Serves12
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Proving Time: 1½ – 2½ hours
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
7g dried yeast
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
300g strong plain flour, plus a little extra for kneading
160ml semi-skimmed milk
70g unsalted butter
80g soft brown sugar
1 medium egg
2 tsp vegetable oil
2x40g Whitworths sprinkles cinnamon apple
50g Whitworths juicy sultanas
30g Whitworths cranberries
30g Whitworths chopped apricots
20g candied mixed peel
1 tbsp milk
Topping
75g icing sugar
A little cold water
15g Whitworths toasted chopped mixed nuts
Method
Lightly grease a 30x20cm baking tray.Mix the yeast, salt, mixed spice and flour together in a large mixing bowl.
Gently heat the milk, butter and 50g of the sugar together in a small saucepan over a low heat, stir until the milk is just warm and the sugar has dissolved. Then beat the egg into the warm liquid mixture with a fork. (Tip: ensure the milk mixture is just warm, rather than boiling to ensure you do not kill the yeast.)
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the warm liquid into the well. Mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.Transfer the dough on to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until it feels smooth and elastic, which should take about 6 minutes.
Return the dough to the bowl, cover with lightly oiled cling film, and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This may take an hour or more.Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon apple, sultanas, cranberries, apricots and candied mixed peel together in a large bowl.
Once the dough has doubled in size, tip it onto a floured work surface and knead for 1 minute, then flatten it out and scatter the fruit mix over the top. Knead again to evenly distribute the fruit.
Divide the mix into 2 equal pieces and roll each one into a long sausage shape. Then twist the two pieces together to form a twisted loaf and place onto the prepared baking sheet.Cover the loaf with the oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This may take up to an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / fan 170°C.Brush the loaf with a little milk and then bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Whilst the loaf is cooking make the icing by sieving the icing sugar into a bowl and adding enough water to form a running icing. Drizzle the icing over the loaf and top with the chopped nuts. To serve, slice and spread with a little butter.
Serves6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
100g Whitworths chopped dates
50g white chocolate, broken into pieces
40g Whitworths toasted chopped mixed nuts
75g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
75g unsalted butter
75ml semi-skimmed milk
60g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, whisked
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
A pinch of cream of tartar
50g Whitworths ground almonds
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200°c / fan 180°c / gas mark 6.Lightly grease 6 ramekins or oven proof espresso cups with a little butter.
Divide the chopped dates equally between the ramekins or cups and sprinkle the white chocolate and the chopped nuts over the top of the dates, again equally dividing between the ramekins or cups.Place the dark chocolate, butter, milk and caster sugar in a heavy based saucepan and gently heat until the chocolate has melted.Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder and the cream of tartar into the dark chocolate mixture until evenly combined.Gently fold in the ground almonds and divide the mixture evenly between the four ramekins or cups.Bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until the surface is cooked but soft and fudge-like in the centre.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or clotted cream.
Makes12 fingers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
25g soft brown sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp golden syrup
50g Whitworths juicy jumbo raisins
10 (150g) digestive biscuits, broken into small pieces
200g milk chocolate, broken into chunks
24 chocolate mini eggs
Method
Grease and line a 18cm square deep sided baking tin.Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and golden syrup into a heavy based medium saucepan over a low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved.Remove from the heat and stir well until the ingredients have mixed into a thick smooth sauce.Stir in the broken biscuit pieces and the juicy raisins until well coated in the sauce. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin.
Boil 300ml of water in a medium saucepan and then remove from the heat.Place the broken chocolate into a large bowl and place the bowl on top of the saucepan of boiled water until the chocolate has melted.Stir the melted chocolate and pour over the top of the tiffin mix in the baking tin, use the back of a spoon to smooth the top.
Decorate with mini eggs pushed into the chocolate, whilst it is still runny.Chill in the fridge for an hour before turning out of the baking tray and cutting into 12 fingers.
Serves6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
125g ginger biscuits
115g Whitworths ground almonds
50g sugar
60g butter, melted
Filling
300g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
225ml whipping cream
3 medium eggs
50g sugar
1tbsp flour
100g Whitworths flaked almonds
Method
Crust
Preheat the oven to 180°c / fan 160°c / gas mark 4.In a food processor grind the ginger biscuits, ground almonds and sugar. Add the melted butter and combine well.Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 23cm (9″) circular cake tin.Bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Filling
Combine the chopped chocolate and whipping cream in a saucepan. Whisk over a low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth then remove the saucepan from the heat.Whisk the eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl to blend. Very gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until smooth and blended.Gently stir in 80g of the flaked almonds.Pour the chocolate filling into the crust and sprinkle remaining flaked almonds on top.Bake the chocolate tart for 30 minutes thentransfer onto a coolingrack.Cool for 1 hour before serving.
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