Chocolate caramel shortbread

I'm always looking for new things to bake, so after a request for these from a colleague I thought I'd step out of my cookie-shaped comfort zone and try something new. The caramel was labour-intensive but tasted great. I'd use more chocolate next time, but as you know I am a chocoholic, so you might be happy with just using a 200g bar. I'll try a salted caramel shortbread next time too, these need a bit of a kick-although you could sprinkle flakes of sea salt over the top.

Ingredients:

For the shortbread:

340g plain flour

120g caster sugar

240g butter

For the caramel:

1 (397g) tin condensed milk

2 tablespoons golden syrup

60g caster sugar

120g butter

For chocolate topping:

1 (200g) bar milk chocolate, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C or gas mark 4. Lightly grease or line a 30cm square cake tin.

For the shortbread: 

1. Sieve the flour and sugar into a large bowl. 

2. Rub the butter into the mixture until it comes together in dough. 

3. Press it into the bottom of the cake tin, spread evenly and prick with a fork all over. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the caramel: 

1. Pour the condensed milk, syrup, sugar and butter into a saucepan. 

2. Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time. This takes a while but has to be done carefully otherwise it will stick to the pan and burn. 

3. When the mixture turns a deep caramel colour, remove it from the heat and pour it over the shortbread.

4. Allow it to cool for around 30 minutes

For the topping:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 10 seconds to ensure it doesn't burn.

2, Pour the chocolate over the caramel, smoothing out with a knife. 

3. Transfer to the fridge to set  for another 30 minutes-1 hour  before slicing into squares.

Note: These will keep for around 5 days if stored in an airtight tin or the fridge, or you could just eat them all at once. 

Gooey Double Choc-Chunk Cookies

The way to a man's heart? Well, the way to mine anyway

As some of you will know, my love-life has been a bit of a rollercoaster recently. To celebrate the latest doomed dating situation I made these cookies, which are better and far tastier than any man, let me assure you. What could be better to ease the heart than fudgy chocolate chunks melting away underneath crumbly biscuit? These are basically a brownie-style cookie, so you get the best of both worlds. If you are a chocoholic these cookies are going to be your best friend-be warned though, the recipe makes around 35 cookies, so you might want to share. I took them into work and I've never been so popular. Perhaps I'll take them to my dates in future?!

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened

200g granulated sugar

100g soft light brown sugar

2 large eggs

Could anyone resist these gooey cookies?

280g plain flour

65g cocoa powder, sieved

0.75tsp bicarb

0.5tsp salt

Bar of good quality chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Bourneville 70%)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 
2. Cream the butter and sugars together in an electric mixer on a medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and beat well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and salt.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until completely blended together.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking tray, evenly spaced apart to allow for some spreading. 
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
8. Cool and transfer to a wire rack.

Chocolate Peanut Cookies

This is a Paul Hollywood (aka legendary, fit "Master Baker" from the Great British Bake-Off) recipe from his new book "How to Bake". Despite me avowing to make some of his wonderful bread-based recipes (not just bread, there's danish pastries, scones, crumpets... all manner of wonderful carb-based delights) from the book, I found the simplest thing I could to knock-up to cheer up my Monday evening.

These chocolate peanut cookies have raisins in the original recipe, but that sounded far too healthy for me, so I just went with 2 of my favourite things: nuts and chocolate. The recipe also states you should bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, but the first batch I made were cremated into a treacly death with this amount of oven-based action, so I reduced the time to around 9 minutes. This gave a soft, crumbly texture, a bit like a brownie, which we really enjoyed. The crunch of the peanuts was a nice contrast and I had to hide them in an airtight container to ensure my tasting companion didn't devour the lot in one go!

Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
60g unsalted butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
170g caster sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
200g peanuts, toasted and chopped
40g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:
1. Heat oven to 170C. Lightly butter a baking tray
2. Put 80g of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the butter, sugar, golden syrup and vanilla extract. Set over a bowl of simmering water and heat gently, stirring occasionally. until the mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Mix the remaining chopped chocolate with the peanuts in another bowl. Sift the flour and cocoa together and stir everything together.
4. Place tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture on the baking tray, squeezing them together a little to form balls, and space evenly apart so they have room to spread.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. They will be soft when you remove them from the oven-keeo an eye on them so they don't burn at the edges. Leave on the baking tray until they have hardened a little, then place them on a wire track to cool completely. 

