Chocolate gypsy creams

The only good thing about working Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays in my job is that we take treats in to keep us going as we don't get a break (that and the fact we only do a handful of each a year). I use it as an excuse to bake something I wouldn't bake every week and this week was no exception. I decided to make a Nigel Slater recipe for chocolate gypsy creams from last months Sainsbury's magazine, a biscuit he described as a biscuit of great, great joy. Any recipe described with a double great and involving chocolate is a must try in my book! The recipe didn't let me down - 2 crumbly, ginger flavoured biscuits sandwiched together with chocolate butter cream and drizzled with dark chocolate - how could this fail. The only down side - my boyfriend dropped a third of the biscuits on the floor when he decided to move a group of them cooling on baking paper by simply picking up 2 sides of the baking paper! Luckily there were just enough left for one for both of us that evening and to take in to work the following day.


Chocolate gypsy creams
Recipe by Nigel Slater

Makes 12-14
For the biscuit
125g soft butter
125g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 large egg yolk
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
50g dark chocolate

For the filling
75g soft butter
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp strong coffee

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan), gas 3.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the syrup and egg yolk and mix together.
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and ginger. Stir gently into the butter mixture.
5. Bring together to form a dough.
6. Roll tbsp quantities of the dough in to balls and place them on non-stick baking trays.
7. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a fork.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
10. To make the filling beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
11. Beat in the cocoa and coffee.
12. Spread over half the biscuits and then sandwich the other half of the biscuits to them.
13. Mean while break the chocolate into pieces in to a heat proof dish.
14. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl).
15. Push all the biscuits close together and use a teaspoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the biscuits.
16. Leave the chocolate to harden.

Enjoy!