Chocolate Weetabix Traybake

So while on maternity leave waiting for baby to arrive, I have been searching for new things to bake and I came across this recipe on the BBC Good Food recipe. I had also run out of eggs at the time and so needed to find a recipe that didnt need them!

This reminds me of something my Aunt used to make and it is really quick and simple to make.

150g butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
130g Self raising flour
80g Dessicated coconut
200g Catser sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 Weetabix, crushed up

Icing
100g Dark/plain chocolate
1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Icing sugar


1. Preheat over to 180 C or Gas mark 4 and line a 9" / 22cm square (or equivalent) baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Melt butter and vanilla extract in a saucepan over a low heat

3. While this is melting mix together all of the dry ingredients.

4. Add the melter butter to the dry ingredients and combine until well mixed. This may take a bit of effort but do persevere!

5. Tip mix into baking tray and press down evenlyinto corners. Then place in oven for 20 mins and once cooked, allow to cool for an hour

6.  Melt the butter and chocolate together for the icing. Add the icing sugar to get a nice spreadable icing consistency. I found, I didnt need the whole 3 tbsp. Spread evenly across the surface and leave to set before cutting.


Notes:
1. Do get the quantity of dry ingredients and butter pretty exact. I was a bit too relaxed with the flour and added too much then had trouble combining all the ingredients so had to add a smidge more butter, which is a pain as you have to melt it first.
2. Original recipe from BBC Good Food website

Picnic Slice

This recipe is my Nans and I loved going over there when I was little as she ALWAYS had a tin with some of these in. She would save me a corner piece as she knew I liked the edges wher ethey went a bit chewy. Plus, she seemed to cut them into bigger squares than when my mum would make them at home.

I have absolutely no idea where the name came from for these, but I guess they would be good for a picnic providing its not so hot that the chocolate base melts. There isnt loads of chocolate in these, but they are one of my favourites and still have a choclate element so I thought they warranted being on here. I also get asked a lot for this recipe when I make them, so here it is...

350g/12oz Chocolate (Dark choc contrasts well with the sweet coconut)
100g/3oz Butter
200g/6oz Caster sugar
2 Beaten eggs
200g/6oz Dessicated coconut
100g/3oz Sultanas
100g/3oz Glace cherries, quartered


1. Break chocolate into pieces and melt using your preferred method for doing this.

2. Line a standard sized (12"x 9" or 31cm x 23cm)  baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is relatively evenly spread and comes slightly up the sides as this will help when getting the whole thing out later. Leave to set in fridge while you make the filling.

3. Cream butter and sugar together then add beaten egg.

4. Add all dry ingredients (coconut, sultanas and cherries) and mix well.

5. Spread the mix over the set chocolate and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F, 180C or Gas 4.

6. Once it no longer wobbles and the top is browned slightly, leave to cool completely before cutting into squares (as big or as small as you like - see notes below).

Notes - 
1 - These are dangerously addictive. I try to get the balance of square size right and contemplate the following: 
      a. cut big squares and you get a satisfying sized portion.
      b. cut smaller squares or rectangles and you can sneak one out of your cake tin without it being noticed.
      c. If they are cut small, you can possibly sneak a second and still no one would be none the wiser!!!
2 - These keep quite well for a week or so, but any longer and they can start to dry out a little.

Rocky Road

This is the best recipe I have found for rocky road. The original recipe was quite Christmassy with amaretti biscuits but you can add whatever combination you like for the rocky part of the Rocky Road.

Providing you have the essentials such as some kind of biscuit that can be crushed and broken you could probably put anything in: nuts, cherries, popcorn (I saw Jamie Oliver do this on TV).

In the picture below, I replaced the amaretti with digestives as that is what I had in the cupboard. I have tried it with amaretti  biscuits and it is rather scrummy!

Basic Mix
250g/9oz dark chocolate, chopped
150g/5oz milk chocolate, chopped (you can change the ratio of dark and milk chocolate depending on your taste)
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 tbsp golden syrup

The Rocky Bits!
200g/7oz amaretti biscuits
150g/5oz shelled Brazil nuts
150g/5oz red glacé cherries
125g/4oz mini marshmallows

1. Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces into a heavy-based pan. Add the butter and golden syrup and cook over a low heat to melt and combine

2. Place the amaretti biscuits into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to make crumbs of various sizes.

3. Place the Brazil nuts into another freezer bag and bash in the same way.

4. Take the pan of melted chocolate mixture off the heat and add the crushed biscuits and nuts.

5. Add the glacé cherries and mini marshmallows. Fold the mixture carefully to coat all of the solid ingredients with the syrupy chocolate mixture.

6. Pour the mixture into a 25cm/10in x 30cm/12in greased and lined baking tray and smooth the surface as much as possible (although it will look bumpy).

7. Refrigerate for two hours, or until firm enough to cut.

Notes:
1. Dont be tempted to add the marshmallows to the mix first, add them last so the mix has cooled a bit or they will melt into a big sticky goo. 
2. I had less digestives that I thought when I made this and actually had to add a pack of Oreos. Didn't quite have the desired effect as they didnt crumble as much and soak up the moisture so dont give a 'crunch' - worth experimenting though.
3. Original recipe from Nigella Lawson

Spotty Praline Squares

This has to be one of my favourite traybakes. It's a bit fiddly to make as it has a few different stages but the results are worth it: gooey, chocolately, caramel loveliness!!

140g butter

80g light muscovado sugar

200g pain flour

25g cocoa powder

40g chopped roasted hazelnuts

250g nutella

2 medium eggs

50g ground almonds

300g caramel sauce or dulce du lech (ready boiled condensed milk)

100g plain chocolate

white chocolate buttons to decorate

1. Heat oven to gas mark 4 or 180 C. Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with the hazelnuts. Put in a buttered 22x31cm swiss roll tin and smooth with a spoon. Prick liberally with a fork and bake for 30 ins until firm to the touch.

2. Whisk together the nutella, eggs and almonds; spread onto the shortbread and smooth. Return to the oven until just set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

3. Once cooled, spread with caramel sauce and put in the freezer for 30mins to harden.

4. Melt together the cream and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread onto the caramel layer and decorate with chocolate buttons. Leave until hardened before cutting into 24 squares

Notes: Recipe originally from Essentials Magazine. You may note in the magazine in the picture they manage to get 4 buttons per square. If you can calculate that type of spacing prior to cutting it up then you are a better person that me...or perhaps they cut larger squares...now there's an idea!!!!