Boozy kahlua truffles

These truffles are really easy to make and taste delicious. You can use any liquor or whisky that takes your fancy, but I used Kahlua because it's lush and I had some lying around the house. It feels like a Christmassy liquor to me, because it's chocolatey and rich and goes great with coffee. 

Ingredients: 

80g unsalted butter

200ml double cream

280g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 

3 tbsp kahlua (or any liquor of your choice)

For the coating: 220g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method:

1. Make a burnt butter by melting the butter for 2 minutes over a high-heat until it achieves a dark golden colour. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

2. Make a ganache by heating the double cream until it's warm enough to melt the chocolate. When the cream is bubbling at the edges of the pan, take it off the heat and stir in the pieces of chocolate and the burnt butter. Stir everything together until you have a thick chocolatey mixture, which will have a glossy finish. 
3. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of kahlua, or your favourite liquor.
4. Pour the mixture into a lines baking tray of about 2.5cm depth. 
5. Refrigerate for 30-60 mins until the mixture begins to set, but is still malleable.
6. Using a teaspoon and your fingers, scrape balls of the mixture from the tray onto a lined plate. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
7. Melt the chocolate for the coating. 
8. Drop the truffles into the melted chocolate until they are coated and place on a lined baking tray.
9. Leave to cool and set at room temperature.
10. Scoff the lot share with your friends, or make new ones by feeding them boozy truffles at Christmas time.

Yule log!

What could be more festive than a yule log? It's the only treat you need at this time of the year, the main reason being that it's the most chocolatey! Forget mince pies, xmas pud, and that most offensive of desserts, Christmas cake, and get on with making this scrummy chocolatey log, which (if you don't share it) will last from now until Christmas day! Merry Chrimbles...

Ingredients:

• Butter , for greasing
• 5 eggs
• 140g sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 25g good quality cocoa powder such as Green & Black's 

For the frosting:

• caster sugar , for dusting
• 285ml/9½fl oz carton double cream
• 450g chocolate, 
• icing sugar , for dusting
• Edible glitter-if you're really excessive like me!

Method:

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter and line the base and sides of a 30 x 35cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.2. Separate the eggs, putting them into two large mixing bowls. Add the sugar and 2 tbsp water to the egg yolks. Using an electric whisk, whisk the sugar and yolks for about 5 mins until the mixture is light in colour and thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk blades are lifted. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold in lightly, using the whisk blades or a large metal spoon.3. Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then fold into the cake mixture in three batches, again using the blades to preserve as much air as possible.4. Pour the mixture evenly over the prepared tin, then carefully spread to the edges. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until the cake feels firm to the touch. 
5. Put a large sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Turn the cake out onto the parchment and peel off the lining paper. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to cool completely. 
6. Trim a little cake from all the edges, then score along the edge of one of the long sides of the cake and roll up from there, using the paper to help you, rolling the paper inside the cake.
For the icing & filling:
7. Bring the cream to the boil in a small pan, remove from the heat, then break in 400g of the chocolate. Stir until it is melted and smooth. Leave to cool, then chill until it is spreadable, about 1 hr. 
8. Carefully unroll the cake, then spread all the filling over to within 2cm of the edges. Roll up the cake again using the paper to help you, then set on a board.9.  Spread remaining icing over the cake, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

Pecan Peanut Butter Cups

I stole the recipe for these vegan peanut butter cups from this lovely website but substituted pecans for the walnuts used in the original. I love pecan nuts, and this recipe was really easy and quick to make. I am pretty obsessed with peanut butter-maybe I was American in a past life? - and have been known to appreciate the finer points of a Reece's cup in my time. However, feelings of guilt usually set in along with the sugar overload, so I figured I'd make these with agave. Don't let that fool you into thinking these are healthy-the calorie content is pretty high. But, they taste amazing. I tend to be pretty honest when things are ok, or recipes don't go so well (don't ask about tonight's Rolo cookie fiasco) but these really were so good, we were fighting over them in my house. 
If you have 10 minutes, try them. If you can wait the other 10-15 minutes for them to set in the freezer you'll be pleased you did. 

