​My daughter loves cinnamon rolls, it is probably her favourite thing to eat. So when I came upon this chocolate version in our Eating Around the World Adventure: Ukraine, I knew I had to try this.

This Chocolate Babka is perfect. The dough is soft and delicious, the chocolate ganache gets into every gap. It is truly something you need to make.

This recipe makes two loafs, now don't for a second think, it's too much, it goes very quickly in my house and it keeps quite well. But you could always gift one if you prefer.

Although it is easy to make, you need to give it time to rise, so this is the perfect recipe when you are home on a lazy Sunday, you're cooking, but not too hard.

I used US cupsizes here. 1 US cup = 236ml. 1 US tablespoon is 15ml. But as I've added the gram measurements also, you shouldn't have any problems.

This is easy and is something you just have to try.

​Recipe adapted from natashaskitchen.com/

Makes 2 loaves

3/4 cup warm milk (NOT hot)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 (7g) packet
4 tablespoons (50g) caster sugar, divided
3 1/2 cups (450g) plain flour (+ 1 to 2 Tbsp, if needed)
2 large eggs, room temp
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted, divided (3 tablespoons for batter,
​1 tablespoon to brush tops)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup (25g) caster sugar
1 1/3 cup (225g) dark chocolate chips


Grease and line with baking paper a 11.5cm x 21.5cm (base measurement) loaf pan.
​
In bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sprinkle top evenly with the yeast and let sit for 7 minutes. Whisk in ½ cup flour and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place, at room temperature for 35-45 minutes. It will be puff up.
​
​Whisk in the eggs, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt and vanilla. Using dough hook on speed 2, add the remaining 3 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time, letting it incorporate between additions). Dough should feel barely sticky to the touch but should not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. Add an extra 1-2 Tbsp flour if needed. Once all flour is in, continue kneading on speed 2 for 8-10 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, room temperature for 2 hours. Dough should double in size. ​
​
Meanwhile,  make the chocolate ganache: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the thick cream with 1/4 cup sugar, stirring until dissolved and cream reaches a simmer then remove from heat.

Add chocolate chips to a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over the top, wiggling the bowl around to ensure chocolate chips are covered. Cover the bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove cover and whisk starting from the center and moving outward until a smooth chocolate sauce has formed. Cool completely to room temperature or until sauce has thickened. To speed set, refrigerate ganache for 10 minutes at a time, whisking to check the consistency.
​
​Once dough has risen, divide it in half. Generously dust flour on a clean work surface and place 1 piece of dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep rolling pin from sticking) and roll into an even 30cm wide by 40cm long rectangle. Spread with 1/3 of the room temperature ganache. Roll the dough up tightly starting with the shorter side. Repeat with second piece of dough, now you spread the dough with 1/2 of the remaining ganache.
​
Cover both loaves with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 min. Cut each chilled roll in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, keeping the top 1.5cm of the roll connected. Twist halves together a few times.

Carefully transfer dough to your prepared loaf tins. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp for 1 to 1½ hours or until puffy. 

 Preheat oven to 175C/155C fan forced.

Brush loaves with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and bake at 175C on the center rack for 30 min or until browned. Brush hot loaves with remaining chocolate ganache over the tops.

​Slice. Eat hot or at room temperature.

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​This is delicious. This was amazing in my Latin Style Trifle, truly delicious. But I loved it also on its own, just dusted with ground cinnamon, it was so nice, a perfect custard. A simple, delicate dessert that was just yum. 

Our Eating Around the World Adventure has lead us to some amazing new foods that we would never have tried if we had never started this journey.

This is one of our new discoveries. Now you can say, it's custard, surely you've had custard before, which I have, but it was on the side of pie or with a pudding etc. But by trying out foods from El Salvador, I got to try this custard, which is delicious, in a new trifle and as a stand alone dessert. 

​This is simple and delicious, something you need to try.

​Recipe adapted from deliciouselsalvador.com/

Serves 4-6

2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons cornflour
¾ cup caster sugar
3 cups cold milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
​
In a small bowl beat the egg yolks well and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, off the heat, whisk together the cornflour and sugar. Slowly add in the milk and whisk until smooth.

