Recipes and Day 5

As often happens at this time of year we seem to have been 'cooking up a storm'!!!! I thought I'd share a few recipes in case anyone else wants some inspiration. Tonight the plan is to make the first batch of shortbread for this festive season and some rocky road.

This morning we made Banana Muffins with peanut butter cream cheese icing- Yum!!!

On Saturday night we took a chocolate Tiramisu dessert out for dinner - Easy and Yum!

Day 5 and we received our first Christmas card in the mail......oops I better get going!

BANANA MUFFINS WITH PEANUT BUTTER ICING
375g SR flour (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g dark brown sugar (1 cup firmly packed)
2 eggs
400g mashed banana
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
200ml canola oil
125ml milk (1/2 cup)
250g cream cheese (spreadable)
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
45g pure icing sugar (1/4 cup)
dried banana chips to decorate (we didn't have these but I will get them next time)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg, banana, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil and milk. Stir until just combined. Divide the mixture into muffin cases. Bake for 20 mins or until golden.
Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and icing sugar in a bowl for 4 minutes or until pale and creamy. Spread icing over muffins and top with banana chips.

CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU
3/4 cup espresso or strong plunger coffee
2/3 cup Marsala ( I used Kahlua but think Baileys would be nice too)
250g packet Italian sponge finger biscuits
75g dark chocolate , coarsely grated
300ml thickened cream
1/4 cup icing sugar , sifted
2 cups (500g) mascarpone cheese
1 tblsp Marsala extra
Grated chocolate to garnish
Combine coffee and 2/3 cup Marsala and cool. Dip both sides of half the biscuits in coffee mixture.
Line an 8 cup dish or loaf pan with baking paper and foil. (I used a glass bowl and just adjusted the layers accordingly, I didn't line it and served it in it).
Place soaked biscuits in a single layer over base of dish. Sprinkle generously with half the grated chocolate.
Beat the cream and icicng sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in mascarpone and one tablespoon of Marsala. Spread half the cream mixture over biscuits in dish. Dip remaining biscuits in coffee mixture, place over cream layer. Top biscuits with remaining grated chocolate and remaining cream mixture.
Cover, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Decorate with grated chocolate before serving.