Chocolate Caramel Squares

Well I really can't decide if this is a biscuit or a cake for the purpose of this post I'm going to say this is a biscuit. What I do know is this should absolutely be included in our afternoon tea party.

My mother used to bake these for as long as I can remember, what a treat not only for me but for my children and now due to Alzheimer's she is unable to bake any more so.

 I have to continue this tradition so that my grand children can have the pleasure of eating these biscuits when that time arrives.

I can remember I was  about 5 or 6 having to walk no sorry be carried  on my dads shoulders alternating between my sister and myself Lynda was 2 years younger than myself to the discount ware house just to get the weekly shop about a 4 miles round trip,we nearly all ways walked back the whole way because my mum and dad were laden with shopping this pilgrimage was always  on a Friday because dad finished at 4.30 on Fridays and that gave us time to be able to get there before they closed and do the shop with no time constraints.

I can ask you say what has this GOTO do with caramel squares well I shall enlighten you the next day mum would be baking with the weekly shopping goodies and 9 out of ten times these little beauties were on the menu I always new because a bar of dark catering chocolate was in the trolley.

Chocolate caramel squares really bring back fond memory's sorry for waffling on about my child hood and the good things from it,I hope you can create your own fond memory's from this recipe. And I am sure these do warrant a place in our lavish  afternoon tea party.

  

Ingredients
100 g/ 3 1/2 oz/ generous 1/2 cup soft margarine
50 g/ 1 3/4 oz/ 4 tbsp light muscavado sugar
125 g/ 4 1/2 oz/ 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
40 g/ 1 1/2 oz/ 1/2 cup rolled oats

Caramel Filling

25 g/ 1 oz/ 2 tbsp butter
25 g/ 1 oz/ 2 tbsp light muscavado sugar
200 g/ 7 oz can condensed milk

Topping

100 g/ 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate
25 g/ 1 oz white chocolate (optional)

1.Beat together the margarine and muscovado sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour and the rolled oats. Use your fingertips to bring the mixture together, if necessary.

2.Press the mixture into the base of a shallow 20 cm/ 8 inch square cake tin (pan).

3.Bake in a preheated oven, 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4, for 25 minutes or until just golden and firm. Cool in the tin (pan).

4.Place the ingredients for the caramel filling in a pan and head gently, stirring until the sugarhas dissolved and the ingredients combine. Bring slowly to the boil over a very low heat, then boil very gently for 3-4 minutes, stirrling constantly until thickened.

5.Pour the caramel filling over the biscuit base in the tin (pan) and leave to set.

6.Melt the dark chocolate and spread it over the caramel. If using the white chocolate, melt it and pipe lines of white chocolate over the dark chocolate. Using a cocktail stick (toothpick) or a skewer, feather the white chocolate into the dark chocolate. Leave to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Mac's Tip

If liked, you can line the tin (pan) with baking parchment so the biscuit can be lifted out before cutting into pieces.

Chocolate facts

Research suggests that chocolate was originally used more than 2,500 years ago, begining in Central America. The Mayan civilisation considered Cacao to be a divine gift and so, it was held in high regard. It was used ceremoniously and sometimes as a form of currency. The name 'Cacao' is a Maya word meaning 'god food' which after being introduced to Europe in the 16th century, formed the basis of the Latin name for the Cacao tree 'Theobrama Cacao' meaning 'food for the gods'. It is thought that the word 'cocoa' has come about through a miss-spelling of 'cacao.'

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Chocolate Feast served with Chocolate ice cream, Boozy fudge sauce and a Chilli caramel latice.

O.K. guys and gals I know I advertise quick and easy recipes but surely as editor,compiler, cook and chief bottle washer I deserve the right to throw in the occasional curved ball or a slightly more complicated dish.Please don't let that put you off there are quite a few elements to this dish but taken step by step it is a averagely easy dish the only downside is the prep time of around 3 hours but I can assure you it will be more than worth it.
This dish is really a huge Chocolate feast whether you like dark,milk or white chocolate it is all here in this dish and the combinations of textures and flavours really do endorse this dish that is fit for any special occasion or just for your own family,s indulgence so please enjoy any comments welcome.

Ingredients

Biscuit base

• 35g salted butter
• 100g double chocolate cookies
• 20g finely chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 10g soft brown sugar
• Groundnut oil, for greasing

Ice cream

• 75g caster sugar
• 2 large organic egg yolks
• 125g good quality dark (70%) chocolate, plus 50g grated
• 250ml double cream
• 50g unsalted butter

Dark chocolate layer

• 100g good quality dark (70%) chocolate
• 100g crème fraîche
• 100g Greek yoghurt
• ⅛ tsp fine (ground) sea salt (optional)

Milk chocolate 

• 130g good quality milk chocolate
• 120g crème fraîche
• 80g Greek yoghurt
• ⅛ tsp espresso powder (optional)

White chocolate layer

Colour of caramel

• 160g good quality white chocolate
• 140g crème fraîche
• 60g Greek yoghurt
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Chilli caramel lattice and curls

• 100g unrefined golden caster sugar
• ⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper

Boozy chocolate fudge sauce

• 150g double cream
• 50g salted  butter
• 50g vanilla sugar (or caster sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract)
• 160g good quality dark (70%) chocolate
• 30ml Cointreau

Instructions

Biscuit base

1. Melt the butter in a pan then transfer to a bowl.
2. Break the cookies into quarters and drop into a food processor. Blitz on a low setting – once started, add the nuts through the feeding tube and then the sugar.
3. Stop blitzing the biscuits as soon as you can see that there are no large pieces at all and the mixture is like breadcrumbs (approximately 20 seconds). Try not to over-process the biscuits as the texture will be too fine if you do.
4. Add the crumbs to the bowl of melted butter and stir well to combine.
5. Line six 6cm ring moulds with foil that folds over the outer edges. Lightly oil the inner surface of the foil with the groundnut oil. Divide the crumb mixture between the moulds and press down firmly with the back of a metal spoon, making sure the edges are really neat and the base is flat.
6. Place the tray into the fridge to chill and set while you make the chocolate layers to go on top.

