49. Date Squares

One of my fave childhood desserts out there. Sticky sweet dates with a crumble topping keep me coming back for more every time!

Date Squares

Makes one 9x9" tin

For filling:

500g pitted dates

250g water

70g brown sugar

1/2 lemon juice

1tsp vanilla bean paste

For crumble:

230g plain flour

170g unsalted butter, softened

170g rolled oats

150g brown sugar

1tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

Start by making your filling. Roughly chop your dates. Add to a saucepan with your sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the water has evaporated and you're left with a thick paste. Remove from heat, stir in your lemon juice and vanilla paste and leave to cool slightly.

For your crumble, mix your flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt together. Rub in your butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Preheat your oven to 170ºC

To assemble, press half your mixture into the bottom of your tin, spread your date paste overtop, then scatter your remaining crumble mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

48. Salted Caramel Cheesecake

The hardest part of making this fridge set cheesecake is the waiting time. It's totally worth the wait for this creamy bad boy though.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Makes one 20cm cheesecake

300g digestive biscuits

70g butter

300g creamcheese

80g icing sugar

300g heavy cream (30-35%)

150g mascarpone

1/2 vanilla pod

200g salted caramel spread

Start by making your biscuit base. Melt your butter in a saucepan set over a low heat. Place your digestive biscuits in a food processor and blitz until you get fine crumbs, or pop them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add in your melted butter, mix, then press into the base of a 20 cm tin and chill in the fridge.

For the filling, scrape the seeds of your vanilla pod and mix with the icing sugar and cream cheese. In a separate bowl, beat your heavy cream and mascarpone together until thick. Fold the cream cheese and whipped cream mixture together.

Assemble by spreading a third of your filling onto your base. Drizzle some of your salted caramel overtop, then cover with another third of filling. Repeat the process, then finish it off by drizzling/dotting some caramel on top and taking a cake skewer or a knife and swirling it through the mixture to create a marbled effect. If this step leaves any holes just gently tap or shake it out. Don't spread the top otherwise it will loose it's marbled effect. Chill for 4-6 hours until set.

47. Chocolate Caramel Hearts

I found some heart shaped ice cube molds in our local shop the other day so I thought I'd give homemade chocolates a try. What a success! Rustic, delicious, and a great way to use up some of that salted caramel spread.

Chocolate Caramel Hearts

Makes 14 hearts

500g milk chocolate, chopped into small bits
300g salted caramel spread

one awesome heart shaped silicone mold

Start by tempering your chocolate. Well tempered chocolate is key when making homemade chocolates: it ensures a lovely shiny finish and a good snap when eaten. To achieve this, heat 350g of your chocolate over a bain-marie until melted and a thermometer reads 50ºC. Remove from heat and stir in your remaining 150g of chocolate. Continue stirring to cool your chocolate to 27ºC. This may take 10-20 minutes depending on how cool your room temperature is. Once you've reached 27ºC, pop your chocolate back on to your bain-marie and reheat slightly to between 29 to 30ºC. Your chocolate is now ready to use.

Make sure your mold is clean and dry. Fill each hole with chocolate, tap it slightly against your work surface to remove any air bubbles, then turn onto a cooling rack set over a plate or bowl and allow your chocolate to drip out for about 1 minute. Once your chocolate has finished dripping, scrape the top of your mold to remove any excess chocolate, then allow to set slightly for 10-15 minutes.

Once your chocolate has set, fill with salted caramel to 1mm below the edge of your mould. If your filling seems too stiff, warm it slightly in the microwave or over your bain-marie. Freeze for a minimum of 30 minutes until your caramel has set.

Reheat your chocolate, fill each gap and scape the top of your mould, making sure the edges of your chocolates are lovely and clean. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Gently unmold your chocolates. If your feeling fancy, use some of your leftover chocolate to drizzle overtop. Eat straight away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.