Chocolate Recipes
This is where chocolate takes centre stage — from crowd-pleasing cakes to simple, soul-soothing bakes that make everyday moments feel a little more special
Meg’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
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125g soft butter
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100g light brown sugar
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75g caster sugar
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1 egg
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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225g self-raising flour
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150g chocolate chips
Method
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Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla.
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Stir in the flour and chocolate chips to form a dough.
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If you want to eat now you can roll the dough into balls and place on a lined baking tray. Flatten slightly and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes until just golden.
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Alternatively roll the dough a into sausage shape, approximately 5cm in diameter. Wrap in baking parchment followed by cling film and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
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When you are ready to bake the cookies, simply slice the log and lay the circles on a baking tray. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
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Delicious served warm
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Serves 12 slices
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake
250ml Guinness
250g butter
75g cocoa powder
400g caster sugar
142ml sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
For the topping
100g softened butter
250g cream cheese
75g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
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Butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.
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Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until the butter's melted.
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Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
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In a bowl beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, pour into the saucepan with the Guinness.
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Sive the flour and bicarbonate of soda, whisk to a smooth batter.
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Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 50 minutes. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack.
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To make the icing beat the softened butter and the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together.
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Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the creamy top of the famous Irish pint.
Rocky Road
Ingredients
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100g butter, roughly chopped
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300g dark chocolate (such as Bournville), broken into squares
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3 tbsp golden syrup
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140g digestive biscuit, roughly crushed
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150g mini marshmallows
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110g of either Maltesers, Galaxy minstrels Milky Way or Crunchie bars, Mars bars or whatever you fancy, chopped
Method
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Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment
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Gently melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring frequently until smooth, then cool for about 10 minutes.
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Stir the biscuits and chopped chocolates or sweets into the pan until well mixed, then pour into the lined 20cm square tin lined with foil and spread the mixture to roughly level it. Chill until hard, then cut into squares.
Banana and Chocolate Muffins
Makes 12
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
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75g melted butter
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2 ripe bananas, mashed
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250g self-raising flour
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
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½ tsp ground cinnamon
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½ tsp ground nutmeg
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75g caster sugar
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110g chocolate, chopped
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2 medium eggs
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125 ml milk
Method
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Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a muffin tin
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Put the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl, add sugar and chopped chocolate. Mix well.
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With a fork, beat together the eggs, melted butter and milk in a second bowl. Add the mashed banana and stir through.
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Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture, mix quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon (don't over mix) until just combined. Spoon in the mixture until three quarters full.
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the muffins come away from the side of the pan when touched.
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Rest the muffin tray on a wire rack for five minutes then remove the muffins and leave on the rack for another five minutes before serving.
