As you probably know I am not a big fan of desserts. Strange, I know. People really struggle to avoid sugar and sweets while my only struggle is how to eat less cheese? No really, there can be a table full of cakes and desserts in front of me and I wouldn’t be tempted to eat any of it :D But when I do bake it’s usually something chocolatey like this little squares of joy! The recipe catched my eye a while ago, I think it was on a Waitrose leaflet or something but since then it has become my favourite and everybody just loves it! Hopefully you will love this recipe as much as I do :)
Ingredients
125g slightly softened butter, plus extra for greasing
100g brown sugar
2 Free Range Eggs
125g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (add more if you’re not using self-raising flour)
1 tsp vanilla paste (Nielsen Massey)
200g cherries, pitted and quartered
200g Berries preserve/jam (raspberries, cherries…choose your favourite)
100g desiccated Coconut
-> use 20-22cm square baking tin!
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm square cake tin and line with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar first, until creamed. Add eggs, one by one to the mixture, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla paste, pinch of salt into a bowl. Mix the cocoa with 4 tbsp milk to make a paste and add to the bowl. Beat everything together until smooth and creamy. Fold in the cherries.
2.Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and just firm to the touch. Leave in the tin for several hours to cool and firm up.
3. Blend the preserve of your choice with 2 tbsp boiling water to loosen.
4. Remove the cake from the tin and, using a sharp knife or bread knife, very carefully cut into 16 squares. Lightly brush the cakes all over with the preserve and turn them in the coconut until coated.
I love to eat them with my coffee in the morning ;)
Love,
Anja
steak & merlot 