Welcome 2015!

Another year down, another year past, another year done and dusted. Congrats everyone 😀

In the words of the immortal Queen ‘another one bites the dust’. And you ALL came out on top 😉

I probably going to sound like your parents when I say this, but this year seems to have gone by quicker than the past! I swear, it is incredible! Personally, I felt like I was a newbie at uni, and WHOOSH.

2nd year baby, bring it on!

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I won’t really recap this past year for you, considering you have been there for the journey anyways and have probably been sick of those extremely long posts I usually write documenting it all 😛
No, no, instead, I am going to keep this a little short and totally non-original and discuss the resolutions this new year has brought upon you.

But lots of photos, je te promesse 😀

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While I reckon we can have resolutions any second of any day of any time of the year, I suppose the whole fireworks shebang and genuinely fabulous feeling of finishing another year makes this time a bit more special. I mean, am I the only one that gets a little sentimental?

No?

Yeah, I figured 😛

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Personally, I don’t overwhelm myself with a Santa’s sack worth of resolutions. I try to keep them concise, short, easy to remember so that when the devil,.sitting on my left shoulder, urges me to go against them, I am not hampered down by trying to remember sophisticated phrases. This is also why I don’t try to live by famous quotes from various novels.

Wordsmiths, please just stop. No one talks like that in real life.

(But if you do, kudos!)

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Anyways… this is good actually because my first resolution was to stop being tangential. You think I do this whole go-off-on-another-path only on my blog? Nope, no, HAHA, funny, no.

No.

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I’ll be talking about (for example) a dish my mum made with a friend… as I am describing the dish I might say ‘The capsicum was really spicy in it’ and then from there, I would be expected to launch into a Ross-style explanation of how capsicums are also called peppers and how some people don’t know they are even called capsicums.

Meanwhile, (as I am the talker), the talkee will probably be wishing for a sleeping draught for myself. Yes, I am marathoning Merlin these days so forgive the occasional Arthurian language that slips into my writing.

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SEE? Again. Again and again and again. Stop Uru, seriously. Just stop. 😛

Now, finally moving onto resolution #2. Blog. More. Regularly. That’s right – whenever I can help it, from this year forth, I will try to blog twice a week, every 3-4 days and while some of you may be groaning since you will have to hear ridiculousness from my part a bit too often, that is my plan. Take it or leave it lovely people 😉

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Another resolution for me is to stop thinking about food. I know, I know, this goes against the food blogger handbook or something, but I feel like so many times, my head is revolving around the delicious taste of chocolate and caramel, or what it would feel like if I ordered a pizza on impulse.

Serious.

But then inevitably, that all leads to calorie concerns, and I have to review what I have already eaten that day and yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah, need I explain more of how much time this wastes? I’d rather, at least, be productively thinking about food in the sense of searching up recipes or something! 😀

My current style just leads to looking at love handles and wondering why I am harbouring thoughts of calories in the first place!

No more though – just look at food, decide I am eating this (or not… though it is rare 😛 ) and go for it!

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So yes, for now, those are my three resolutions. I don’t think they are going to be too hard (though I may be eating up my words soon!) – SEE, THERE I GO AGAIN, ASSOCIATING FOOD IN EVERYTHING!

Sigh… ok perhaps I will need therapist help (ironic no, since I am studying psychology?) 😛

So this is what I am going to try and achieve this year. Throw in some exciting giveaways for you coming up, some exciting news I want to share with you soon and some weight loss, and I think 2015 will go down quite nicely 😉

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What do you lovely readers want to achieve this year? ❤

Perhaps making this tart? I am not the biggest fan of banana in desserts (wooooah) but when banana married toffee sauce to create banoffee beauty, even the strongest warriors fall 😉

Enjoy mes cheris and welcome 2015 with a bang!

Chocolate Banoffee Tart

A mix of at least 10 recipes I found while searching up banoffee pies, with my own cookie tart crust. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 270g chocolate digestives/plain chocolate cookies
  • 40g salted crackers
  • 150g butter, browned

Filling

  • 2 large ripe bananas, or 3 medium ones
  • 100g butter
  • 100g dark brown sugar (richer)
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 400g sweetened condensed milk

Topping

  • 2 tbs icing mixture/sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 300g Dark Chocolate

