Choc Chip Peanut Butter Cookie

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

50g Light brown soft sugar

50g Caster sugar

50g Unsalted butter

1 Large egg

1tsp Vanilla

50g Chocolate Chips

200g Crunchy peanut butter

1tsp Bicarbonate of soda

 

Pre heat the oven to 170oC and line a flat tray with grease proof paper.

 

Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy then add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla mixing until smoothly combined. Stir in the flour and bicarb of soda. Now add the chocolate chips. It is a thick mixture and will require some elbow grease.

 

Get your hands in and roll some mixture into a ball about a tablespoon size then flatten on the baking tray you should get about 12. Leave space between them they will grow slightly. You may need to cook them in batches.  Bake for 10-12 minutes then remove and let cool. Seem soft? don't worry they firm up more as they cool.

Peanut Butter Brownies

 

 

 

Ingredients

225g Crunchy Peanut Butter

200g Dark Chocolate

280g Soft Light Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

100g Self Raising Flour

Heat the oven to 180oC and Grease a square cake tin. take 175g of the peanut butter and 150g of the chocolate and put them in a pan with the sugar, stir occasionally until the sugar has just about melted and everything is evenly mixed.

 

Turn of the heat and then beat in an egg at a time then sift in the flour, mix it all together and then put in the tin. Melt the other 50g of peanut butter until runny then drizzle over the top of the brownie. Bake for 30 minutes.

 

Once cooled melt the remaining 50g of chocolate and drizzle this over the top, allow to set and then cut into squares.

 

Cocoa Black

One of my Christmas presents I got was an afternoon class learning how to make chocolates at Cocoa Black. I spent yesterday afternoon making dark chocolate and orange ganache, milk chocolate and coffee truffles and praline squares. These are delicious!

In Progress

The class is very informative and dipping chocolate is (with the right tools) very therapeutic and relaxing. Needless to say I will be off to find the right tools so that I can dip my chocolates more effectively at home.

The finished products

For those of you who would like to make chocolates at home I highly recommend the Cocoa Black make your own truffles, praline in ganache class. I am now very tempted by some of their other classes :-)

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake



Ingredients

135g Butter

200g Good Dark Chocolate (75% or above)

8 Large Eggs, separated.

150g Plain Flour

2tbsp Brandy

110g Caster Sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting

For the topping

2tbsp Brandy

1-2 tsp Coffee Powder (I prefer Decaf)

250g Mascarpone

75g Icing Sugar

Pre heat the oven to 170oC. Grease a tin then dust with cocoa powder and set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure no water gets in with the chocolate. When melted set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the egg yolks, flour and brandy until all combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a tbsp at a time to the egg whites folding in gently. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture then place in your baking tin.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer can be inserted and removed clean.

To make the topping mix the brandy and coffee together until the coffee dissolves then add to the mascarpone and icing sugar. Mix it all together and chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve dust a slice of cake with icing sugar and a dollop of the mascarpone mix.

Spider Web Cup Cakes

Ingredients

 

4oz Margarine or Butter

4oz Caster Sugar

3.5 oz Self Raising Flour

0.5oz Cocoa Powder

2 Eggs

Black food colouring

 

Icing

60g Unsalted Butter

75g Icing Sugar

25g Cocoa Powder

Black Food colouring

 

For the Web

Some icing sugar and water.

 

Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Cream the margerine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs in one at a time then sift in the cocoa and flour. Stir it all together and then add some black food colouring to give a rich dark colour. Bake for 15-18 mins (depending on oven) until springy to touch.

 

Once cooked allow to cool thoroughly.

 

Mix the butter, icing sugar, cocoa and black food colouring together then smooth the icing over the cakes. Now mix a little water and icing sugar together and place a dot of this in the centre of your cake using a cocktail stick then make two rings around the centre one. From the centre using the cocktail stick drag lines outwards so that you get webs. Enjoy!

Halloween Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Follow this recipe for chocolate orange cakes adding black food colouring to the cupcake mix to make it really dark then bake in a halloween themed cupcake case such as this one from cakes cookies and crafts shop

 

 

Instead of topping with chocolate use orange sprinkles and a cake topper of your choice I like these ones that I found on cakes cookies and crafts shop I think they give the cakes  a spooky feel to them.