Place the mixture over a medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens. Once it reaches a boil, take 2 tablespoons of the custard mixture and quickly whisk into the egg yolks; this will temper the egg yolks to avoid them curdling when they come in contact with the boiling custard.

Now, briskly whisk the egg yolks into the custard. Reduce heat to medium low, continue cooking, and constantly whisk for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla and cinnamon, and continue whisking for another 2 minutes to release the steam.​

Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover with cling film, make sure the cling film is touching the surface of the custard to stop the custard from forming a skin, allow to cool, then refrigerate until needed.

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Week 7 of my Eating Around the World adventure took us to El Salvador.

El Salvador is a small central American country. Before this adventure I knew nothing about the food that was eaten there. Now after trying some of their dishes, I have to say, it was quite nice. The food was simple, but really tasty. Many of the dishes below my family would happily eat again, actually I only ever post the ones we loved.

This little adventure of ours has been really exciting, discovering foods we would never have eaten before. My family is loving this. 
​

So here is what I cooked on our little adventure into El Salvador.

​Pupusas 
Salvadoran Guacamole
Ejotes con Huevos-Green Beans and Eggs 
Salvadoran Chicken Stew with Red Capsicums 
Salvadorian Chicken in White Wine 
Semita de Pina
Marquesote-Sponge Cake
Leche Poleada-Vanilla Custard
Latin Style Trifle
Refresco de Ensalada 
Rompope-Eggnog with Cinnamon 
San Salvador 
​

​Pupusas: This is El Salvadors national dish. Now I really liked these, it reminded me of polenta, if it were fried and with a filling.  I have yet to truly master pupusa making, so I will share a link to the recipe, but I found rolling out two circles and joining them together easier than making it in the palm of my hands and enclosing the filling. This is something I would definitely make again. I tried it with a meat filling, but we preferred cheese or beans as a filling.

​Salvadoran Guacamole: I love guacamole, it is just brilliant as a snack, great on toasted bread for breakfast, brunch or lunch. The salvadoran version is not smashed avocado, rather it is gently cubed avocado. The addition of the egg and cheese to it, is what makes it salvadoran. This is a great meal idea, it's simple, fresh and tasty.

Here is the recipe:

Serves 6

3 large ripe avocados
½ cup chopped onion, diced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 hard-boiled egg, thin sliced or crumbled
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
Peel, pit, and chop the avocados into small cubes. Add the onion, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix gently so as to keep the guacamole chunky rather than mashing it.
Garnish the guacamole with the sliced or crumbled hard-boiled egg and sprinkle over the cheese. If using oregano, sprinkle the oregano on top also.
​

​Ejotes con Huevos-Green Beans and Eggs: As we grow beans in our garden, when I came upon this recipe I wanted to try it. Was it the best thing I have ever eaten, no, but was it nice, yes it was. So I will add the recipe here because I will make this again, when I have an abundance of beans. 

Here is the recipe:

​Salvadoran Chicken Stew with Red Capsicums: This was so simple that I originally thought it would not work, but not only did it work we absolutely loved it. Now I served it with cous cous, which is not something you would serve it with in El Salvador, but it worked so well together. The sauce here is more of a broth, than a sauce, this is a great mid week meal, definitely something I will be making again and again.

​Salvadorian Chicken in White Wine: This simple, yet delicious dish is one of our favourites from El Salvador, truly delicious. Served with mashed potato (or cous cous) this was a great mid week meal.

​Semita de Pina: This was actually really nice. Now mine looked nothing like the perfect one from the link, but flavour wise, I really liked it. It is like a bready tart, so slightly sweet bread like dough filled with a delicious pineapple jam. My family enjoyed this, it was great for breakfast or a sweet snack. I would definitely make this again.

​Marquesote-Sponge Cake: This recipe I made when I made my Latin Style trifle. This is probably my first ever truly successful sponge cake. It was an easy recipe to follow and it came out perfect. It is a great cake to use in a trifle as it soaks up the flavours in a trifle, without it falling apart. This cake I will definitely be making again.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup plain flour, sifted
1½ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup caster sugar
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 175C/155C fan forced. Combine the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt, re-sift everything, and set aside.

