Lockdown baking the easy way
The pressure to bake in lockdown is hefty. But what happens if you don’t like baking? What happens if you’d rather not be in a heap on your kitchen floor, staring in dismay at another sunken sponge creation? Enter our GBBO-worthy recipes that are minimal on effort, max on impact. So easy you can whip them up in an instant, a lunchbreak even – and then spend the rest of the time perfecting that shot for Insta.
The easiest ever chocolate tart
Serves 8-10
100ml single cream
100ml half or full fat crème fraîche
25g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
A 205g sweet pastry case
Strawberries or fresh mint leaves to decorate
Put the cream and crème fraîche into a saucepan and gently heat, stirring, until just below boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and chocolate until smooth. Pour into the pastry case and cool in the fridge for at least two hours. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with strawberries or fresh mint leaves. The tart also freezes well in slices.
Cut-and-come-again slice
Serves 6
25g raisins
75g glacé cherries (or use chopped soft dried fruits or sultanas)
3 tablespoons golden syrup
100g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
225g digestive biscuits, crushed in a bag
Melt the butter and syrup. Take off the heat and add the raisins, glacé cherries or dried fruits, and cocoa. Then add the crushed biscuits. Mix well and press down into a lined and greased loaf tin. Refrigerate overnight and turn out the next day. Slice and freeze if desired.
Gooiness guaranteed brownies
Makes 24 small pieces
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
100g soft unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
60g plain flour
60g cocoa powder
Icing sugar to decorate
Preheat the oven to 180°c, 170° fan, gas mark 4. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Beat the sugar and butter in a food mixer until fluffy. Add in the eggs a little at a time and beat. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix until combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa power and gently stir until combined. Pour the mixture into a square cake tin (20.5 x 25.5cm works perfectly). Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until firm to touch but still a bit fudgy, and a skewer doesn’t come out too runny. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack. Cut into pieces, dust with icing sugar and serve warm.