Malteser Traybake

I love maltesers and they go brilliantly in this traybake along with the crushed digestive biscuits and drizzled with white chocolate. As it's a chilled traybake that doesn't actually require 'baking', it's also a quick and easy make for if you're craving something sweet but don't have the time or energy to put on the oven! Simply mix ingredients and chill in the fridge until set :)

Recipe

• 100 grams butter
• 200 grams milk chocolate
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 225 grams digestive biscuits (finely crushed)
• 200 grams maltesers

(Optional) 50-100 grams white chocolate for drizzling on top

Method

Really easy to make! Firstly, melt together the butter, chocolate and golden syrup. I did this in the microwave, but just make sure to stir reguarly so that it doesn't burn.

Crush up the digestives into very fine crumbs and add these to the chocolate mix along with the maltesers.

Mix together and put in the fridge to chill for a few hours (or overnight) until set.

I drizzled some white chocolate on the top to make it extra yummy! 

Cut into about 12-16 pieces and enjoy! 

Liddie xxx

Triple Chocolate Muffins

I'm always on the search for chocolate recipes, probably due to having a chocoholic boyfriend who always wants me to bake something chocolate related! So when I found this recipe on Rosie's blog I had to try it. They turned out amazingly and will definitely be a staple muffin recipe. So tasty and filled with both white and milk chocolate chips for lots of chocolately goodness!








Recipe
100g dark chocolate, melted
50g unsalted butter
50g light brown soft sugar
50g light muscovado sugar
300ml milk

2 eggs

2tsp vanilla extract
60g cocoa powder
250g self raising flour
1tbsp baking powder
100g milk chocolate, chopped
100g white chocolate, chopped

Firstly, preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases. I got around 16 smaller muffins from this recipe.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl either in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.

Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Next, mix in the milk, vanilla and eggs.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into the chocolate mixture and fold in gently. Add most of the chopped chocolate - but save some for poking into the top of each muffin.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cases, and put a few chocolate pieces on the top of each muffin. Bake in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Liddie xxx

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Terry's chocolate orange is my absolutely favourite chocolate, and so I just had to make these cookies! The chunks of chocolate orange combined with the gooey chocolatey cookie is just so amazing - definitely give them a try if you're also a Terry's fan! :)

Recipe

• 110g unsalted butter
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 250g light brown sugar
• 55g cocoa powder
• 2 medium eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 260g plain flour
• 125g terry's chocolate orange - mostly chopped into chunks but keep some aside to put on the top
• 1 tsp orange extract (or of course the rind of an orange if you're more prepared than me!

Firstly, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave, then mix in both of the sugars and the eggs. 

Add the cocoa powder, salt and baking powder, stirring until combined.

Stir in the flour a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Add your chocolate and stir through.

On a baking tray lined with baking paper, put a tablespoon of dough at a time on in a ball shape. Press in a slice of terry's chocolate orange. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Leave them on the baking tray to cool slightly, then when they’re firm enough, transfer to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Liddie x

Chocolate chip shortbread

I just love shortbread, and its often difficult to find the perfect shortbread recipe. Many ask for semolina which I don't have in my kitchen, and so I use this recipe which uses cornflour  so I can whip it up quickly whenever I fancy it. They come beautifully buttery and crumbly with that lovely shortbread flavour. You can add chocolate chips or take them out, or replace them with anything else you like. Definitely a great recipe to remember! 

Recipe

230g plain flour
110g cornflour
110g golden caster sugar
230g cold butter, diced
100g chocolate of your choice, cut into small chunks.

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F, and butter a 25cm tart tin. 

Sift the flour and cornflour into a bowl, and mix in the sugar. Start to add butter and mix it together with your fingers, rubbing it in gently with fingertips.

Turn into the tin and press evenly over the base with your fingertips, smoothing it out as evenly as possible. Add chocolate over the top and push in with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork. 

Bake in the heated oven for around 40 minutes. It should be a pale golden colour but not brown. Mark out how many slices you want and let cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.



Enjoy!

 Liddie xxx

Biscoff & White Chocolate Blondies

So I baked quite a bit with the smooth biscoff spread, and found it a really great addition to baked goods. So I decided to try out the crunchy biscoff spread to see if it would make a difference. To be honest, you can't really taste the crunchy bits when you bake with it, but it's still really yummy. These white chocolate & biscoff blondies are really indulgent and tasty for if you are craving a bit of biscoff :D 

Recipe

• 70ml sunflower oil
• 60 grams light muscovado sugar
• 110 grams light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 150 grams smooth or crunch biscoff spread
• 130 grams self raising flour 
• Pinch of salt
• ½ a teaspoon baking powder
• 100 grams white chocolate chunks

Method

Line an 8 x 8 inch baking tin and preheat the oven to 180c/350f. 

Pour the oil into a bowl and whisk in the sugar. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla, and finally the biscoff spread. 

Gently fold in the salt, flour and baking powder. 

Stir in the chocolate.

Press into baking tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cut into 12-16 squares and enjoy the biscoffy-goodness!

Liddie xxx

Salted Chocolate Tart

When I saw Nigella make this, I just had to try it out. I've never made a chocolate tart, but the idea of a crumbly oreo base instead of pastry sounded amazing, and it does not disappoint! The hint of salt is not overwhelming but enough to give a nice taste to the richness of the chocolate.The oreo base along with the gooey chocolate centre just go together fantastically. It's a great recipe for if you're having a dinner party or some friends round - quite simple to make but very impressive!

Recipe

for the base

• 28 oreo cookies (2 x 154g packets)
• 50 grams dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids)
• 50 grams soft unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon  sea salt flakes

for the filling

• 100 grams dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids)
• 25 grams cornflour
• 60 ml full fat milk
• 500 ml double cream
• 50 grams cocoa (sieved)
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (or strong instant coffee powder)
• 75 grams caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon  sea salt flakes

Method

I used a 25cm tart tin with a loose base for this recipe. 
 For the base:

Snap the biscuits into pieces and drop them into  a food processor. Break the chocolate up and blitz together with the biscuits until you have crumbs. Add the butter and salt and mix together in the processor until you have crumbs. 

Press into your tart tin and pat down on the bottom and up the sides of the tin with your hands or the back of a spoon, so that the base and sides are evenly lined and smooth. Put into the fridge to chill and harden for at least 1 hour, or 2 hours if your fridge is stacked. I wouldn’t keep it for longer than a day like this as the Oreo crust tends to get too crumbly.

For the filling:

Finely chop the chocolate. Put the cornflour into a cup and whisk in the milk until smooth.

Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the  chocolate, sieved cocoa, espresso or instant coffee powder, sugar, vanilla paste or extract, olive oil and salt. Place over a medium to low heat and whisk gently until the chocolate melts and everything is mixed together.

Take off the heat and whisk in the cornflour and milk mixture until it is smoothly incorporated, and then put the pan back on a low heat. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens, which takes around 10 minutes. Mix off the heat for a while if the cream starts to boil. When ready, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, and if you run your finger through it (across the back of the spoon) the line should stay.

Pour into a  measuring jug, crumple a piece of baking paper on top and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. The mixture will still be warm, but will be the right temperature to ooze into the base without melting it.

Pour and scrape the mixture into the biscuit-lined flan tin and put back in the fridge overnight. Don’t leave it longer than 24 hours, as the base will start to soften.

Take out of the fridge for 10 minutes before serving, but unmould straight away. Sit the flan tin on top of a large tin or jar and let the ring part fall away.

 Enjoy!

Liddie xxx