Grease a 22cm round, or 22cm x 18cm rectangular pan, or an 20cm square pan.

Beat the yolks in a small bowl, with an electric mixer, for about 2 minutes until very light and pale in color. 

After beating, add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix or whisk for 10 seconds. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, clean beaters, until stiff but not dry.

Into the whipped egg whites, gradually fold in ⅓ of the sifted flour mixture, ⅓ of the yolk mixture, and ⅓ of the sugar. Repeat this process until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour evenly into the greased pan. Bake at 175C/155C fan forced for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and the top is golden. Remove immediately and carefully from pan, place on a rack to cool. 

Keep scrolling down for the Lain Style Trifle recipe.
​

​Leche Poleada-Vanilla Custard: This is delicious. This was amazing in my Latin Style Trifle, truly delicious. But I loved it also on its own, just dusted with ground cinnamon, it was so nice, a perfect custard. A simple, delicate dessert that was just yum. 

​Latin Style Trifle: When I first thought about making this dessert I was concerned about all the different flavours that were in this. I mean you have a sponge cake that you combine with a blood orange juice reduction, some rum, a pineapple and mango compote, chocolate ganache, vanilla custard, chantilly cream and toasted coconuts, what was this going to taste like, will it be too much confusion with all those flavours. Well, it was delicious. I could not stop eating this, it is like no other trifle I had ever eaten. I truly loved this, it was different, it was delicious. Now I made this with no party happening, so I ate this for days, it was breakfast, sometimes lunch, then dessert. This is a great party dessert as it is delicious but more importantly, it can be assembled two days in advance. If you want to try something different, give this a go.

​Refresco de Ensalada: Now my kids absolutely loved this drink. I absolutely loved this drink. This is a drink and a fruit salad all in one. I made this on the weekend, this was a drink to sip and enjoy with lunch and then it was a dessert in the form of a fruit salad after lunch. The flavour is so refreshing. I know this will be made again and again.

​Rompope-Eggnog with Cinnamon: I love eggnog. While I was looking for traditional dishes from El Slavador, I came across their version of eggnog which they call Rompope. Now I'm not saying eggnog originates from El Salvador, but this recipe came from someone who lives there and was served this by her grandmother and aunts and it was a family recipe, so that was good enough for me to want to try it. I love it and will be making this again and again and again.

San Salvador: I really liked this drink, it had a tropical feel to it and was refreshing. Not a weak drink, so you can add more orange and lime juice if needed. But I quite liked it at full strength. I love a simple drink.

So El Salvador turned out to be a country with new flavours for us to try, we found some absolutely delicious meals and desserts there. My family loved it and now a little bit of El Salvador will remain in our family for a long long time.

One quote I love from Alicia Maher who many of these recipes came from, is 

"I firmly believe that the time I have spent cooking for the family was well worth it; they love and respect food, as sustenance and art, but more importantly they each carry lasting memories of love, comfort and sharing. Long live traditions and family!!!"

​​​​Now to add another sticker to my world map.

​This is delicious.

Super easy and quick to throw together, this Christmas Cocktail is a great way to start a party.

I use frozen berries to, they work just the same. Also if you can't find raspberry-cranberry juice, just use cranberry juice.

Serve it in a punch bowl or in several jugs, then let your guests enjoy the Christmas Season with this refreshing summer cocktail.

Recipe adapted from Christmas Cocktails Cards

Serves 15+

Ice
500ml Vodka
900ml Lemonade
900ml Raspberry and Cranberry juice
Fresh mixed berries
​
Chill all ingredients in advance.

Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl.

Add fruit.

​Serve over ice.

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​Recipe adapted from ciaoflorentina.com/

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt to taste
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 cups white wine dry
2 bay leaves
Black pepper, to taste
1 lime, halved
1 tablespoon (14g) cold butter
10 sprigs fresh coriander, roughly chopped
​
Take the chicken thighs out of the fridge for 30 minutes, leave them on the counter to come to room temperature while your prepare your other ingredients.

After 30 minutes, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Drizzle them with a little of the olive oil and season them all over with the sea salt, black pepper and paprika.

