Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge

I am not sure if people like getting home-made baked goods for presents, but I sure like giving them away. (And how often do you know if people like their presents anyway? Most of us just smile polite and act excited regardless of what we get.) Browsing recipes and picking what to bake is always less stressful and definitely more fun than looking for a present at the stores. You do not have to worry whether they already have something similar, if they would like and end up using it. All you need to know is any food allergies or intolerance that they have and avoid them. If you are ever unsure about their taste buds, you can NEVER go wrong with a recipe with chocolate in it. And what's the worst that can happen? They do not like what you make and distribute it to their family and friends - it will never be wasted or end up being donated to St Vinnie's, which, frankly, we have all done to some of the gifts we got.
This was exactly what I had in mind when I was going to a friend's birthday party last night, especially when the invitation said "no present". (And most people still brought presents anyway. Oh well they were being nice I guess) This recipe originates from Nigella Express, so is naturally foolproof. The original recipe is double the quantity and uses a 23cm square baking pan.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge

175g dark chocolate, broken up into pieces
1/2 can of 397g sweet condensed milk
15g butter
80g hazelnut, roasted and chopped

1) Put the condensed milk, butter and dark chocolate into a small saucepan on a low heat. Stir to melt. Remove from heat once all combined.
2) Add the nuts to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir to mix.
3) Pour and spatch the mixture into a baking tin / foil tray of 23cm x 9cm (I used my silicon bread loaf tin). Smooth the top.
4) Allow the fudge to cool. Refrigerate until set. Cut into small pieces.
5) Once cut, keep in freezer. No need to thaw when served.


They might not have come out looking perfect. But they are so delicious and smooth. The chocolate richness richness is incredibly deep and simply saturates your mouth as it melts away.

Hazelnut, apple and lemon yoghurt cake loaf

Lately I have been neglecting my blog more than I would like. This is probably the longest I have gone without uploading a new entry! It's not that I have not been cooking. But I have been lacking the effort to pick up my camera and to spend a few moments to put down a few thoughts into words. I guess that is what work can do to you sometimes.
I have dedicated today as an absolute day off (well, almost absolute day off anyway), ie not going to shopping, not doing meeting up with anyone, not reading Australia Pharmacist trying to get a few lousy CPD points. I went to a new hairdresser to have my hair cut. I wonder why most gay men make better hairdressers and make up artists than straight women? It must be quite an interesting job to be a hairdresser. It is almost like part of their job descriptions to gather gossip and chit chat with the clients. I used to feel so devastated to have my hair cut short because I had such difficulties growing it. Today I must have had about 25cm of my hair cut off and I feel great (my mum would be proud - she's all for short hair). Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to get a bob :P
I used the yoghurt cake loaf recipe again. I really like how moist and dense the cake is. Only this time I've halved the recipe so I ended up with a flat loaf.

Hazelnut, apple and lemon yoghurt cake loaf


1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/8 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain natural yoghurt
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar
1 extra-large egg
grated lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped and roasted hazelnuts
1 small apple
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2) Sift together the flour, baking powder and wheat germ. Peel the apple and chop one half into small cubes. Mix the chopped nuts and apples into the flour mixture.
3) Whisk together yoghurt, 1/3C sugar, egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and oil. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
4) Pour batter into the prepared tin. Core the remaining half of the apple and cut into thin slices. Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter and bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5) Heat up the lemon juice, ground cinnamon and 1tbsp sugar until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
6) When the cake is cooked through, allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. Use a chopstick or toothpick to create holes on the surface of the cake. While still warm, pour the syrup over the cake and allow to soak in.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cookies

I went to watch Toy Story 3 with a friend last weekend and thought I would make something special (ie something really unhealthy and full of butter and sugar) to share. I remember this recipe from Nigella Express. These cookies are an absolute form indulgence. Really rich and moist and loaded with chocolate richness in every bite. They've got melted dark chocolate, cocoa powder AND dark chocolate chips. So rich it would literally make your stomach sick.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie

125g dark chocolate
150g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100g butter, at room temperature
60g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, cold from the fridge
110g dark chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Melt the 125g dark chocolate in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water.
2) Combine the flour, cocoa, soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
3) Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix together.
4) Beat in the vanilla and cold egg. Then mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
5) Place tablespoonfuls of batter on a lined baking sheet. Do not flatten.
6) Bake for approx. 15 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with batter. The cookies will not set completely as they will harden while cooling.
7) Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.