Nutella Scrolls

Ok, so not Slow Cooker made, but they can be. If you want to give it a go, I see plenty of people cooking scrolls in their slow cookers, so go for it! But this recipe will be for the oven. Why? I cook scrolls regularly, and this is how I know they turn out WELL! 

These are fantastic for lunch boxes, heated up with a cup of tea for afternoon tea, and yes, you can freeze them! 

So here it is.....

Nutella Scrolls

2 1/4 cups Self Raising Flour

1 Tbs Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

60g Chilled Butter finely chopped

2/3 cup Milk 

1 Egg

1 cup Nutella warmed (more if you want!!)

Preheat your oven to 200 or 180 for fan forced & line a slice/lamington/biscuit style tray with Baking Paper. 

Sift flour into a large bowl and mix in caster sugar. Add chilled butter and rub together with your hands until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the middle of mix.

In a separate bowl combine milk, egg and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients.

Mix until it forms a sticky batter. Roll batter out onto floured board and kneed for a few minutes. Roll into a rectangle approx 30x40cm, 1-2cm thick.

Warm Nutella in the microwave for about 30 seconds and spread evenly over the top of the dough. Roll tightly along long edge. Use milk to seal the outer edge if needed, and using a serrated knife, cut roll into 12 equal slices.

Place slices, on their side on the tray, brush lightly with milk, and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins. 

Do not over cook these or they will be dry. Just until the are lightly browned is plenty.

I highly recommend eating them warm out of the oven with a cup of tea!!!!

Slow Cooked Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Here it is! The dessert recipe I have been raving about for days! 

This sticky date pudding is sweet, but not too sweet, sticky, as it should be, and just delicious with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Is it healthy? Nope, not even a little! Just because there are dates in it, does not mean its healthy! What it is is preservative free, additive free. All fresh ingredients, you know whats in it, so that has to be better than a frozen store bought pudding. Yep, even better than good old Sara Lee!!

Credit where credit is due, a big thanks to Paulene at Slow Cooker Recipes 4 Families for this amazing recipe!!! 

Slow Cooked Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

1 litre Boiling Water

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

75 grams diced butter

Pudding

2 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tso baking soda (bicarb soda)

2-3 tsp mixed spice (I used cinnamon as that was all we had!)

1 1/2 cups dates

boiling water

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

50 grams melted butter

Turn slow cooker onto low to preheat

Sauce

Mix water, sugar and butter together until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted.

Pour into preheated slow cooker and cover

Pudding

Put dates into heat proof container and cover with boiling water to soften.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices into a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and make a well in the centre.

Mash or blend dates with water. I used the rocket blender for a nice smooth consistency. Pour into flour, then add milk. Mix well, making sure there are no flour lumps. Once combined stir in butter.

Spoon batter carefully and evenly over sauce in slow cooker and cover with a lid. 

Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce to low and cook for a further 3-4 hours.

Do not lift the lid for the first 2 hours of cooking.

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream!!

Enjoy :) 

Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy

I had this lovely Beef Topside Roast, and had no idea what to do with it.

I have never really been a roast cooker. I always found it intimidating, and my Mum was such great cook and roast was her specialty. So I avoided them. I let Muddled Hubby cook them from time to time, and he is a great cook too, but not me.

I decided to tackle this head on. Take my Slow Cooker Challenge to the next level and do a Slow Cooked Roast.

I started exploring for a recipe I knew the family would like. I searched my favourite Facebook pages, my favourite websites, then more widely, google. Nothing. Nothing jumped out at me and said "THIS is your recipe". So I decided since I was tackling a roast, I may as well tackle the idea of creating my own recipe!

I know, from past casseroles and meals that red wine and mushrooms make a good base, so, without further rambling on my part, here is my VERY FIRST own recipe creation!!

Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Mushroom and Red Wine

Topside Roast around 1.2kg 

1 cup beef stock (I made my stock stronger than normal, using 1 1/2 times the amount of stock powder for a stronger flavour)

1/4-1/2 cup Red Wine. (I used 1/2 cup and found it a little too much, but its a personal thing!)

1 tin crushed tomatoes

1 brown onion sliced into rings

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp coriander

2-3 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp basil

1 tsp paprika

2/3 cup mushrooms

Sauce 

1/2 the juices in the slow cooker

4 heaped tsp of beef gravy powder

2 tbs corn flour

Line base of slow cooker with onion rings and place roast on top.

Coat with spices. You could add more or less, depending on how strong you like your flavours to be.

Add crushed tomatoes, red wine and the beef stock.

Cook on high for 3 hours. Turn meat over and cook for a further 2 hours on high. 

Remove approx 1/2 the liquid in the cooker. The liquid will increase during cooking time due to the moisture in the slow cooker. Once liquid is removed, add mushrooms and cook for a further hour.

Remove meat and allow to rest while making gravy

Using remaining juices in the slow cooker, add gravy powder and corn flour and whisk until thick and creamy. Add more corn flour if needed.

Serve with oven roasted vegetables.

Hopefully your family enjoys as much as mine did!