 

 

 

If you have a look around online you can find lots of cupcake cases and toppers at reasonable prices. Also experiment with food colouring try adding green food colouring to cake mixes or lots of blood red colourings.

 

Crumble Cream Biscuits

 

Ingredients

350g Unsalted butter , softened

80g Icing sugar

300g Plain flour

50g Cornflour

50g Cocoa

 

For the Filling

175g Mascrapone

4tbsp Caster sugar

25g Plain chocolate (Plus 75g to decorate optional)

2tsp Vanilla Extract

25g Cocoa Powder

 

Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy then sift in the plain flour and corn flour mix it all together thoroughly then add the cocoa powder again mixing. Place grease proof paper on a baking tray. Roll into small balls and flatten down slightly on the tray. Try and make an equal amount. Bake for 15-20 mins. They may seem soft when they come out of the oven but they firm up once cool. (they are meant to crumble)

 

When the biscuits are cool beat the mascrapone together with sugar, melted chocolate, vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Spread a little onto the biscuits and sandwich them together. Drizzle chocolate over the top and there you have some crumble cream bicys!

 

 

 

Honeycomb Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients

6 oz Butter or margarine

6oz Caster Sugar

5oz Self Raising Flour

1oz Cocoa Powder

3 Eggs

1 Litre Honeycomb Ice Cream

120g Cadburys Crunchie or other Honeycomb (broken up)

Chocolate Sauce (to decorate)

Pre heat the oven to 180oC and grease a cake tin. Whisk butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy add one egg at a time and whisk. Sift in the flour and cocoa and mix thoroughly. Bake for about 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of tin)

Once baked allow to cool thoroughly.

Allow the ice cream to thaw a little and mix in the broken up crunchie (reserving some for decoration). 

Place grease proof paper around the edge of the tin you baked your cake in then place the cake back in the tin. Drizzle some chocolate sauce on top of the cake then spread the ice cream onto the cake smoothing out the top. Drizzle with some more chocolate sauce and the remaining crunchie pieces to decorate.

Refreeze for a couple hours then serve. Give the cake a minute or two to thaw.  

Double Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

50g Plain Dark Chocolate Chips

50g Unsalted Butter

2 Eggs

75g Caster Sugar

75g Self-Raising Flour

25g Cocoa Powder

30g White Chocolate Chips.

Pre heat the oven to 180oC. In a pan melt the plain chocolate chips and butter together. In another bowl whisk the eggs until light and fluffy. Add caster sugar, cocoa and flour to the eggs and then add the melted butter mix. Once it is all mixed together thoroughly add the white chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cases and then bake for 12-15 minutes or until springy to touch and a skewer can be inserted and come out clean.

Mars Bar Buns

Ingredients

200g Mars Bars

50g Butter

100g Rice Krispies

60g Milk Chocolate (optional)

Cut up the mars bars into smaller chunks and melt in a bowl with the butter over a pan of hot water. Once melted add the rice krispies and mix thoroughly. Place in cases or on a flat tray to cut into squares. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water and drizzle over  the top.

Each bun is aprox 160 calories. 

White chocolate, Vanilla and Coconut Cake Pops

Ingredients

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter or margarine

4oz Self Raising Flour

2 Eggs

2tsp Vanilla Extract

100ml Condensed Milk

100g White Chocolate

To Decorate

300g White Chocolate

75-100g Desiccated Coconut

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC and cream the sugar and butter together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Whisk one egg at a time into this then sift in the flour add the vanilla extract and mix well. Place in a greased cake tin and bake for 25 mins or until the cake is springy to touch and a skewer can be inserted into the cake and come out clean. Allow to cool once cooked.

Place the cooled cake into a food processor and turn to crumbs. In a bowl over a pan of hot water melt the chocolate and condensed milk together once melted add to the crumbs in the food processor. Mix it all together well then take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls (about the same size as a ping pong ball) then place them in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

Once firm melt the remaining chocolate then let it sit for a couple minutes to cool slightly so its not to runny. The balls may need some reshaping once they come out of the fridge so just give them a role around to get a round shape again. Dip the balls into the chocolate then roll in the coconut. Put back in the fridge to set then insert the stick and there you have it! yummy cake pops.

