Rich, indulgent dairylicious chocolate brownies….

An eternal favourite. Perfect recipe if you do not have to cater for dairy free individuals. If you do, either swap the chocolate for a darker chocolate with no butter in it or use this other recipe here.

Santa Hat Brownies*

Easy to make…and even easier to devour! Make your Christmas Party guests chuckle with these adorable and delicious Santa Hat Brownie Bites! Make them wheat and dairy free by using the alternative flour and butter plus using a vanilla buttercream instead of the cream.

 

Ice Cream (Chocolate)

I can’t say no to this chocolate ice cream recipe. It is absolutely delicious. Apologies again because this is not for those allergic to dairy. Maybe a recipe will follow using coconut milk or something similar. For now, just enjoy the normal version. Don’t forget to change the flavour to change it up a bit.

INGREDIENTS

200ml single cream or whole milk

300g dark chocolate (minimum 70%) – finely chopped **Adaptable recipe – change this ingredient for a new flavour**

75g caster sugar

6 medium egg yolks

750ml thick whipping cream

METHOD

1. Put the single cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth **using a different flavour? Change it here!**
3. Put the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until thick, pale and creamy – about 10 minutes
4. Put the whipping cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil
5. Remove and pour into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring continuously (I simply leave the mixer on but a slower speed)
6. Rinse the pan and then pour the mixture (not the chocolate cream) back into the pan
7. Heat over a low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle!
8. Pass the mixture through a seive
9. Add the melted chocolate cream mixture **using a different flavour? Change it here!**
10. Stir well before pouring into a shallow container
11. Let it chill before either pouring into an ice-cream maker and following their instructions OR place in the freezer (in a freezer-proof container) and freeze it. Just before it becomes solid, (about 40-50 minutes roughly) remove from the freezer and whisk thoroughly with a hand-held mixer until smooth again. Now return to the freezer. Repeat 2-3 times before leaving it completely to become solid.

Serve with brownies, recipe here, for that added chocolate experience. This ice cream can be prepared ahead of a dinner party for that added wow! No-one will believe you made this, yet it’s surprisingly easy!

An easy addition, try chocolate chips. Changing it up, try vanilla pods or fresh fruit.

For the fruit flavours, use 400g (strawberries), hull them before adding to a bowl with 2 additional tablespoons of caster sugar to infuse the flavour for an hour before adding at step 9. You could also use pre-prepared (strawberry) jam too to make a raspberry ripple effect – add this at the last whisk from the freezer. Spoon a stripe down the centre of the container and then using the end of a fork or spoon, swirl around the container making sure to go through the stripe of jam to create the ripple effect.

PREP: 20 mins

FREEZE: 2-4 hours

DIFFICULTY: easy

Chocolate Brownies*

Who doesn’t love a chocolate brownie? Soft and squidgy in the middle, slightly crisp on the top…mmm yummy. This recipe is actually WDF but can simply be made with the usual ingredients of self-raising wheat flour and magarine if you don’t have a food intolerance.

This recipe requires a tray-bake tin or roasting tin, 30 X 23 X 4 cm (12 X 9 X 1.25 in) to make 24. Slightly different size dimensions will be okay just keep a closer eye on the bake.

INGREDIENTS

275g (10oz) margarine – for WDF I use “dairy free pure sunflower spread”

375g (13oz) caster sugar

4 medium eggs (larger if WDF)

75g (3oz) cocoa powder

100g (4oz) self-raising flour – For WDF I use “Dove Farm Gluten Free” range

100g (4oz) plain chocolate chips/chopped walnuts – For WDF I use “Lindtt 70% cocoa”

METHOD

1. Grease and line a tin with baking parchment, pushing neatly into the corners
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
3. Measure all ingredients into a large mixing bowl except chocolate chips/nuts 
4. Mix with hand-held electric mixer until evenly blended
5. Add chips/nuts and fold in, careful not to remove the air
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spread the mixture gently to the corners and level with the back of the spoon/spatula
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the brownies have a crusty top and an inserted skewer comes out clean from the centre. Cover with foil for the final 10 minutes if the brownies are browning too much
8. Allow the brownies to cool in the tin completely before cutting into 24 squares
9. Store in an airtight tin

Don’t worry too much if the mixture curdles, it often does with wheat free/dairy free ingredients. I promise it will still taste just as delicious. Enjoy these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that added luxurious treat.

SERVES 25 brownies

PREP 10-15 minutes

COOKING 40-45 minutes

DIFFICULTY easy