Pecan PB Cups
vegan, makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp  virgin coconut oil, melted
50g dark chocolate chips or chunks, vegan
75g pecan nuts
3 Tbsp agave
1/2 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
Also:
Whole Earth Peanut butter (half a teaspoon per cup)
Cupcake liners-sprayed with Frylight to stop the cups sticking

Method:
1. Process the pecan nuts in a food processor and blitz until a fine meal.

2. Combine the pecans with the agave syrup and salt in a small bowl. Add in the vanilla and cinnamon too.

3. Put the coconut oil and chocolate to another small bowl and microwave for a few seconds (about 30) and then stir briskly to melt the chocolate with the oil. 

4. Combine the chocolate mixture with the walnut mixture.5. Add 1 Tbsp chocolate mixture, then add 1/2 tsp peanut  butter, then add another layer of the chocolate mixture to cover the nut butter.

7. Continue until you make all your cups.

8. Place in the freezer until firm enough to eat, usually about 10-15 minutes, but longer if your cups are extra large.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

This is Nigella's recipe, and it is totally delicious! It's from her new book, Nigellisima and is available on her website. It doesn't look particularly special, but the texture is so light and fudgy, I was really impressed and will definitely be making it again soon. This recipe uses ground almonds and is perfect for a gluten-free friend, although you can replace the ground almonds for 125g plain flour if you like. I'll try it that way next time to compare, but the almonds did work really well and the taste was divine. Serve it with some ice cream and berries, or a coulis and plain yoghurt to offset the chocolatey-ness (or just dive in if you're a chocoholic like me!)

Ingredients:

• 150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
• 50 gram(s) cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)
• 125 ml boiling water
• 2 teaspoon(s) best vanilla extract
• 150 gram(s) ground almonds (or 125g plain flour)
• ½ teaspoon(s) bicarbonate of soda
• 200 gram(s) caster sugar
• 3 eggs

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease a 22" springform cake tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
• Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
• In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
• Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
• Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
• Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

Chocolate, apricot & hazlenut biscotti

I've never made biscotti before, but this was a really easy recipe, from the BBC Good Food website, my go-to place for ideas and tasty dishes that turn out well. You bake the biscotti in two stages, so you get a lovely loaf-style bake (right). Cutting this was the hard bit, even with a serrated-edge knife some on the loaf was breaking off (so I has to eat those bits) as I sliced into it, but I got there in the end. It makes between 20-24 slices so you need a big baking tray! If you like your biscotti really hard and crisp then do bake them for longer, mine were a little softer, but we liked them like that. The best thing about biscotti is they keep for ages-about 3 weeks in an airtight jar, so snack time is sorted for ages! 


Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 250g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 25g chopped apricots
• 25g toasted hazelnuts , roughly chopped
• 25g chocolate chips

• Method:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then add the orange zest, hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Fold into the egg mix to make a soft dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a 25cm sausage shape with lightly floured hands, then transfer to baking sheet. Flatten to a 3cm thickness, then bake for 30 mins until lightly browned on top.

Remove and slide onto a chopping board, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Cut the log into 1cm thick slices and return to the baking sheet, cut-sides up. Bake for 10-15 mins until crisp, then cool on a wire rack. Will keep in a tin for 3 weeks.

Nutrition:
84 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 16g, fat 2 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0g, sugar 6g, salt 0.09 g

Immensely chocolatey peanut-butter meringue layer cake

This is the most elaborate cake I've ever made, but it was so worth it. It's an amalgamation of 2 recipes, one is a crunchy milk chocolate-peanut butter layer cake (from American Food and Wine)  and the other was a chocolate layer cake from the reliably good BBC Good Food website. I made it for the OH's birthday and it made a great celebration cake - and it's certainly big enough for all the family! The ganache for the top and sides needs to be done well in advance so it has time to thicken up-mine was still a little runny.

