Peanut Butter Florentines

I have come across two types of florentines in this world, the toffee variety with a handful of almonds and fruit and the corn flake ones, both of which I love!  This recipe uses the latter, a crunchy mix of corn flakes, fruit, nuts and condensed milk and in this case peanut butter!

Ingredients:

3 cups cornflakes

1/2 cup sultanas

1/4 cup raisins

can condensed milk

120g slithered almonds

100g glace cherries (cut in half or quarters)

1 can condensed milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

50g melted butter

250g dark chocolate

30g copha

In a bowl add 2 cups of the cornflakes as well as the sultanas, raisins, almonds and cherries and mix together.  In another bowl mix the condensed milk, peanut butter and melted butter together. Add this mix to the dry ingredients and mix together. Then add the other cup of cornflakes and lightly mix. (The reason I do this is as in the first mix the cornflakes get a bit crushed, this way you still have a few larger flakes in the cookies)

You can then do what I did and get a cookie mould (I used a heart) and add a tablespoon of mixture into each mould and press into shape, or make balls of mixture and flatten onto cooking trays lined with greaseproof paper.

I made mine quite thick, about 1cm, the thinner you make them the crunchier they are.  Mine have crunchy tops and sides but are soft and slightly chewey inside.

Cook at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown.

When cool remove from oven and let cool on trays.

Melt the chocolate and copha together (either over the stove on low or in the microwave on medium heat)

once melted dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and scrap off any excess. place back on the grease proof paper or on a sheet of foil to cool.

Enjoy.

Notes for next time:

I might melt the butter, condensed milk and peanut butter in a pot on the stove and caramelise before adding to the dry ingredients...

Marble Cake

This recipe is really easy and versatile and the kids will love to help out with this one.
Thanks to Play School for baking a marble cake which my kids then decided they would like to bake too.

You can mix and play around with colours and flavours and create something different each time.

We went with three colours this time, chocolate, rapsberry and to be a bit different peanut butter!

Ingredients:
180g butter
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups SR flour
food colourings

Optional ingredients (see method)
2-3 tbl peanut butter smooth
1 tbl cocco (with some extra milk)
raspberry essence

Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degreen fan forced or 180 degrees if not.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.   This normally takes around 4-6 minutes depending on your mixer.  You will need to use a scraper to scrape the sides of the bowl down to ensure it all mixes properly.
Its ready when its pale in colour and fluffy. Then add the vanilla essence

Once fluffy add an egg one at a time, mixing between additions.  I let the kids crack the eggs in a separte bowl this time, My son who hates eggs did not like the feeling of the egg yolk and shivered, was pretty cute.

Now to add the milk and flour in alternate batches.  Add half the sifted flour then mix again for around 30 seconds on medium speed till combined, then add half the milk, mix, then rest of flour, mix, then rest of milk, mix)

The kids can help to add the flour and milk, be sure to turn off the mixer when adding the
ingredients and keep hands and hair away from the mixer while going.

Now separate the mixture into three even batches.  I put two batches in bowls and left one in the mixer.
To one of the mixtures I added a tbl of cocco and 3 tbl of milk.  Mix until combined
To another we added 5 drops of pink food colouring and 5 drops of raspberry essence
To the mixture in the bowl I added the peanut butter and used the mixer to mix it together.

Grease your cake pan (around a 19cm one) and add baking paper to the bottom of the pan for easy removal.  Lately I have been using canola oil spray or you can you butter.

The kids can help cut out the baking paper
(excuse the mess in the background, we have been sewing too)

Drop large tablespoons of the mixture around the prepared cake tin, then using a butter knife swirl them together.  Kids love this part.

Looking good

Bake for around 40 minutes, test by checking if the cake bounces back when you touch it on the top.  If not pop back in the oven for around 3 minutes and then test again.

Once ready let cool in pan before transferring to a plate.
Note: a good way to get the cake out of the tin is to run a butter knife around the edge
then it should come out easily. Be sure to remove the paper from the bottom.

Icing:
For the icing I mixed 120g butter and 2 cups of icing sugar in a mixer till light and fluffy (scraping sides around twice)
add around 5-7 drops of food colouring, I added pink this time. Mix till combined.
Add to top of cake and your ready to serve. (I also added pink beads for decoration too)

Pretty on the outside....

And on the inside ... Enjoy

Tips:
Remember you dont have to add the peanut butter, you can leave the white section as a vanilla cake if you like.  If you don't want a chocolate section then maybe add another colour food dye to that batter.  You can make the three batters any colour you or the kids like. Be creative and have fun.

You can also use the basic batter as cupcakes too if you like, baking in the oven for around 20-25 minutes till they spring back.  You could add choc chips, food colouring, berries to the mix too.