Pittwater Life April 2024 Issue

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au
Chocolate mud
cupcakes with
peanut butter
caramel icing
Makes 12
125g butter, chopped
½ cup milk
¼ cup hot water
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup plain flour
¼ cup self-raising flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
Peanut butter caramel frosting
250g cream cheese, chopped
60g unsalted butter, room
temperature
1 cup (250g) creamy peanut
butter
½ cup salted caramel (Dulce
Leche or Bon Maman brand
caramel)
2 cup icing sugar
1-2 tbs milk
1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan
forced. Line 12 x 1/3-cup
(80ml) muffin pans with
paper cases.
2. Combine the butter, milk,
hot water and chocolate in a
medium saucepan. Stir over
low heat, for 3 minutes or
until the mixture is warm and
smooth. Remove from heat.
Stir in the sugar. Set aside for
10 minutes to cool slightly.
3. Sift the flours and cocoa
together over the chocolate
mixture. Using a balloon
whisk, whisk until smooth.
Stir in the egg, mix well.
Pour the mixture evenly
among the paper cases.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or
until a skewer inserted into
the centre comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to
cool.
5. For the peanut butter
caramel frosting, beat the
cream cheese and butter
together until creamy.
Add the peanut butter and
caramel, beat until well
combined. Add the icing
sugar ¼ cup at a time,
beating on low speed
until combined, continue
beating until smooth. Add
enough milk to adjust
the consistency. Spoon or
pipe to frosting onto the
cupcakes. Serve.
Malted chocolate
caramel thick shake
Makes 2
½ cup thickened cream
200g milk or dark chocolate,
chopped
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
¼ cup malted milk powder
1/3 cup Dulce Leche or Bon
Maman brand caramel
Cream and extra caramel, to
serve
1. Combine the cream and
chocolate in a microwavesafe
heatproof bowl.
Microwave, uncovered, for
2-3 minutes on High/100%,
stirring every 30 seconds
until melted and smooth.
Set aside to cool 30 minutes
(sauce will thicken).
2. Place the ice cream, milk,
malt powder, two heaped
spoons chocolate sauce and
the caramel into a blender.
Blend until smooth. Pour
into glasses, top with cream
and extra caramel. Serve.
Janelle’s Tips: Store any
unused chocolate sauce in an
airtight container in the fridge
for up for 3 weeks. Also, you
can replace the malt powder
with peanut butter.
Snickers ice
cream loaf
Serves 10
2 litre vanilla ice cream,
slightly softened
4 x 55g snickers bars, chopped
¼ cup salted roasted peanuts,
chopped
Homemade salted caramel
sauce
3/4 cup white sugar (regular
coarse sugar, not Caster)
200ml thickened cream at room
temperature
1 tsp sea salt flakes crushed
1. For the salted caramel sauce,
pour the sugar into a clean, dry
saucepan. Melt over medium
heat, stirring until the sugar
melts and turns deep golden.
Turn the heat off. Carefully
pour in the cream (sugar will
spit a little and turn to toffee).
Return pan to medium-high
heat, cook whisking until the
toffee dissolves and sauce
is smooth. Simmer gently 1
minute to thicken slightly.
Whisk in the salt. Set aside 15
minutes to cool slightly.
2. Spoon the ice cream into 6cm
deep, 10cmx21cm (base) loaf
pan. Top with snickers bars,
gently pressing them into the
top of the ice cream. Drizzle
with a little of the lukewarm
salted caramel. Cover and
freeze overnight.
3. Scoop into bowls, drizzle
extra caramel and serve.
Janelle’s Tips: Store any unused
caramel in a clean jar in the
fridge for up to 4 months.
It will thicken on cooling, so
microwave on medium as
needed. Also, you can replace
the home-made salted caramel
with 2/3 cup Dulce Leche or Bon
Maman brand caramel.
Food Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
APRIL 2024 67