Dr Mobeus
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
Chocolate cornflake cakes are where most British bakers start: no oven, no scales needed beyond a rough chop, and a bowl to lick. A batch of twelve costs about £1.60 with value chocolate and cornflakes, which is around 13p a cake against the £1.50-plus charged for a box of six in the biscuit aisle.
The only technique is gentleness. Fold the flakes into the melted chocolate slowly so they stay whole and the cakes hold their spiky shape instead of packing down into bricks. A little golden syrup keeps the chocolate glossy and stops it setting chalky hard in the fridge.
Beyond being cheap, they are the ideal recipe to make with small children, since the only heat is a pan of warm water and everything else is spoon work. Twenty minutes of effort, half an hour of chilling, and the tin is empty by the weekend.
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
Ingredients
Method
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Put the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the base does not touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth, then take off the heat. A microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, works too.
- Tip in the cornflakes and fold gently with a spoon until every flake is coated. Crush them as little as possible: whole flakes give better nests.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, pressing each one lightly with the back of the spoon so they hold together.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes until set firm. They keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips and Variations
Rice snaps or budget crisp rice cereal work just as well as cornflakes, and a 50/50 mix of milk and dark chocolate stops them being too sweet. In spring, shape the mixture into little nests before it sets and add a couple of mini eggs on top. They soften in warm hands, so keep them in the fridge on hot days.
Malt Loaf
