CHOC MINT SMOOTHIE

It's official choc-mint smoothie for the WIN! I think I'm addicted to these. And they're dairy-free, and refined sugar free. So they're healthy and delicious - what not to love?!

The flax helps the smoothie thicken and has fiber which is great for your digestive system. Plus the green veggies are great for vitamins and anti-oxidants. The avocado makes it silky smooth and you won't even taste it- PROMISE! 

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE LOAF CAKE

Kind of moist, kind of mousey, a little bit cakey.... low in sugar... what more could you ask for in a cake?

PINA COLADA POPSICLES

The delicious combination of pineapple and coconut reminds me of summer. Add banana to the mix and you have the most delicious smoothies ever!!! Add rum and you have adult drinks - kind of like a pina colada. 

I dipped them in chocolate for added summer fun. And who doesn't like chocolate?

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Anyone who knows me or even follows me on facebook or twitter will know that I love 2 things: Coffee and Chocolate!!


So a few weeks ago I received this very cool parcel in the post... I mean who doesn't like receiving parcels (mail is so cool) and when my parcel happened to be a box filled with chocolate I just knew my year was off to a GREAT start!!!

CHOCOLATE PICNIC SNACK BARS

Dark Chocolate Seed Bars recipe on http://www.bettybake.co.za .
Great for picnics and school lunches. This would also make a great present - cut into bars and pile high in a jar and dressed up with a wide ribbon. (would be so pretty)... Christmas maybe?

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE (GLUTEN FREE)

I wanted to bake a "healthy" chocolate cake and in cases like that I usually make a Beetroot chocolate cake. But on this very day I didn't have any beetroot in my fridge and so with some tweaking and hoping and substituting this cake was born - Baked Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake.

You know what - it turned out better than my beetroot version ... and so this is the NEW chocolate cake in our house! It is softer and sweeter - even though the same amount of sugar is used. This is because the sweet potato is baked in the oven till caramelized on the edges and it is naturally sweet.   

Not to say the beetroot chocolate cake is no longer good enough, if I can't get sweet potatoes then it will be back on the menu shortly but this cake has really stolen the show.

NOTES*** 
I have made this cake many times over the years - its still a winner and used at every birthday and everything in between! Some things have been tweaked and changed ---

SUGAR: I now use half a cup of sugar instead of a whole cup. But use as much as you think your sugar tooth needs.

WATER: I have found the cake batter has got quite thick and I now add between half a cup to 1 cup of filtered water at the end of the batter if I find its a bit to thick for my liking.

SWEET POTATO: Bake a large sweet potato with its skin on in the oven at 180 degrees celcius (turn half way through baking). Bake until soft when inserted with a knife and the outside yields nicely when pushed with a thumb. Some of the outside may look dark (brown to slightly black in places) on the outsides as the sweet potato caramelizes inside its skin. Allow to cool and then peel and mash with a fork.


INGREDIENTS (BROKEN UP INTO 4 PARTS)

STEP 1:

50g dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
a tiny pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons of cream (coconut cream or dairy cream - your choice) 

 combine the 3 ingredients and melt in a baine marie - stir until smooth and put to one side.

STEP 2:

1 generous cup /200g/250ml Jaggery or Brown Organic Sugar (READ NOTES about how much sugar I now use*)
3 Free range eggs
100ml coconut oil (melted down to measure)
100ml olive oil

Beat/mix together with a stand or hand mixer in a large bowl until thickened and the mixture has lightened a little

STEP 3:

1 cup /250ml baked and mashed sweet potato (roughly 240g when cooked) *see note above*

add to the egg/sugar mixture above and mix in then add the chocolate cream and mix in until totally incorporated.

STEP 4:

3 heaped dessert spoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and a half cups / 375ml Gluten Free flour mix

Gradually add each ingredient above one by one beating after each addition to the mixture. See if you need water - (please see NOTES above the recipe)
Place mixture into 2 buttered/coconut oiled and floured medium cake tins and place in the oven at 155 degrees celcius for roughly 40 minutes - until the cake springs back to the touch and the knife inserted into the middle of the cake come out clean.

