Sunday baking project - Chocolate and Caramel self-saucing pudding - READER RECIPE

Hello everyone!

I'm in possibly the happiest bloggy mood ever.  Despite poor blogger's problems (I feel so sorry for those guys!) it's really been a great week for me at Frills.  I've had a pudding fixation this week - and if you follow Frills on facebook I'm apologising right now for probably sending you looking for the number for Jenny Craig...

But this pudding mood had a major pay-off.  When I called out for pudding inspiration, Melanie let me know she had a fab recipe, that another facebooker, Lorri that she 'met' on Frills Facebook gave to her.  She would pass it on with Lorri's permission.

That in itself totally made my day, and my week.  I know it might seem silly but as much as I'm proud of my blog, which is really an extension of me being proud of my frills and my sharing love of food, photography and writing - the feeling of community I feel with you guys, the readers whether it be a comment on a post, or a tweet or a 'like' 'share' or comment on facebook, nothing beats it.  I am proud I've bought together such a great bunch of people who all have something in common - whatever that is !

To top it off we reached the magical milestone of 1,000 likers on Facebook this week - a goal I set myself for 12 months... we reached it in seven!!  Thank you!

You have inspired me.  In more ways than you know, and many ways you will find out in the coming weeks and months!

OK, now on with the recipe!!

This one is a-maze-ING people! It's a tad on the rich side and I think it does need icecream or cream to cut through the richness but the great news is - you only need a little bit... and you can share it with lots of people... or no one at all - I won't tell!

Ingredients:

220g block Carmello chocolate

1 1/2 cups SR flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup caster sugar

125g butter, melted

1 cup milk

1/2 brown sugar

1 3/4 cups boiling water

Optional: Raspberries, icing sugar mixture & vanilla ice-cream to serve

Method:

Break up your caramello bar into pieces and put in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 3cm deep, 19cm x 30cm base lamington pan or medium casserole dish.

Sift flour and 2 tablespoons of cocoa into a bowl. Add caster sugar, butter and milk.

Whisk until smooth and combine - this only takes a minute or so. Spread mixture into prepared pan.

 Press broken chocolate squares into mixture - this makes sure there's an even consistency of choc-caramelly goodness.

Sprinkle brown sugar and remaining cocoa over the top.

Over the back of a large spoon, cover with boiling water.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is set. 

Thank goodness my friend Kirsty kept harassing suggesting to me to start a Frills Facebook page, because if she hadn't , we wouldn't have this recipe!!

Lorri and Melanie as a token of appreciation, I'm giving you both a copy of Donna Hay's BRAND book 'A Cook's Guide' each - please email me your addresses for being such wonderful sharers! xx

Sayonara 2010 - what a year you have been!

And I mean that - what a big year! Not just for me on a personal level but on this blog.

This little place I call my 'online home' has had a huge year too - with some of the recipes appearing over at Kidspot along with some others I did along the way (birthday cakes/food the prime-minister grew up on) and of course the Christmas on the Cheap Series.  I also did a few editorials over there with the very popular Meal Planning Prowess probably a standout amongst those - the Kidspot Team are very encouraging and just lovely people - which I guess the world has worked out too because their Kidspot Social has grown enormously over this year too.

I've contributed to Kleenex Mum's blog, their Mum's the word eBook and recently the KleenexMums Guide to Giving eBook.  Stay tuned because I'll be doing more work with KleenexMums in the new year (hint hint, go and subscribe!)

Frills has had some wonderful guest posters this year and I've also guest posted elsewhere - it's fun to do that sometimes!  I'm excited to share that there will be at least one regular guest poster next year which I know you'll LOVE. I was also very lucky to be asked to be a contributor over at Make it from Scratch, Sydney Film Festival and Sydney Children's Festival this year which was LOADS of fun.

The highlight of my bloggy and personal life was something you guys had a lot to do with - and was winning the 2010 Kidspot's Top 50 Blogger and my family will holiday in Dunk Island!  We'll be taking this in early June and I can't wait!!

I almost forgot the launch the Facebook page which is where I like to connect with so many readers every day and the newsletter which I'm getting the hang of - I love learning new things.