Heat up a medium frying pan over low heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the sliced onions with a pinch of sea salt and sauté until they start to caramelize all over, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile heat up a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the chicken thighs until golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a plate and keep warm.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine making sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom with a spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer the onions to the pan with the wine, add the bay leaf and return the chicken on top. Cover with a tight lid and simmer gently over very low heat for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes move the lid half way to the side and cook the chicken partially covered for another 15 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to your liking and the chicken falls apart tenderly when stabbed with a fork.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cold butter on top. Cover with the lid and allow the butter to melt into the sauce, to create a smooth silky sauce. Squeeze the juice of half a lime all over the top and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.

Serve hot with extra limes on the side, some mashed potato (or cous cous) or some crusty bread to soak up all that sauce.

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​Recipe adapted from deliciouselsalvador.com

Serves 4-6

5 cups full cream milk
1 ½ cups caster sugar
1 large cinnamon stick
10 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup white rum
Pinch of ground cinnamon


I​n a 3-4 litre saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and cinnamon stick. Place over a medium-low fire, stirring often, heat until it comes to a full boil. Turn off heat and remove the cinnamon stick.

Immediately, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly, add the hot milk, whisking rapidly at the same time, until all the liquid has been incorporated.

Place the mixture back into the pan and return to the stove over very low heat. Stirring frequently, continue cooking, not boiling, for another 5 minutes. Make sure that at this point it does not boil, because it will curdle.

Remove from the stove and let it cool. Add the vanilla and rum and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator overnight and serve in your favorite holiday glass, sprinkle the top with the ground cinnamon.

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​Recently we have been doing an eating around the world adventure, where countries are randomly chosen and we cook food from that country for a week. But for December I decided I wanted to cook from my Christmas cookbooks and this is the first recipe I decided to try.

This duck salad is delicious, it is perfect for the hot December weather we get in Australia. This is a delicious salad for Christmas, it looks festive and the flavours are so fresh and just yum. 

To the original recipe I added on a large bowl of mixed salad leaves that I serve separately, but dress with the same dressing. I serve it separately because I didn't want to put hot noodles on top of fresh salad leaves. I doubled the dressing amounts, so that I could dress the salad also, so if you don't want to serve it with the mixed salad leaves, halve the dressing quantities.

I say 3-4 duck breasts as they are usually sold in packs of 2 so you have to buy 4. I add all 4 in the recipe as we all love duck, and it isn't too much, especially when you add on the salad leaves.

The rice vermicelli noodles come in a pack of 200g, I add all of it, if I want to bulk up the meal. There is enough dressing to cover for the additional noodles.

If you can't find purple shallots, buy french shallots or small red onions.

This is simple, delicious and looks amazing. Give this a try soon.

​Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'CHRISTMAS The Complete Collection'

Serves 6

3-4 duck breasts (about 450g)
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
1/2 cup (125ml) salt reduced soy sauce
1 star anise
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (65g) grated palm sugar
1/2 cup (75g) roasted unsalted cashews
150g dried rice vermicelli noodles
2 lebanese cucumbers (260g)
1 large carrot (180g), cut into matchsticks
2 purple shallots (50g), sliced thinly
1 fresh long red chilli, sliced thinly
1 cup (80g) bean sprouts
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

200g mixed salad leaves 

Lime dressing:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons grated palm sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2/3 cup (160ml) lime juice
1/2 cup (125ml) peanut oil
​
Remove the skin from the duck breasts.

Place the duck breasts, stock, soy sauce and star anise in a medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce the heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool duck in the poaching liquid.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small frying pan; cook duck skin until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towel. Drain fat from pan.
​

Heat a cleaned frying pan over medium heat; cook sugar and nuts, stirring, for 5 minutes or until caramelised. Pour onto a baking paper lined oven tray. Cool.
​

Make the lime dressing: Place all the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar, close lid and shake until the sugar dissolves.
​

Wash salad leaves, place in a serving bowl.
Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, stand until just tender. Drain, place noodles on a serving platter.
​

Halve cucumber lengthways; remove seeds. Cut cucumber into matchsticks. Add cucumber to noodles with carrot, shallots, chilli, bean sprouts and 1/2 cup of the dressing. Toss gently to combine.