Ice cream

1. Add the sugar and 75ml water to a pan on a medium heat and stir until it dissolves. Then turn the heat up and bring to the boil, boiling rapidly for about 3 minutes (watch it all the time and do not allow the sugar syrup to over-boil and colour – if it does then it may have burnt and you’ll need to start again). Leave to cool for 2 minutes.
2. Whilst the syrup is cooling, add the egg yolks to a high-sided bowl/jug and whisk with an electric hand-held whisk.
3. When it’s cool, very slowly and gradually pour the sugar syrup into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Keep going until the mixture thickens and becomes pale and the beater leaves a ‘trail’.
4. Leave the mixture to one side for a moment and start melting the chocolate. Break it into small squares and place it in a glass bowl that will fit into the top of a pan in which you have an inch of barely simmering water (heat it on the lowest setting).
5. Add the double cream to the egg mix and whisk again until completely combined and slightly fluffy.
6. Return to the melting chocolate and add the butter to it. Stir continuously to mix it in and ensure that the chocolate is melted fully.
7. Fold the melted chocolate and butter into the cream/egg/syrup mix until thoroughly combined then pour it into an ice cream machine and churn for 20 minutes (or as per your machine’s instructions).
8. Meanwhile, roughly grate the extra chocolate and add just two minutes before the ice cream is due to come out of the machine.
9. Scoop the ice cream into a 900ml airtight plastic box and place in the fast freeze section of your freezer.
10. The ice cream needs to be left at room temperature for approximately 25-30 minutes prior to serving.

Chocolate layers

NB Make one layer at a time and chill in the fridge whilst preparing the next one

1. Melt the chocolate by breaking it into squares and placing in a glass bowl sitting on a pan of barely simmering water.
2. Meanwhile, weigh out the crème fraîche (adding the vanilla bean paste for the white chocolate layer) and yoghurt into a high sided bowl and whisk for 30 seconds with an electric hand whisk.
3. Once the chocolate has melted add the salt and stir in well, making sure no crystals remain.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the yoghurt mix and whisk for 1 minute until it starts to thicken and is thoroughly blended in.
5. Divide the mixture equally over the biscuit bases and smooth with the back of a metal spoon. Return the moulds to the fridge to chill while you prepare the next layer.
6. Repeat the method as for the first layer for the milk and white chocolate layers, but adding the espresso powder instead of the salt for the milk chocolate layer.
7. Chill the dessert in a very cold fridge for as long as possible, but preferably at least 4 hours.

Chilli caramel lattice and curls

1. Very lightly grease suitable curved metal / glass items (e.g. an individual baking ring, the bottom of a small pudding mould, the back of an ice cream scoop) and place them on a large non-stick baking tray. Also have another baking tray, egg cooking ring, a pair of tongs and a long handled latte/sundae spoon to hand.
2. Weigh the sugar into a small heavy-bottomed non-stick pan and put on a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula. Keep a close eye on it the whole time so that it doesn’t catch and burn.
3. As soon as the sugar has completely melted and is liquid, take it off the heat and stir in the cayenne pepper thoroughly.
4. If you’re using curved baking rings, hold them with the tongs. Take a spoonful of the liquid caramel and drizzle it backwards and forwards over half of the ring. Repeat with all of the rings or moulds.
5. Using the remaining caramel, drizzle spoonfuls from a height of about 20cm over the other baking tray with an egg cooking ring on top as template, flicking the spoon back and forth as quickly as you can.
6. Once the caramel has cooled and hardened, remove the curls/baskets from the rings/moulds and very gently trim the shapes that you have made on the baking sheet.
7. Add them to the dessert just before you serve it.

Boozy chocolate fudge sauce

1. Mix the cream, butter and sugar in a glass bowl over a pan of barely simmering water on the lowest heat (without the bottom of the bowl touching the water) and stir until blended and dissolved. Turn off the heat.  
2. Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and add to the cream mixture. Stir until fully combined.
3. Whisk the mixture lightly with a mini hand whisk while adding the Cointreau, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing each one in thoroughly before adding the next.
4. If the sauce is still slightly too thick to be a good pouring consistency, add a little tepid water and mix in thoroughly.
5. Pour into small sauce pots and serve to the side of the dessert. Some may be used to decorate the plate and a small drop is helpful to stick down the chilli caramel basket/curl to stop it sliding on the plate.

To serve

After removing the desserts from the fridge, leave them to stand at room temperature then top with a chilli caramel lattice just before serving. Serve with a scoop of ice cream resting in a chilli caramel curl/basket and with the warm chocolate fudge sauce in a small pot on the side. If you prefer, top the ice cream with grated chocolate, some of the toasted hazelnuts or spare shards of the caramel.

Macs Tip

To speed things up you can always buy a good quality Ice cream I'm sure no one will know as long as they don't catch you putting it out or leave the tub hanging around

Chocolate facts

Marie Antoinette, was the first Queen to bestow the title, ‘by appointment to the Queen’ on her personal chocolate maker in 1770.