Who doesn’t love a Spotty Cookie?!

Seriously.

And now you’ve got a recipe that is SO simple and SO yummy, you’ve genuinely got no excuse not to whip up a batch!

That said, I used to make this recipe ALL THE TIME years and years and lifetimes ago…. but it’s been ages and I don’t know why!

Looking at the pictures you’ll see that I made some with 3 spots and some with 5, I also used a very heaped tablespoon to measure out the cookie dough portion….

Feedback to myself on this batch would be to make the cookies half the size i.e. a flat teaspoons worth of dough, and top with 3 spots only. They’ll seem small but they grow in the oven and due to the short-bready nature of this dough, I think they definitely work better as a ‘mouthful’ style cookie as opposed to a tennis ball sized one!

No electric mixer is required and the recipe only calls for a handful of ingredients so……

GET BAKING!

Kali Orexi,

Phoodie

INGREDIENTS – Make approx 70 small cookies

200g butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla essence

2 eggs

3 cup self-raising flour

Lotsa M and Ms!!!

METHOD

1) Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel.

2) Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and the lightly-beaten egg in a bowl.

3) Sift the four on top of the mixture and mix together well.

4) Cover the bowl and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

5) Take a small amount of dough (about a level teaspoons worth) and roll it into a ball. Flatten gently and top with 3 M and Ms.

NOTE (In the pictures I used too much dough per cookie, definitely make them smaller than that!)

6) Place each cookie onto a baking paper lined tray, an inch apart and when tray is full, bake in oven for 12 mins / until cookies are lightly golden.

7) Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

These cookies store for up to a week in an air-tight container.

Scones with cream and jam…

Or is it jam then cream?

Yes, yes, it’s definitely jam first then cream on top! How do you even DO it the other way around!?

I’d love to know how YOU serve your puffy, fluffy little buns of fun!

This recipe has been in my family forever and a day, it’s one of the very first things I ever remember making with my grandmother in the early 80s.

SO happy to share it with you and even happier to be able to tell you that YOU CANNOT STUFF THIS RECIPE UP!

I mean there are ways to make it “not as good” as it could be and so on, but if you follow these steps, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. you will end up with delicious, fluffy scones!

Let me know if you make them, tag me on social! Click HERE to find me on FACEBOOK and click HERE to find me on INSTAGRAM!

Kali Orexi,

Phoodie

Ingredients (makes approx. 15)

4 cups self raising flour

300 ml thickened cream

375 ml can lemonade (I used bottled in the photos below, just because thats what I had)

Jam and Cream to serve (I used homemade raspberry jam – thank you lovely Fan!)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 deg cel. 

1) Sift the flour into a large bow.

2) Pour in the tub of cream, followed by the can of lemonade.

3) Use a butter knife to mix your scones,. Cut through the dough as opposed to stirring it. This makes for lighter, fluffier scones, DONT over mix!

4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins.

5) Feel free to sprinkle some self raising flour as needed if the dough is too sticky.

5) Use a drinking glass to cut rounds and place them onto a baking paper lined tray, closely together!

6) Bake for 13-15 mins, you want tops to be golden brown and scones to have risen.

SERVE IMMEDIATELY with freshly whipped cream or double cream and jam!

Comfort food is THE BEST.

Don’t get me wrong, I DEFINITELY love eating all year round, but there’s something about a hot meal on a really cold day that is HEAVEN.

This recipe comes to me via a really close friend, Kasey. I still remember the first time Kasey made it for me…. I’ve since made it for my family many times and now I bring it to you.

These are not vegetarian but could easily be adapted to be so.

Happy Cooking!

Kali Orexi,

Phoodie

INGREDIENTS

9 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups tomato passata

1 cup water
4 eggplants
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
400g beef mince
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
200g Feta, roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped

topping before baking

1/2 cup breadcrubs

1/4 cup parmesan

METHOD

1) Preheat the oven to 180 deg. cel

2) Place one crushed garlic clove and 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tomato passata and the cup of water. Add salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

3) Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Cut the stalk off each eggplant and then cut it in half lengthways. Scoop the flesh out with a large spoon leaving just the thin shell. Chop up the flesh and set it aside.

