Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

Chocolate

3 Bake with the kids

Easter Chocolate Cornflake Nests

Ethan my youngest was keen to do some Easter baking with me and Oliver my eldest wanted to practise some photography. This relegated me to chief bottle washer and supervisor which I was more than happy with, as I had already spent a lot of time in the kitchen making hot cross buns.

easter chocolate cornflake nests

I love spending time in the kitchen with the boys as it makes me nostalgic for the time I used to spend in the kitchen with my Dad. Relaxing and chatting for 30 minutes, with no interruptions from social media, the Xbox or phones is such a joy and rare in our hectic lives.

With nostalgia being the theme, we agreed on a very simple recipe I remember making as a young lad, which Ethan could nail and that would look great when Oliver grabbed the camera.

easter chocolate cornflake nests

Not sure if calling it baking is stretching the skills needed, but if you can melt stuff, stir and spoon into cupcake cases then this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients:
225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g unsalted butter
75g cornflakes
2 bags of Cadbury mini chocolate eggs

Method:

  1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases.
  2. In a bowl set on a pan of simmering water, gently melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter, stirring until smooth and fully combined.
  3. Gently fold in the cornflakes until totally coated in the chocolate.
  4. Divide the mixture between the 12 paper cases and pop 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest.
  5. Chill in the fridge until completely set.

Easter chocolate cornflake nests
 
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Old school chocolate cornflake nests for Easter.
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • Ingredients:
  • 225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 75g cornflakes
  • 2 bags of Cadbury mini chocolate eggs
Instructions
  1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases.
  2. In a bowl set on a pan of simmering water, gently melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter, stirring until smooth and fully combined.
  3. Gently fold in the cornflakes until totally coated in the chocolate.
  4. Divide the mixture between the 12 paper cases and pop 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest.
  5. Chill in the fridge until completely set

 

2 Cakes

Black Forest Roulade

Keeping on the Christmas baking theme, as a kid every year at Christmas we would make a chocolate Yule log. This comprised of a shop bought chocolate swiss roll that we cut to look like a branch and then covered in a ton of chocolate butter icing. Then it was liberally dusted with icing sugar snow and decorated with plastic holly and a robin. We felt like artistic geniuses once it was complete and drove my parents mad on a pre Christmas sugar high once my brother and I had demolished it.

Chocolate roulade

This week I was feeling nostalgic and thought it was time to create a more grown up version. As the brain cells got working I thought of blending the height of sophistication of desserts in the late 70s early 80s, the black forest gateau, with a chocolate log.

Chocolate roulade

This rich chocolate roulade is filled with thick cream and stuffed full of juicy morello cherries soaked in kirsch. For an extra depth of flavour and kick, I also added some dried sour cherries steeped overnight in vodka.

Chocolate roulade

Makes: 1 Roulade
Oven Temp: Gas 4, 350f, 180C (160C Fan)

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate
150g caster sugar
5 medium eggs
300 ml fresh double cream
125g Morello cherries with kirsch
50g dried cherries (steeped overnight in vodka) (optional)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for dusting
1 tablespoon icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan and Line a 33cm x 23cm Swiss-roll tin with baking parchment.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (be careful that the bowl doesn’t touch the water).
3. Separate the eggs. In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until very thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff.
5. Mix a couple of tablespoons of the eggs whites into the chocolate mixture to lessen it up, then gently fold in the remainder.
6.Pour into the prepared tin and gentle spread out to fill the tin, bake for 15-20 mins until risen and firm to the touch.
7. Lay out a large piece of baking parchment and sift half the icing sugar over it. Turn out the warm roulade  onto the baking parchment  and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Allow to cool completely.
8. Whilst the roulade is cooling, whip the cream to soft peaks in a bowl.
9. Remove the top baking parchment layer from the roulade and spread with the cream. Then scatter over the cherries and drizzle a little of the kirsch/cherry juice over the cream.
10. Use the bottom piece of baking parchment to roll up the roulade from one short end.
11. Transfer to a serving platter and dust with cocoa powder and icing sugar.

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Black Forest Roulade
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This rich chocolate roulade is filled with thick cream and stuffed full of juicy morello cherries soaked in kirsch. For an extra depth of flavour and kick, I also added some dried sour cherries steeped overnight in vodka.
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 5 medium eggs
  • 300 ml fresh double cream
  • 125g Morello cherries with kirsch
  • 50g dried cherries (steeped overnight in vodka) (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan and Line a 33cm x 23cm Swiss-roll tin with baking parchment.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (be careful that the bowl doesn’t touch the water).
  3. Separate the eggs. In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until very thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  5. Mix a couple of tablespoons of the eggs whites into the chocolate mixture to lessen it up, then gently fold in the remainder.
  6. Pour into the prepared tin and gentle spread out to fill the tin, bake for 15-20 mins until risen and firm to the touch.
  7. Lay out a large piece of baking parchment and sift half the icing sugar over it. Turn out the warm roulade onto the baking parchment and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Allow to cool completely.
  8. Whilst the roulade is cooling, whip the cream to soft peaks in a bowl.
  9. Remove the top baking parchment layer from the roulade and spread with the cream. Then scatter over the cherries and drizzle a little of the kirsch/cherry juice over the cream.
  10. Use the bottom piece of baking parchment to roll up the roulade from one short end.
  11. Transfer to a serving platter and dust with cocoa powder and icing sugar.