Cheats Chocolate Fudge

Who doesn’t love an indulgent piece of fudge? this is a great 'cheats' recipe as there is no boiling of sugar required, which is also handy if the kids want to help you.

It’s a very versatile recipe and you can use either milk or plain choc, and you can use whatever fruit nut combination you like.

It makes a perfect gift too....

Ingredients

210g dried fruit &/or nuts (I chose equal amounts of cherries, blueberries and pistachios)

*reserve 50g of this for the topping*

230g plain or milk chocolate

230g milk or plain chocolate flavoured cake covering 

* IMPORTANT NOTE -this is the ONLY time I would ever advocate using this, in this recipe it helps with the fudginess, but apart from this recipe never ever use it as chocolate substitute!*

1 can of condensed milk (normally about 400g)

½ tsp vanilla essence

50g white chocolate

·         Line an 8 or 9inch square tin with baking parchment, break up the dark chocolate and the cake covering and put into a bowl along with the condensed milk.

·         Stir briefly and then pop in the microwave for 2mins

·         Stir thoroughly and then return to the microwave for a further 1 minute

·         Stir to ensure all the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla, fruit & nuts and stir until combined.

·         Pour into the tin and spread evenly, give the tin a tap of the counter to level it out and disperse any air bubbles.

·         Melt the white chocolate, drizzle over the fudge and then sprinkle the remaining fruit and nut mix onto it.

·         Chill in fridge until set (approx 3-4hrs

·         To serve, cut into squares with a hot knife, store in an airtight container in a cool place.

·         Should keep well for up to a week, if you manage to make it last that long!

Enjoy!

Double Peanut & Chocolate Cookies

Double Peanut & Chocolate cookies

These cookies are deliciously sweet & nutty with a hint of salt, crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle just like a cookie should be.

Makes approx 20 cookies

Ingredients

115g soft unsalted butter

125g crunchy peanut butter
140g light muscavado sugar
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g self raising flour
100g good quality chocolate of your choice chopped into chunks (I chose a Green & Black’s bar with almonds for even more nuttiness)
150g roasted salted peanuts

·         Preheat the oven to 180c & lightly grease, or line with parchment several baking trays.

·         Put all the ingredient, except the peanuts into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon,  or you can throw it all into your mixer for a minute if you have one, until you have a well combined and formed dough

·         Sprinkle the peanuts into a shallow dish

·         Take ‘ferrero rocher’ sized ball of dough, roll into balls and then gently press them into the peanuts, so you get a nice coating on each ball.

·         Arrange well spaced out on the baking trays (peanut side up)

·         Bake for 15mins until light golden brown

·         Leave to cool on the trays for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

·         Enjoy!

·         These will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days or can be frozen for up to a month.

Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy Slices

Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy Slices

This is a lovely, quick recipe for when only something lemony and indulgent will do; these slices have a light, crumbly base and a creamy, zingy topping and are incredibly easy to make... (don't think about the calories in this one!)

Ingredients:

For the base:

300g plain flour

175g caster sugar

175 softened butter

1 egg

For the topping:

3 eggs

450g lemon curd

Zest of 2 lemons

175ml double cream

Heat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4

Line a 30cm x 20cm tin, I used a loose bottom one from Lakeland.

·         In a food processor blitz the flour and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the sugar and blitz again, add one egg and whizz till incorporated, tip out and bring together into dough.

·         Press evenly into the bottom of the tin

·         Bake for 20mins or until slightly golden, remove from oven and leave to cool a little while you mix the topping ingredients.

·         Mix together the lemon curd, lemon zest, cream and the remaining eggs.

·         Spread the topping over the biscuit base

·         Bake for 25-30mins or until light and golden.

·         Take the tin from the oven and place on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

·         When cool cut into 16 equal slices/rectangles or 32 squares

·         Dust with icing sugar

·         Eat and enjoy!!!