Blueberry and White Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients

4oz Butter or Margarine

4oz Self Raising Flour

4oz Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract

50g White Chocolate Chips

50g Blueberries

Icing

500g Icing Sugar

100g Blueberries

Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and into this whisk one egg at a time. Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly. Now add the blueberries, chocolate chips and vanilla extract, again mixing it all together. Spoon about a dessert spoonful into cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until the cakes are springy to touch. (Bear in mind the fruit burst when cooked and can make the cakes feel a little softer than a normal cake.)

Leave the cakes to cool. Place the blueberries in a food processor and blend so that they are smooth don't worry too much about a few bits of the skin being a bit bigger. To this add the icing sugar and spoon on to your cake. Feel free to sprinkle it with whatever you feel like, these ones have edible diamonds for the Jubilee.

Because of the fresh fruit in the icing these should be consumed fairly quickly :-) 

Easter Nest

Ingredients

250g Milk Chocolate

185g Shredded Wheat

Bag of your favourite mini eggs.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Whilst this is melting bash up the shredded wheat. Make sure you don't bash it to much or you will end up with dust. Mix the chocolate and shredded wheat together and spoon into cases. Make a little hollow in the centre and place two or three eggs. Leave to set, then enjoy :-)

Easter Egg

Ingredients

500g Milk Chocolate

125g White  Chocolate (optional)

125g Plain Chocolate (optional)

Optional

Edible glitter

Nuts

Flavoured Sugar (See Chocolate Snaps Recipe)

You will need an Easter egg shaped mould I found mine in Lakeland but I'm sure there are more out there from other suppliers.

If you are using nuts, glitter or flavoured sugar sprinkle your moulds with these then melt the white chocolate and plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water then drizzle over the mould to create a pattern or if you are just using milk chocolate cover the mould evenly. Now put it in the fridge to set.

Once set melt the milk chocolate in batches and let sit for a minute or two to thicken up.  Coat the moulds with thin layers of milk chocolate and place in the fridge to set again. Keep doing this for three or four layers. Turn out of the moulds and brush the edges with some more melted chocolate to stick together.

Fill your eggs with your favourite sweets or mini eggs.

And enjoy! Happy Easter :-)

Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur Cupcakes

Ingredients

275g Self Raising Flour

275g Caster Sugar

275g Butter

30g Cocoa Powder

3tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur

6 Eggs

For the Icing

250g Butter

775g Icing Sugar

100ml Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC. Whisk the sugar and butter together then add one egg at a time and keep whisking. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and add the baileys mix thoroughly. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture into either cupcake cases or a greased cupcake tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cakes are springy to touch or you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool thoroughly once baked. Whisk the butter and baileys together and gradually add a little icing sugar at intervals. Ice the cakes and then serve :-)

Rocky Road

100g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Minimum)

100g Butter

5tbsp Golden Syrup

325g Mixture of Dried Fruits, Bashed up Biscuit, Marshmallows, Nuts, Malteasers, Glace Cherries. Mix to your own taste if you love nuts but hate dried fruits leave them out etc.

Melt the chocolate, butter and syrup in a bowl over a pan of hot water. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and combine. Pour into a dish pat down and place in the fridge to set for a couple hours.

To serve cut into pieces and dust with some cocoa powder or try drizzling some melted chocolate over the top.  

Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 40 small cookies

Ingredients

225g Butter

225g Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

2tbsp Milk (or water)

2 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2tsp Salt

30g Cocoa Powder

290g Plain flour

To decorate

Any sprinkles, sugar, Icing you want :-)

Heat the oven to 190oC. Mix butter and sugar together with an electric whisk in a large bowl until light and fluffy. To this add the egg, milk, vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Now with a spoon stir in the cocoa and flour.

Lightly cover a work surface with flour roll your mix out and cut out whichever shapes you want. Then bake for 10-12 minutes you may need to increase the time further if you use a large cutter.

Once baked let the cookies chill and decorate however you want with icing, a dusting of sugar or various sprinkles.

