Okay, so I know this is a bit late but I thought I would do a post for it anyway.
Fathers Day 2012, I sent my dad a wholehearted attempt at red velvet cake in a jar, with a frosting recipe I found online which was made up of your basic buttercream frosting mix with added milk and flour. Yep. I had never heard of this before but was convinced that it would be amazing!
The red velvet cake wasn't red and the frosting was a bit dodgy. I sent it anyway.
So this year Fathers Day came around again and I couldn't think of what to give my Dad, then just as I lay my head down to go to sleep it came to me. I find this is when most ideas good or bad come to me, perhaps it's because I'm not distracted by anything else - and I am quite easily distracted.
Anyway, I decided I would try to post a bake again. Seems silly at first ey, but this time I made something that was a bit more withstanding! White Chocolate Rocky Road and Caramel Shortbread. Simple but classic.
Ingredients
400g White Chocolate
70g Unsalted, lightly toasted pistachio nuts
70g Shortbread
100g Dried cranberries
100g Vegan marshmallows (It took me a while to find these. In the end I had to ask the boyf to go and hunt them down on his day off! *The Better Food Company - Whiteladies Road, Bristol*)
You will also need the following equipment
9x6" dish
Large bowl
Bain Marie (I use a bowl over a pan of hot water.)
1. Carefully break up your shortbread. I used a knife as I found you can control the size of your biscuit bits more. Tip the biscuit into the large bowl along with the cranberries, pistachio nuts and marshmallows.
2. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir frequently.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl containing the rest of the ingredients and mix carefully making sure the biscuit pieces don't fall apart.
4. Tip the entire mixture into the dish, level out and leave to cool, preferably over night. I leave mine in the fridge.
I like to leave the marshmallows quite chunky so you get the best of all the textures, the same goes for the biscuit.
I used pistachios with cranberries as the flavours compliment each other well, but you could use any nut or dried fruit.
Whether you are using milk, dark or white try to use a good quality chocolate. You will really notice the difference.
Fathers Day 2012, I sent my dad a wholehearted attempt at red velvet cake in a jar, with a frosting recipe I found online which was made up of your basic buttercream frosting mix with added milk and flour. Yep. I had never heard of this before but was convinced that it would be amazing!
The red velvet cake wasn't red and the frosting was a bit dodgy. I sent it anyway.
So this year Fathers Day came around again and I couldn't think of what to give my Dad, then just as I lay my head down to go to sleep it came to me. I find this is when most ideas good or bad come to me, perhaps it's because I'm not distracted by anything else - and I am quite easily distracted.
Anyway, I decided I would try to post a bake again. Seems silly at first ey, but this time I made something that was a bit more withstanding! White Chocolate Rocky Road and Caramel Shortbread. Simple but classic.
White Chocolate Rocky Road
400g White Chocolate
70g Unsalted, lightly toasted pistachio nuts
70g Shortbread
100g Dried cranberries
100g Vegan marshmallows (It took me a while to find these. In the end I had to ask the boyf to go and hunt them down on his day off! *The Better Food Company - Whiteladies Road, Bristol*)
You will also need the following equipment
9x6" dish
Large bowl
Bain Marie (I use a bowl over a pan of hot water.)
1. Carefully break up your shortbread. I used a knife as I found you can control the size of your biscuit bits more. Tip the biscuit into the large bowl along with the cranberries, pistachio nuts and marshmallows.
2. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Stir frequently.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl containing the rest of the ingredients and mix carefully making sure the biscuit pieces don't fall apart.
4. Tip the entire mixture into the dish, level out and leave to cool, preferably over night. I leave mine in the fridge.
* Tips *
I like to leave the marshmallows quite chunky so you get the best of all the textures, the same goes for the biscuit.
I used pistachios with cranberries as the flavours compliment each other well, but you could use any nut or dried fruit.
Whether you are using milk, dark or white try to use a good quality chocolate. You will really notice the difference.
Caramel Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread base
100g flour
70g butter (cut into 1cm squares)
40g golden caster sugar
Caramel middle
75g butter
40g dark muscovado sugar
397g condensed milk
Chocolate topping
100g dark chocolate
You will also need the following equipment;
9x5" loaf tin
Large bowl
Bain Marie
1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Lightly grease the tin then line with baking parchment, leaving an excess on the longer sides so you can lift the finished bake out easily.
2. First, your shortbread base. Measure the sugar and flour into your bowl and mix together. Add the butter and rub together until it starts to resemble bread crumbs. Now kneed until it forms a smooth dough and then press evenly into the base of your loaf tin pricking the top slightly with a fork. Bake for around 20 minutes or until the top of your shortbread is golden brown and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
3. Now for the caramel middle. Put your butter, sugar and condensed milk into a pan over a low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil making sure you're stirring the mixture all of the time, or else it will catch the bottom of the pan. Now, turn the heat down slightly so the caramel simmers and stir until it's thick with a fudge-like colour. This should take no more than 8-10 minutes.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread and leave to cool.
4. Last but not least, the chocolate topping. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water stirring frequently. Now pour the chocolate over the caramel and leave to set completely before cutting into squares.
2. First, your shortbread base. Measure the sugar and flour into your bowl and mix together. Add the butter and rub together until it starts to resemble bread crumbs. Now kneed until it forms a smooth dough and then press evenly into the base of your loaf tin pricking the top slightly with a fork. Bake for around 20 minutes or until the top of your shortbread is golden brown and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
3. Now for the caramel middle. Put your butter, sugar and condensed milk into a pan over a low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil making sure you're stirring the mixture all of the time, or else it will catch the bottom of the pan. Now, turn the heat down slightly so the caramel simmers and stir until it's thick with a fudge-like colour. This should take no more than 8-10 minutes.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread and leave to cool.
4. Last but not least, the chocolate topping. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water stirring frequently. Now pour the chocolate over the caramel and leave to set completely before cutting into squares.
*Tips*
If I want to make a really clean cut I run a sharp knife under the hot tap, quickly dry it with a tea towel and then cut the caramel shortbread.
You could also use two different types of chocolate to create a marble effect which looks pretty. Or even decorate the top with dried pieces of strawberry or raspberry.
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| Great with a hot cup of tea |
And the theme tune to this bake is...... Jazzanova - Little Bird
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