 
ICING:
I usually make a chocolate ganache for this cake  - I melt dark chocolate with coconut milk, allow to cool then pour over the cake. or alternatively I blend dates (pips removed) with coconut oil and a pinch of salt for a caramel type of icing.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE ICE CREAM RECIPE

Chocolate Ice cream recipe found on www.bettybake.co.za


We have cut down considerably on dairy but this week I had an incredible dessert craving...
something smooth and chocolatey. I wanted chocolate mousse or pudding or cold chocolate-something!

I have been using coconut milk and frozen bananas as a substitute in baking for milk and dairy but this time I just couldn't do it! I had to have cream and chocolate! So I started by making a chocolate pudding of sorts and then decided to freeze some of it in individual little cups for dessert. It was so yummy that the remainder that was in the fridge had to be turned into ice cream.

BUT I worried that if I put the mix in the ice cream maker that I wouldn't be able to share the ice cream that came out as  the amount was a little and SO YUMMY! (I wanted to gobble it ALL up) So I added a cup of milk and mixed it all together before putting it into the ice cream maker:) It was now a little less chocolatey but still so delicious. So its your choice whether you want a stronger chocolate taste or a bigger batch of ice cream. You could also not add the extra milk and leave it in the fridge - it sets to a gorgeous velvety pudding! soooo good!

INGREDIENTS
250ml cream (1 tub)
300 milk + 200ml later (optional)
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
100g GREAT TASTING dark chocolate (the best you can afford)
2 tablespoons jaggery / brown sugar
2 tablespoons agave syrup / honey / brown suagr
2 tablespoons xylitol / brown sugar



METHOD
Place the cream and 300ml of milk in a small pot on the stove with a vanilla pod -score and scrape out the seeds into the milk and then place the whole empty pod into the milk as well.
Heat on medium until just before boiling point then take off the stove and stir through. Allow to cool quite a bit till warm (this will allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk)
In a small bowl or a jug beat/mix the eggs with the a whisk (i use a fork) till the yellows are broken and combined with the whites. Add the sweeteners (brown sugar, jaggery, xylitol) and mix.
Slowly add some of the milk to the egg/sweetener mix and stir.
Add all of the egg mix back into to the pot stirring continuously so that the egg doesn't scramble.
Place the pot on a low heat and continue to stir until slightly thickened. It won't be to thicker - just slightly and won't taste like raw egg any more. Turn off and continue to stir.
Remove the vanilla pod.
Break up and place all the chocolate into the milk mix and stir until it is melted and one uniform chocolatey colour.
CHOICE 1) place into individual small bowls and place in the fridge for chocolate puddings or the freezer for tiny ice cream mousse puddings

CHOICE 2) add the additional 200ml milk and place in an ice cream machine and make into ice cream. If you don't have an ice cream machine then place in a metal dish and place in the freezer and take out and beat to break up ice crystals every hour for 3 or 4 times.

Serve and enjoy
YUM

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SQUARES - FLUFFY CHOCOLATE MALLOW AND COCONUT

 

  

So life throws you ingredients and I bake...

I was sent some products from Wellness Warehouse ( I always try to disclose when I get stuff for free) they were kind enough to chat to me about what I liked and didnt just guess what they thought I should have... So it was nice to say things like I use coffee beans instead of already ground coffee as I have a coffee grinder and like to grind mine fresh. :) See its the little things that count.

Anyway one of the things I thought would be cool to try was cacao nibs - I have been dying to try these for a while but haven't forked out the money because I wasn't sure if I'd like them. Well now was my chance to get my hands on some.
I am happy to say I love them and will purchase them again when mine run out. Cacao nibs are filled with antioxidants and are healthy for you.
On a side note: cacao nibs should be paired with a NATURAL sweetener to taste good - they are bitter! But with some sweet natural almonds (or sugar) it becomes super yummy as they balance each other out.

Anyway I decided to bake a double chocolate cookie bar from scratch and placed a whole bunch of ingredients on my kitchen counter that I thought I would need and worked from there.. tasting and mixing as I went along. 

