Boobie Bickies (Lactation Cookies)

Boobie bickies really helped with my supply when I had a sick newborn and could only express, which wasn’t great for my hormone production (oxytocin and prolactin). Eating foods that are galactagogues can increase milk production. At any rate, they are packed full of goodness and they are delicious.

This recipe will make about a bazillion biscuits, but other people will probably eat them too, so I bake  mine in one go (but I have seven people in my household). If you can’t eat 60-odd at once, the dough will freeze. I recommend making it into balls first, so you can bake them as you want more – let the dough balls thaw on your baking tray for a bit before you put them in the oven. They may also need slightly more cooking time – use your baking judgement.

Having two to three of these a day (if you can stop at three) should help boost your supply – the linseed in the LSA, the oats and the yeast are the active ingredients.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons LSA meal (I get mine in the organic/wholefoods section at Woollies)
225g  butter (or margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 heaped tablespoons of brewers yeast (you can get this at most health food shops – you want the powdered kind)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
1 cup or more chocolate chips (I use the dark chocolate Nestle Melts, because I prefer buttons not chips – but you know what you like).

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Mix together the LSA and water in a small bowl and set it aside for three to five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well each time.
5. Stir the LSA mixture and add it and the vanilla to your mixing bowl, mixing to combine.
6. Sift the flour, baking soda, yeast and salt into your bowl and mix through.
7. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
8. Using two spoons, place dough balls on a lined baking tray (mine are usually about 50c piece-sized, and if I’m using melts, I try to make sure each biscuit has one choc button in it. If I run out of chocolate before I run out of dough, I add extra).
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how good your oven is.

Brownies

125g butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup (or one packet for extra chocolatey-ness) choc chips
2 eggs
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Mix brown sugar into melted butter, add vanilla and choc chips (you want them to melt a little bit through the heat of the butter). Put the eggs in and beat on top of the mixture, before mixing them in.

Sift dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl – stir to combine.

Add wet ingredients – mix until everything is wet.

Scoop mixture into a lined 20cm square pan and bake for 20-25 mins.

Enjoy!

Chocolate, caramel & peanut slice

This is a fabulous slice! Really, really yummy. A great way to win friends and influence people 😛

Preparation Time

30 minutes

Cooking Time

40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 16 – or more! You only need a small piece)

• Melted butter, to grease
• 190g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
• 70g (1/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 120g butter, melted

• Caramel filling

• 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
• 70g (1/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 60g butter

• Chocolate & peanut topping

• 150g (1 cup) unsalted roasted peanuts
• 300g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped
• 80ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 13 x 30cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. To make the biscuit base, combine the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly over the base. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven.
3. Meanwhile: to make the caramel filling, combine the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 8 minutes or until caramel thickens (do not boil).
4. Pour the hot caramel over the biscuit base. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until caramel begins to bubble. Remove from oven and set aside for 1 hour to cool slightly.
5. To make the chocolate & peanut topping: sprinkle the caramel evenly with peanuts. Place the chocolate and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir with a metal spoon for 3-4 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over the peanuts and use a round-bladed knife to smooth the surface. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set.

Don’t eat it all at once!

Chocolate mousse fridge cake

This cake is awesome. Rich, delectable, a conversation starter. Just make sure you have lots of friends around to help you eat it!

Ingredients

• 165g packet Maltesers, crushed
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 200ml thickened cream, whipped
• 2 x 220g packets Triple Choc Cottage Cookies
• 1/3 cup coffee liqueur

• 1/3 cup coffee

• Chocolate mousse

• 300g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup thickened cream, whipped

Method

1. Make chocolate mousse. Heat chocolate however you like until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar together on high speed for 5 minutes or until pale and thick. Stir in cooled chocolate. Fold in cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Maltesers. Fold together mascarpone, cream and remaining Maltesers. Remove the base of a 22cm (base) springform cake pan. Place side of springform pan on a serving plate (to use as a mould). Line pan side with baking paper. Combine liqueur and coffee in a small bowl. Dip biscuits, 1 at a time, into liqueur mixture, allowing excess to drain. Place biscuits, in a single layer, in mould to cover the base. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over biscuits to cover. Top with 1 layer of biscuits dipped in liqueur.
3. Spoon mousse over biscuits to cover. Top with 1 layer of biscuits dipped in liqueur mixture. Carefully spread remaining mascarpone mixture over biscuits. Sprinkle with reserved Maltesers. Cover. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, if time permits. Serve.

Banana Bread

Excellent toasted or fresh, this banana bread never lasts long!

Ingredients
265g (1 3/4 cups) self-raising flour
40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
3-4 tsp ground cinnamon (to taste)
140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) skim milk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
50g butter, melted, cooled
3 overripe medium bananas, mashed

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 11 x 21cm loaf pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.
3. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Notes
You can add almost anything to this bread – dried apricots work really well.
This banana bread will keep in an airtight container out of direct sunlight for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 1 month. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw.

Best Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Everyone has a never-fail recipe or two – this is one of mine. Note that measurements are metric.

Ingredients
125g butter
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg lightly beaten (just crack it in and beat it on top of the peanut butter mixture – saves an extra bowl)
3/4 cup S R flour
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup choc bits

Method
1. Preheat over to 180 degrees. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Combine butter and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes or until melted and well combined. Transfer to large bowl and cool 5 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar and egg. Mix well. Add combined sifted flours, oats and choc bits. Mix well to combine. Roll tablespoon of mixture into a ball.
4. Place onto prepared trays and flatten slightly with a spatula. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.
5. Stand 5 minutes on baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 24 biscuits.

Khat’s Tips:
Make sure your oven is the right temperature.
Keep an eye on the time – these are good underdone, great properly done, and I am unhappy if I overcook them. They will come out soft, and firm up as they cool.
It’s easy to double/triple/quadruple this recipe – just make sure you have a big enough bowl!
When you “cook” the butter and peanut butter, it will try to stick to the bottom of the saucepan if the heat is too high. Slower is better, or you get burnt peanut flavour.
Putting the brown sugar in the pb/butter mixture will help it cool down.
Adding extra choc chips is good, but can make rolling the dough into balls tricky. Weigh up fiddly vs delicious arguments for yourself.
I like squashing them with a fork, cos it makes the bickies stripey, but it is up to you 😛