I can't remember how I got the idea for Mum's biscuit slice in my head. It must be a good 10-15 years since she made it, but I had the ingredients in the cupboard and like something out of Harry Potter (or maybe due to hunger), the ingredients just kind of flew out of the cupboard, screaming to be out together. I suppose when you're ill you just crave home comforts.
This recipe is great for a number of reasons: there's no baking involved; there's a spoon that needs licking; you get to bash things with a rolling pin. I had so much fun making this as a kid. Mum used to use cooking chocolate, which is frankly disgusting, so what I do is make it a little more adult by replacing it with actual chocolate.
Now, when cooking with chocolate (or not cooking in this case) don't be tempted to splash out on Green & Black's or a premium supermarket version - the quality isn't all that. Instead, go for the supermarket basics bars. They tend to be around 52-55% cocoa and cost just 30p a bar, compared to £1.50 - £2 a bar for your 'better' versions. I wager £20 that nobody would be able to tell the difference in a taste test. The slight bitterness just makes this treat a little more adult and counters the sweetness from the biscuit base.
This recipe is great for a number of reasons: there's no baking involved; there's a spoon that needs licking; you get to bash things with a rolling pin. I had so much fun making this as a kid. Mum used to use cooking chocolate, which is frankly disgusting, so what I do is make it a little more adult by replacing it with actual chocolate.
Now, when cooking with chocolate (or not cooking in this case) don't be tempted to splash out on Green & Black's or a premium supermarket version - the quality isn't all that. Instead, go for the supermarket basics bars. They tend to be around 52-55% cocoa and cost just 30p a bar, compared to £1.50 - £2 a bar for your 'better' versions. I wager £20 that nobody would be able to tell the difference in a taste test. The slight bitterness just makes this treat a little more adult and counters the sweetness from the biscuit base.
Ingredients (makes one brownie tray worth):
3x bars of supermarket basics dark chocolate, broken into squares
300g Rich Tea biscuits
200g unsalted butter
100g Golden Syrup
Method:
1) Put the biscuits in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin. You still want to keep some reasonably sized chunks for texture.
2) Boil water in a saucepan and place a glass bowl onto the pan, ensuring it doesn't touch the water. Place the broken chocolate in the bowl along with 50g of the butter. Gently stir until melted.
3) In another pan, melt the rest of the butter. Pour into the food bag containing the biscuits and add the Golden Syrup. Seal the bag and shake to mix.
4) Pour into a brownie tin and press down with a spoon or palette knife. The base should set fairly instantly so no need to set aside.
5) Pour over the melted chocolate and spread evenly with a palette knife. TIP: never set chocolate in the fridge. You will lose the sheen and end up with a dull finish. The fat from the chocolate and butter will set it naturally at room temperature (allow an hour).
6) Decorate and cut into slices!
I was tempted to jazz it up with some sea salt but decided to stick to the original version!
Oh this looks fab, my mum used to make something called ginger crunch fudge which was basically the same with a lot of ground ginger. And yes to Scotblock, that stuff should be banned!
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It has such a weird texture and taste! I may try that ginger out. Had thought about sea salt but thought I'd stick to original with being ill!
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