Countdown to Christmas Day 17...Chocolate Ice-cream Celebration Cake

Today I’m sharing the awesome ‘Chocolate Ice-Cream Celebration Cake’ that I found in the Women’s Weekly Christmas Classics book. I made it for a Christmas party last night. It is deliciously yummy but it really does need to be set overnight, otherwise the layers won’t look like right and the cake will melt into a gooey mess very quickly!! Thankfully it still tastes good. 

This is what mine looked like.

 This is what it is meant to look like! Mine is just a tad different!!

So here’s the recipe....

INGREDIENTS

2 x 220g bottles of Chocolate Ice magic

2 litres of cookies & cream ice-cream

1 litre chocolate ice-cream

500g Strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray a 22cm Springform pan with spray oil and line with baking paper.

2. Squeeze 1 bottle of ice magic over the base of the tin. Tap on the bench to settle and then place in the freezer until set.

3. Evenly Spread 1 litre of the cookies & cream ice-cream into the pan & smooth over with a spoon. Place in freezer for 1 hour or until set.

4. Evenly Spread 1 litre of the chocolate ice-cream into the pan & smooth over with a spoon. Place in freezer for 1 hour or until set.

5. Evenly Spread the remaining litre of the cookies & cream ice-cream into the pan & smooth over with a spoon. Cover and place in freezer overnight to set.

6. To serve, remove the side of the pan and carefully transfer to a chilled serving platter. Top with strawberries and drizzle with the 2^nd bottle of ice magic. Serve immediately.

Remember to set it overnight.

Enjoy!

Kylie xx

Countdown to Christmas Day 18...Mars Bar Christmas Crackles

These cute little things are delicious. They are super yummy, which does make them a little easy to eat, but they are totally worth it. 

Here is what you will need.

Ingredients

 200g Mars Bars, chopped

 2 tbsp of cooking (thin) cream

  2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

    3 cups Rice Bubbles

   canola spray

100g white chocolate

   24 red Smarties 

Instructions

1. Spray a little canola spray into 2 x 12 cup mini-muffin  pan.

2. Place the Mars Bars, cream and cocoa in a microwave safe bowl and put in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and return to microwave for another 30 seconds, if not fully melted. 

3. Put the Rice Bubbles in a separate large bowl, pour in the chocolate mixture and stir until well mixed.

4. Spoon the mixture into the muffins tray and press down gently.

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours and turn out onto a tray to decorate.

6. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave checking and stirring it at 30 second intervals. Pour it into a piping bag while warm and snip the tip off.

7. Turn the crackles upside down and pipe the chocolate on. Finish with a red chocolate button on top of each one.

(Recipe adapted slightly from http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/mars-bar-christmas-crackles-1389)

Like I have said before, after cooking, all that is left to do is eat and enjoy!

Kylie xx

Countdown to Christmas Day 19...Snowball cookies

 I started going out with my husband when I was 16. Seeing as we started dating only 2 months before Christmas, it was not long before I met his extended family. I remember being introduced to snowball cookies that very 1st Christmas and I loved them! Now 16 years later (yes that's right folks, I'm 32), there is not 1 family Christmas that I can remember not having them. They are so yummy and they melt in your mouth. They are one of the things that I look forward to eating every Christmas. So this year, I have finally decided to make them myself.

 Here's the recipe

     Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup pure icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

Pure icing sugar for rolling

      Instructions

Preheat oven to 190 % Celsius.

Line a tray with baking paper.

Mix butter with 1/2 cup icing sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until fluffy.

Add flour and salt until dough comes together.

Roll into 1 Tbsp size balls and place on tray.

Bake 7-8 minutes, until bottoms are just slightly brown.

Fill small bowl with icing sugar.

Roll each ball until covered.

Place on rack to cool.

Roll again in powdered sugar if required.

If there is one treat you make this Christmas, then it definitely should be these! You won't regret it!!

