Allen - Once a Month Cooking

1 cup chopped raisins or sultanas

2 tablespoons rum (or more depending on taste!)

8 Weetbix, crushed

2 tablespoons cocoa

cup shredded coconut, plus extra for coating

1 395 g can sweetened condensed milk

Place the raisins or sultanas and the rum in a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for a day. Place the crushed Weetbix, cocoa, coconut and marinated fruit into a bowl, pour over the condensed milk and stir well. Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and roll in the coconut. Place on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

Freezing: Layer on baking paper and seal in an airtight container. Alternatively, allow the balls to freeze on a baking tray then pop the frozen balls into a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Thawing: The balls will defrost in about 5 minutes on the kitchen counter. But they are nice cold, so pop them into your serving dish frozen the outer balls will defrost first.

2 packets white chocolate Tim Tams

250 g cream cheese, softened

cup shredded coconut

36 candy canes

cup white chocolate, melted

36 red M&Ms (you can sometimes buy Christmas M&Ms that only have red and green)

Place the Tim Tams into a food processor and chop into chunks. Add the cream cheese and blend until just combined (12 minutes). Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls then roll in the coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up before decorating. Cut the curved ends off the candy canes so they are sticks. Place a ball on one end of a candy cane. Top the ball with a quarter teaspoon of melted white chocolate and place an M&M on top. Repeat for the remaining balls.

Freezing: Layer on baking paper and seal in an airtight container. Alternatively, allow the balls to freeze on a baking tray then pop the frozen balls into a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Thawing: The balls will defrost in about 5 minutes on the kitchen counter. But they are nice cold, so pop them into your serving dish frozen the outer balls will defrost first.

3 cups Rice Bubbles

1 cup shredded coconut

cup icing sugar, sifted

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup mixed dried fruit

250 g copha

50 g glac cherries, chopped

Combine all the dry ingredients except the cherries in a mixing bowl. Melt the copha slowly over a low heat, cool slightly and pour onto the dry ingredients. Mix well then fold the glac cherries through. Spoon the mixture into paper cases and freeze for 30 minutes until set.

Freezing: Layer on baking paper and seal in an airtight container. Alternatively, allow the crackles to freeze on a baking tray then place into a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Thawing: The crackles will defrost in about 5 minutes on the kitchen counter. But they are nice cold, so pop them into your serving dish frozen the outer crackles will defrost first.

canola oil spray

200 g Mars Bars, chopped

2 tablespoons pouring cream

2 teaspoons cocoa, sifted

3 cups Rice Bubbles

100 g white chocolate

24 Christmas M&Ms

Spray the holes in two 12-hole mini-muffin tins with canola oil. Melt the Mars Bar, cream and cocoa together in a glass bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. (The bowl should not touch the water.) Stir the mixture until smooth. Put the Rice Bubbles in a separate bowl, pour in the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins and press down gently. Refrigerate for 2 hours then turn out onto a tray to decorate. Melt the white chocolate and add 1 teaspoon to each pudding then top with an M&M.

Freezing: Layer on baking paper and seal in an airtight container. Alternatively, allow the puddings to freeze on a baking tray, then pop the into a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 weeks.

Thawing: Allow to sit on the kitchen counter for 5 minutes.