A super light sponge base and a rich chocolate topping sandwich a firm and tangy jelly mid-layer, making these little bites triple tasty.
Makes: 16 small squares
Time: About an hour plus time in the fridge to cool.
Level: Reasonably straight-forward
Equipment: A baking tray & an 18cm/7” square tin
Calories per piece: Approx. 115
Credits: From “Baking Heaven” magazine with a few small changes, additions and advice.
Ingredients
Sponge layer
- 2 medium eggs
- 80g/3oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour
- 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
Mid-layer
- A sachet of powdered gelatine (12g)
- 350ml/12 fl oz orange juice
Top layer
- 60g/2½oz dark chocolate
- 60g/2½oz milk chocolate
- 60g/2½oz unsalted butter
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200c/Fan 180C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Draw a 20cm/8” square on a piece of baking parchment, bold enough to be visible from the “wrong” side. Leave plenty of room outside this square for the mixture to spread. Use a few dabs of butter or oil to fasten the parchment on a baking tray. Put the inked side underneath, but hopefully still visible above.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar until thick and creamy (about five minutes.) Stir in the vanilla.
4. Sift the flour onto the egg mixture and fold in, using a large metal spoon. Spoon this mixture onto the baking parchment, spreading it to the edges of the marked square.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes, until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool on the paper.
6. Meanwhile, line the square baking tin with a double later of cling film. (NB To avoid the film “flopping” inwards onto the jelly mixture, use several clothes pegs to hold it in place, or paper clips.)
7. Trim the cooled sponge and fit it snugly in the bottom of the tin. Set aside.
8. Pour 150ml (¼ pint) hot water into a large heat proof jug and stir in the gelatine until it has fully dissolved. Stir in the sugar until that also has dissolved then add the orange juice. Leave to cool until almost set, then pour it over the sponge base. Place in the fridge to chill and set firmly (about 2 hours).
9. Break up all the chocolate and place it in a heat resistant bowl with the butter and 30ml (2 tbsp) water. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water to melt the contents, stirring occasionally. (Do not let the bowl touch the water in the pan.) When fully melted, remove from the heat, mix well, and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
10. Gently, pour the cooled chocolate over the set jelly, tilting the pan back and forth to spread it evenly. Leave in a cool place to firm up. Before the chocolate sets hard, mark it into 16 pieces, otherwise it may be difficult to cut it neatly later. (If the sides of your tin are deep it may be difficult to use a ruler or straight edge to help score straight lines. A metal dough scraper or a pizza wheel might be worth using.) Again, place in the fridge for a while to chill.
11. Use the cling film to lift it out of the tin then cut into 16 squares. Either leave the tops plain or decorate as you wish: gold shimmer spray, orange coloured balls, piped orange buttercream rosettes etcetera.
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 