This biscuit/ cookie bar is what I came up with and is made in 2 parts - but is quite quick to whip up - just a little patience is needed at the very end when they sit in the oven to cool! but they are worth it. You could try eat them straight away but they are better if you do wait :)


COOKIE BAR BASE (PART 1)

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons coffee (liquid -brewed and cold)
6 heaped Tablespoons Gluten free flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa -sifted
3 egg yolks (the topping uses the whites)
5 heaped Tablespoons xylitol (or another sweetener- eg organic brown sugar/honey)
Half a cup dessicated Coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla essence or a 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaped tablespoon cacao nibs (if you have - optional)

METHOD
Separate the eggs and place the yellows in a bowl with the xylitol (or sweetener of choice) and beat on medium high until pale and thick.
Add vanilla ess, coconut, cacao nibs and cocoa and mix.
Add half the flour and mix
Then add the coffee and mix.
Add the rest of the flour and mix again.
Spread in an oiled baking dish and smooth out until about 1.5 cm thick (i used coconut oil and squished the mixture into a ceramic rectangular dish about 20 x 30 cm - it didn't fill the whole dish)
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees celcius for 8 min



TOPPING (PART 2)

INGREDIENTS
3 egg whites
6 heaped tablespoons Xylitol (or organic brown sugar)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder - sifted
1 Tablespoon coffee (liquid - brewed and cold)

METHOD
In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until soft peak stage.
Add  xylitol (or sugar) and beat until smooth and slightly glossy
Add the cocoa and stir in
Add the coffee and stir in

*When the biscuit base is finished baking take out and turn the oven temperature down to 145 degrees celcius.
Smooth the topping over the base
Place in the oven and bake for 15 min and then turn the oven off and leave in there to get cold ... well leave in for as long as you can resist but for atleast 1 and a half hours - 2 hours.

Cut and serve or place in an airtight container. Will keep for a few days.

NOTES: Next time I may try agave syrup or sugar in stead of the xylitol to see how it turns out. I felt the xyltiol was ok but sugar or another source would have made these cookies AMAZING!

Also omitting the flour out of the base maybe interesting... Will need to report back on this one!

Wellness Warehouse also sent me some gluten-free flour (which I found kind of sticky) but it would probably make yummy pancakes.
They have an online store for your foodie health fix and other things too ;)

CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT TRUFFLES

 

I originally posted this recipe on my blog when SPAR Cape Quarter asked me to write some recipes and blog about it - They paid me in yummy vouchers to buy all the ingredients in their store. (to read the original POST go here).

With Easter coming up soon I thought I would re-post it.
These truffles are beautiful and sweet but healthier than your regular chocolate truffles (especially if you swop out the glace cherries for some soft dried fruit). They do contain chocolate and the higher percentage of cocoa in the chocolate you purchase - the healthier they will be. So don't go buy a regular milk chocolate but a dark 70% or 85% cocoa bar.
My understanding of how it works is, if you buy a 100gram bar of 85% cocoa chocolate then 85 grams out of the 100 gram bar is cocoa leaving only 15% for sugar and cocoa butter etc... Yes it will be more bitter as there is less sugar in the bar but I assure you I have added beautiful sweet dates and dessicated coconut and raw sweet almonds to sweeten it up naturally. With no bad sweeteners but healthy natural ingredients. You could always add a dash of honey if it really isn't sweet enough for you.

Adding the maraschino cherries in the middle or the glace cherries to the mix is not healthy at all so if you go that route - then it is only for a very special treat and the truffles won't be healthy (just FYI)

INGREDIENTS
50grams Raw almonds
7 fresh Dates (pips removed)
a generous handful of Glace Cherries (roughly 17) +/- 100grams (I now would opt to have soft dried fruit like PEARS or APRICOTS instead)
50g 70% dark Chocolate (I used Lindt) (roughly chopped)
1/2 cup fine coconut
70- 100grams dark chocolate (or chocolate of your choice)
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
OPTIONAL a few marachino cherries on stalks

