Bailey's Hot Chocolate & Brigadeiro - Bakemas Day 12

Are you ready for chocolate overload? because I have chocolate on chocolate in store for you.
It’s the season for hot chocolate, actually any time once upon a time is on it’s the season for hot chocolate but now its officially hot chocolate season. I’d say I have some bailey’s left over from the chocolate mousse but what I actually have is a whole bottle of baileys with just a little missing so what better time to make baileys hot chocolate.
And what goes well with chocolate? Yep, more chocolate! The first time I made brigadeiro was in August for a friend’s birthday; I was trying to up my present giving game and wanted a quick easy truffle recipe as I was a little pushed for time because typical me leaves everything till the last minute. These only have 3 ingredients, take 10 minutes to cook, a little time for cooling and the rolling takes the longest and really that depends how pedantic you’re being. I was sitting in the kitchen rolling these leisurely with a Christmas film on in the background. They’re really simple, taste great and would be a nice little homemade gift or stocking stuffer.

Chocolate Mousse with Baileys Cream & Baileys Butterscotch Sauce - Bakemas Day 3

If you’re going to add alcohol to your food at any point in the year Christmas is the time to do it and baileys cream makes mousse 97.3% better, trust me! If you’re not a drinker don’t run away yet! I fit into that category, although you probably wouldn’t guess it from the way I make brandy cream, but I’m generally not interested in anything even containing alcohol but this is that flavour combination - taste sensation thing everyone brags about. This mousse is also amazing on its own anyway; we’ve been making this for years and its probably the best mouse I’ve ever had. It’s lovely and rich and incredibly easy and quick to make, which seems to be a theme this month. It only contains 3 ingredients, it's low fat and its dairy free, yes dairy free, obviously minus the cream. I will be overjoyed the day I can walk into any supermarket and buy dairy free whipping cream alas no luck, but the cream isn’t essential although it is definitely worth it, if you’re not intolerant do not skip it. I finally got the tree up, and let’s just say it was the magical experience it was supposed to be. So it may have been 3am, I took a shower, put on clean pyjamas, which included ridiculously soft men’s stretchy plaid pyjama bottoms, urgh I could live in them, I made hot chocolate in my new Christmas mug put the Santa clause on and started decorating. Opening the box of decorations is like Christmas morning to me, the festive feeling contained in a box. I love everything I put on my tree but I manage to forget what I actually have and that’s just grounds for getting excited all over again. So my room is pretty festive now with a Christmas duvet, my bed covered in Christmas cushions and my tree up, although there are a couple of other things I still want to put up and make if I find the time. Did all this Christmas talk make you want mousse?

Baileys Frappé

The other night while I couldn't sleep and everything I have to get done before christmas was running around in my head, let's just say I haven't even started my christmas presents yet, I decided Baileys Frappés would be the perfect accompaniment to the holiday season. To me Baileys screams christmas but these would go down just as easy on a summers day. I'll be honest I don't drink but oh my heavens to murgatroyd was this amazing! I could quite possibly get drunk off of these by accident. After all the frappés I made in summer I'm pretty sure I've outdone myself with this one, not to toot my own horn! I do have a soft spot for frappés.

It's quick and easy, it takes longer to get out the ingredients than it does to make it and I'll tell you now you don't even need a powerful blender. I'm pretty sure our blender is on it's last leg because I have to give it a bit of a shake so it'll blend everything, nevertheless it works.