4) Boil the eggplant skins for about 8-10 minutes in the water. Once they are soft, but still have their shape, drain.

5) Heat 5 tablespoons of oil with the other crushed clove of garlic in a large frying pan. Add the chopped eggplant flesh, celery and paprika and cook over medium heat until it is softened and lightly golden.

6) Add the meat, stir through, and keep cooking for 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and continue to cook for a few more mins. Mix in a cup of the cooked tomato sauce, cook for a few minutes more and then remove from the heat to cool slightly.

7) Mix in the parmesan, feta, and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

8) Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce (saving a few tablespoons) into the base of a large baking dish. Place the eggplant shells side by side on top of the sauce. Fill them with the eggplant, cheese and meat filling. Spoon some tomato sauce over the tops of the eggplants and then sprinkle with parmesan and breadcrumbs.

9) Cook in the oven for approximately 40 – 50 minutes. You want the sauce to be bubbling and for a golden crust to form on the corners of the dish.

Note: These are delicious served hot or room temperature.

You’re either a Truffle fan or you’re not.

I am.

I REALLY am.

If you’re not, then this recipe is definitely not for you! This one is ALL ABOUT THE TRUFFLE.

After eating ‘Truffle Mac and Cheese’ at a couple of different places in Dubai (back in March), I was inspired to come home and create a PHOODIE version.

I’m not gonna lie, this recipe is on the more expensive side to make, but that said, it is not designed to be eaten as a main dish but rather as a side to a BBQ or Roast meal.

It’s so rich, that one scoop definitely hits the spot!

It can be served two ways; fresh out of the pot with a sprinkling of parmesan on top or baked in the oven with breadcrumbs and parmesan topping. Try it both ways and see what you prefer :)

If you make it, let me know and send me a snap! (@phoodiegram on Instagram; www.facebook.com/phoodieblog on Facebook)

Kali Orexi,

Phoodie

Ingredients

[Makes 2 x (25 x 25cm) square dishes / serves 10 as a side]

500g dry pasta (I used Maccheroni but you can use anything! Elbows, bow tie, penne, rigatoni etc)

3 heaped tablespoons butter

3 heaped tablespoons plain flour

800 ml full cream milk

salt and pepper to taste

200g Truffle Brie (I use La Maison de la Truffle’s Brie with Black and White truffle but you can use any type)

200g Cheddar with Truffle

1 cup breadcrumbs (I use garlic and parmesan crumbs, store bought, but you can use any type)

1 cup finely grated parmesan

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2) Cook the pasta as per packet instructions, drain, stir through a teaspoon of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together and set aside.

3) Melt the butter in a pan and then add the flour, whisking together over medium heat. This is known as a ‘roux’. Once the flour is cooked out, (i.e. after about 3 minutes) slowly add the milk, whilst continually whisking out the lumps. Don’t stop whisking, keep whisking! You will notice your white sauce starts to thicken.

4) Add the brie, whisk until it melts. This will take up to five minutes or so. Once melted, add the cheddar, again, whisking until melted through. Taste and then add salt and pepper accordingly.

5) Fold the white cheese sauce through the pasta and then transfer to one large or two smaller baking paper lined dishes.

6) Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan and then place into oven for about 45 minutes or until the top of the mac and cheese becomes dark golden.

7) Remove from oven and serve immediately.

note: In step 5 above, after you have folded the pasta through the sauce, instead of placing it into baking dishes, you can scoop it out and serve it immediately with just some fresh parmesan sprinkled on top.

I was on Instagram some time last month clicking the ‘like’ button on several delicious photos whilst I ‘watched’ my kids play soccer… You know, just a regular Friday afternoon…

A couple of weeks later I was SO excited to see that the folks from Dr Oetker had emailed me, noting that I had ‘liked’ several of their instagram snaps and wanting to know if I would be keen to work with them.

The backstory to this is that my in-laws have been Dr Oetker fans for a very, very long time. They were the ones who introduced me and my family to Dr Oetker’s deliciously thin and crispy pizzas. I have in turn introduced pretty much everyone I know (and potentially those I don’t know, when I see them lurking in the frozen food aisle unable to decide on dinner!) to this taste sensation.

