No Bake Chocolate Cakes

As fanatical as I am about baking I admit that I do find the process of creating something delicious without the aid of my trusty old oven a welcome distraction. These no-bake cakes are as fun to make as they are scrumptious with a near irresistible combination of the crunchy, creamy, chewy and best of all, chocolatey. They are also brilliantly adaptable and although I've gone for a combination of dried fruit, nuts and biscuit you are welcome to add whatever you fancy. If super sweet is your thing, then drizzle in an extra tablespoon of golden or maybe syrup. It salty floats your boat, then how about some salted peanuts. The possibilities are endless, but if you are looking for a few ideas on what to try (as well as what to avoid), then take a look below...

        Worth adding                    Worth avoiding

        Sour Cherries                   Baked Beans

        Marshmallows                    String

        Popcorn                         Tree Bark

        Honeycomb                       Sand

        Roasted Hazelnuts               Hair

Prep time: 20 Mins

Baking time: Zero!

200g Dark Chocolate (Broken into squares)

100g White Chocolate (Broken into squares)

120g Unsalted Butter (Chopped into cubes)

200g Broken Biscuits (I used digestives)

50g Macadamia Nuts (Chopped)

50g Flaked Almonds

100g Raisins (As plump and as juicy as you can find)

Let's begin. Place the dark chocolate, white chocolate and unsalted butter in a large heatproof bowl and warm in the microwave on medium for around 2-3 minutes, until the chocolate and butter have melted together. If you are wary of using your microwave for melting then you can instead use a bain-marie, but as long as you are watchful any mishaps should be avoided. When the chocolate has melted into the butter stir together and set to one side for a few minutes.

In a separate large bowl bash the biscuits into small nuggets with the end of a rolling pin. Add the nuts and raisins, then pour in the chocolate mixture and thoroughly stir together until combined. Line a 21cm square tin with baking paper then tip in the mixture, pressing down firmly to the edges with the back of a wooden spoon. Place in the fridge for around 2 hours until set.

When the mixture has set carefully remove from the tin and place on a large chopping board. Slice into squares with a sharp knife and boom, you're all done!