Valentine Cake Push Pops

Makes 9

Chocolate Push Pops Ingredients

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter

3oz Self Raising Flour

1oz Cocoa Powder

2 Eggs

For the Filling

50g Milk Chocolate

50g Dark Chocolate

2tbsp Coffee

2tbsp Honey

1tbsp Vanilla Extract

12oz Icing Sugar

3oz Butter

Food Colouring

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Push Pops Ingredients

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter

4oz Self Raising Flour

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Food Colouring

For the filling

12oz Icing Sugar

3oz Butter

Food Colouring

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Jam

Plus sprinkles or love hearts for the top.

For both pre heat oven to 180oC and whisk the butter and caster sugar together. Then whisk one egg in at a time and add the flour plus cocoa if you are making chocolate ones.  Add any food colouring you want to the sponges and vanilla extract to the vanilla ones. Place the cakes in the oven for 18-20 mins. Once cooked they will be springy to touch, take them out of the oven and let them cool.

For chocolate push pops, now melt the chocolate together then add coffee and vanilla extract this will make the chocolate look funny but add the honey and it will smooth out again.

Whisk up your icing sugar and butter add the colouring and vanilla.

Using one of the push pops as a cutter cut out all your circles.

Place one bit of sponge in a push pop then drizzle chocolate sauce and then some icing on top then place another bit of sponge and top with icing and sprinkles.

For vanilla push pops replace chocolate sauce with your favourite jam and assemble as above.

Mint Choc Feast

Ingredients

12oz Butter

12oz Caster Sugar

6 Eggs

9oz Self Raising Flour

3oz Cocoa

Icing

18oz Icing Sugar

8oz Butter

Food Colouring

1tbsp Mint Flavouring

200g Dark Chocolate

5tbsp Honey

2tbsp Coffee

2tbsp Vanilla Extract

To Finish

2 packets of  mint matchsticks

A little Grated Chocolate

First pre heat your oven to 180oC. Now mix butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl using an electric whisk. Into this break one egg at a time and whisk. Then mix in the flour and cocoa. Divide the mixture equally into three tins and bake for 30-35 minutes until springy to touch or until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool thoroughly.

Once your cakes are cooled mix up your icing. Firstly your butter icing. Mix the butter, icing sugar, colouring and flavouring. Now spread some of this on the bottom layer of your cake and the middle layer not going over the edges.

Now make your second icing melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Once melted take of the heat and add coffee and vanilla. This will make the mixture seize up but don't worry add the honey and it will loosen up again. Drizzle a little of this over the two sponges you have mint icing on.

Now layer your cakes. I insert one or two matchsticks into the cake to make sure it doesn't move. Pour the remaining chocolate mixture over the top and sides of the cake. Once the chocolate icing has set a little place the matchsticks around the edge of the cake. Place what is left of your butter icing on top of your cake and spread out. Grate a little chocolate over the top and if you have any matchsticks left break these up and place in the centre of the cake.

Et Voila! A mint chocolate feast of your very own!

Hazelnut Chocolates

Ingredients

75g Blanched Hazelnuts

100g Dark Chocolate (72% Cocoa)

100ml Condensed Milk

1-2tbsp Hazelnut Oil

Pinch of Salt

3-4tbsp Hot Water

250g Milk Chocolate (to decorate)

Optional

Add 2-3 tbsp Cointreau or Cognac and decorate with dark chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC, place your hazelnuts on a tray and toast for about 7 minutes until they are pale golden. Remove the nuts from the oven and let them cool slightly. Then place the nuts in a food processor until they become very fine and almost a paste. In a bowl break up your chocolate add condensed milk and hazelnut oil. Place the bowl over a pan of hot water and melt the mixture together. Once melted add to the food processor  with the nuts and mix it all up. Now add a pinch of salt and the hot water until you have a thick paste. (If you are using alcohol add this now and don't worry if your mixture looks thinner it will firm up) Put the mix in a bowl and put in the fridge for 2 hours or over night.

Once chilled roll the mix into small balls about a teaspoon of the mixture should do. Place these on grease proof paper and put back in the fridge to firm up for another hour.

Now melt your chocolate to decorate and dip the chocolates individually. Add a drizzle of a different type of chocolate or edible glitter for a nice finishing touch.  Keep the chocolates chilled until you eat them.