ROASTED PLUMS WITH ALMONDS, HONEY AND CINNAMON SERVED WITH SWEETENED VANILLA MASCAPONE

INGREDIENTS
Plums (1-2 plums per person)
Cinnamon

Honey
100grams Almonds (chopped)
Vanilla pod or essence
1 tub 250g Mascapone
2 tablespoons icing sugar (or 2 taste)
1 -2 teaspoons milk or cream

fresh plums cut and sprinlked with almonds and spices

Straight from the oven - all roasted and golden brown

METHOD
Cut plums in half and remove the pip (1 or 2 plums per person). Place in an oven proof dish large enough to just hold the plums. Make sure each plum is facing with the cut side up so you have a hollow where the pip was. Over each plum drizzle some honey into each hollow and some generally over all the plums. Sprinkle with chopped up almonds and cinnamon to taste. Sometimes i add some seeds from a vanilla pod for some extra flavor.
Place in the oven at 180 degrees celcius and bake for roughly 15 - 20 min or until golden and soft.

In a separate bowl mix/beat the mascapone, milk, icing sugar and vanilla seeds. Adjust to taste.
Remove plums from the oven and place 2- 4 halves per person in pretty bowls and place a nice dollop of vanilla mascapone on top - serve straight away as mascapone will melt from the hot plums.
Enjoy

you can also use fresh peaches, pears or apricots or other soft flesh fruits in season.

COCONUT ICE - MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY LOOK OR GREAT GIFT

Sweet sweet coconut ice. for those of you that have a serious sweet tooth or have a friend with a very sweet tooth - this makes a lovely personal gift or great tea time treat.
so very pretty and girly - pink and white.

INGREDIENTS
1 tin of condensed milk
500grams Icing sugar (sieved)
4 to 5 cups desiccated coconut
a few drops pink/red food colouring


METHOD

Make sure the icing sugar is sifted and then add the condensed milk and then coconut - keep adding the coconut until the mixture is really firm but not crumbling apart. Squish some in the palm of your hand and see if it holds it shape - if it starts to sag or is very sticky - add more coconut.
Divide the mixture in half and press into a wax paper lined dish or baking tray.
Mix a few drops of colouring in the remaining half of mixture and work through thoroughly, then press on top of the white layer in the dish. (Do this quickly so the white layer doesn't dry out to much as then your layers can separate when cutting).
Leave to dry and then cut into squares

Enjoy

ps variations could be making the mixture green and adding peppermint essence - and for a decadent twist dip them in dark chocolate

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

 I don't usually do posts on the weekend but seeing as though i haven't posted anything on my blog in a while I thought I may as well share with you the great Chocolate chip biscuit recipe I've been baking recently. All nice and crispy with fine cracks on the top the biscuits look really good. My husband says they remind him of his childhood and that makes him happy :)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (CAN BE WHEAT-FREE OR REGULAR)

125grams butter (at room temparature and cubed)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or one vanilla pod
1 and a quarter cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 and three quarter cups (upto 2 and cups)Gluten-Free flour of choice (eg. rice flour, gluten free flour mix)OR (1 and a half cups regular flour)
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon baking powder
80 grams dark chocolate or chocolate of choice


METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
Beat butter, vanilla, brown sugar and the egg until smooth and lump free.
Add to the mix the flour, bicarb abd baking powder.
Mix until everything is well incorporated.
If using normal cake flour use the 1 and a half cups of flour but if you are using a wheat free/ gluten free flour then add more flour until the mixture is nice and kind of stiff like a workable play dough.
Chop up chocolate and mix in.
Roll into small balls and flatten gentle with your hands and place on a greased baking tray.
Allow space for spreading between the biscuits and place in the oven.
Bake in the middle shelf for 7 - 10 mon or until lightly brwoned.
take out and let them cool before taking off the baking tray and placing in jars or on a plate for tea

ENJOY!!!