Chocolate Toffee Honey Cake

I took my inspiration from these Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies. Though there should be more chocolate and less cake compared to that recipe, I thought the combination would be great. I know, certainly, that the cookies are always a hit. This is another variation on the orginal Devonshire Honey cake recipe I've made, now, six different versions of. And again, the cake smelled wonderful coming out of the oven. After a few moments, the middle of the cake fell, and later, more dramatically, though I suspect it did because of both the chocolate and the large amount of toffee falling to the bottom of the cake because the flour could not support it. How did it taste? Very rich and delicious, and well received at work, one fellow said it was 'to die for', and had two pieces.

Chocolate Toffee Honey Cake
225 g sweet butter
250 g runny honey
100 g dark muscovado sugar
175 g good dark chocolate
3 large eggs
300 g (2-1/4 cups) self-rising flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
5 chocolate toffee bars (like Skor® or Heath), broken into small pieces
2 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 300F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.

Whisk flour and cocoa together till mixed.

Melt butter, honey, and sugar slowly in a saucepan. Boil for one minute.

Add chocolate to hot caramel and stir till melted and mixed through. Leave to cool (caramel will thicken).

Beat in eggs one at a time in the saucepan. Whisk in flour into egg caramel mixture in two batches. Stir chocolate toffee bar pieces into batter.

Pour into the greased pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed.

Turn out the cake onto a wire rack. Warm 2 Tbsp honey in a small saucepan and brush over the top of the cake to glaze. Leave to cool.

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

The people at work really enjoy these, they are very chocolately, you would guess that would be so, with a pound of chocolate, and quite sweet. I confess, I find them a little too sweet, and only make them at special occasions. Every time I have made them for people who have never tried them before, they have raved about them, though they will give you quite a buzz, if you eat too many of them, or are not used to the amount of chocolate at one time. I decided to make them and bring them in a day ahead of the potluck, there is usually a surplus of good food, so people could enjoy these, without feeling too full.

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies
adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1-3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath or Skors), coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about five minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets for very large cookies, or heaping tablespoonfuls for medium cookies; space 2-1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets.

Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Makes about 18-30, depending on size.

Shortbread Meltaways

I received this insert of recipes from Robin Hood, the maker of good flour, and other food products, and this recipe looked interesting. At one time, I worked for Robin Hood Multifoods, at least in their Technical Centre, though I did no baking, rather I worked with their computers. It is where I actually got my start in the computer field. There was fresh bread available everyday, good bread with no preservatives and few ingredients, they had to test their product based on customer complaints, and employees were able to take the day's leavings. Of course, one person could only eat so much, and I always had a surplus, and there was always more the next day. One gets spoiled. The other day, I drove by, and noticed that the Technical Centre was no longer there. I wonder what happened to it.

Shortbread Meltaways
Adapted from a recipe by Robin Hood
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla until creamy.

Stir half of flour mixture into creamed butter until combined. Stir in toffee bits and the remaining flour. Mix until just combined.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place on prepared cookie sheets, spacing about 2" apart.

Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2-4 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.