METHOD
Grind the almonds until fine in a blender and then take out and set aside.
Place dates in the blender and blend slightly and then add the glace cherries OR soft dried fruit. (much better option).  Blend a bit more and then add the dark chocolate and blend until  very well mixed, chopped and kind of smooth. Add the ground almonds and mix again. Now add the coconut little by little until you reach a pliable consistency. Then roll into balls or mold around marachino cherries---> OPTIONAL and not as healthy!
Melt the chocolate and oil in a baine marie or a glass bowl balanced on top of a pot with a little water boiling below (the glass bowl mustn't touch the water below). Stir until melted. Dip the rolled cherry and coconut balls in the chocolate and spoon over more melted chocolate with a spoon and then place on waxed paper to set. There will be a little melted chocolate left over but if you use less you wan't be able to spoon the chocolate over the balls - so spread the left over chocolate on a separate piece of wax paper and sprinkle with cherries, almonds or raisins or water you fancy in your chocolate and leave to set - break into pieces and enjoy.

Enjoy your lovely Chocolate and coconut truffles or wrap up and package in a pretty box to make a beautiful and delicious gift.

DOUBLE HONEY ALMOND TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS
100grams Raw Almonds
6 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons water
pinch of salt
125ml cream
100grams 85% Dark Chocolate (eg Lindt or other good quality chocolate)
2 tablespoons cocoa for dusting

METHOD
Grill/ roast the almonds in the oven until light golden brown (watch it or they will burn). You can store them in an airtight container for a day or 2 or carry on with the recipe.
Transfer the almonds to a frying pan with 3 - 4 tablespoons of honey, water and a tiny pinch of salt. Simmer and stir and leave on low till nice and thick and darker golden brown. Make sure that you don't burn the honey!
Have a tray ready with buttered foil or  buttered wax paper!
Spoon the honey almond mix onto the buttered foil/paper and allow to cool and go brittle.
In a Bain Marie (eg glass bowl over a pot of simmering water) place cream and chocolate.
Stir until melted and smooth.
Stir in 2 Tablespoons honey
Cut/crush the brittle honeyed almonds with a sharp knife until you have course crumbs and stir into the melted chocolate mixture.

Place in the fridge for a few hours to firm up.
Once firm (I left mine over night but think 2 hours should be fine) scoop out a rounded teaspoon at a time and roll very lightly in your hands and the place in sifted cocoa.
Shake off lightly and place on tray or place and place back in the fridge to firm up
I managed to make 20 small truffles

They were moreish!
Enjoy!

CHEESE CAKE AND CHERRY, COCONUT TRUFFLES AND SPAR CAPE QUARTER

The SPAR challenge - So I was contacted by SPAR Cape Quarter and they asked me if I would like to do a recipe bake-off of some kind. All I had to do was come up with a recipe or two and they would supply the ingredients. Mmmm now this could be interesting...
The deal was I had to get ALL the ingredients from the Cape Quarter SPAR. Darn it! - there goes Peruvian dark chocolate truffles and any other exotic thing I could think of. Well boy was I wrong! The owners of this particular SPAR decided they needed to have a large variety of imported chocolates *drool* and I decided my husband had to see all this deliciousness with me ;)

So I had to take (drag) him along on a Saturday when he and our daughter could both accompany me. Also I wanted to bounce recipe ideas off the husband (as the recipes were driving me crazy running around my head). Much to his delight - NOT! He kept asking me on the drive there - why is that you need me with again? Its a Saturday you know... Can't you shop on another day? like by yourself? I politely told him I needed him to be with and I just got back blank stares.

AT CAPE QUARTER SPAR....
Walking up and down the many aisles I reached the chocolate aisle - or should I say area. and that was the end of me - blank stare, *drool*.
Husband: Are you talking to yourself?
Me: ignoring husband - you are a pretty chocolate...mmm.
Eventually the husband literally dragged me to another aisle filled with wine and olive oil and shook me...
Me: Yes babe?
Husband: you can't invent a whole recipe out of chocolate you know.
Me: Oh really? watch me!
Husband: you need other things too - like this, this... randomly looking for things, um olive oil!!! (ok he didn't pick olive oil - but he did seem to look at me in a crazy way)


More shopping and aisle walking - clip clop, clip clop..
Husband: why am I here again?
Me: to help me - remember... what do you think? this awesomely huge chocolate - where I take these slabs and just melt them into this giant chocolate so it will "seem" like a recipe? or this other silly recipe of... um milk tart (trying to make it sound yuk and uninteresting)?

