spoon or spatula to ensuring you are covering all the noodles and peanuts with the chocolate.

5) Layer a large bowl with parchment (I used a wooden salad bowl so it was a bit flatter),  placing some of the chocolate noodles on top of the parchment pressing down to form a bowl.  Continue to add some more noodles on the edges to create the sides of the bowl.  Let the chocolate set in the fridge for an hour or on the counter for a few hours until dry.

6) Coat the cake eggs :  Melt the coloured chocolate in a double boiler.  Ensure you have a enough so that you can dip or roll the cake egg.   Remove a few cake eggs at a time from the freezer and insert a candy stick or wooden skewer through the large end of the egg.  Going in approximately half way up the way.   Dip the egg into the chocolate, allowing extra chocolate to drain off, tap off any excess.   Place the egg pop to dry in some Styrofoam or dried flower foam.

7) Once both the bowl and eggs are set place some edible grass (which I found at the bulk barn) in the bottom.  Place the cake eggs and some jelly beans inside of the bowl in the arrangement of your choice.

This was fantastic in so many ways.  How can you not like cake, covered in chocolate in a cookie bowl also covered in chocolate.   It is fun to pick out your favorite coloured egg and then even more fun to break apart the nest and eat the pieces.   Decorate your easter table with this beautiful colourful dessert your family will love it.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!