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
  2. Process chocolate digestives and salted crackers in a food processor till crumbs
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  3. Mix the cookie/cracker crumbs with the browned butter and stir till combined and sticky (this is SO delicious, try not to eat it all!)
  4. Get a 20cm diameter tart tin with a loose base and press the crumbly cookie mixture into it, filling out the shape. Make sure to press down the back of a spoon, and use damp hands to aid the process of putting it up the sides.
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  5. Chill for 20 minutes and then put to bake for 8-10 minutes. (Place it on top of a tray with baking paper since butter will leak a little)
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  6. Remove from the oven and let sit to room temperature.
  7. Start making the toffee by placing melting the butter and brown sugar over medium-low heat till smooth.
  8. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and bring to boiling point, before removing from heat. Make sure the mixture is thick and golden.
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  9. Add in the vanilla essence.
  10. Let cool for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, or till not hot to touch.
  11. Lightly coat the bottom of the tart shell with a few spoonfuls of the toffee sauce,
  12. Place a layer of bananas on top, making sure there are not banana pieces one on top of the other.
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  13. Pour a generous helping of the sauce on top, making sure to cover the bananas.
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  14. Depending on your tart shell’s depth, add another layer of bananas on top, then another layer of sauce. If you don’t think it will fit, eat ice cream with the remaining toffee sauce 🙂
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  15. Place into the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
  16. Meanwhile make the whipped cream by whipping the thickened cream with the vanilla essence and icing mixture till it holds its peak.
  17. Meanwhile make the dark chocolate shards: Melt the chocolate in 20 second bursts in the microwave and pour onto a piece of baking paper. Spread using a flat spatula, leaving a thin coating of chocolate. Place in the fridge (if it is wonky, no worries) and remove from the fridge after an hour. Break into pieces to use.
  18. Assemble the tart: Pipe little cornets all over the tart. Arrange pieces of chocolate shard on top artfully 🙂
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  19. Devour!

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96 Comments

  2. Pingback: Plotting Against Myself | Go Bake Yourself

  9. helene dsouza says:

    super belated happy new year to you! Yep I agree time has been flying by too fast, my head is all over the place. I could need your banoffee tart with chocolate right now, it would make my day. 🙂

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  11. Amy says:

    So happy I stumbled across your delicious blog today! I love the look of this tart. Good luck with all of your goals for 2015! I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about food all the time too, but I think I’m just going to embrace it 🙂

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  15. carla @ eat sweet. by carla sue says:

    Oh my. This looks amazing! I have long wanted to make a Banoffee Tart, but the majority of my family are not banana fans. Oh well, I’ll just have to settle for looking at your beautiful baking 😀 By the way, I’m SURE that 2014 went a whole lot quicker than any other year yet! Best wishes for the year ahead! Carla

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  17. shenANNAgans says:

    Happy New Year lovely Uru! It was awesome connecting with you last year, I totes love your writing style, your enthusiasm and the way you keep it real. I reckon you are pretty darn cool! 🙂 Good to hear you kicked your first year of Uni in the butt, may your second year be filled with all the fun and fabulous! Looking forward to your 2015 adventures my friend. Cheers, Anna

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  22. Three Well Beings says:

    This is a decadent dessert, and although I’ve eaten entirely too much through the holidays, this looks like something that calls my name! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful 2015, and the only resolution you should make, in my opinion, is to continue to be your very original self! Keep on being you! That’s my best advice for the new year, Uru. ox

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  24. I Wilkerson says:

    Another beauty Uru! Someday I want to learn how to make chocolate curls–perhaps that should be a goal for my 2015 (along with not thinking constantly about food–yup blogging hazard indeed!)

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  51. navane64 says:

    I agree that the choc and bananas married well and sure I see the outcome – the attractive tart oozing with with sweet taste. Happy new year to you and everyone at home.

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  53. wallflourgirl says:

    hahahahaha giiirl, of all the bloggers I know, you do tangential best! 😀 seriously though, you’re going to rock this year. 2015 is going to be so much fun together, especially since it’ll be our first full calendar year as pals 8) here’s to lots of productive oohing and aaaaaahing!

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  55. Liz says:

    Happy New Year, Uru! Don’t you dare change a thing about your blog 😉 I tend not to make resolutions–figure anytime is the best time to change something. Though the love handles aren’t going away with that plan, haha. Am with you on always thinking about food–everything seems to revolve around it always. What to do? Good luck on your end 😀 And thanks for putting your enthusiasm out there.

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  65. Jennifer Eloff says:

    That looks naughty but nice! Uru, I would have cravings, too, (most people!), if I ate sugar and white flour as often as what you do. Do realize if ever it becomes a problem (weight wise, insulin resistance), there is a way out of cravings like that and inevitable weight gain….low-carbing! It would be amazing if that is what you are called to do in the future…help for vegetarian/vegan low-carbers! That is a niche that has not been properly filled in the world. Blessings to you for university this year and also God bless you and your family in every way.

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  72. jama says:

    Yum! The tart looks divine. I love cookie crusts :).

    Your resolutions made me smile. Stop thinking about food — good luck with that one :D. We don’t want you to do that at all. Please reconsider . . .

    All best wishes for 2015. Always fun to read about your adventures.

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  74. thehungrymum says:

    I personally adore banana in desserts! I have never made a banoffee tart and as there;s no way mine could look as good as yours I may never (though I reallllly wanna some!. Hope 2015 is sweet x

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  76. Carolyn Chan says:

    My mouth filled with saliva just looking at these photos – even more so than your usual photos for some reason ! It looks amazing ! Congratulations on the end of another stellar year of food and studies and happy new year to you !! Here’s to a brilliant 2015 !

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