The poor man, if you have seen the variety of interesting things they stock - like marmalades from Great Britain and olive oils from various places in the world - you understand how I drove him crazy that day. and so the shopping proceeded:
Me: look babe at the this Marmalade it's from Great Britain.
Husband: Yes honey
Me: and this olive oil it's from Spain
and so the shopping trip went...
Me: look at this.. and that ..and this..
Husband: Yes sweetie (blank stare)
But near the end of the shopping trip when I had eventually talked myself (with the husbands help) out of getting 10 slabs of imported chocolate at R37 a slab -the husband just couldn't understand that spending R370 on 600grams of chocolate (yes they are only 60grams a slab) wasn't decadent AT ALL!!!
I did buy him a cheese cake from the bakery and some camembert cheese and biscuits. He walked out of there a happy man - and my shopping was complete. And Yes I did get some chocolate ;)

*And just so you know - they do stock local ingredients too but clearly I LOVE chocolate!

Lemon Zest Baked Cheese Cake

 

I got the base from the Planet Organic Cookbook by Renee Elliott and Eric Treuille. Cheese cake filling is all mine :)


INGREDIENTS FOR BASE:
150grams Almonds (blend in a processor/electric blender until fine-ish like course sugar)
4 rounded Tablespoons butter at room Temperature
4 Tablespoons Brown organic Sugar (you can use whatever sugar you have - just not icing sugar)
tiny bit of salt

METHOD FOR BASE:
Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer (or by hand) until nicely combined.  Press into a buttered and double lined cake tin and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 10 -15 minutes. Or until very pale brown. Take out and let stand while you prepare the filling.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHEESE CAKE FILLING:
2 x 250gram cream cheese
250ml cream
4 eggs
1-2 Lemons = of which you will need 4 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Bulgarian Yoghurt

METHOD FOR CHEESE CAKE FILLING

Beat together the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Scrap down the sides of the bowl every now and then to incorporate. Beating slowly add one egg at a time on slow. Add the Lemon juice and lemon zest and beat in. Add the sugar and beat again. Now add the yoghurt and beat in. Pour onto the prepared base and place on the center shelf of a preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius. Bake for +/- 50 min until the edges have puffed up and started to golden and the center is still a little wobbly. Open the oven and take the cheese cake out and let some heat escape for a minute then place the cheese cake to cool in the oven with the door closed for 30 - 40min. Then place the cheese cake in the fridge for 3 hours or over night.
Garnish as you desire and serve. Best cut with a wet sharp knife.

Cherry and Coconut Truffles

INGREDIENTS
50grams Raw almonds
7 fresh Dates (pips removed)
a generous handful of Glace Cherries (roughly 17) +/- 100grams
50g 70% dark Chocolate (I used Lindt) (roughly chopped)
1/2 cup fine coconut
70- 100grams dark chocolate (or chocolate of your choice)
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
OPTIONAL a few marachino cherries on stalks

METHOD
Grind the almonds until fine in a blender and then take out and set aside.
Place dates in the blender and blend slightly and then add the glace cherries. Blend a bit more and then add the dark chocolate and blend until  very well mixed, chopped and kind of smooth. Add the ground almonds and mix again. Now add the coconut little by little until you reach a pliable consistency. Then roll into balls or mold around marachino cherries.
Melt the chocolate and oil in a baine marie or a glass bowl balanced on top of a pot with a little water boiling below (the glass bowl mustn't touch the water below). Stir until melted. Dip the rolled cherry and coconut balls in the chocolate and spoon over more melted chocolate with a spoon and then place on waxed paper to set. There will be a little melted chocolate left over but if you use less you wan't be able to spoon the chocolate over the balls - so spread the left over chocolate on a separate piece of wax paper and sprinkle with cherries, almonds or raisins or water you fancy in your chocolate and leave to set - break into pieces and enjoy.

