Have you ever tried those tasty little Gu Naughties? They come in Millionaire Flapjack and Rocky Road Flavours. Delicious little decadent bites, slathered in milk chocolate. Totally addictive and filled with lots of calories . . . dangerous really, coz you really can't eat just one. I had a bucket of each here when the movers were moving us in and they were gone in a flash!! (no surprise there!)



Rocky Road is actually really easy to make at home . . . it's probably one of the easiest sweets ever. And you just know that homemade is better for you than store bought, right??? (shhh!!! don't burst my bubble!)



All you need is a bunch of really good chocolate, some digestive biscuits, butter, mini marshmallows and some glace cherries.




Melt the chocolate and butter, mix in the rest, pop them into the fridge, and just a few hours later, *presto-chango* you have an extremely moreishly hedonistic treat!



These are seriously addictive. Really dangerous to have around actually. It's a good thing the missionaries are coming for their tea later today. I can offload these on them. I daren't keep them around for too long.



I saw Nigella make something this on the telly one time. As per normal, she was digging into them later on, in the dark . . . after hours . . . as you do . . .



Seriously I think Nigella's been telling us porkie pies . . . there is no way she keeps stuff like this around her house for very long, and religiously keep digging in for those midnight feasts . . . and yet remain so voluptiously gorgeous as she is . . .

Personally, I think she offloads them onto the missionaries too. (Sounds good in theory at any rate!!)




*Rocky Road*
Makes one 8 inch square pan
Printable Recipe

Bet you can't eat just one piece!!

11 ounces good quality milk chocolate (I use Green & Blacks Organic
which has a high cocoa butter content)
4 1/2 ounces good quality plain chocolate (again use one with a high cocoa butter content)
4 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces mini marshmallows (M&S make some very nice ones, you can find them
in the baking section)
3 ounces digestive biscuits, crumble
(Put them into a baggie and crush them with a rolling pin,
not too fine though, you want some chunky bits)
2 ounces glace cherries, chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, chopped

Take an 8 inch square pan and line it well with plastic cling film, leaving a bit of an overhang.

Mix the marshmallows, biscuit crumbles, chopped cherries and chopped almonds together in a bowl. Place both chocolates along with the butter into a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Heat and whisk until completely melted and amalgamated. Pour this over top of the marshmallow mixture. Mix together well and then scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press down with the back of a spoon to smooth out. Place into the refrigerator to chill for several hours. Remove from the fridge and lift out of the pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Delicious!

I was sitting here this afternoon and craving something. I wanted something sweet and yet a bit savoury at the same time . . .



I decided to toast some English muffins and then cover them with milk chocolate chips, toasted pecans and marshmallows . . . which I then popped back under the grill until the milk chocolate was oozing, the marshmallows were stickily bubbling and the nuts were toasty brown.



Think S'Mores, but in pizza form.



Incredibly, edibly, moreishly good!



I think I may have created a monster with this one . . . the possibilities are endless . . .

Really.




*Nutty Chocolate and Marshmallow Mini Pizzas*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Oh, this is sinful . . . sweet and sticky yum!! Almost instant and incredibly moreish!

2 English muffins, sliced in half through the middle
2 heaping TBS single cream
15g plain chocolate, grated or shaved, or good quality chocolate chips
15g pecan nuts, chopped
25g mini marshmallows

Heat the grill to medium. Place the muffin halves, bottom side up, under the grill and toast them. Remove them from the frill. Sprinkle the cream over each, dividing it equally. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips, nuts and marshmallows. Place under the grill again, goodie side up. Toast until golden and bubbling. Remove from the grill and allow to sit for a few minutes before eating.

*Note* - Eat with some caution as the toppings will be hot, but oh so scrummy!

Ottolenghi is probably one of the best and dynamic places to eat in this country.  When I worked down South the daughter often came down from London for the weekend with friends 

The song, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" has firmly immortalized figgy pudding in the Christmas lexicon. But what exactly is a "Figgy Pudding?"



The figgy pudding dates back to the 16th century in England, where traditionally it was served at the very end of the large Christmas meal. It was so much a part of the culture that even Charles Dickens references figgy pudding sitting on the table of Bob Cratchit in his masterpiece “A Christmas Carol.”



Figgy pudding became quite popular in England because many English gardens contained fig trees. And while many recipes called for actual figs to be used, those recipes slowly replaced figs with the cheaper product raisins instead.



I think we can safely say that, in these modern times, a "Figgy Pudding" is more or less what we have come to know and love as "Christmas Pudding." A delightful steamed concoction of vine fruits, spices, eggs, flour, etc. A must have with Christmas dinner along with hard sauce or brandy cream!



These delicious little concoctions are wonderful little chocolate truffles made using leftover Christmas Pudding, chocolate and sherry. Topped with some melted white chocolate and some green and red snipped glace cherries, they manage to look just like a traditional Figgy Pudding!



I think Dickens would approve.




*Figgie Pudding Truffles*
Makes about 3 dozen
Printable Recipe

Even if you think you don't like Christmas Pudding, I think you will like these! Messy to make but on-so-scrummy when done!

125g of good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped (4 ounces)
350g of leftover or freshly cooked and cooled Christmas pudding (about a cup and a half, packed)
60ml of sweet sherry (1/3 cup) (Can use fruit juice)
2 TBS of golden syrup (or corn syrup)

To finish:
100g of good quality white chocolate, finely chopped (3.5 ounces)
6 red glace cherries, chopped into small bits
6 green glace cherries, sliced into slivers
(Can use green sprinkles if that's all you have)

Line a large baking sheet with cling film. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Crumble the pudding into a bowl and crush somewhat with a fork. Stir in the sherry, golden syrup and melted chocolate, mixing all together well. Now comes the messy part. Using cold hands that you have just washed and dried, pinch out walnut sized balls of the mixture and shape between your palms into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, washing hands again as necessary, until you have used up all the mixture. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. Remove and place each in a tiny paper case.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Have all your decorations ready. Using a teaspoon, spoon a little white chocolate over each truffle, one at a time, and apply the cherries to resemble holly leaves and berries on top. ( I like to use tweezers to apply these. It's a lot easier than using the fingers.)

To give away, place in small decorative boxes, lined with tissue paper. They are also lovely handed around with drinks after dinner.