Kylie xx

Countdown to Christmas Day 20....Christmas Cookie Bars

If you are looking for an easy Christmas baked good that goes a long way and tastes delicious, then this is for you! It’s a really simple recipe that can be whipped up in ½ an hour and ready to enjoy! The origial recipe can be found at http://therebelchick.com/christmas-cookies-bars-recipe/.

 

INGREDIENTS

·         2¼ cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         ¾ cup melted butter

·         ¾ cup granulated sugar

·         ¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         2 large eggs

·         2 cups chocolate chips

·         1 cup Christmas M&M's 

   INSTRUCTIONS

   1. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

   2. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish and line with baking paper.

   3. Combine the butter, vanilla, eggs and sugars and beat until light 
        and creamy.         

   4. Add dry ingredients and beat for one minute, or until a thick
dough forms.

   5. Stir in chocolate chips and M&M's.

   6. Pour into your baking dish and pat down flat. 

   7. Cook for 20 minutes.

   8. Cut into slices.

Enjoy cooking...and eating of course!

Kylie xx

Countdown to Christmas Day 21....Homemade Gifts - Christmas sugar scrub.

I am a sucker for home made gifts. I love them!!! I'm hoping over the next few weeks to share a few homemade gifts, all small enough to fit in your Christmas stocking! Tonight it's all about a recipe I just made up for sugar scrub. It's Christmas inspired, super easy and the ingredients are all ones that you are likely to find in your pantry. 

So here's the recipe ....

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup oil

3 Tbls ground cinnamon

2 Tbls mixed spice

2 Tbls ground nutmeg

Mix all of it together in a bowl and stir to combined. 

Divide into jars and secure lid. (I used small mason jars that I purchased off ebay)

Great to make for a gift, or even as a treat for yourself!

Kylie xx 

P.S Can you believe it's only 21 days till Christmas??!! That's craziness!!!

Countdown to Christmas Day 22....Colouring!!!

Today we have stacks of free printable colouring sheets for the kiddies to do. I still love colouring in and I'm 32! 

The links are all bellow. 

http://melonheadzillustrating.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/freebies-christmas.html

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/bb/8b/6a/bb8b6adee102b6f98c1fd04a08c4eec7.jpg

http://christmas-goodness.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/christmas-coloring-pages.html

http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/free-christmas-printables.html

http://www.cartoonjr.com/a-charlie-brown-christmas-coloring-pages/

http://www.itsybitsyfun.com/christmas-color-by-numbers.html#_a5y_p=2888904

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/NativityColorbyNumber.htm

http://www.classroomfreebies.com/2012/11/all-aboard.html

http://dailycoloringpages.com/alphabet-letters-to-print/alphabet-christmas-coloring-pages/

Enjoy doing some colouring with your kiddies.

Kylie xx

Countdown to Christmas Day 23....2 tone Christmas swirl cupcakes

My son has a preschool Christmas party tomorrow and all the parents are bringing something in to share. I was rostered on cupcakes but I was informed by Mr 4 that all the gorgeous ideas that I had, were already made by some parents the other day. So in attempt to do something different (at 9pm the night before, with no supplies in the house) I decided to do something I have never tried and always wanted to. So, here you go, my attempt at 2 tone swirl cupcakes!

Firstly you need to make up your cupcakes according to your packet or recipe.

Then Mix up a double batch of butter cream icing and separate into 2 bowls.

Colour each lot of icing a different colour.

Place each colour in its own piping bag.

Snip the end of each bag and then gently place both bags inside a third bag, that already has the piping nozzle of your choice attached.

And then just pipe away. I messed the 1st 2 up but then it was super easy. 

I love the contrast between the 2 tones!

Super quick & easy! It's also come to my attention that I think I may have an obsession with piping bags and butter cream icing! There is so much you can do with them!

Finish off with some sparkles to garnish and your done!

Instructions for one batch of butter cream Icing

Beat 125g of softened butter, until white & fluffy.

Add 2 Tablespoons of milk.

Gradually add 1.5 cups of icing sugar, until all combined.

Kylie xx