Coconut and Cranberry Balls

In the days before healthy bliss balls, I can remember my Mum making a version of these, raisins instead of cranberries and dipped in chocolate. 

This recipe makes 25 balls. They are small but trust me, you don’t want them too big, these are rich sweeties!

Ingredients

110g butter

150g icing sugar

80g desiccated coconut

130g cranberries

25g 70% coco solids chocolate

Method

In a food processor, cream the butter and sugar.

Add the cranberries and coconut and pulse until combined.

Form into balls and place, spaced out, on a piece of baking parchment.

Now melt the chocolate, I cheat and melt it carefully in the microwave.

Take teaspoons of the chocolate and drizzle over the balls.

Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chocolate And Peanut Butter Brownies

Gluten free decadence here! 

If you don’t do peanut butter chips you can happily swap them for chocolate chips of omit them completely, this recipe will still work.

Makes 16 pieces.

Ingredients

125g butter

125g 70% coco solids chocolate

330g caster sugar

115g ground almonds/almond meal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g peanut butter or chic chips plus extra for topping

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade. Grease and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin.

Melt the butter and chocolate, using a bowl over a pan of water or I just do it carefully in the microwave.

Weigh out the sugar, almonds and baking powder in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs in another bowl and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Now, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold them in.

Spoon the batter into the lined tin, sprinkle over a few more chips and bake for 35 minutes.

Allow to cool a little in the tin before removing.

Homemade Honeycomb

Sometimes a treat is in order and this is certainly a treat!

We happily eat this as is but if you want to be really decadent, drizzle a little melted dark chocolate over the honeycomb, then it really is “to die for”! I like to crumble it a little and sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream too, yum!

You need to move briskly when making this so have the bicarbonate already measured out and the baking sheet lined, use a medium to large pan as the honeycomb rises rapidly as soon as you add the bicarbonate and whisk it in.

Makes a slab, 25 x 15cm.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey

175g caster sugar

70g liquid glucose

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Method

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Measure the honey, sugar, glucose and water into a pan.

Heat the pan over a high heat, do not stir! Just swirl it around a bit if you must move it.

Using a sugar thermometer, watch the temp rising, as soon as it hits 150 degrees Centigrade, take it off the heat and whisk in the bicarbonate of soda.

Immediately, tip onto the prepared tin and leave to cool and set.

Break into shards to serve.

The honeycomb will keep in an airtight box for a few days if you have any left!

Peanut And Macadania Nut Balls

Now, I know that these aren’t healthy but they are very tasty and easy to make when you suddely have to make morning tea for your child’s cricket team, I speak from personal experience here!

I like mixing the sugars up a bit, dark muscovado sugar is a great addition in these, just omit 50g of the brown sugar and add the muscovado instead.

Makes 36 balls.

Ingredients

50g butter

175g smooth peanut butter

150g macadamia nuts

200g brown sugar

100g caster sugar

100g desiccated coconut plus extra

Method

Melt the butter and peanut butter gently in a pan.

In a food processor, blitz the macadamia nuts until fairly finely chopped.

Add the sugars and coconut to the nuts and blitz again.

Finally pour in the butters and pulse until combined.

Pour some extra coconut onto a plate.

Take small amounts of the nut ball mix and squeeze into a ball, roll in the coconut and set aside. Continue with the remaining mixture.

Once you have finished, pop the balls into the fridge to set.

White Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Slice

These are such a treat!

I’m now trying to come up with homemade gluten free goodies for my youngest son who was recently diagnosed with coeliacs, these were a huge hit in the school lunch box and with the rest of the family.

If you are making these as gluten free you will need to check the labelling on your rice puffs as many of them contain barley.

Makes 24 pieces.

Ingredients

200g flaked almonds

200g glacé cherries, washed, dried and halved

100g sultanas

150g rice puffs

400g white chocolate

Method

Line the base and sides of a 22x30cm roasting tin with baking parchment.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the almonds and toast gently until just colouring a little, tip into a large bowl.

Add the halved cherries, sultanas and rice puffs, stir well.

Melt the white chocolate, pour over the puff mix and stir very well.

Tip into the prepared tin and gently push down into the corners edges.

Allow to cool a little and then pop into the fridge for an hour or two until set.

Remove from the fridge, peel off the paper and cut into slices.

Marshmallow Treats

There is not a thing healthy about these treats but kids love them!

I have one son at an athletics carnival today and another needing a plate of sweet treats for after his class assembly, the third, not to be left out, feels that he needs some of these for his lunch box to share!

As a child I would have these at birthday parties, possibly the same way as my Australian friends had fairy bread? They are party food and definitely not an everyday thing but they can be adapted to gluten, wheat and nut free, just check with the packaging labels.

These quantities make roughly 60.

Ingredients

400g milk chocolate

400g bag marshmallows

100g smarties or similar

Method

Line up lots of mini muffin cases, slightly larger than your marshmallows.

Melt the chocolate, I use the microwave or use your favourite method.

Spoon enough chocolate into each case just to cover the bottom.

Push in a marshmallow.

Pop a drop of chocolate onto the top of the marshmallow and top with a smartie  or similar.

Allow to set before boxing.

For gluten free options I just drizzle a little chocolate over the top.