Little Chocolate Fudgy Balls December 5, 2016

These are lovely but, maybe too rich for the kiddies.

They would make nice Christmas gifts if placed in small, pretty cellophane bags with a ribbon around them 😉

 

Ingredients

 

120g walnuts

220g stoned dates

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

A good pinch

100g chocolate chips (optional)

 

Method

 

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.

Place in a plastic bag and squish well together, then break small pieces off and roll into small balls and put into mini paper cupcake cases.

Coffee Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Sprinkles December 17, 2011

Ingredients

110g butter or margarine, at room temperature

110g demerara sugar

120g light brown sugar

2 large eggs

125g self-raising flour, sifted

120g plain flour, sifted

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp instant espresso powder

125 ml milk, at room temperature

To decorate

1 batch of Coffee Buttercream Icing, see below

Dark chocolate Sprinkles, walnuts or chocolate covered espresso beans

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition. Don’t worry if the mixture splits a bit after adding the eggs-this will not affect the outcome.

Combine the flours in a separate bowl.

Mix the vanilla extract and espresso powder with the milk in a jug and stir to combine.

Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Pour in one-third of the milk and beat again.

Repeat these steps until all the flours and milk have been added.

Carefully spoon the mixture into paper cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of on of the cakes-it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave in the itins for 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once they are completely cool, ice with coffee buttercream and decorate.

Coffee Buttercream Icing

If used on a chocolate cake it makes a perfect Mocha Cake 😉

Ingredients

150g butter, at room temperature

1 Tbsp milk, at room temperature

2 tsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in a small amount of hot water

350g icing sugar, sifted

Method

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, espresso mixture and half the icing sugar until smooth-this can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer.

Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar to produce a buttercream of a creamy and smooth consistency

 

Same recipe, different toppings