Chewy milk chocolate chip cookies

Chewy, gooey and pretty indulgent.

Ingredients:

  • 300g Green & Black’s milk chocolate
  • 50g Green & Black’s cocoa powder
  • 200g plain flour
  • 175g melted butter
  • 200g Fairtrade light muscovado sugar
  • 100g Fairtrade golden caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 medium egg, plus one egg yolk

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f/gas mark 4.
  • Mix the butter and the sugars in a bowl with an electric whisk, or in a food mixer until thoroughly combined.
  • Beat in the egg and yolk until the mixture changes becomes light and creamy.
  • Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, cocoa and salt and combine with the sugar mixture.
  • Break the chocolate into chunks and fold in.
  • Place small golf-ball sized balls of the mixture a couple of inches apart on a baking sheet. (You may need to use more than one sheet or cook in batches.)
  • Flatten each cookie slightly, and bake for approx. 10 minutes or until just slightly darker at the edges.

Chocolate and raspberry cheesecake brownies

A life-long fan of Green & Black’s, Felicity Hood developed this recipe for a competition. This is a real stunner and the raspberry-choc combo is a big crowd-pleaser.

Makes 16

Ingredients:

For the brownie mixture:

  • 280g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 170g Green & Black’s 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate
  • 350g unrefined Fairtrade golden caster sugar
  • 70g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 medium Free-range eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g Green & Black’s white chocolate, broken into small pieces

For the cheesecake mixture:

  • 350g cream cheese
  • 75g unrefined fairtrade golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 medium Free-range eggs
  • 170g fresh raspberries

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square brownie tin.

For the brownie mixture:

  • Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
  • Stir until completely melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, pour over the cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.
  • Beat the eggs separately, before adding to the mixing bowl along with vanilla extract and white chocolate.
  • Blend until you have a shiny mixture.
  • Pour into the prepared tin.

For the cheesecake mixture:

  • Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour this carefully over the brownie mix, creating an even layer.
  • Use a fork to drag the cheesecake mix through the brownie mix to create a marbled effect.
  • Scatter the raspberries evenly over the mixture, pushing in until almost completely submerged. 
  • Bake for  up to 40 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to see if the brownies are set but still have a slight wobble.
  • If necessary, return to the oven for a little longer.
  • Leave to cool in the tin, covered with foil.
  • Once cooled, remove from the tin, cut into 16 pieces and serve.

Chocolate pudding pie

Millie Charters’ recent maternity leave has been put to good use developing various recipes, including this delicious chocolate pudding pie which she sent to Green & Black’s.  Top with summer berries and icing sugar to add extra pizazz.

Serves 10–12

Ingredients:

For the base:

  • 80g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 60g Green & Black’s dark chocolate (70–85% cocoa solids as preferred) 
  • 225g digestive biscuits

For the filling:

  • 180g unsalted butter
  • 180g Green & Black’s 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 4 medium Free-range eggs
  • 180g Fairtrade dark muscovado sugar
  • 180ml double cream
  • crème fraîche, to serve

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180°c/gas mark 4.

For the base:

  • Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
  • Stir until completely melted and combined.
  • Blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs and add to the melted mixture.
  • Butter the bottom and sides of a 23cm loose-based tin.
  • Press the base mix into the tin, and chill for half-an-hour in the fridge.

For the filling:

  • Melt the butter and dark chocolate in the same way as for the base. Allow to cool to prevent eggs curdling.
  • Blend together eggs, sugar and cream.
  • Add the melted, cooled chocolate mixture to the blender and combine well.

To assemble the pie:

  • Remove the base from the fridge and pour the filling over.
  • Bake for 45 minutes until firm. The filling will rise as it cooks but, once removed, will shrink again slightly.
  • Allow to cool and serve with a generous serving of crème fraîche.

Peanut butter & chocolate blondies

The blondie is the dark chocolate brownie’s long lost cousin. These are chocolatey, crunchy, peanutty and just a little salty.

Ingredients:

  • 100g Green & Black’s milk cooking chocolate, chopped
  • 100g Green & Black’s white cooking chocolate, chopped
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g crunchy peanut butter
  • 175 g Fairtrade soft light brown sugar
  • 3 large Free-range eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 125 g plain flour

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 170ºc/gas mark 3.
  • Line the bottom of a 20cm x 20cm tin with greaseproof paper.
  • Cream together the softened butter and peanut butter in a large bowl, followed by the sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs, vanilla and salt.
  • Add flour and mix thoroughly, then add the chocolate and fold in.
  • Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Allow to cool in the tin. Remove and cut into 16 squares.

Chocolate sticky toffee pudding cake

Sticky toffee pudding is good. Chocolate sticky toffee pudding is even better. Make this with unctuous Medjool dates to make the most delightful of cakes.

Ingredients:

For the pudding:

  • 300ml water
  • 150g chopped dates
  • 150g Green & Black’s dark cooking chocolate
  • 100g unsalted butter ,softened
  • 150g Fairtrade soft light brown sugar or light muscovado sugar
  • 3 large free-range eggs
  • 225 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder

For the toffee sauce:

  • 140g golden syrup
  • 140g Fairtrade light brown sugar
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 115ml whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180 ºc/gas mark 4. Grease the sides of a 20cm springform tin and line the base with a round disc of baking parchment.

For the pudding:

  • In a saucepan, bring the water to a gentle simmer and soak the dates for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over the pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Set aside to cool.
  • Cream the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the melted, cooled chocolate.
  • Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, then add the dates and their soaking liquid and stir to mix.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until springy to touch or a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

For the toffee sauce:

  • Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over a high heat and boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.

To serve:

  • Transfer the warm cake to a large plate and pour over a generous amount of the hot toffee sauce.
  • Put the remaining sauce in a jug and serve separately.

For more information on Green & Black’s chocolate, see www.greenandblacks.co.uk