It’s always good when a product or brand that you genuinely love and already purchase becomes someone who wants to work with you, because talking or writing about it is so easy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dr Oetker pizzas and I am thrilled to say that their brand new Chocolate Dessert Pizza is now on the love list too! This is the first time Aussies have been able to enjoy a frozen chocolate pizza!

To enjoy it, you simply take it out of the freezer, remove the packaging, bang it straight on the rack and cook it in the oven for 10 or so minutes. That’s it! Straight from freezer to oven and ready in a jiffy! This makes it the perfect treat to always have on hand in the freezer for unexpected guests, and let’s face it, unexpected sweet cravings…. Or expected sweet cravings!

Having never had a sweet pizza before I can tell you that I wasn’t sure what the outcome was going to be. I was surprised to learn that I LOVED this chocolate pizza just as much as I adore all of it’s savoury cousins! Smooth, warm, melted chocolate, on a thin, sweet and crispy base, it’s jam-packed with flavour! What’s not to love!?

Available nationally and online from Woolworths.

About Dr. Oetker

Dr. Oetker has revolutionised the quality of frozen pizza, with the Nielsen Scan & Homescan MAT released in April 2016 revealing Dr. Oetker Ristorante is Australia’s number one frozen pizza brand. Before Ristorante launched in 2010 the frozen pizza category was dormant for 40 years and seen as low quality. Ristorante has started to change consumer expectations by delivering an authentic pizzeria taste and we will continue to do so by launching new exciting flavours.

Originally a baking brand from Germany and a family run business dating back nearly 130 years, Dr. Oetker came onto the Australian market in 2010. Over generations, for the consumer, the Dr. Oetker brand has been a sign of outstanding taste, the highest quality and a guarantee of perfect results every time – re-enforcing consumer choice. The brand always meets consumer expectations and prides itself in meeting ever changing consumer needs with new and innovative products.

My beautiful cousin, Ria, is the queen of lemon potatoes in our family. The absolute KWEEN.

This recipe is based on hers.

NOTE: When taking these snaps I was in a bit of a rush and did not lay the potatoes out in a single layer. If you want them all to have that gorgeous golden colour you MUST do as Ria says and bake them in a SINGLE LAYER.

ANOTHER NOTE: This is a very ‘touchy feely’ recipe…. you’ll notice that there are not really exact measurements and that’s because you need to make them a few times to see what suits your tastes. Do you like them super lemony, do you want the oregano to shine through? How much salt is too much salt!? Get what I’m saying….? Use the photos as a guide but also have faith in yourself and cook with your instinct! This is not like baking a cake! There is no right or wrong, you basically CANNOT stuff these up unless you burn them into a BLACK CHARCOAL MESS or undercook them to be ROCK SOLID RAW and WHITE!

Kali Orexi!

INGREDIENTS (to fill a 45cm diameter round baking dish)

12 medium sized Waxy Pink-Skinned Potatoes, washed, peeled and quartered length-ways

Juice of 8 Lemons

Generous covering of Salt

Pepper

Generous covering of Oregano

Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Water in the dish up until peaks of potatoes are sticking out (the dish should have total about 1cm liquid in it i.e. juice and water should combine to equal 1cm liquid in the pan)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 deg cel.

1) Wash and peel your potatoes.

2) Cut them in half lengthways, and then in half lengthways again. Place them in a large bowl of water to prevent them discolouring.

3) Squeeze the juice of the lemons directly into your baking tray.

4) Place the potatoes in your baking dish, coat them in lemon juice and roughly spread them out.

5) Generously salt all potatoes, generously sprinkle the oregano and add a few good cracks of pepper. Mix the potatoes around with your hands so that they are well coated in the seasoning and then lay them out in one flat layer, tightly packed together but not overlapping, with peaks sticking up.

6) Drizzle the potatoes with EVOO. Top the baking tray up with tap water so the liquid height in the pan is approx 1cm.

7) Place the dish in the oven for approximately 80 mins or until potatoes are golden brown.

8) Turn the oven up to 200 deg cel and for the another (final) 15 or so minutes roast the potatoes until they are dark golden brown.

Serve immediately – ENJOY!

