Chocolate biscuit fridge cake

Prep 10 min + 1 hour chilling time

150g (5 ½ oz) Butter
22.5 ml (1 ½ tbsp) Golden syrup
150g (5 ½ oz) good quality plain chocolate
250g (9oz) digestives or amaretti biscuits crushed
50g (1 ¾ oz) toasted hazelnuts or almonds chopped
50g (1 ¾ oz) glace cherries halved or mini marshmallows
50g (1 ¾ oz) raisins or sultanas

1. Place butter, syrup and chocolate together in a saucepan and melt gently over a low heat
2. Remove from the heat and add the biscuits, nuts, cherries and raisins
3. Line or lightly butter a 18cm (7in) square tin, then spoon in the mixture
4. Chill until set

Cake will keep in fridge for 2 weeks
Ideal served with strong coffee

Gingerbread

Beat in a mug:
2 eggs
½ Cup beer (i.e Mc Ewans)

Melt in a saucepan:
½ lb Butter
½ lb Soft Brown sugar
2 level tbsp Treacle
2 level tbsp Golden Syrup

Sieve into a bowl:
10 oz Plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger

1. Add beaten ingredients to melted ingredients in saucepan.
2. Add gradually to sieved ingredients and beat well. Beating develops the gluten in the flour and will make the cake shiny.
3. Pour into a lined tin.
4. Bake in a moderate oven GM4/180c/350f.
5. After 45 minutes lower to GM2/150c/300f until cooked. As this cake is high in sugar, the contents take longer to set, so do not open the oven door for at least twenty more minutes. (Approx 40 mins)
6. Wrap cake in foil and store for at least two days, or one week for really sticky gingerbread.

Canadian Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another recipe collected during my stay in Canada. These cookies can be prepared, baked and in your hands in twenty minutes. They are so delicious, that they rarely get a chance to completely cool down before they are gone, so when it’s just the two of us at home I halve the quantities to avoid a terrible accident….

8oz butter softened
8oz soft brown sugar
4 oz granulated sugar
2tsp vanilla (Can be omitted)
2 eggs
10 oz Plain flour
1tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
300g Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375f/ 190c

1. Beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop heaped spoonfuls onto lined baking sheets 2” 5cm apart. The recipe uses teaspoons and is meant to make up to five dozen cookies, but I prefer to make fewer bigger ones.
5.Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned, the cooking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of your cookies so keep a close eye on them.
6. They will still be soft when they come out of the oven, so when they have slightly cooled transfer any that are left onto a cooling rack