Sophies Chocolate Biscuit Cake Food

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then chop.
• Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan; set aside. Toss the hazelnuts and cookies in a large bowl. Combine the butter, golden syrup and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted (do not boil). Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth, then whisk in the chocolate-hazelnut spread.
• Pour the chocolate mixture over the cookie mixture and stir to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan and press down evenly until tightly packed. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream and golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup dissolves and the mixture is just bubbling around the edges. Pour over the chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until thickened but still pourable, 30 minutes to 1 hour. (It should look like a soft pudding.)
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature, 45 minutes. Remove the springform ring and invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving plate; remove the bottom of the pan. Pour about one-third of the cooled ganache over the top of the cake and gently spread with a small offset spatula, allowing the excess to drip down the sides. Repeat with the remaining ganache in two more batches until the top and sides of the cake are covered. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips around the top edge of the cake.

ALFAJORES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, corn flour and baking powder together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Using a food mixer or an electric whisk in another bowl beat the butter together with the sugar and lemon zest until very pale. Add the egg yolks followed by the Cognac and vanilla extract. Beat in the dry ingredients until you have smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. You can make the biscuit dough the day before and leave in the fridge.
• Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin then cut out 60 biscuits with a 5cm round or fluted cutter. Put the biscuits back in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the biscuits for 8 mins until just set. You want the biscuits to stay pale with a crumbly texture. Leave to cool completely before sandwiching two biscuits together with a spoonful of dulce de leche. Once all the biscuits are sandwiched together roll in desiccated coconut.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Break each of the biscuits into little pieces in a bowl.
• Melt the butter and the caster sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Once it has melted, add the cocoa and the drinking chocolate.
• In a separate bowl, beat the two eggs, then add the beaten eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix well.
• Pour over the broken biscuits. Press the mixture into a tin lined with greaseproof paper. Cover with another sheet of greaseproof paper and press down well.
• Leave the biscuits mix to set in the fridge over night.
• Break the milk chocolate into a bowl and set over a pan of boiling water to melt. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted pour the chocolate over the biscuit mixture and leave to set.
• Once set, remove from the tin and slice into squares