You will need…

100g butter
200g milk chocolate
3 tblspns golden syrup
225g digestive biscuits, crushed finely
225g Maltesers

Malteser Traybake Ingredients

First you need to break the chocolate up into a bowl, add the butter and the syrup and melt either in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water.

Malteser Tray Bake - Melting

Crush up the digestive biscuits.

Malteser Traybake - Crushing

Add the maltesers to the crushed digestives.

Malteser Traybake - Maltesers

Add the melted chocolate mix to the digestives and Maltesers.

Malteser Traybake - Mix Together

Mix it all together quickly, before it starts to set.

Malteser Traybake - Mixed

Put the mixture into a square tin and chill until it sets.

Malteser Traybake - Chill

Cut up into squares and enjoy!

Malteser Traybake - Done

Malteser Traybake - Done

Yet another easy to make cake!

Chocolate Bracelet - Yum!

I think I will be visiting their website for some goodies for birthdays and Christmas!

This is a very easy to make Dr Who Dalek cake, made using Swiss Rolls.

The original idea came from Blue Peter, way back in February 1966, and was made by Valerie Singleton.

I decided to make two Daleks for my son’s birthday.

I took lots of step by step photos to show how it’s done – and if I can make it, anyone can!

First, I went out and bought all the ingredients…

1. Four large chocolate Swiss Rolls.
2. A box of Matchmakers
3. A bag of Buttons
4. Cocoa
5. Icing Sugar
6. A bag of Maltesers
7. A bag of Liquorice Allsorts
8. 3 long brown sweetie laces

Dalek Cake - Step One

Step two, cut the top third off each of the Swiss Rolls and set them aside.

Dalek Cake - Step Two

Step three, cut the Swiss Rolls in half diagonally, lengthways.

Dalek Cake - Step Three

Step four, along the widest end of the Swiss roll, cut a diagonal wedge (the photo shows what I mean!)

Dalek Cake - Step Four

Step five, stand the three pieces together as shown in the photo below.

Dalek Cake - Step Five

Step six, make the icing…

200g icing sugar
2tsp cocoa
1tbsp butter, softened
2tbsp milk

1. Sieve the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl
2. Mix the butter into the icing sugar, stirring well
3. Add the milk and stir in well.

Dalek Cake - Step Six

Step seven, carefully spread the icing onto your Dalek, make sure it’s as smooth as possible.

Dalek Cake - Step Seven

Step eight, start adding the sweetie decorations. First put the laces around the bottom of your Dalek and around the head (see photo below). Next you need to add the Liquorice Allsorts to the head and the Maltesers all around the Dalek.

Dalek Cake - Step Eight

Step nine, make the Daleks “arms” and various other “sticky out bits” with your Matchmakers. For the one on his head, you need to break the Matchmaker to the length you want it and stick push it into the Liqourice Allsort (this took a few attempts, because I kept breaking the Matchmaker!) You can see which Allsort to use in the photo below. For the Daleks “arms” you need two Matchmakers, one stuck into the Daleks front, and the other stuck in at the other side, but with a Chocolate Button fixed onto the end of it with a little of the icing (see photo). Originally, I put two Matchmakers in the top of the Daleks head as his antenna, but in the finished cake, I took them out and replaced them with candles.

Dalek Cake - Step Nine

Step ten, do it all again if you want to make two Daleks. I also made some extra “aliens” with some of the left over Swiss Roll and sweeties (see photos).

Dalek Cake - Finished

That’s it – all done, wasn’t that easy and doesn’t it look great?

