Tag: sugar - Richard Glover

Peanut butter triple chocolate brownie recipe

I made this chocolate brownie (without the peanut butter) to give as Christmas presents to friends last year. It’s gooey and incredible, the peanut butter gives it a lovely taste and crunch!

Ingredients

250g of unsalted butter
300g of good dark chocolate
135g of plain flour
60g of cocoa powder
150g of good white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
150g of good milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
A large handful of milk chocolate drops
6 medium free range eggs
410g of caster sugar
A jar of good crunchy peanut butter (Meridian brand if you can get it)

Method

Cut up the butter and chop the dark chocolate into chunks, add them both to a heavy pan and melt slowly over a low heat. Use the bain marie method if you can be bothered. When melted, leave to cool.

Sieve the flour and cocoa into a bowl and set to one side.

Break the eggs into another bowl, add the caster sugar and beat with an electric mixer until the mix has doubled in size. If you lift the beaters from the mix and it leaves a trail for a few seconds, it’s done!

Pour the cooled chocolate over the eggs and sugar. Gently fold it in to avoid knocking all the air out of the mixture.

Hold the sieve over the eggy chocolate mixture and re-sieve the flour and cocoa into it, gently fold it into the mixture to avoid knocking more air out.

Add the chopped white and milk chocolate to the mix and stir in.

Line a 3cm high brownie tray with baking parchment and pour in the mixture, ease it in to the corners and smooth out the top.

Place dots of peanut butter on top of the mix (I did half with peanut butter and half without) then sprinkle the chocolate drops on top.

You don’t have to add peanut butter, why not try chopped nuts or chocolate orange segments?

Place the tray in the oven at 175C (I’ve got a fan oven) for 30 minutes.

Leave to cool, cut up into chunks!

Hob Nobs recipe

Quick and easy, much more satisfying than buying a pack! These can easily be made vegan by substituting butter for vegan spread.

Ingredients – Makes 30 – 40 depending on size

225g of self raising flour
225g of sugar
225g of good whole porridge oats
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
225g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
1 tablespoon of hot water

Method

Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

In a pan melt the butter, syrup and add the hot water.

When melted add to the dry ingredients.

Mix well, make into small balls and place on a greased baking tray, flatten slightly.

Bake at 180C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a rack and nom!

Baked aubergine with almost ratatouille recipe

It’s almost ratatouille but not quite but it tastes really nice and smothered over a lovely soft baked aubergine it makes for an easy meal. It goes down equally well over some roasted butternut squash wedges or topped off with some paneer pieces and a light grilling.

Ingredients

1 aubergine, washed and cut in half lengthways

1 400g can of chopped tomatoes

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

1 orange pepper, washed and cut into chunks

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of sugar

A sprinkle of dried oregano

A sprinkle of dried sage

Freshly ground black pepper

A little olive oil

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C (I’ve got a fan oven).

Place the halved aubergine on a baking tray, score the flesh, rub with a little olive oil and add a little ground black pepper.

Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes but keep an eye on them!

Meanwhile in a large pan add a little olive oil and sauté the onion and orange pepper for a few minutes until the onion is soft.

Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, sugar and a little black pepper, stir until combined.

Add as much of the herbs as you like, I probably added a teaspoon of each.

Give it all a good stir, have a taste, if it’s good let’s rock and roll.

When the aubergine flesh has turned golden brown and the edges catching move them to plates and spoon over the almost ratatouille.

Espresso, chocolate and hazelnut shortbread recipe

I don’t think you can really go wrong when you’re cooking with coffee, but when you add copious amounts of butter, chocolate and sugar it just gets even better!

Ingredients – Makes about 20

30ml of freshly made espresso (or a teaspoon of good instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons of boiling water)

250g of unsalted butter at room temperature cut up into chunks

125g of icing sugar

A small amount of caster sugar to sprinkle on top of the cooked shortbread

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (Use real extract not “vanilla flavouring”)

300g of plain flour

200g bar of cold whole hazelnut chocolate chopped into small pieces (or just get some chocolate and add some chopped hazelnuts)

Method

Get your espresso ready, whilst you’re at it why not just make yourself a nice coffee to drink anyway?

Place the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and beat for 3 or 4 minutes on a medium speed until smooth.

Add the vanilla extract and espresso, turn the mixer speed down to low and add the flour.

As soon as the flour has been incorporated into the mixture turn off the mixer.

Add the chopped chocolate with hazelnuts and fold in with a spatula.

Resist the temptation to eat the mixture right now, although it is pretty tasty at this stage!

Line a half inch deep baking tray with cling film, you might want to use a little butter to stick the cling film to the tray.

Spoon the mixture onto the tray and either flatten with a spatula or a rolling pin.

Cover the tray of shortbread with more cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat your oven to 160C (I’ve got a fan oven).

Remove the shortbread from the fridge, turn out onto a board and discard the cling film.

Cut up into 2 inch squares and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 18-20 minutes, you don’t want to brown the shortbread so keep an eye on it.

Remove from the oven and place on a rack, dust with a little caster sugar and allow to cool (really, they’re hot, give them at least a minute!).

Nom!