Christmas Treat

Well it's very frantic of course.  Here's a very easy little recipe I've been giving away this Christmas (I just adore this time of year in spite of the manic ways of it) to teachers and neighbours.  The idea came from Taste.com.au, I simplified an already easy recipe because, yes, I am THAT lazy.

Chocolate Marshmallow Truffles

200g good quality dark chocolate (though for children go for milk chocolate)
80ml (1/3 metric cup) thickened cream
scant 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (a little orange liqueur would work beautifully here too)
1 metric cup measure of mini marshmallows
1/4 metric cup festive sprinkles

Break up the chocolate and put it in a microwave safe bowl such as a generously proportioned Pyrex bowl.  Add the cream and vanilla bean paste, along with the marshmallows.

Microwave on 50% for 1 minute, remove from microwave, give it a good stir about with a silicone spatula.

Return to microwave and zap once more at 50% once again for another minute.

Remove from the microwave and stir now until it all melds almost completely together.  If you are left with one or two slightly un-melted bits of marshmallow, don't worry about it.  As long as it's all mostly melted together after about two minutes of stirring you're home and hosed.  You don't want to overheat your mixture.

Pop this in the fridge and leave for about an hour to firm up.

Put the sprinkles into a small bowl, line a baking sheet with some cling wrap or baking paper.

Scoop out about 2 tsp worth of mixture and roll it in your hands to form a ball.  Place the ball onto the lined paper and make the next ball the same way.  Continue until all the mixture is used up.  Then dunk each ball into the sprinkles.*

Return to the fridge until ready to serve or give away as gifts.

Makes about 20 - 25 little treats

*You may prefer to roll and dunk as you go, I think I find that *I* simply end up more covered in sprinkles thanks to the chocolate sticking to me, so I prefer to keep each stage separate.

Cute and very delicious, I have made these without any vanilla and, as you'd expect from just chocolate, cream and marshmallow they are still good.

I am sorry if this post seems a bit to the point and without personality.  MY life isn't really so hectic, but our three children?  I seem to have something on involving them every day.  We have, however made our very first ever (chocolate) Gingerbread house.  I took a photo of it before I let the children at it with lollies:

I'd like to say the number on the house is my lucky number or something, but I really thought a 7 was the only 'interesting' number I was capable of doing with a piping bag!  So it's not bad right?  For a first attempt?  The recipe was, and I am surprised to say it, not really up to Taste.com.au's usual standard, a few significant errors, but The Lovely Man's skills in technical drawing saved the day!  I added musk flavoured lollies to the windows which made a gorgeous effect I couldn't capture in the photo.

Then, the children were let at it and, wow, can  you recognise it?

My children have chosen to ignore that old adage of 'less is more'!  It is, as the days go by, slowly being 'deconstructed' as passers by have their way.  The inside is half filled with wrapped lollies too.  The joy of Christmas excesses!

If I don't drop in before, I wish all a MERRY and SAFE CHRISTMAS and a healthy and happy NEW YEAR!