section
do something Chocolatey
recipes
Here are some chocolatey recipes from some of our very favourite cooks. Time to get baking, rattle your tin and raise some pennies for YWCA.
Sophie Grigson's chocolate and pecan brownies
Cookery writer and celebrity chef Sophie Grigson says: "Love chocolate, cook chocolate, eat chocolate and put it to work, too! By supporting YWCA’s do something chocolatey campaign this year, you can enjoy a gorgeous treat with your friends or family, knowing that you are raising vital funds for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome barriers in their lives and fulfil their potential. Start out by giving my chocolate and pecan brownies a workout, for some delicious inspiration!" Thanks Sophie! We will.
Ingredients
Oven | Method Line a 20cm (8") square shallow baking tin. Put the chocolate and the butter into a bowl and melt gently over a pan of barely simmering water. Next, stir in the two sugars and the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the flour, salt and the pecans. Don't overdo the mixing - a brownie batter is better if it's a little unevenly mixed. Remember, you don't want to get too much air into the mixture - think fudgy all the way. Scrape into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until set but not solid. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares. If there are any squares that are not gobbled up within the next hour, store those in an airtight tin. |
Sophie says : "One of the most important principles of brownie-making (apart from using tip-top quality chocolate) is this; unlike cake, it must never be cooked until a skewer comes out totally clean! Over-cooking produces an over-chewy brownie instead of an immorally fudgy one."
Delia's chocolate drop mini muffins with red noses
Delia says: "Tiny little chocolate bites - soft, light, with melted chocolate swirled on the top, on which to fix a whole cherry. Once you've mastered the very easy art of making these, you simply have to make at least 100 - if not more."
Copyright Delia Smith 1997 - Recipe reproduced by permission from Delia's Red Nose Collection, published by New Crane Publishing Ltd
Ingredients
For the topping:
Oven |
Method Start off by sifting the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Then in a separate bowl mix together the egg, sugar, milk and melted butter. Now return the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight on to the egg mixture (this double sifting is essential because there won't be much mixing going on). Take a large spoon and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones - quickly, in about 15 seconds. Don't be tempted to beat or stir, and don't be alarmed by the rather unattractive, uneven appearance of the mixture: this, in fact, is what will ensure that the muffins stay light. Now fold the chocolate drops into the mixture - again with a minimum of stirring; just a quick folding in. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups, about 1 heaped teaspoon in each, and bake on a high shelf in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until well risen. Then remove the muffins from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling tray. While they're cooling, place the remaining chocolate drops into a small bowl. Then place this into a saucepan of barely simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water, and allow the chocolate to melt. Then, when the muffins are cool enough to handle, spoon a little melted chocolate on to each one, then place it back on the cooling tray and fix a cherry on top. If you like, before serving you can give them a dusting of sifted icing sugar. |
Chocolate tiffin
This inexpensive and delicious refridgerator cake is a real treat for those on a budget. The recipe comes from the girls and women at YWCA West Kent's Food for Thought programme.
Ingredients
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Method Put the butter, golden syrup and drinking chocolate in a large saucepan. Stir and heat very gently until mostly melted. Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs. Tip the crumbs into the melted butter mixture and stir until well mixed. Turn the mixture out into your shallow cake tin and press it down evenly and firmly. Put it in the fridge. Melt the chocolate by heating it very gently in a basin put into a saucepan with about an inch of water. When it is melted pour it over the biscuit mixture and spread evenly. Put it back in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Slice into squares and scoff! |