Enjoy your lovely cherry and coconut truffles or wrap up and package in a pretty box to make a beautiful and delicious gift.

 
 
p.s placed in the Friday Link up at http://www.whipperberry.com/

CHOCOLATE CREAM / CHOC MOUSSE OR AWESOME HOT CHOCOLATE - you decide :)

Friday Inspiration

• buy a slab or 2 of chocolate (100g) and a tub of cream (250ml)
• make sure its good quality chocolate :) treat yourself 
• place half the tub of cream (125ml) in a double boiler - or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water and heat if up
• place in the slab/s of chocolate and stir every now and then until melted
• you should have a goopy mess of chocolate and cream - num
• try not to eat it
• now you can decide - to either 1) make chocolate mousse or 2) make an awesome hot chocolate
• for the choc mousse - take the choc cream off the heat and let cool slightly. While its cooling separate 3 eggs (whip the whites on there own until soft peaks form and then add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg whites and beat till medium to stiff peaks form). Whisk the yellows a little - stir these into the choc cream mixture. Now stir the beaten egg whites into the choc cream mixture. whip the remaining half a tub of cream until soft to medium stiffness and stir into the choc cream mixture - spoon into cups and place in the fridge for atleast 2 hours to set. you could eat right away but will be a bit runny.
• Awesome hot choc - take your choc cream mixture and add 1 and a quarter cups of milk and keep heating on the stove slowly until almost bubbling. Add some vanilla and a tiny sprinkling of salt (just a tiny pinch) pour into mugs and stir in some sugar to taste (if you wish). Whip the remaining half a tub of cream until medium peaks and spoon on top.

And there you have it - an awesome chocolate desert or drink :)


 I would do both :)





ps. I forgot to say you can make this into truffles to :) just take the choc cream mixture place in the fridge and leave till set then roll into bite sized balls and roll in cocoa. Place back in the fridge and eat as required - num

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!!!

Aunty Jenny's Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is sooo moist and delicious i just love it! I ve been baking it since a teenager and got the recipe from my friends mom who we all called - Aunty Jenny. She was the best cook (still is a brilliant one) in our church. We loved to go eat at her house and it was always a treat to chat to her in her kitchen while she cooked :) This cake is always asked for by my husband whenever i ask him what cake he would like for his birthday or he'll ask for it sometimes when he just feels like something nice and baked and chocolatey. And so of course I used this as one of the cakes for my daughter's fancy tea party.

The basis of this cake is a good mayonaise -which sounds disgusting to be put in a chocolate cake! I have even had people refuse to try it because they heard mayo is in it! but once they do - there is no turning back and they come back for seconds. It is really that good.
It is better made with a normal (wheat) self raising flour but can be made with a wheat-free flour of  your choice. The cake itself keeps well in an airtight container for 5 or so days. And really is nearly as delicious on the 5th day as on the 1st!

AUNTY JENNY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE
2 cups self raising flour (or wheat free flour)
2/3 cup of cocoa
1 & 1/4 teaspoon bicarb
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 & 2/3 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla ess
1 cup (good quality mayonaise- like crosse and blackwell)
1 & 1/3 cup cold water

METHOD
Sift and combine the first 4 ingredients and set aside.
Beat sugar, eggs and vanilla on high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy
Now beat in the Mayonaise slowly
Beating constantly add the flour mixture and the water alternatively - Beginning and ending with flour
Pour into 2 cake tins (roughly 22cm) greased and floured
Bake @ 180 degrees celcius for 30 - 35 min or until the sides start to pull away from the tin
Cool in tins for 10 min before turning out onto racks
Once cooled decorate as desired

Enjoy


Betty :)

VALENTINES DAY - HEART SHAPED CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Heart shaped Chocolate Brownies

Valentines Day is a day of many beautiful opportunities to make something so delicious and thoughtful for the one you love :)
Just think luxurious and delicious - and my brain conjures up thoughts of  things made of chocolate :)

We all know most women love chocolate  - ALOT and so, that is why valentines day is the day of