New Addition and No-bake Slices

This little one is the reason my lack of blogging, cooking and all things not sleep related for the past 2+ months. My baby is due in late September and will be eagerly awaited by Molly and Ava who have made stipulations that it must be a girl as there are "no boys allowed in our house except Daddy".

Nausea has been my constant companion and I have eaten an awful lot of salt and vinegar chips and plain noodles with soy sauce. Everything smells bad; please don't ask me to go anywhere near red meat cooking especially mince - yuk! My freezer is full of red meat that I bought to make easy slow cooker meals while I was sick, so hopefully it starts appealing soon.

I am generally off sweet things but I made this Mars Bar Slice on our trip to the South Coast recently and I could quite happily eat lots of that (although not the dark chocolate on top which is normally my favourite)! This is a no bake slice with rice bubbles and lots of mars bars. When I got home I made a healthier version with dates and rice bubbles (drizzled with chocolate) that was also good.

I have joined the Daring Bakers, an online group which you sign up to and agree to make the monthly challenge recipe. Not long til the end of the month so I had better find some energy and get baking so I can blog about it soon.

Mars Bar Slice
Most recipes for this slice coat it in 200g of milk chocolate. I find this overpowers the Mars Bar flavour so I have halved the amount of chocolate and recommend just drizzling it over.

240g  Mars Bars, chopped (4 x 60g bars or equivalent)
100g unsalted butter, chopped
3 C Rice Bubbles
100g milk or dark chocolate, chopped

Line an 18 x 28cm slice pan or 20cm square pan (for a thicker slice) with baking paper.

In a medium saucepan, stir Mars Bars and butter together over a low heat for 4-5 minutes until melted, it will eventually come together.

In a large bowl, add the rice bubbles to the melted mars bars one cup at a time and mix until combine. Press firmly into prepared pan. Chill until firm.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave. Drizzle over slice. Chill until set.

Let the slice sit at room temperature for awhile to make it easier to slice. Then use a large knife to cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

No-Bake Date and Rice Bubble Slice
The recipe for this slice is found all over the internet. The drizzle of chocolate to finish it is my idea!

250 g dried dates, chopped
1/2 C sugar
125 g butter
4 C Rice Bubbles
1/2 tsp vanilla
50 - 100g milk, dark or white chocolate

Line a 20cm square pan (or similar) with baking paper.

Add everything except the rice bubbles to a saucepan and bring to the boil for 2 mins. Remove from heat and beat well.

Add mixture to rice bubbles and stir until combined. Press into a lined tray and cool.

Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the slice. Refridgerate until set.