Rocky road

Very like tiffin but with the classic rocky road combination of chocolate, biscuit and marshmallow.

Makes: 18-24 pieces

Takes: 20 minutes + at least 2 hours chilling time

Ingredients

4 1/2 oz (125g) unsalted butter

10 1/2 oz (300g) good quality dark chocolate

3 tbsp golden syrup

7 1/4 oz (200g) rich tea biscuits

4 oz (100g) mini marshmallows

Method

1. Grease and line an 8x10 inch oblong tin.
2. Put the butter into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the pan with the syrup. Melt over a gentle heat and stir well.
3. Scoop out about 4 1/2 fl oz (125ml) of the chocolate mixture and set aside in a bowl. Leave the rest to cool slightly in the pan.
4. Meanwhile, put the biscuits into a plastic freezer bag and crush them roughly with a rolling pin - some should be crushed into crumbs, but make sure you leave some as larger pieces too.
5. Fold the biscuits into the chocolate in the pan then add the marshmallows. Tip into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
6. Pour over the reserved chocolate and smooth again with a wet spatula. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
7. Cut into 24 pieces. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can add dried fruit, glace cherries, chopped nuts etc to vary the recipe if you wish!

Chocolate Surprise Pudding

As it cooks, it separates out into a sponge topping with a lovely crunchy crust, and a rich chocolate sauce underneath. Yum!

Chocolate Surprise Pudding

Makes: Enough for 4-6 people
Takes: 10 minutes + at least 1 hour chilling time + about 45 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

4 1/2 oz plain flour
1 pinch salt
2 1/4 oz caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 fl oz milk
1 1/2 oz butter, melted
1 egg
6 oz demerara sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
9 fl oz boiling water

Method

1. Grease a 1 1/4 pint pie dish.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and 2 tbsp cocoa powder.
3. Combine the milk, butter and egg in a separate bowl then mix into the dry ingredients.
4. Pour into the pie dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine if you want to make it in advance).
5. Preheat the oven at 180oC.
6. Sift the other 2 tbsp cocoa powder and mix with the demerara sugar and sprinkle over the top of the pudding.
7. Pour over the boiling water then bake for 45 minutes, until puffy and firm.

Keep an eye on it - I usually find it only needs about 30 minutes at 180oC in a fan oven.
Good hot, warm or cold :-)

Mincemeat Truffles

Very easy to make but rather sticky!!

Mincemeat Truffles

Makes: 30
Takes: 15 minutes + chilling time

Ingredients

300g white chocolate
4 tbsp double cream
3 tbsp mincemeat

Method

1. Melt together 200g of the chocolate with the cream then stir in the mincemeat till the suet has melted.
2. Line a baking tin with cling film and pour in the chocolate mixture then chill for an hour.
3. Grate the remaining chocolate. Divide the chilled mixture into 30 pieces, shape into balls and roll in the grated chocolate.
4. Chill for 1 hour until firm.

I recommend just grating a bit of chocolate at a time as you probably won't need all of it - and then you get to eat the leftover piece :-)

Chocolate Treats

These measurements are quite vague, but that's just to give you flexibility.... For info, I used about 250g of each variety of chocolate and made about 30 of these treats each time. These look great, taste great, and are easy to make. Ideal for a handmade gift.

Chocolate Treats

Makes: Depends on how much chocolate you use

Takes: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate (milk, plain or white)

Toppings - raisins, chopped cranberries, chopped crystallised ginger, chopped nuts, tiny sweets - use your imagination!

Method

• Melt the chocolate, either in a bowl over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave.
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto non-stick baking parchment.
• Sprinkle over your chosen topping and leave to set.

It's that easy :-) Store in an airtight container in a cool place - will keep for several weeks so can be made in advance for Christmas presents.

Recommended combinations: plain chocolate and ginger, milk chocolate and raisins, white chocolate and cranberries.

Chocolate Fudge

No boiling required - this is such a quick and easy fudge to make, but it's very sweet - a little goes a long way!

Chocolate Fudge

Makes: 36 pieces
Takes: 10 mins preparation + refrigeration overnight

Photo to follow

Ingredients

4 oz (100g) plain chocolate
2 oz (50g) butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 lb (450g) icing sugar, sieved

Method

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it with the butter over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk and vanilla.
3. Gradually beat in the icing sugar (the mixture gets very stiff towards the end, so expect your arm to ache a bit afterwards!)
4. Press into a greased 7" square tin, levelling the surface.
5. Refrigerate overnight then cut into 36 squares. Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy :-)

Try to share it with your family though.... ;-)

Malteser Cake

Oh boy, this is good :-) It's what I usually make as an end-of-term treat for my kids' teachers (who also happen to be my colleagues, no harm in getting them on side...!) You really do need cheapo cooking chocolate, don't try it with good-quality chocolate, it's actually better with the cheap stuff! And no baking required (though there is some melting).

Malteser Cake

Makes: 24
Takes: 15 mins preparation + couple of hours or overnight refrigeration time

Ingredients

4 oz (100g) butter or margarine
8 oz (225g) cooking chocolate
3 tbsp golden syrup
8 oz (225g) digestive biscuits, crushed
8 oz (225g) Maltesers
8 oz (225g) white chocolate

Method

1. Melt together the butter/marg, cooking chocolate and syrup - either in a bowl over simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave.
2. Stir in the biscuits, cool slightly, then add the Maltesers. (Make sure the chocolate mixture is quite cool, as the chocolate coating of the Maltesers will melt otherwise. But don't let it go cold or it will start to set and you won't be able to mix the Maltesers in at all!)
3. Press into a greased and lined oblong baking tin and refrigerate till set.
4. Melt the white chocolate (again, over hot water or in the microwave - your choice!) and spread over the biscuit mixture. Refrigerate again till the chocolate has set.
5. Cut into squares - it's best to do this just before serving, as the Maltesers go a bit soft if you do it too far in advance (though it still tastes good!)

I'm told these freeze OK but I've never tried it - it's never been necessary, they don't last long enough lol...