Chocolate Caramel Crispy Cakes Food

CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE CARAMEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour, cocoa and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, water, egg and extra yolks and process until a smooth dough forms. Turn out the dough and bring it together on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a very thin rectangle and trim to 10cm x 35cm. Prick each layer all over with a fork and place on the trays. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just crisp. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool at room temperature until crisp.
• To make the chocolate caramel filling, place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan (see note) over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until deep golden in colour. Remove from the heat and, working quickly, add the cream in a thin steady stream. Add the butter, return to the heat and cook, stirring, until well combined. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour the caramel mixture over and stir until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until just cold, whisking occasionally. Once cooled, whisk for 1-2 minutes or until creamy and smooth.
• To assemble, place 1 of the pastry layers on a cake stand or plate. Spread evenly with 1/3 cup (80ml) of the chocolate caramel filling. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, finishing with a pastry layer. Refrigerate the cake for 1-2 hours or until set. Slice to serve.

CHOCOLATE RICE KRISPIE CAKES

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the butter and golden syrup and gently melt in 10-second bursts in the microwave, or melt it over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat and stir in the rice pops, coating them gently with the chocolate until they are all completely covered.
• Divide the mixture between nine cupcake or 12 fairy cake paper cases - it's easier if you slide these into a muffin tin as it will help them hold their shape. Leave to set. If you want them to set faster, put in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Drizzle with a little melted chocolate and decorate with sweets, dried fruit or nuts while they are still wet enough to stick them on. Will keep in an airtight container for five days.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CRISPY CAKES

Steps:

• Break the candy bars into bits and drop them into a saucepan.
• Add the butter and melt, over lowish heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula.
• When everything is melted (the nougat-like layer takes the longest to go), tip in the cereal and stir them, with your rubber spatula, in the chocolate mixture until they are all pretty well coated.
• Fill the mini muffin papers (about 40) with the mixture and put in the refrigerator, on a small sheet pan or tray, for at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CRISPY CAKES

Steps:

• Break the candy bars into bits and drop them into a saucepan.
• Add the butter and melt, over lowish heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula.
• When everything is melted (the nougat-like layer takes the longest to go), tip in the cereal and turn them, with your rubber spatula, in the chocolate mixture until they are all pretty well coated.
• Fill the mini muffin papers with the mixture and put in the refrigerator, on a small sheet pan or tray, for at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOLTEN CARAMEL CENTER

Steps:

• For the salted caramel: Heat the sugar in a medium dry frying pan over medium heat, without stirring but shaking the pan intermittently to disperse some of the sugar, until fully melted and a dark golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Take the pan immediately off the heat and whisk in the salt and half of the cream; the mixture will bubble up very quickly. Add the other half of the cream once it has stopped bubbling so vigorously. Once all the cream is added and it has stopped bubbling, whisk in the butter. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking, until the mixture has thickened slightly, another 2 minutes.
• Pour the hot caramel into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer for 3 hours or overnight. You should be able to make between 8 and 10 caramels roughly 1/2 inch in size, depending on your ice cube tray. The salted caramel cubes can also be kept in the freezer for 2 weeks for later use.
• For the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/390 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg and sugar with a hand whisk until the mixture appears light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until completely melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and slowly pour over the egg mixture. Whisk until combined. Sift in the flour and stir the mixture together gently with a spatula until all of the flour is incorporated.
• Using some spare soft butter, grease the inside of 2 chocolate fondant molds (roughly 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep). Place the cocoa powder into the bottom of one mold. Rotate the mold, tipping the excess cocoa powder around the edges until the mold is completely coated. Tip the excess cocoa powder into the second mold and repeat the process. Tip out any remaining cocoa powder from the mold once finished.
• Using a tablespoon, fill the molds up two-thirds of the way with the chocolate mixture. Remove 2 caramel cubes from the freezer and push a cube into the center of each cake, making sure the caramel is covered by the chocolate batter.
• Bake until the tops have formed a slight crust and the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the molds, about 11 minutes. Immediately remove the cakes from the oven. Place a serving plate on top of each mold and flip it over, releasing the cakes. Serve immediately with cream or ice cream.

COOKING WITH KIDS: CHOCOLATE CORNFLAKE CAKES

Steps:

• Children: Weigh out the ingredients. Older children can do this by themselves with supervision and little ones can help to pour or spoon ingredients into the weighing scales. Put 50g butter, 100g milk or dark chocolate, broken into chunks and 3 tbsp golden syrup in a saucepan or microwavable bowl. Put 100g cornflakes in another large bowl.
• Grown ups: Melt the weighed butter, chocolate and golden syrup in the saucepan over a low heat or briefly in the microwave. Allow to cool a little before pouring over the cornflakes.
• Children: Stir the ingredients together gently using a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases arranged on a muffin tray (or baking sheet, if you don't have one). Grown ups will need to do this for younger children or simply arrange on a tray and let the mess happen. Put in the fridge to set.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 x 23cm loose-bottom cake tins and line with a circle of baking parchment. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add the baking powder, cocoa and a third of the flour. Mix well to combine, then stir in half the soured cream. Alternating between adding the flour and soured cream, mix everything until just combined. Spoon into the prepared tins, then smooth over the surface with a spoon.
• Bake for 30 mins or until the cakes are firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
• When you're ready to serve, whip the double cream with 2 tbsp Dulce de leche until soft peaks form. Place 1 cake on a serving plate and spread with half the cream, then drizzle over the remaining Dulce de leche. Top with the other cake, then spread the remaining cream on top. Sprinkle with the chocolate. Chill until ready to serve.

MARSHMALLOW CRISPY CAKES

Steps:

• Butter a 34 x 24 x 5cm deep baking tray and line with baking parchment. Melt the butter and vanilla in a large saucepan over a low heat, then add the marshmallows and cook gently, stirring occasionally until everything is melted, smooth and glossy.
• Remove from the heat and mix in the rice cereal and 150g of the white chocolate chunks. Stir until the cereal is evenly coated, then tip into the baking tray and press into the corners using slightly wet hands to prevent the mixture from sticking to you. Leave to cool for 1 hr until set.
• Melt the remaining 50g white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the crispy cakes and sprinkle over the mini marshmallows, if using. Leave to set, then cut into 12 squares. Cut the squares in half diagonally to serve. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.