Nutella Banana Loaf

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Makes 1 9×5″ loaf

Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 bananas, well ripened and mashed
  • 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup Nutella
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or line a 9×5 inch non-stick loaf pan with parchment paper
  2. In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, whisking well to combine. Set aside until needed
  3. Cream together butter and sugar the bowl of a mixer
  4. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix until combined. Add vanilla. Mix until well combined.
  5. Add mashed bananas and milk, mixing well to incorporate
  6. Add in the flour mixture
  7. Gently fold together until flour can no longer be seen in the batter
  8. Microwave Nutella for 15 to 20 seconds, or until it loosens. Add 1 cup of batter and mix to combine.
  9. Scoop, or spoon, both batters alternately into the prepared pan. Use a chopstick or knife and gently swirl the chocolate into the banana batter
  10. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick/ skewer comes out with some crumb. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing

Chocoflan

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Ingredients

Cake Layer

  • 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup canola
  • 3 eggs

Flan Layer

  • 2oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
  • 8oz cream cheese, full fat, softened
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 eggs

Method

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or bundt pan, with cooking spray
  2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into prepared cake pan
  3. In blender, combine the Flan layer ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth and uniform in color. Slowly pour, or ladle, the flan mixture evenly over the cake batter. (Flan mixture will mix a little with batter, but they will separate during baking)
  4. Spray piece of foil with cooking spray, and place sprayed side down over top of pan; cover tightly
  5. Place cake pan in large roasting pan; add between 1-2 inches water, creating a water bath for the cake
  6. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes to ensure cake. To check insert toothpick, or skewer, inserted in center of cake layer will come out clean. Remove cake pan from water bath to cooling rack and remove foil. Cool at room temperature 1 hour. Refrigerate in pan, uncovered, 2 hours
  7. Remove from refrigerator and, if needed, run thin metal spatula around outer and inside edges of pan to loosen cake. Place serving plate upside down on cake pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Slice and serve!
  8. Store loosely covered with cling wrap in refrigerator

Krispie Treat Hearts

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Makes 16

Ingredients

Treat Hearts

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 12 ounces of mini marshmallows
  • 6 cups crisped rice cereal

To Finish/ Glaze

  • 6 oz chocolate (white or dark chocolate), melted
  • Decorative sprinkles
  • food coloring (optional)

Method

  1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until completely smooth. Remove from heat
  2. Stir in the Rice Krispies cereal until completely coated
  3. Turn the mixture out onto a large sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Using a greased spatula, shape it into a large rectangle, keeping it about an inch deep all over
  4. Grease a 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out the hearts. Once you’ve made the first round of cuts, reshape the remaining marshamallow mixture into another smaller square or rectangle and repeat until you’ve cut all the hearts
  5. Let the hearts harden for about 15 minutes while you melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave safe bowl
  6. Dip the treats into the chocolate, or drizzle the chocolate, and add sprinkles. Harden in the fridge for about 10 minutes or just until the chocolate is set

Note: Treats taste best the day they are made. However, you can make them up to three days ahead and they’ll taste pretty fresh.

Red Velvet Cake Truffles

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Makes 42

Ingredients

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box to prepare the cake)
  • 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 12 oz milk, dark or white chocolate chips

Method

  1. Prepare and bake the cake according to package instructions. Let cool completely before moving on to the next step.
  2. Using a fork or your hands, break the cake into fine crumbs into a large bowl.
  3. Add softened cream cheese and knead gently with your hands until cream cheese is fully incorporated. You can mix together with a wooden spoon, or spatula, but I find using your hands works best here
  4. You can use your hands or a cookie scoop to roll into 42 cake balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon per ball) and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the chocolate
  5. Heat chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl until completely melted, stirring to combine
  6. Remove cake balls form the fridge and place one ball at a time into the melted chocolate. Using forks, evenly coat each ball with the chocolate. Use the forks to remove the truffle from the chocolate and before transferring it back to the baking sheet, slightly tap the fork against the side of the bowl to get rid of any excess chocolate. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining chocolate balls.
  7. Pour leftover melted chocolate into a small ziptop bag, cut off one corner and pipe melted chocolate in desired design on top
  8. Return truffles to the fridge for 15 minutes or until truffles are set

Valentine Pop Hearts

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Makes 10

Ingredients

Pop Hearts

  • 1 box (400g) Ready-to-bake refrigerated pie crusts
  • ½ cup cherry pie filling, or strawberry jam

Frosting

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Food Gel colouring, optional
  • Sprinkles, optional

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. On a parchment-lined or lightly floured work surface, unroll one sheet of pie crust. Cut the pie crust into 10 hearts using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place the hearts on the prepared baking sheet
  3. On the same work surface, unroll the other sheet of pie crust and cut it into 10 hearts using the same heart-shaped cookie cutter
  4. Spread 1/2 teaspoon filling, or jam, in the centre of each heart that is on the baking sheet, leaving about 1/4-inch around the edge
  5. Place another heart-shaped crust evenly on top of each jam-topped heart. Press the edges down with your fingers all around the heart and then use a fork to crimp and seal the edges
  6. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown around the edges
  7. Meanwhile, make the frosting by combing the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Stir until you have a spreadable consistency, adding a small amount of extra milk if required. The frosting can be left white, or coloured using gel colouring
  8. Remove the pop tarts from the oven and let cool on a rack before finishing
  9. Frost the centre of each pop tart with desired coloured frosting. Alternatively place the frosting in a piping bag, snip the end  off and drizzle over the cooled pop tarts
  10. If using finish with decorative sprinkles