Let them eat cakes!
By Jayne Warren - 14/08/2007
As the warm summer days stretch out over August, many of us will be visiting families - especially children and grandchildren. And there's nothing quite like cooking to cement bonds between the generations.
Author and broadcaster Mo Smith has kindly sent us a lovely recipe for this month - Cranberry and Chocolate Rocks. Good for adults and children alike, it is just one of her mouthwatering recipes for the time-pressured cook, taken from her wonderful series of "Lazy Cook" books.
For more information about Mo's books, call 01452 770298 or visit the website linked below.
Cranberry and Chocolate Rocks - makes 12
Ingredients:
225g (8oz) plain flour
1 heaped teas. baking powder
few good pinches ground cinnamon
40g. (1½oz) lard
40g. (1½oz) margarine
50g (2oz) dem sugar
75g (3oz) dried cranberries
25g (1oz) ready grated chocolate
1 egg
2 tbls. milk
Instructions:
Set oven at gas 4/180/160/Aga baking oven.
Put the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together. Add the lard and margarine cut into small pieces then using fingertips rub into the flour mixture. Stir in the sugar, cranberries and chocolate. Whisk the egg and milk together before pouring on to the ingredients in the bowl and work together to a stiff dough using a fork or fingers. Pile 12 uneven heaps of the mixture on to a lightly oiled baking tray (this can be done using 2 forks or with fingers) and bake in the pre-set oven for 20-30mins (until the tops begin to brown). Remove from oven and put on to a wire tray to cool.
Lazy Cook tips - I recommend the above method of mixing if making these with the children but they can be mixed even more quickly in a food processor as follows: process all the dry ingredients for a few seconds, add the fats and process again until a breadcrumb texture. Add the cranberries and chocolate, the egg and milk and process for a few seconds to form a stiff dough. Proceed as in the main recipe.
I recommend Charbonnel et Walker 'Chocolate Charbonnel' - ready grated chocolate - a storecupboard 'must' for all Lazy Cooks!