Chocolate Biscuit Refrigerator Cake

When I asked Mum what cake she wanted for her birthday, the answer was instantaneous 'Chocolate Biscuit cake please!'. I'd never made a biscuit fridge cake, and I'd forgotten how much I used to love the taste of it. Remarkably easy to make, without needing half the usual cake ingredients, it was a real winner. You'll be pleased to know that we let the birthday girl have the lion's share, but not without internal struggle. Just goes to show that this delightful cake thrills children of ALL ages.

Recipe
Adapted from one torn out of Grazia magazine last year, author unknown.
Serves 8

200g Rich Tea Biscuits
70g Maltesers
70g Mini Marshmallows
70g hazelnuts, chopped small
70g pistachio nuts, shelled
70g raisins or other dried fruit
150g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
250g dark chocolate
edible silver glitter, to decorate, optional
small white birds or anything else you fancy to decorate, optional



1. Line a 1lb loaf tin with cling film, making sure to leave extra overhanging the sides.

2. Put the biscuits in a double bag made from 2 plastic bags. Tie the end securely, and then hit the biscuits with a rolling pin, until all are crushed.

3. Pour the crushed biscuits into a large bowl, and then add the sweets, nuts and dried fruit.

4. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a bain mairie (a heat proof bowl over a pan of just simmering water). Leave to cool for a moment.

5. When cooled a little, carefully stir the melted ingredients into the dry using a wooden spoon.

6.  Once combined, spoon the mixture into the prepared cling filmed loaf tin, and press it down gently to flatten the top evenly.

7. Place in the fridge for 2 hours, until solid.

8. Remove the cake from the tin once set by pulling on the cling film and easing it out with a knife. Turn it out on to a plate, and decorate with edible glitter. I added a couple of white birds I'd found in the local florist - purely for decoration and not to be eaten obviously!

9. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This cake slices best when just out of the fridge.

 

This cake was idly made while listening to the Anthony & The Johnsons album I Am A Bird Now

Gluten Free Marshmallow and Almond Cupcakes

I'm having a bit of a raspberry and almond moment, I just can't get enough of the combination. There's something about the sharp sweet-sour berry flavour that balances a buttery almond cake so brilliantly. And not only do raspberries look beautiful but they're full of vitamin C!  Here I've used them simply as decoration to add glamour and a touch of zing to some very tasty marshmallow and almond cupcakes.

These make a great choice of cupcake for those among us who are gluten intolerant as both the flour and the marshmallows are gluten free (note that most marshmallows contain cornflour, and it's worth checking out the ingredients on the packet if you're unsure whether you can eat them).

Recipe:
Makes 12 large cupcakes
Adapted from tootsievalentine's lovely post at: http://www.nigella.com/
Where the above recipe calls for vanilla notes, and simple pink writing icing with raspberry, I've chosen to make mine a little more grown up by using almond flavouring, and a naughty cream cheese icing, extra marshmallows nestling with the raspberries on top.

175g caster sugar
175g butter
350g gluten-free self-raising flour, I use Doves Farm gluten and wheat free (or you can use normal self-raising flour if you're not gluten intolerant)
3 tbsps milk
Approx 24 small marshmallows, or 12 large ones
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla)

1. Fill a 12 hole muffin tray with large cupcake cases and turn oven to 180C (160 for fan ovens).

2. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.

4. Next add the flour, then the milk and the almond extract. Stir until well combined.

5. Pour enough batter into the cupcake cases that they are half full. Then add 1 large or 2 small marshmallows to the middle of the case, before covering it with more batter so that the case ends up three quarters full.

6. Bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes until golden and springy to touch.

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack.


Icing ingredients:
Approx 40 small marshmallows or 12 large ones
110g Cream Cheese (Philadelphia works well)
1 tsp almond extract
400g icing sugar
110g unsalted butter
Pink food colouring
12 raspberries

1. Once the cupcakes are cool, beat the cream cheese and butter together, then add the almond extract and the pink food colouring (if using colour paste just a dot of it should be enough).

2. Gradually stir in the icing sugar, mixing well until the mixture is a thick paste.

3. Get a pint glass and place a piping bag with a nozzle inside the glass, so that the nozzle is on the bottom of the glass. Fold the piping bag edges over the glass rim. Spoon the paste into the piping bag, then carefully take the bag out of the glass and twist the end of the bag so that the icing is well contained.

4. Pipe the icing over the cupcakes and add some marshmallows and raspberries to finish.


These cupcakes were idly baked to the sounds of Johnny Cash's album American IV: The Man Comes Around