Easter No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake

There has been a constant flow of Easter cakes, bakes and puddings in the food magazines over the past month. This leaves me with a long list of recipes to try, however in reality, the four days off over this bank holiday weekend has soon become jam-packed with friends, family and entertaining. This chocolate biscuit cake is one that can be quickly whipped up when you have people dropping in throughout the weekend- a very useful biscuit tin filler. My sister is keenly waiting at the fridge door to tuck into this chocolate biscuit cake after her chocolate-free Lent, I however tucked in as soon as they had been photographed!

There are many variations of chocolate biscuit cake but this simple recipe is straightforward and quick to make. You can experiment with the type of biscuit you use- personally I think the crunch of the Rich Tea biscuits are a cut above adding crumbly digestives. A selection of dried fruits or nuts could also add a nice twist to the recipe!

To Make Approx 20 Pieces You Will Need...

-400g Rich Tea biscuits 

-220g butter

- 85g caster sugar

-2 eggs

-2 tbsps drinking chocolate powder

-2 tsps cocoa powder

-2 tbsps golden syrup 

-100g milk chocolate

You will need to...

- Line a baking tray with cling film, I used one that was 28cm x 18cm.

-Put the biscuits into a sandwich bag- sometimes I use two to avoid holes in the bag, and crush using a rolling pin.

- Melt the butter and sugar in a pan over a low heat, remove from the heat and stir in the drinking chocolate, cocoa powder and golden syrup.

- In a small bowl, beat the eggs. 

- Pour the chocolate butter mixture into a large mixing bowl, stir in the crushed biscuits and the beaten eggs. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is all incorporated. 

- Spread the mixture out evenly in the baking tray.

- In a small saucepan, heat some water and place a pyrex bowl over it to make a Bain Marie, break the milk chocolate into the bowl and stir occasionally until melted. 

- Pour the melted chocoalte over the biscuit mix in the baking tray and spread out using a spatula. 

- Place in the fridge or freezer for a few hours until set, or over night. 

Happy Easter 

Z x

Spiced Cacao Energy Balls

Now I know I am a little bit late to the 'Energy Ball' party, and many health-food bloggers have been citing their benefits for several years - it is only now in 2016 that I know why! I had always been a little sceptical to be honest, thinking they would need loads of expensive and obscure ingredients to make, and wouldn't deliver in terms of taste…how wrong I was. These energy balls are packed with fibre, good fats and protein, providing you with a virtuous yet sweet energy boost that will tackle the dreaded '4pm slump' better than any chocolate bar. They are also really portable, so ideal to take into work or to the gym. This recipe couldn't be easier either, and with just 7 store cupboard ingredients it really couldn't be quicker! Even better - the recipe is totally adaptable according to your own preferences or which ingredients you can get your hands on, so I encourage you to tweak away! My recipe was in-fact inspired by both Deliciously Ella's foolproof Energy Bites video http://deliciouslyella.com/video-how-to-make-energy-bites/ and Minimalist Baker's Peanut Butter Energy Bites post http://minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-peanut-butter-cup-energy-bites/, so check them out too and see what you can come up with yourself. All you need in terms of equipment is a good food processor - so get blitzing!

To make about 20 Energy Balls you will need…

1 cup pitted dates

2/3 cup raw almonds

2/3 cup pecans

2 tbsp oats

1 tbsp linseeds (flaxseeds)

1 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

Pinch of salt

3 tbsp water - add a tbsp at a time - use more/less depending on how juicy your dates are!

You will need to…

1. Place all the ingredients in a good food processor and blitz until the mixture starts to clump together.

2. Squeeze and roll the mixture into about 20 balls using the palms of your hands.

3. Place the balls into a sealed tupperware and freeze for an hour or so to harden.

4. Store in your sealed tupperware in the fridge for up to a week - you'll be lucky if they last that long!

Enjoy! C x