Dalek Cake - Finished Back

Ingredients

For the cake
100g Green and Blacks chocolate, broken in pieces
100g caster sugar
100g softened butter, plus extra
3 eggs, separated
50g ground almonds
50g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp apricot jam

For the Marzipan
50g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
50g  icing sugar
1-2 drops of almond extract
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the Icing
175g Green and Blacks chocolate, broken in pieces
142ml carton double cream

For the Decoration
1 large orange
100g white chocolate
25g Green and Blacks chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Butter an 18cm deep cake tin.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
4. Mix together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the yolks, one at a time.
6. Gently stir in the almonds and chocolate.
7. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold a quarter of the egg white into the chocolate mixture, next  sift in a quarter of the flour and baking powder. Repeat three more times until the egg white and flour is mixed in thoroughly.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and cooked. Cool for five minutes, turn out on to a wire rack and cool completely.
10. Make the almond paste by putting the caster sugar and almonds in a bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Mix well, add the extract and egg –  mix to form a stiff paste.
11. Knead briefly on a surface dusted with icing sugar, then cut off a quarter of the paste and divide into 12. Return one piece to the main lump of paste and shape the other 11 into balls. Leave on a plate to dry slightly. Roll out the remaining paste to the size of the cake, trimming to neatly fit the cake.
12. Warm the jam and two tbsp of water in a pan, then press through a sieve into a bowl. Split the cake in half, putting one half on a plate.
13. Brush with jam. Cover with the marzipan and brush with jam. Top with the other cake half. Brush the cake top and sides with jam.
14. Make the icing: put the chocolate and cream in a bowl. Microwave on Medium for one to two minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir. Cool, then chill for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread.
15. Spread over the cake top and sides with a palette knife. Leave to set.
16. Chop the orange in half. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl, as before. Spear a ball of paste with a cocktail stick and dip into the chocolate, turning it to coat, then hold it over the bowl for a few seconds until a point forms. Flip the ball and stick into the orange. Repeat with the remaining balls and leave to set.
17. Melt the Green and Blacks chocolate. Using the tip of a tsp, drizzle lines back and forth over the chocolate balls. Leave to set. Re-melt a little leftover chocolate and use to attach the balls to the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:
125g Green and Blacks chocolate
125g butter
175g caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
55g plain flour
125g ground almonds

For the filling and icing:
250ml double cream
60g marshmallows
250g Green and Blacks chocolate

For the topping:
300ml double cream, whipped
150g marshmallows

Directions

For the cake:

1. Heat up the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4
2. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
4. Mix the butter with 125g of sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
5. Whisk the egg whites and remaining sugar together until it forms stiff peaks.
6. Stir the melted chocolate into the butter mixture, add the flour and almonds and fold in gently.
7. Fold in the egg whites.
8. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and cook for approx 30 minutes (stick a skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake is ready).
9. Leave to cool for five minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the filling, icing and topping:

1. Heat the cream and marshmallows until the cream is just boiling and the marshmallows have melted.
2. Pour over the chopped pieces of chocolate and mix until smooth and shiny.
3. Cut the sponge cake in half and spread the filling. Sandwich the pieces together and cover the top and sides with the rest of the icing.
4. Chill in the fridge until set.
5. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the cake and add the marshmallows.

250 g plain flour
2g baking soda
3g salt
170g butter, melted
220g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
15ml vanilla extract
1egg
1egg yolk
335g chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/165C/Gas Mark 3.
2. Grease baking tray or line with greaseproof paper.
3. In a bowl sieve the flour, baking soda and salt together.
4. In anoither bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
6. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended.
7. Stir in the chocolate chips.
8. Place dessert spoons full of cookie dough onto the baking tray, spacing them about 6cm apart.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned.
10. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the Mars Bars into small pieces and melt in a bowl over a pan of boiling water with the butter and syrup.

2. When the mixture has all melted, stir it into the rice crispies until they are completely coated.

3. Put the rice crispie mixture into a tray and push it down to compact it.

4. Melt the milk chocolate the same way as you did the Mars Bars.

5. When the chocolate is melted pour it over the rice crispie mixture.

6. Put the mixture in the fridge to set.

These are very tasty and really don’t last very long in our house!

