Cranberry, Blueberry & Chocolate Flapjacks
After watching Nigel Slater making flapjacks on TV this evening whilst making dinner, it put me in the frame of mind to make some myself. This one uses my basic flapjack recipe with added fruit and a treat of hidden chocolate.
175g Butter
175g Molasses sugar
125g Golden syrup
350g Porridge oats
200g Cranberry and Blueberry mix
100g Dark chocolate drops
1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C.
2. Heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until the sugar has melted.
3. Mix in the porridge oats until thoroughly coated.
4. Stir in the cranberries, blueberries and chocolate.
5. Pour into a lined baking tin, 30cm x 20cm.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
8. Cool on the rack for a further 10 minutes, then mark into individual sized portions.
9. Cool completely then cut into individual pieces.
Easter cocktails, mocktails & chocolate?
The clocks have changed to British Summer Time which means the days are getting longer, the nights are getting lighter and the weather is getting warmer. This weekend sees two bank holidays in celebration of Easter, giving us a long weekend, so what better way to enjoy and celebrate than with a cocktail, a mocktail or a drink with friends and family? (Not forgetting enjoying some chocolate of course!).
Chocolate Fudge Cake
This is an incredibly moist chocolate cake that’s not too sweet. The chocolate fudge icing is a wonderful topping which balances it out perfectly.
300g Plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
450g Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
5ml Bicarbonate of Soda
125ml Milk
15ml Lemon Juice
250ml Water
250g Butter
3tbs Cocoa
5ml Vanilla
Icing:
150g Butter
30ml Water
5ml Vanilla
30ml Cocoa
325g Icing sugar
1. Heat the oven to 180C
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, eggs, bi-carbonate of soda, milk and lemon juice.
3. Set aside for 5 minutes, whilst you:
4. Heat the water, butter, cocoa and vanilla extract together until the butter has melted.
5. Add the butter and water mix to the bowl and mix well to combine.
6. Grease a 25x30cm deep dish.
7. Pour the cake batter into the dish.
8. Cook for approximately 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the dish.
10. Melt together the butter with the water and vanilla.
11. In a large bowl, mix together the icing sugar and cocoa.
12. Add the water and butter mixture into the icing sugar and cocoa and beat until thoroughly mixed, with no lumps.
13. Pour over the cake and leave to set.
I chose to make this for my daughter’s 13th birthday in a bundt tin. After cooking, I left it in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack until cold. It was then transferred to a cake stand and the fudge icing poured over the top. If you leave the fudge icing to set and cool for a few minutes you will find that it thickens up a bit and therefore coats the cake better.