Chocolate Cake with Cacao Cream and Strawberries

  Chocolate cake has a strong effect on even the most controlled individuals; there is just something special about a chocolate sponge with a matching cream. When your spoon digs into the cake’s soft texture and the sauce drizzles out from the centre, you know you have entered dangerous territory and the button on your jeans will most likely be required to be undone. A friend of mine recommended I…

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Anzac Day Biscuits

Mmm Anzac Day biscuits – crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  My Mother makes Anzac Day biscuits on a regular basis and I have been reminding myself to attempt a healthy recipe for a while. Since Anzac Day is coming up I figured it would be the perfect opportunity. And the result? Success! I adapted the recipe from I Quit Sugar and am very pleased with the…

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Chocolate Peppermint Ice-Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Oh Melbourne, glorious sun one day and thrashing winds the next. You never know what weather to expect in this lovely city I reside in, however whatever the temperature I can be sure of one thing: it is never EVER too cold for ice cream. Hence my latest creation made with a fresh peppermint twist. Last July in Santa Monica my brother and I stumbled across an amazing food truck…

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Crunchy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, I need these in my life every single day. These crunchy chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies are exquisitely AMAZING. I never imagined to see a day that a healthy cookie recipe would live up to my Mother’s, but the time has miraculously arrived and I am not complaining! The dark chocolate chips generously distributed throughout the peanut butter biscuit leaves an indulgent surprise – especially when munching on…

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Apple and Hazelnut Muffins

I must give credit where credit is due…. My lovely mother helped me create these scrumptious muffins following my first disastrous muffin attempt (think oat porridge with raspberry mush).  My mum is a FANTASTIC cook and has been learning about combining healthy ingredients (through me of course hehe) to develop delicious creations. Sometimes, mothers know best – especially when it comes to cooking! These muffins are so close to perfection…

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Mini Chocolate Easter Eggs

Since I was a child, my memories of Easter have always involved devouring one main sweet that is placed inside the small triangle at the tip of the food pyramid and labelled as ‘Eat Sparingly.’ If you haven’t guessed what that is yet, I am talking about CHOCOLATE! Yes, that smooth, succulent, sensual sweet you would find on Easter egg hunts as a child, and the junk food you turn…

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Guilt-free Banana Bread

As the cool Melbourne breeze sweeps the city, the desserts are becoming warmer and warmer… Ahh the joyous feeling when you curl up on the couch watching bad TV (Kardashians anyone?) with a cosy blanket, a cup of tea and a small sweet. It was 25 degrees in Melbourne today so I may be getting ahead of myself, but I’m sure the chilly nights will be occurring soon enough! And…

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Nutella Tarts

For anyone who read my ‘about’ section you would be familiar with my unhealthy obsession with Nutella. The hazelnuts combined in chocolate tastes like tiny clouds of heaven swiftly melting at the tip of your tongue while you grip your spoon and dig for more. I once read that 3 teaspoons of Nutella is equivalent to 1 WHOLE slice of lasagna…possibly dripping in fresh béchamel sauce over warm home made…

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Chocolate Peppermint Slice

Mmmm peppermint. I love it in biscuits, cakes, ice cream, mousse and anything else it may be included in. The fresh taste always leaves me delightfully satisfied and I can never get enough, resulting in the disappearances of my entire slice in a record 3 hours… woopsie! My chocolate peppermint slice is a light and fluffy option if you’re feeling like something minty. And who doesn’t love chocolate and peppermint…

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Caramel Popcorn Clusters

Today at work my lovely friend introduced me to sweet and salty popcorn (which is ah-mazing of course), and I had this wonderful thought of creating popcorn clusters mixed with caramel… because why not?! They are definitely not the prettiest of desserts; but they taste divine.  Just a warning – these are extremely addictive! But a lot better for you than store-bought sugar coated popcorn! INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup kernels 5-6 dates…

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Hot Chocolate Pudding

OK, this is my new favourite recipe! I say that a lot… but really this one tastes so so bad for you (making it so so good) it baffles me how rich and delicious it is! I made these for my Italian grandmother yesterday and they were a big hit! Melbourne is quickly becoming chilly this autumn and if there’s one dessert I LOVE eating while curled up in a blanket…

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Mini Coconut Cream Cakes

I woke up this morning feeling a little creative. Someone recently asked me about an alternative for nuts in a dessert base so I decided to do a little experimenting with rolled oats. I wasn’t quite sure how this recipe would turn out, but the combination of coconut cream with chewy oats is fantastic! The oat base holds just as well simply by adding a little rice malt syrup and…

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