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DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES:
250g castor sugar
3 large eggs (or 4 med)
180g butter
225g chocolate
30g cocoa
90g self-raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract
Optional - 150g white chocolate chunks (or Pecan nuts)
Chopping board; 1 small pan; 1 heatproof bowl; 1 med mixing bowl; 1 small bowl; electric hand beater/stand mixer; spatula (heatproof); scales; sieve; mixing spoon; baking tray (approx 20cm x 30cm x 3cm min deep); sharp knife; baking/parchment paper
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius
Grease a 20cm x 30cm x min 3cm deep baking tray/dish, and line with baking parchment paper)
Place a small amount of water into a small pan and bring to a boil, then turn right down
Meanwhile break up the chocolate into small cubes and cube the butter, putting both together in a heatproof bowl
Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water - melt together, stir occasionally – turn off, remove bowl from pan and allow mix to cool to room temp (stir again to assist cooling)
Roughly chop the white chocolate into nice sized chunks
Now put the eggs and sugar into a med bowl and beat until pale and creamy (use an electric hand beater, or stand mixer). This will be ready when the mix doubles in size, and or leaves a ribbon trail (about 3 minutes with electric beater, much longer with hand whisk)
Add in the butter/chocolate and the vanilla extract and mix well to incorporate (can use electric mixer gently on low) or spatula
Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and fold in until thoroughly incorporated
Then mix through white chocolate (or nuts if using)
Pour into the baking tray, spread and level off with the spatula
Bake for about 30-35 minutes (until the top looks papery and the middle is set)
Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely in the tray, then carefully lift out the tray and cut into squares/rectangles/triangles
Store in an airtight container
CLASSIC SCONES:
350g self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
85g unsalted butter (cold)
3 Tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
¼ lemon
1 small egg (for glaze)
150ml double cream (or clotted)
Jam
Multifunction electric scale; large bowl; microplane grater; 2 x small bowls; spoon measures (tsp & Tbsp); measuring jug; flat cutlery knife; large baking tray/sheet; pastry brush; round cutter (5cm); 1 med bowl & electric beaters (only needed if you using double cream, not clotted); cooling rack, oven gloves
Pre-heat your oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
Sift the self-raising flour into a large bowl and add the salt and baking powder - mix.
Grate in the cold butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs
Stir in the caster sugar.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot.
Add the vanilla extract and a good squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside.
Put a flat baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it with a cutlery knife – cutting it in (you don’t want to overmix. It may feel a little wet but that’s fine, just cut in all the flour)
Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Scatter the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
Take a 5-6cm cutter and dip it into some flour. Cut into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. Press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another two-four.
Carefully transfer to the hot baking tray using an egg lift/palette knife
Brush the tops with a beaten egg
Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top.
If you are using regular cream instead of clotted (I prefer it), whip up the double cream with a tsp of caster sugar while the scones are baking.
Place chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl, set over a small pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl mustn't touch the water)
Melt the chocolate
Line the tray with parchment paper
Dip the strawberries in the chocolate 2/3rds of the way up.
Allow excess chocolate to drip off.
Place on tray
Repeat for all strawberries
Refrigerate
(if you want you can crush some hazelnuts and dip the strawberry into this after you have dipped in the chocolate OR you can also melt some chocolate of an opposite colour to the one you used for dipping (e.g. white if you dipped in dark). Then, when the original chocolate is set, you can place the white chocolate in a piping bag, and squiggle over some lines. Reset.