Oh So Perfect Chocolate Brownies

May 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This recipe was named with “tongue in cheek”. I do not claim to make the best brownies ever, or even perfect brownies, but this recipe really tickles my taste buds. The only problem experienced … they are moreish, hence not giving into temptation and stopping at just one. Even though these do contain dark milk chocolate, they really are an adults brownie.

For me a near perfect brownie has to have a combination of chocolate and cocoa, a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks, organic unsalted butter along with both muscovado and golden caster sugars. And a little sea salt must be included to enhance the chocolate flavour still further. The wholemeal self raising flour gives just a little rise. I prefer to omit the walnuts as these spoil the beautiful texture, but if adding nuts rocks your boat, then do so. Coffee liqueur or strong espresso coffee finishes all this off a treat.

I read a post on an American recipe blog which suggested putting the brownie tin over an iced water bath when removed from the oven … then leave to cool for one hour before slicing … it works. They taste much better the following day and the water bath appears to improve the texture.

While I love Green and Blacks cooks chocolate for the beautiful melting quality, use any good quality chocolate you prefer … but remember, the flavour will be a little different.

200 grams Green and Blacks dark cooks chocolate, 72% – chopped
250 grams unsalted butter
300 grams golden caster sugar
3 large fresh eggs plus 2 egg yolks – beaten
85 grams Green and Blacks milk cooks chocolate – cut into chunks
1 tbsp Tia Maria coffee liqueur (or other brand, if preferred)
85 grams wholemeal self raising flour
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes – pound, using a pestle and mortar, to a fine powder
60 grams Green and Blacks organic cocoa
Optional – 100 grams walnuts, crushed

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC, (355ºF, gas mark 4), line a 23 cm diameter square baking tin with non stick baking parchment (lightly brush first with oil), brush the paper with melted butter, lightly dust with sifted cocoa, tapping out the excess.
  2. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water ensuring the bow does not come in contact with the water.
  3. Allow to melt, stirringly occasionally, then remove from the heat and stir until smooth.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
  5. With the motor running gradually add the beaten eggs – two tablespoons at a time – beating well between each addition to ensure the eggs are thoroughly blended before adding more.
  6. Beat on high for five minutes, until the mixture increases in volume and develops a lovely silky sheen.
  7. Remove the beater, gently fold in the melted chocolate and milk chocolate pieces along with the coffee liqueur using a metal spoon.
  8. Sift the flour, cocoa and sea salt into a separate bowl, add any bran remaining in the sieve (and nuts, if using), stir until well blended.
  9. Add to the chocolate mixture, gently fold in then transfer to the prepared tin, covering the base evenly.
  10. Bake for approx. 30 minutes … checking after 25 … insert a skewer into the centre, it should be sticky when removed … if any raw mixture has adhered to the skewer, return to the oven for four minutes and test again.
  11. Prepare a roasting tin, large enough to hold the baking tin, with iced water.
  12. When the brownies are ready, transfer to the water bath and allow to cool for 60 minutes before cutting into squares.
  13. Store in an airtight container for one day … the flavour and texture improves with keeping.
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Chocolate Almond Toffee

November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is a lovely toffee covered with chocolate and almond slivers – lightly toasted if preferred. For a slightly different taste, try using hazelnut slivers or coarsely chopped Brazil nuts.

450 grams unsalted butter
400 grams light muscovado sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
250 grams Hotel Chocolat dark or milk chocolate drops – melted (or a mixture of the two)
100 grams almond slivers – lightly toasted

  1. Cover a Swiss Roll tin with foil; brush the foil with melted butter.
  2. Put the butter, sugar and sea salt into a saucepan set over a low to medium heat, stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
  3. Allow the mixture to come up to the boil, cook until the temperature reaches 140ºC using a sugar thermometer, when ready, carefully pour into the tin.
  4. Sprinkle the almond slivers over the top, allow the toffee to cool a little – until just beginning to set.
  5. Place the chocolate into a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, when melted stir until smooth and pour over the toffee and almonds.
  6. Allow to set at room temperature, tip out of tin onto a work surface, remove foil and break.
  7. Store in an airtight container lined with greaseproof paper.
Filed Under: Christmas, Halloween, Treats Tagged With: , , ,

Chocolate Orange Fudge

September 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Chocolate and orange – a match made in Heaven for some of us though I do appreciate one of our top female celebrity chefs in the UK is not too keen – each to his or her own. These are – in my humble opinion – lovely fudge treats for a ladies only night watching a good film.

You can use other flavours of chocolate – I admit to liking vanilla fudge; add the seeds of a vanilla pod or vanilla bean paste now available from many supermarkets.

I often use a combination of dark and milk cooks chocolate drops from Hotel Chocolat or the Green and Blacks cooks range – I would advise people to try the chocolate because if you do not like the chocolate, you will – more than likely – dislike the fudge. I also prefer to use cooks chocolate as they are too sweet when made with chocolate made for eating.

I do like a combination of hazelnuts and chocolate but have not used it with the orange flavouring, usually using chopped almonds or a combination of mixed nuts, usually lightly toasted.

190 grams plain/dark chocolate
190 grams Lindt Intense Orange chocolate
1 tin condensed milk, 397 gram size
60 grams chopped nuts

  1. Line a square tin – 20 cm – with baking parchment.
  2. Melt the dark chocolate and condensed milk in a basin placed over a pan of hot water, stir until smooth.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in nuts and zest.
  4. Pour into prepared tin, chill for two hours or until firm.
  5. Cut into squares, then cut from corner to corner – into triangles.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  7. Before serving, roll in dark cocoa powder, dusting off excess.
  8. Alternately. grind some Lindt dark chocolate – the best way I have seen so far in Spain is to pop it into a coffee grinder and blitz in short bursts until like coarsely ground coffee beans.
  9. Roll the fudge in this just before serving.
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Simple Chocolate Tea Bread

January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

An easy and delicious tea bread, this is a really simple recipe especially good for the inexperienced cook – a quick method is shown at the end of this recipe.