2010 is also when we started giving away subscriptions monthly to Super Food Ideas - and on new years day I'll be announcing TWO people who have won subscriptions - there's still time to be in the running for that one!   Do you know we had 17 giveaways this year? Wow!


254 RECIPE POSTS THIS YEAR!!! 254!!

I'm hoping to make-over my blog a little in 2011 - and give some new features which will stop me from waking up in the middle of the night writing them down time and again (or perhaps not) and also make it a little easier to use and access.

So here's to a fabulous 2010 - most unexpected and exciting success and here's to 2011 - whatever it brings!  Thank you for visiting, commenting and ENCOURAGING me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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You have a chance win a Super Food Ideas subscription EVERY month!

This competition will run exclusively on the Frills in the Hills Facebook page and starts NEXT Friday 1st of October, EVERY month!

Super Food Ideas Magazine I'm sure you've read me regularly singing their praises.  I think it's one of the better food magazines out there for busy Mums and anyone who loves to cook for their friends and family!

So how good would it be in the running every month to win a 3 months subscription?  Very good.

I subscribe, and love to because not only do I not now make the mistake of accidentally buying it twice or forgetting to at all (more the former than the latter) but it's cheaper, and I get it before everyone else who buys it at the supermarket or the newsagent.

So what do you have to do?

Cook something from Frills in the Hills, post a pic of what you have cooked with a link to the original recipe on the Frills in the Hills wall (so I can see it of course!) and  post 'I'm entering to win a Super Food Ideas subscription at Frills in the Hills with this recipe: '

Below are step by step details and a bit more on eligibility

Here's how to be eligible:

1 & 2 - you need to link both the Superfood ideas facebook page AND the Frills in the Hills Facebook page to be eligible, that means you need to like both pages and use the @ sign to choose the link.

eg:

3.  You must include the link of the recipe

4.  You must show a photo (quality isn't hugely important, just have a go!)

To be eligible to win the subscription:

• You must have an Australian postal address
• You must represent yourself, and not a business
• Winners must be likers at time of competition close to be eligible.
• Any further linkage to those not specified above will be deemed ineligible

About the competition

• Competition starts on the 1st of each month starting 1st October 2010, and ends on the last day of the month.  
• Winner will be announced within 5 days of the following month.   
• Competition winner will be published both www.frillsinthehills.com.au, Frills in the Hills Facebook, and Frills in the Hills on Twitter.

So how exciting is THAT!?  This next week, get cooking and get your camera out - and get ready to post from next Friday, 1st October!

Have a wonderful weekend all! xx

Winners of Kaotic Kitchen + Surprise + Announcement

Wow, it's really happening at Frills in the Hills at the moment!  Firstly I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who visit every (other) day.  I can see that most of you are daily visitors and it warms my heart - I can't tell you :)  I love hearing about you trying the recipes and relating to my posts... I can't express how much!

So this is a super-happy post!

FIRST OF ALL: ANNOUNCEMENT
I've succumbed to the f-word.  Yes Facebook.  Swore I'd never do it, but like I've told you in parenthood, cooking and life: Never say never.  So go and 'like' me over there if you 'like'.  (You can't 'like' half 'like' tell 'like' Facebook is 'like' American?) Still haven't for the life of me worked out how to add the widget yet.  Patience young grasshoppers.

SECONDLY:
Winners!  We love winners don't we?

The Kaotic Kitchen Goddesses Sally and Amanda have picked  the winners of the Kaotic Kitchen giveaway... SO many entries! So much inspiration, you guys ROCK! Winners are - Corrine, Lauren and Kirsty S!  Congratulations ladies! Please contact me with your address and we'll get them out to you!


LASTLY: SURPRISE!
No, I'm not having a baby (Are you caaaarazy?)

I've got TWO MORE WINNERS.  Yes.  After reading the post about who you would buy an extra copy of Kaotic Kitchen for - Sally and Amanda were so moved by Red Dirt Mummy's entry - they've decided to send her and her friend a copy too! Bless!

NOW off you go.. start planning your cauliflower recipes or even start trying the ones already submitted  (like the one Christie from Fig and Cherry just submitted - pic on right) and come back in a couple of hours for the last post of the day (this must be a record right?) which is a recipe.. promise.