Thinly slice the duck and duck skin. Coarsely chop the nuts.

Add herbs to the noodle salad, toss gently to combine.

Dress the mixed salad leaves with just enough dressing to coat the salad.

Serve the noodle salad topped with the duck slices, sprinkle with skin and nuts, drizzle with remaining dressing.

Place the mixed salad leaves and the noodle salad on the table. To serve place some salad leaves on your plate, top with the noodle salad.

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​When I make a mud cake, I usually cut off the top of the cake to make it level before icing it. These truffles are my favourite thing to make with that left over chocolate cake.

This is simple and delicious.

My choice of rum is Croatian rum, but you use whatever rum you love.

Double the recipe if you like.

It is important to finely chop the chocolate or it may not melt quick enough. If this happens, just place the bowl with the chocolate mixture over a saucepan of simmering water, until the chocolate melts and is smooth.

Truffles can also be rolled in sifted dark cocoa powder, if you prefer.

This is a perfect sweet treat to take to a party and they can be made a week in advance, just keep them refrigerated until needed.

Recipe adapted from The Essential Christmas Cookbook

Makes about 25

200g dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
30g unsalted butter
150g chocolate cake crumbs
2 teaspoons dark rum, brandy or whisky
1/2-1 cup chocolate sprinkles

Line a baking tray with foil.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter melts and the mixture is just boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
​
Stir in the cake crumbs and rum. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until firm enough to roll into balls. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls.
​

Spread the chocolate sprinkles on a sheet of baking paper, or pour into a small bowl. Roll each truffle in sprinkles then place on your baking tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.

​Serve in small paper patty cups, if desired.

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​My daughter absolutely loves gingerbread. She loves Christmas time, because she gets to indulge in gingerbread. I love it to, as she joins me in the kitchen and together we make gingerbread men, houses, nativity scenes, bells, angels or this year it was this star tree.

This was quite easy to make, I did it with my special cookie cutter set. The brand was Soffritto, it is a 10 piece star tree cookie cutter set. But in all honesty my 11 year old son just got this little Christmas tree below as a gift from a school friend and they would equally look gorgeous as mini trees, if you don't want to go out and buy this large set.

​Makes 1 tree plus a few Gingerbread men or Reindeers

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar 
250ml (1 cup) golden syrup
2 egg yolks
750g (5 cups) plain flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
​plain flour, for dusting, if needed

150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted

Icing:
185g pure icing sugar, sifted
​25-30ml boiling water​
​
Place butter and brown sugar in a large bowl, using an electric beater, beat until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolks and beat until combined. 

Stir in flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda.

Place on a clean bench lightly dusted with plain flour, if needed, if the dough is too sticky, and knead until smooth. Divide the dough in half, press dough into 2 discs. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
​
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

​Line a baking tray with baking paper.
​

Place one dough disc between two sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with second dough disc. Once the dough is cold, use a cutter to cut out the shapes, you will need two of each cutter for the large tree. Lift away the excess and place paper with gingerbread shapes directly on trays. Keep excess dough. Repeat cutting out shapes with second batch of dough.

Combine all excess dough, re roll between two sheets of baking paper, get it cold and repeat until you have enough stars, then you can make any shapes with excess dough.

Bake the gingerbread for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

​Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully, I use a large egg flip, to transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.


To make the icing: sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl. Gradually add the boiling water and mix until smooth. The icing should be a coating consistency. If it is too thick add a little more water. 

Place prepared icing in a small piping bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe icing over the cookies to decorate. 

For the tree, place the largest star down on a serving plate. Top with another of the same size star but turn it so the points are not alligned. Place the next largest star with the points alligned with the first star, then the next same sized star with the points alligned with the second star placed down. Repeat with all stars, except the two smallest stars.

The two small stars get iced together and decorated to form the star on top of the tree. Just make sure to place the top icing on just before you add the 'star' on top of the tree as it will 'glue' it in place.

Dust with sifted icing sugar.

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