insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 14 - April 2016 | Page 34

FOOD+DRINK Easter leftovers... how to reinvent your chocolate eggs cont. Great to do with kids... Salted Caramel Brownies (16 greedy portions; 24 not-so-greedy portions) You’ll need: • 200g unsalted butter (plus a little bit for greasing) • 200g chocolate • 1 tin of readymade Carnation caramel • 1 tsp flakey salt • 200g golden caster sugar • 4 medium eggs • 130g plain flour • 50g cocoa powder Method: Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan, then grease and line a 23 x 23cm square tin with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter in a pan, break in all the chocolate, then remove the pan from the heat and wait for everything to melt. In a small bowl, mix 175g of the readymade caramel with 1 tsp sea salt. Set aside. Extreme Rocky Road (16 chunks) Put the rest of the caramel in a large bowl with the sugar and eggs, and beat (preferably with an electric hand mixer) until combined well. Whisk in the chocolate and butter mixture. In a third bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and a generous pinch of salt, then sift this on top of the chocolate mix and beat briefly until smooth. Pour half the brownie batter into your tin and level it. Using a teaspoon, spoon half of th e salted caramel on top of the batter in five thick, evenly spaced stripes. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out very gently. Top with the rest of the caramel in the same stripy fashion, then drag a skewer through the top layer of caramel to make a swirly pattern. You’ll need: • 300g chocolate • 100g butter • 140g golden syrup • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 280g digestive and ginger nut biscuits mixed, roughly chopped • 100g raisins • Mini marshmallows • Mini eggs/mini creme eggs Scatter with a bit more sea salt, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until risen well with a firm crust on top; when ready, the brownie will wobble just slightly when you shake the tin. Leave to cool completely, then cut into squares and devour. Method: Line a 20 x 20cm tin with greaseproof paper. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy. Add the vanilla extract, biscuits, raisins, and mini marshmallows, and mix until everything combines. Spoon the mixture into your tin and flatten down with the back of a spoon. Press in some mini eggs and put in the fridge for about 3 hours until set, before chopping into chunks. Quick weekend indulgence... Grown Up Hot Chocolate (for 2) Chocolate-Stuffed Croissants (as many as you can eat) Method: Method: Your choice rests on a sliding scale of how much or how little you’d like to do: make croissants from scratch; make croissants from readymade dough; or buy croissants. In a small bowl, mix the rum with the honey, then set aside. You’ll need: • 70ml dark rum • 4tsp honey • 300ml whole milk • 100g milk/dark chocolate Warm the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until simmering gently. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Put the pan back on the heat until the milk mixture warms up, then add the rum and honey. Split between two mugs and serve. You’ll need: • Croissants • Creme eggs/caramel eggs/ any chocolate 34 Then, stuff them with how much of whatever chocolate indulgence floats your boat and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Hot, chocolate-oozing croissants. What could be better?