Christmas pudding tiffin
Chocolate, ginger biscuits, whisky and Christmas cheer. This Christmas pudding flavoured tiffin has got it all!
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz dried fruit (such as chopped glacé cherries, mixed peel and sultanas)
- 50ml/2fl oz whisky (or brandy or orange juice)
- 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú light brown soft sugar
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 200g/7oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 200g/7oz ginger biscuits, roughly crushed
- 2 oranges, zest only
For the decoration
- 200g/7oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú white chocolate, broken into pieces
- edible gold star sprinkles (optional)
- edible gold lustre (optional)
Method
Put the dried fruit, whisky (or other liquid), butter, salt, sugar, golden syrup, cocoa powder and chopped chocolate into a saucepan over a low to medium heat and stir until everything has melted together. See Recipe Tip if the mixture starts to curdle.
Meanwhile, line a 20cm/8in square loose-bottom baking tin with baking paper and butter.
Stir the crushed biscuits and orange zest through the fruit and chocolate mixture.
Tip the mixture into the baking tin and press down with the back of a spoon so that it’s even and smooth on top. Put in the fridge for 2 hours until set, or in the freezer for around 45 minutes.
For the decoration, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl. You can either do this in the microwave – put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, microwave for 20 seconds, check it, stir and keep cooking and checking every couple of seconds until it has melted. Alternatively melt in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
Pour the dark melted chocolate on top of the tiffin, spread out so it’s smooth and put in the fridge for 45 minutes to set, or in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Once the chocolate has set, melt the white chocolate using the same method as above. Put the melted white chocolate into a piping bag, cut a little bit off the top of the bag and pipe Christmas tree shapes (or any shapes you like) on top of the set dark chocolate. You can finish them with sprinkle decorations on the trees, a star sprinkle on top or even flick over some edible gold lustre.
Slice into 16 squares and serve.
Recipe Tips
If you don’t have a loose-bottomed tin, line a regular tin with extra baking paper hanging over the sides so that you can lift out the tiffin.
If you find the chocolate mixture splits slightly (as the heat was too high) when melting, whisk in 1 tablespoon boiling water and whisk vigorously until it comes back together.