The chocolate girl

Chocolate shortbread flake cakes. Basically, an extravagant shortbread: sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream, enrobed with milk chocolate and decorated with a flake! I have very fond childhood memories of something very similar bought from the local bakers for a Friday shopping day treat! Years later I began my career at that bakery. Shortbread 225g/8oz butter 115g/4oz caster sugar 350g/12oz plain flour Buttercream 90 grams/ 3oz Butter 140 grams/5oz icing sugar (sieved) 30 grams/1oz Cocoa powder(sieved) Decoration 390 grams/ 13oz milk chocolate (melted) A small bar of white chocolate (melted)  Makes approx. 8 Method Preheat oven to 180oC/350oC/Gas 4. Grease and line, two baking trays with silicone paper.  Cream together butter and caster sugar, sieve in flour then using hands bind together. Press down onto a floured surface and roll out, with a rolling pin. Shape into an oblong with your hands, measuring approximately ...

Chocolate fridge cake (Tiffin). This weeks recipe is an old favourite of mine, or it was until I very foolishly decided to adapt it for work. Now I make 30-40, 28"x18" bakery tray mixes a week, and use more than a ton of digestive biscuits. But you’ll be glad to know the original recipe is only for a 20 cm (8”) tin and needs just 225g (8ozs) of biscuits. M akes 16 small slices or 8 big. Base 225g (8oz) digestive biscuits 60g (2oz) glace cherries 2 tablespoons golden syrup 115g (4oz) butter 115g (4oz) milk chocolate Topping 115g (4oz) Milk chocolate, melted A small amount of white chocolate, melted (optional) Glace cherries (optional) Biscuit base Grease a 20 cm (8”) round springform cake tin. Cutting out a circle of silicone paper, line the bottom.  Place the biscuits into a bowl and smash them up into small piece, by using the end of a rolling pin. Add the cherries. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the golden syrup, t...

Chocolate and banana cake. This is a great recipe for using up those old bananas that look a bit old and squidgy.  Ingredients 2 ripe bananas (approx. 225g/8oz in weight after peeling) 2 tbsp lemon juice 175g/6oz butter softened 175g/6oz light muscovado sugar 2 eggs, beaten 225g/8oz self-raising flour 85g/3oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped, plus a few extra to decorate 55g/2oz plain chocolate(melted) 85g/3oz white chocolate, for decoration(melted) Method Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line the bottom with silicone paper.  Cut the bananas into rough pieces, sprinkle on the lemon juice then mash until it forms a puree. Set to one side. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy then gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour after each addition to minimalize curdling. When all the eggs have been added, stir in the banana puree, then fold in the remaining flour. Add ...

Toblerone pastries. These are a favourite with my teenage sons, and they're often gone before they've had a chance to cool. They are quick and easy to make and spinning them with some milk chocolate will make them look extra special. Ingredients One 150g Toblerone, or if you want to go large - a 360g one. 500g block of Jus-Rol puff pastry 1 egg, beaten Caster sugar, for sprinkling flour for rolling out 1 small bar of milk chocolate, melted (optional) Makes approximately 11 Preheat oven to 200C, 400F, gas mark 6 and grease and line two baking trays. Cut up the Toblerone, so each peak is separate. (Since they have cut the number of peaks on the Toblerone, you will need to cut off the section of chocolate between each peak). I really have no idea what you could possibly do with the leftover sections! 😊   Dust a work surface with flour and using a rolling pin, roll out the block of puff pastry to approximately 12". Depending on the size of To...

Incredible Chocolate Muffins. These muffins are to die for. This is a recipe I have used quite frequently over the years and they always disappear from the plate very quickly. Ingredients 225g (9oz) plain flour 25g (1oz) cocoa powder 1 tablespoon baking powder 150g (6oz) dark brown sugar quarter a teaspoon salt 100g (4oz) butter 100ml (4floz) milk 150g (5oz) thick Greek-style yogurt 1 medium egg 450g (1Ib) mixed dark, milk, and white chocolate, bars cut into chunks (my preference), or chocolate chips Method Place a paper muffin case in each hole of a 12 deep-holed muffin tray. Set oven to 170 C, 340 F, gas 3. Put a sieve over a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt. Sift in to bowl. Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt or melt in the microwave for 20 seconds on full power. Pour the milk into a large measuring jug. Add the melted butter, yogurt and egg and beat until the mixture is well blended. ...