Thick, Creamy Chocolate Custard Yogo

Where do you keep your chocolate stash? Come on, I know you all have one, even if it is just an unintentional stash. Sometimes I find myself in the pantry with my hand in the cooking chocolate bag.
Last night I sneaked the block of chocolate out of my hospital bag. It was meant to be a midnight treat for after the baby is born, but now baby is overdue and  necessity calls--the chocolate is out, paired with girlie movies and other feel good things when the night comes and the babies are tucked up in bed. Why is the waiting game so hard?
I don't know...but chocolate sure makes everything feel a little better.
And I have just found the ultimate chocolate feel good recipe that pleases little people and big people alike. It reminds me of the chocolate custard recipe my mum used to make--or those yummy chocolate yogo tubs you get at the supermarket (although they're never big enough.) This super thick, creamy chocolatey goodness is easy and simple to make and cost effective--considering you buy a tub of the stuff for about 5 or 6 dollars. This probably costs a dollar. And I could seriously eat a litre of this stuff in a sitting. Although I can't, because my stomach isn't big enough anymore to do something as reckless as that. Just as well!
You can use cocoa powder instead of Milo powder for this recipe, but I used Milo/chocolate drinking malt for it's added nutritional benefits, and lowered the sugar from the original recipe. My kids can't get enough of this stuff and it makes a nice and not too naughty treat for them that they can scoop on their own from individual little plastic tubs. It's a winner all around.

THICK, CREAMY CHOCOLATE CUSTARD YOGO (Adapted from Best Recipes)

3 cups milk
1/2 cup Milo powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 tbsp. corn flour
1/2 cup boiling water

Place two cups of milk in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Heat until it boils. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, place the chocolate powder, sugar, corn flour and boiling water. Stir to combine and dissolve. Add the final cup of milk to this mixture and stir.
When the milk on the stove-top is coming to a boil, pour the chocolate milk mixture into the saucepan through a sieve or strainer. Lower the heat and whisk continuously until the mixture begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a container or individual tibs. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly over the top of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate until cool before serving. Custard will thicken on refrigeration.

NOTES: Makes about 700mL. You can use cocoa powder instead of Milo for this recipe. Some brands of cocoa are stronger than others, so adjust accordingly. You may also like to add a little more sugar if you use cocoa, as Milo is sweetened.

Super Easy Peanut Butter Biscuits

Okay this post comes with a little warning. I'm about to get a bit ooey gooey about my husband.
Besides being able to cook, he's a fabulous cook. That's a quality I always wanted when I thought of a husband, before I was married to this gem. I'm a firm believer of men cooking, especially when there's a wife and family to look after. It's wonderful to not "have" to cook, and my husband is more than happy to get in there--in fact, he loves it!
So all my boys as well as the girls will be able to cook, at least the basics. How to fry and boil an egg, cook pasta, bake a cake, cook a roast, you name it, they will be capable when they move out of home. I'm going to make great catches out of my kids--they can thank me when they're happily married. (Besides, who is going to make my birthday cake and Mother's Day cake every year?)
Anyway, my son Ben is almost two years old now, and has already shown an interest in cooking. Mind you, he cooks up army men stew, a cake made of dinosaurs and toy cars. He stirs it with a spoon from the kitchen and then goes around asking the other members of the house to "taste".
He often asks to "cook".
So this morning Ben and I took a large glass bowl and put it on the kitchen floor, and got cooking. It was the perfect recipe to make with him because he has such a short attention span, and it was quick and easy. You should have seen the pride on his face when he saw the tray come out of the oven with biscuits on it! This is what we made.

SUPER EASY FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER BISCUITS (from cooks.com)

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1  tsp honey (optional, but recommended if your dough it too dry)

Set the oven at 180C. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well incorporated. Place spoonfuls on a greased and lined baking try, and gently press with a fork. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the tray for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to finish cooling.

Makes 12-16, depending how much dough the kids eat!

NOTES: this recipe can turn out a little differently depending on the peanut better brand and type used. If you find your mixture is dry, add a spoonful of honey and stir through to give a little life and some extra flavour.