8 oz (225 grams) self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 oz (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz (115 grams) natural brown sugar
4 large fresh eggs, lightly beaten
1 orange – zest only finely grated
8 oz (225 grams) Green and Blacks dark milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz (85 grams) seedless raisins or golden sultanas (optional)
1 oz (25 grams) hazelnut slivers (or chopped)

  1. Lightly oil and line a 2 lb (900 gram) loaf tin with greaseproof paper, lightly butter the lining.
  2. Preheat the oven to 170ºC, 338ºF, gas mark 3 to 4.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
  4. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and orange zest, beat together until combined.
  5. Stir in the chocolate, raisins and hazelnuts (optional – replace with walnuts or almonds, if preferred).
  6. Spoon the mixture into a prepared cake tin, smoothing out the surface with a palette knife.
  7. Bake for approx. 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  8. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Quicker method

  1. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the other ingredients – except chocolate and raisins, mix with a hand held mixer, fold in chocolate and raisins, spoon into cake tin, smooth top and bake!
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Festive Rocky Road Style Bars

November 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This is one recipe for Christmas; I love Rocky Road bars, there are so many different recipes, so many different ways of putting them together. Yet another lovely idea to come out of America … this is my “adaptation”. It is not “set in stone”, add whatever type of chocolate you like, as long as it is good quality.

250 grams Green and Blacks dark chocolate, 70% cocoa – chopped
150 grams Green and Blacks milk chocolate, chopped
175 grams unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
60 ml (4 tbsp) golden syrup or condensed milk
200 grams Amaretti biscuits or French macaroons – crushed
50 grams Brazil nuts, shell removed and chopped
50 grams hazelnut slivers
50 grams honeycomb – either plain or Crunchie bars, crushed
100 grams natural glacé cherries – halved
125 grams mini marshmallows
Decorate with – icing sugar, sifted; edible glitter http://www.edible-glitter.co.uk/acatalog/Edible_Cake_Glitter-_Disco_Holographic_colours.html
Alternately melt 100 grams white chocolate, drizzle over the bars in a lattice pattern

Place the dark and milk chocolate plus the butter and golden syrup into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan containing 3 cm of barely simmering water.
When the chocolate beings to melt, stir until smooth.
Remove from the hob – stir in the crushed biscuits, nuts, honeycomb and cherries.
Fold in the marshmallows – all the ingredients added to the chocolate should be coated.
Transfer to the prepared tin, smooth out the surface then chill until firm enough to slice.
Lightly dust with sifted icing sugar and sprinkle with edible glitter in gold and red.
Cut into twelve squares, cut each square into two triangles.

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Chocolate Button Shortbreads

June 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A good recipe for a rich shortbread with the addition of chocolate buttons (drops or chips), if you would like a richer taste, try replacing the caster sugar with natural brown sugar for a brown sugar shortbread.

225 grams plain white flour (all purpose flour)
1/2 level tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
225 grams unsalted butter
100 grams unrefined (golden) caster sugar
135 grams chocolate buttons, drops or chips – milk, dark or white, or a combination of tall three
50 grams hazelnut or almond slivers (or coarsely chopped, if preferred)

  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC, (302ºF, gas mark 2).
  2. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
  3. Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl, put to one side.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
  5. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients followed by the chocolate buttons and nuts.
  6. Form into walnut size balls, place onto the prepared baking sheets, about 3 cm apart.
  7. Flatten the biscuits a little then bake for approx. 15 to 20 minutes, or until a light golden colour.
  8. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Filed Under: Biscuits and Cookies, Shortbread Tagged With: ,

Marzipan Chocolates and Chocolate Marzipan

May 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I love Spanish sweets made with Marzipan, in fact I love Almonds – the almonds dipped in cocoa are absolutely fabulous. So if you are a “chocoholic”, and a lover of the “almond”, this is for you, IMHO – it suits my taste buds, it may not suit yours. You can use ready made Marzipan if you like, I do.

100 grams dark chocolate – chopped (or use milk, white or flavoured if preferred)
300 grams marzipan
20 – any/or – natural glacé cherries, whole blanched almonds or the lovely juicy boxed dates we have in Spain
2 tbsp liqueur – Cognac, brandy, dark rum or whatever rocks your boat

  1. Soak the cherries in any liqueur you choose – try soaking the dates.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot or barely simmering water ensuring the bowl does not come in contact with the water, when melted stir until smooth, keep warm.
  3. Wrap each cherry, almond or date in a small piece of marzipan, roll into a ball to totally enclose the fruit or nut.
  4. Skewer with a cocktail stick, dip into the warmed chocolate, place onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to set. Removing the cocktail stick!
  5. I have to admit double dipping them in chocolate; could also trying adding just a little liqueur to the marzipan and kneading until it forms a smooth dough.

Chocolate Marzipan

95 grams icing sugar (I always use unrefined, but use white if preferred)
50 grams organic cocoa (I usually use Dutch Processed, i.e. Green and Blacks for instance)
90 grams unrefined (golden) caster sugar
1 large whole egg plus 1 yolk, lightly beaten
200 grams ground almonds

  1. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl, stir in the caster sugar.
  2. Make a well in the centre, pour in the whole egg and yolk, mix with a round bladed knife, knead – using your hands – to a smooth ball.
  3. Wrap in clingfilm and either refrigerate or if using immediately, put to one side.
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