Sinful Devil's Food Cake

Time for a more adult Halloween Treat. This cake is luxurious and chocolatey you should be so naughty and have another slice. I won't tell!

Makes 1 Cake

Cake

Before Frosting

60g Cocoa Powder
100g Dark Brown Sugar
250ml Boiling Water
150g Butter
150g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
250g Plain Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda 

Filling
150g White Chocolate
150ml Double Cream

Frosting
200g Dark Chocolate
25g Dark Brown Sugar
150g Butter
Dash of Water

Extra Chocolate to Decorate (Optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Line 2 20cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.

After Frosting

2. In a bowl whisk the cocoa powder, dark brown sugar and the boiling water. Whisk until combined. Leave and continue the rest of the cake in another bowl.

3. Cream the butter and caster sugar together. Then add the vanilla and eggs to the mixture and mix again. Then shift the plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate into the mixture.

4. The cocoa mixture would have cooled, add this to the cake mixture. Divide between the cake tins. Put in the oven for 25 minutes. Check the cake has baked all the way through.

5. While the cake is in the oven make the filling and frosting:

Filling
For the filling melt the white chocolate on a bain marie, allow the melted white chocolate to cool slightly. Whisk the double cream. Fold the white chocolate into the cream. And leave to cool.

Frosting
Melt the Dark Chocolate and butter in the pan. Add the Sugar and stir. Then take off the heat and add a dash of water. Leave to cool til the frosting thickens up.

6. Assemble the cake by sandwiching the white chocolate cream. Then cover with the frosting. Decorate with optional chocolate (example below). Enjoythis sinful delight.

Gareth's Cookies

Now what starts with the letter C? Cookie starts with C, Let's think of other things, That starts with C, Oh, who cares about the other things?, C is for cookie, that's good enough for me.

Makes 20 - 24 Cookies

150g Unsalted Butter. cubed at room temperature

150g Golden Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Large Egg

½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

225g Plain Flour

225g Milk Chocolate (Dairy Milk, Galaxy, any good quality chocolate), roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan assisted. 

2. In a bowl mix the butter and sugar together. Then add the vanilla and egg to the mixture and mix in. Then add the flour and bicarbonate of soda. When it starts to thicken add the chocolate and give one final mix

3. Layer the baking tray with greaseproof paper. Then take a tablespoon of cookie dough and put on the tray. For each tray put no more than 6 on them to prevent sticking (I was using a 24 x 18 cm tray).

4. Put in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes. They should be golden brown. Leave to cool on the tray before transferring to a wire rack. (Do I really need to give serving suggestions... Enjoy!)

Share or be naughty

Crempog (V)

Made these on Shrove Tuesday. Different from your average pancake. They are surprisingly light and fluffy. Serve with your favourite fruit and golden syrup.

Makes 10-12 Pancakes

Mixture
450ml Buttermilk
50g Unsalted Butter
275g Plain Flour
75g Caster Sugar
1tsp Bicarbonate Soda
2 Eggs
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Vinegar

Knob of Butter

1. Heat water in pan and place a bowl over the water. Add the butter and buttermilk. Heat through until the butter has melted and mixed together.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the flour and mix well. Leave the mixture till it has cooled down.

3. In a separate bowl add the remaining ingredients and beat well until combined. Add this to the mixture and mix until you get a smooth batter.

4. To cook the pancake take a baking stone or frying pan and heat a bit of butter. This should be over a medium heat. You will need about half a serving spoon of mixture for a pancake (don't want the the pancake too thick). Cook until each side is golden brown (roughly about 5 minutes on each side).

5. You can have them with lemon and sugar, Nutella or my personal favourite blueberries and golden syrup (or whatever you want, your pancakes, your way)

Stack them Up!

Triple Chocolate Cookies (V)

Such a yummy treat with chocolatey goodness. Make sure not to eat all the cookie dough.

Makes 18-20 Cookies

375g Plain Flour
3 tbs Cocoa Powder
250g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
175g Soft Brown Sugar
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
300g Milk Chocolate, broken into bite size chunks
300g White Chocolate, broken into bite size chunks


1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan assisted.

2. In the mixing bowl, mix the butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar, caster sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

3. In a second bowl, mix the bicarb and flour together. Then gradually mix the flour into the butter/sugar mixture. The mixture should thicken. If too stiff add either one more egg or softened butter. Or if too gooey, add more flour. Add the chocolate and stir.

4. Put greasproof paper on 2/3 baking trays. Take a good tablespoon full of the cookie dough, place on the greaseproof paper. You could fit about 5/6 cookies worth on each tray. They will flatten out in the oven.

5. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack for half an hour. Serve.

Cookie Dough

Yum ^_^

Malteaser Muffins (V)

Made these as a birthday present for a friend. Lovely as a gift for any occasion.

Makes 12

4 tbps Cocoa Powder
Box of Malteasers, smashed
100g Milk Chocolate, broken up
250ml Milk
125g Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
250g Plain Flour, sifted
2 Medium Eggs

Topping
50g Milk chocolate melted
Maltereaser, crushed or left whole

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and place the muffin cases in a muffin tray.

2. Stir the sifted flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder, sugar and the broken up pieces of chocolate in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a measuring jug whisk, eggs, vanilla and milk together.

4. Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture. Stirring until almost smooth. If too runny, add flour. Or if too dry add more milk.

5. Put the mixture into the muffin cases, making sure it dosen't go beyond half way full.

6. Place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Leave the muffins to cool.

8. Once the muffins have finished cooling you can melt the rest of the milk chocolate. Apply the melted chocolate on top of each muffin. Then sprinkle the malteasers on top.