Indulge your sweet tooth with some seriously chocolatey treats
Meltingly good recipes
Chocolate Brownies (makes 24)
Ingredients:
100g/4oz self raising flour
75g/3oz cocoa powder
375g/13oz caster sugar
275g/10oz butter
4 large eggs
100g/40z plain chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan ovens 160°C)
Grease a traybake tin 30cm x 23cm x 4cm and line with greaseproof paper
Method:
- Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until evenly blended - use a handheld electric mixer or put all ingredients into a mixer
- spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly making sure you push it into the corners
- bake for 40-45 minutes, until the brownies have a crusty top (cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes if you think it is browning too much)
- allow the brownies to cool in the tin and then cut into 24 squares
- if you have any left to store, keep them in an airtight tin
Chocolate Roulade
perfect gluten free pudding
Ingredients:
150g/5oz plain chocolate broken into pieces
3 tbsp water
4 eggs separated
150g/5oz caster sugar
For filling and decoration
300ml/1/2 pint double cream, whipped
icing sugar to dust
chocolate curls or broken flake chocolate
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan ovens 160°C)
Grease and line 20x30cm/8x12in Swiss roll tin
Method:
- Melt the chocolate with the water in a pan
- whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until thick, then whisk in the chocolate mixture
- whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the remaining sugar
- fold into the chocolate mixture
- pour into the greased and lined Swiss roll tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until firm
- leave to cool for 5 minutes then cover with a clean, damp tea towel and place in the refrigerator (overnight is best but a few hours will do)
- remove the cloth and turn onto a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with icing sugar
- peel of the greaseproof paper that it cooked in and then spread three quarters of the cream evenly over the roulade before rolling up like a Swiss roll*
Pipe the remaining cream over the top and decorate with chocolate
Delicious served with berries and extra cream
*to help with rolling use the greaseproof paper underneath to guide you, pushing gently round as you go
Chocolate Soufflé (serves 4-6)
Soufflé can be difficult to get right, but if you’re feeling brave how about this chocolate soufflé recipe – let’s face it, even if it doesn’t quite look as elegant as you hoped, it’s still going to taste yummy
Ingredients:
75g/3oz plain chocolate cut into small pieces
300ml/10floz milk
75g/3oz butter
50g/2oz plain flour
50g/2oz caster sugar
4 eggs separated – with egg whites stiffly whipped
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F (fan ovens 170°C)
Method:
- Put the chocolate and milk in a saucepan and heat gently until the chocolate melts
- melt the butter in a separate saucepan and stir in the flour to form a smooth paste
- gradually stir in the chocolate mixture
- bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring or until the sauce has thickened
- stir in the sugar, then the egg yolks
- cool, then fold in the egg whites
- spoon into a well greased soufflé dish or separate ramekins and put into the oven
- bake for 35-40 minutes (20 minutes if in ramekins) or until well risen
Chocolate butterflies (fills 10 cake cases)
Ingredients:
2oz self raising flour
pinch of salt
1 dstsp cocoa
2oz butter or margarine
2oz caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
For the filling
1.5oz butter or margarine
4 oz icing sugar
2 tsp milk
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan ovens 160°C)
Method:
- Cream fat until soft, add sugar, then beat until light and fluffy
- add egg with a tbsp. of flour, stir, then beat
- beat in milk and a little more flour
- add cocoa and stir in rest of flour
- half fill 10 baking cases or well creased bun tins and smooth the surface
- bake for 15-20 minutes
- turn out and cool
- for the filling, cream fat until soft, add half the sugar and beat thoroughly
- add the milk and the rest of the sugar and beat until smooth
- when the cakes are cold, cut a round off the top of each and put a spoonful of filling on each cake
- cut tops in half and place on the filling to make the wings
And finally, two easy ones for little helpers to join in with
Chocolate crispies
Ingredients:
50g/2oz butter or margarine
50g/2oz cocoa powder
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g/2oz cornflakes/rice crispies
Method:
- Place 18 paper cases on a wire rack
- melt together the butter or margarine, cocoa powder and syrupover a low heat
- stir in the cornflakes and stir until thoroughly mixed
- spoon into the paper cases and leave to set
- see if there are any left at the end of the day!
Chocolate refrigerator cake
Ingredients:
450g/1lk plain chocolate
100g/4oz butter or margarine
225g/80z chocolate digestive biscuits crushed
Method:
- Line and grease a deep 10cm/7in square cake tin
- break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a basin with the butter over a saucepan of hot water
- heat gently until the chocolate and butter are melted
- remove from the heat then stir in the biscuits
- mix thoroughly pour into the tin and leave to cool
- when cool mark 12 equal squares and then refrigerate for about an hour – longer if you can – until set
- cut into squares and enjoy!