I am always the girl that goes for the Chocolatey, Nutty, Caramely option on a dessert menu…

You know, as opposed to the Vanilla, Fruit, Yoghurt, one….

BUT.

When it comes to passionfruit, I am a real sucker.

I cannot pass up the opportunity to devour ANYTHING that involves passionfruit… Cheesecake, Muffins, Ice cream and of course BISCUITS, such as these OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS Melting Moments.

Gimme. Gimme. Gimme.

My sister in law makes a delicious version of these with a lemon buttercream and I’ve also done them a few times with a vanilla buttercream and a scraping of strawberry jam too! They’re all amazing.

So…. what are you waiting for!? GET COOKING!

Oh, and let me know if you make them! Send me a snap on Insta or Facebook.

Kali Orexi,

Phoodie

INGREDIENTS

Makes 8 Large Melting Moment Sandwiches (16 single biscuits) or 16 Small ones (32 single biscuits)

Biscuits

• 175g salted butter, softened
• ¼ cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• ¼ cup cornflour, sifted

Passionfruit Filling

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1.5 passionfruit – juice and pulp
• 60g salted butter, softened

METHOD

1) Preheat oven to 180 deg celsius.

2) Using an electric mixer, mix the butter, icing sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 8 minutes. You want this to cream up nicely and become pale in colour.

3) Turn the mixer off and sift in the flour and cornflour. Turn the mixer back on to medium and mix until dough forms. Approx 10 more mins.

4) To make the larger sized biscuits, roll heaped tablespoons of dough into balls and place 3cm apart on a baking tray. Before baking, flatten each ball with a fork.

5) Bake biscuits for approx 10 mins until lightly golden edges appear. Remove from oven and cool on cooling rack.

6) To make the filling, place all ingredients into the cleaned electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Approximately 8 minutes.

7) Generously spoon buttercream filling onto the cooled biscuits, one at a time and top off with another biscuit as a lid.

Store nicely for 3 days in an airtight container.

My sister in law Jackie has been making this delicious creation for YEARS, and I challenge you to find a more delicious recipe!

Ingredients (Makes a 20cm x 20cm slice)

For base

1 cup plain flour, sifted

½ cup coconut, desiccated

125g salted butter, melted

½ cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

For filling

125g salted butter, chopped

2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup golden syrup

For topping

200g milk chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Place the flour, coconut, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Press the mixture into the base of a baking paper lined 20cm x 20cm tin.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until dark golden in colour.
5. It’s now time to make the caramel filling. In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup together.
6. Whisk continuously for 6 minutes until the mixture has thickened, making sure to scrape the sides and base of the pan with a spatula during this time.
7. The base will now be cooked, so pour the caramel over it evenly and cook for 25 minutes until dark golden in colour.
8. Place cooked base with caramel filling into the fridge until cold.
9. Once chilled, make the chocolate topping. Melt the chocolate in a microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between. Once melted, add the oil and stir.
10. Top the slice with the chocolate mixture using a spatula to spread.
11. Place slice into the fridge for at least an hour before removing and slicing with a sharp chef’s knife.

Everyone knows I love Donna Hay’s recipes.

Here’s another cracker that I make regularly for my family that I thought I should share with you all.

It’s so simple and fast to make, and is just as delicious warm as it is at room temp the next day.

Serve with a simple garden or rocket salad and enjoy!

Kali Orexi!

Phoodie

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE FROM DONNA HAY

This delightful recipe comes from one of my fave cooks ever, Donna Hay.

What I love about DH is that her recipes are always simple, accessible and DELICIOUS. I’d like to think that mine are too!

On another note, Onions for President, I say.

And if you agree, then you will weep and howl into the moonlight from pure joy when you try these!

Serve as a side at a BBQ or with a roast dinner. And tuck into the leftovers (like I did!) the next day!

INGREDIENTS

• 6 brown onions, peeled and halved
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup (50g) finely grated mozzarella
• 1/2 cup (60g) finely grated Gruyère

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°C.

• Place the onions, cut-side up, in a greased baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

• Uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.

• Combine the cream, thyme, mustard and cheeses and spoon over the onions. Bake for a further 15–20 minutes or until the onions are golden.