The middle is a gorgeously crunchy combination of meringue, nuts and a chocolate-peanut butter-rice crispy set ganache. You need a serrated-edged knife to cut through it to get a clean slice, but if you like a bit of texture it's great, because it provides a nice contrast to the moist sponge.

Messy but good-my ganache was too runny!

Ingredients
For the ganache: 
300ml double cream
300g milk chocolate, chopped

For the sponge: 

• 175g self-raising flour , sifted
• 3 tbsp 70% cocoa powder
• 175g golden caster sugar175g butter , completely softened, plus extra for lining the tin
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• 100g 70% dark chocolate , melted and cooled

• For the middle:
• 25g ground almonds
• 100g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1tbsp granulated sugar
• 260g smooth peanut butter
• 25g slivered almonds (or chopped peanuts)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 85g milk chocolate
• 25g rice crispies 

Method (sponge & icing):
1. Make the icing first (it takes a while to cool and thicken). Put the chocolate into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan and heat until simmering. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Cool, then chill, until really thick but spreadable.

2. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and base-line 2 x 18cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Take 3 tbsp flour from the full flour amount and put them back in the flour bag - the cocoa powder will make up the difference.

3. Put all the cake ingredients except the chocolate in a large bowl. Beat them together with an electric whisk (or whizz in a food processor) until you have a creamy mixture, then fold in the melted chocolate. Add a little more milk if the mix is too stiff - it should fall easily from a spoon.

4. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and level. Bake on the same shelf in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the sponge springs back when pressed. Cool for 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and cool completely. 

Method (cake filling):

1. Trace a 9-by-13-inch rectangle onto a sheet of baking parchment and lay it on a large baking sheet. Mix the ground almonds with the icing sugar. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the almond mixture. Spread the meringue on the baking parchment to fill the rectangle. Sprinkle the slivered almonds/chopped peanuts on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl set in a saucepan of simmering water, heat the peanut butter with the butter and milk chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and fold in the Rice Krispies. Spread the mixture all over the meringue rectangle. Transfer to the freezer and let cool completely.
3. Place the bottom cake layer on a large board. Spread some of the ganache over the cake. Invert the meringue filling (now hard) onto the cake and peel off the paper. Spread some more of the ganache over the filling, then top with the second cake layer. Refrigerate until firm, for at least 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and trim the edges of the meringue mixtures (use a serrated-edge knife) so the middle of the cake lies flat with the sponge. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate to set. Cut and serve.

New product review: Gnaw chocolate

I love finding new products, especially when those products include chocolate! Even better, Gnaw had me at "peanut butter" which is my absolute favourite thing, even more so than choccy itself. About 7 years ago when I took my first trip to the States, my friend and colleague who I was travelling with ribbed me mercilessly about my peanut butter fetish- I had to go to Macy's and buy an entire luggage set to get all the stuff I'd bought back home. Anyway, back to Gnaw. It's made in Norfolk (or Gnaw-folk) and it's handcrafted and yummy and cool and (wait for it) ethical. Yes. Everything I could ever want my chocolate to be.
So, they support red squirrels, which is pretty cool. And their bars are slim, tasty and filled with treats. Rocky Road is stuffed full of mini marshmallows and fudgy bits, the PB bar has tonnes of tiny bits of peanut in. There's real-life marzipan in the milk and dark bars. They even do sugar-free for the diabetics and dieters (that's me too, but I have to say the PB bar lasted all of 5 minutes and I still have most of the SF bar left in a draw...) I suppose I'm a bit of a traditionalist really when it comes to unadulterated cocoa-based pleasure, so I steered away from the bars studded with red jelly hearts. I'll leave those for you. Gnaw is currently available in a few select shops and from some independent online retailers. I suggest you get in quick, these guys are going to be big. And when they make their bars bigger to match demand, the peanut butter ones are ALL MINE. muhahahaha.