Ingredients

For the cake:
310g plain flour
5g baking soda
2g baking powder
3g salt
170g white chocolate, chopped
120ml hot water
225g butter, softened
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
235ml buttermilk

For the icing:
200g white chocolate, chopped
20g plain flour
235ml milk
225g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
5ml vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease two 9inch round cake tins.
3. In a bowl sieve together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and the salt.
4. In a small pan mix together the white chocolate and hot water over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, leave to cool to room temperature.
5. In a bowl mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add eggs one at a time beating well.
7. Stir in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately.
8. Mix in the melted chocolate.
9. Put the cake batter into the cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
10. Use a fork to see if the cake is cooked, if it comes out clean then it’s ready, if it has some batter on it, cook it for a little longer.
11. When cooked take out of the tins and cool on a wire rack.
12. For the icing, in a pan, add the chocolate, flour and milk and melt over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick and creamy. Allow to cool completely.
13. In a bowl mix together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
14. Mix in the white chocolate mixture and beat until it’s thick and creamy.
15. Spread  between the two layers of cake and over the top and sides of the cake.

There you have it, your delicious, white chocolate cake. Enjoy!

As we know, Britain is a nation of chocaholics and we spend more than £3.5 billion a year on the lovely choccy stuff, which is way more than any other European country.

Now experts have confirmed that chocolate truly is good for our health (well the dark stuff anyway). According to Swedish scientists, people who eat chocolate after a heart attack may be less likely to have another heart attack. Chocolate boosts brain power and lifts depression too.

Nestle were asked to bring back Black Magic by the dark chocolate fans, so, after two years away from the shelves, Nestle brought back Black Magic!

The best dark chocolate has the highest percent of cocoa, so 70%, or even better 85% and dark chocolate has around 40 less calories per 100g than milk chocolate. It is full of antioxidants and anti-coagulants which make the blood flow more freely and help fight conditions that can lead to heart problems.

Dark chocolate can reduce cholesterol, cutting it by up to 10% and it also reduces the risk of blood clots by upto 75%.

It’s a myth that eating chocolate is addictive and causes spots. It’s more likely that hormones or general bad diet are to blame.

So, go on – give it a go, try a good, high cocoa content, dark chocolate and make yourself feel truly better!

This is a delicious chocolate cake from Lee Hansen who is a mother, grandmother and self-confessed chocoholic who publishes parenting tips, craft printables and family-friendly articles at Pastiche Family Portal (http://parenting.leehansen.com)

This is the perfect chocolate cake to bake for a chocolate lover’s birthday. It’s also delicious as a special holiday dessert or a sweet Valentine’s Day treat. Do your heart some good – bake a dark chocolate cake!

Ingredients

1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C. unsweetened baking cocoa
2 C. flour
pinch of salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 C. milk
1 C. strong coffee, cooled
1 tsp. vanilla

Mixing and Baking Instructions

Sift dry ingredients together; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs 1 at a time.

Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating gently until combined.

Add coffee and vanilla and stir just until well blended.

Bake in 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans at 350 degrees F, or until cake tests done. (Cake is done when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.) Begin testing layers after about 20 minutes baking time.

Cool cake layers for 15 minutes or until pans are easy to handle. Remove cake layers carefully from pans. Complete cooling on cake racks.

Assemble and frost the cooled cake layers with Chocolate Icing (recipe below) or your favorite butter cream icing or whipped cream.

Chocolate Icing

1/2 C. butter or margarine (1 stick),melted
1 box (2 C.) confectioner’s sugar/powdered sugar
2 Tbl. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. milk

Melt butter in saucepan; remove from heat and stir in sugar and cocoa, then add vanilla and milk.
Stir icing until glossy and thick. Cool slightly and spread on cake with spatula.

NOTES

- Do not substitute low-fat or “light” margarine for the butter in these recipes.
- This chocolate cake recipe can also be baked as cupcakes or as a sheet cake.