Chocolate Tiffin

Chocolate Tiffin is a no-bake refrigerator cake full of chocolate, cherries and raisins and topped with chocolate.

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Chocolate Tiffin isn’t something I would actually eat every day as it’s too rich, but it is an Everyday kind of treat, i.e. easy and quick to make and you won’t be left with any ingredients that you won’t otherwise eat or use up.

Raisins (or sultanas) and Cherries

Of course, there are cherries. I’ve put a whole pack in so you aren’t left with any to dry out or to tempt you to eat them. If you dip into them before making the Chocolate Tiffin, just make up the weight in raisins.

You could use sultanas instead, which give a slightly less dark finish but, please, just use what you’ve got.

Cocoa

It’s worth using good cocoa and chocolate – you will notice the difference.

Green & Black’s cocoa is a good choice or Menier but, again, use what you’ve got. Unless it’s drinking chocolate. Don’t use that. Make something else instead.

Chocolate

When I was young we used chocolate cake covering. These days you wouldn’t be able to call it that as it really wasn’t chocolate at all – and I wouldn’t want to eat it.

I either use ordinary dark chocolate like Bourneville or, for preference, a really dark (70%+) chocolate like Waitrose Continental mixed 50/50 with a nice milk chocolate. Here I use Waitrose Belgian Milk Chocolate.

Partly I use that because the only milk chocolate I like to eat is Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. If I bought that for cooking, I’d just eat the lot, so I don’t. I read somewhere that we gravitate to the chocolate of our childhood – it’s certainly true for me.

You can melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a basin of hot water. If you’re unsure about it, see How to Melt Chocolate.

Rich Tea Biscuits

Easy and cheap to buy. Don’t use Digestives – you’ll get a completely different texture. You want some pieces of biscuit in your base.

Crush them by bashing with a rolling pin or meat hammer inside a plastic bag. I can’t find an eco-friendly alternative – apart from a paper bag and I don’t have any. Maybe a cloth bag that’s washable?

You don’t want to bash them to powder. Leave a few pieces in the mix.

Make Chocolate Tiffin Gluten-free

We have a Coeliac sufferer in the family who mustn’t have anything that’s even been near gluten. Some cakes are no-gos but some are easily adaptable.

I made this Chocolate Tiffin with Gluten-Free rich tea biscuits. The consistency is a bit softer as the biscuits are less absorbent, but if you didn’t know you wouldn’t think anything of it.

What else do you need to make Chocolate Tiffin?

• 20cm square traybake tin – One of the tins I use most for small traybakes
• Magic liner  – Every time I use this I give a silent word of thanks. No greasing, no sticking. Wash up in the dishwasher. One for every tin
• Baking parchment squares – I always keep parchment squares, circles and sheets in my kitchen. If I don’t have a liner, parchment does the job just as well.

If you like this…

…Why don’t you try:

• Christmas Chocolate Tiffin for a boozy version of this recipe
• Polish Cake for a less rich type of refrigerator cake

Stockists

Magic liner

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Baking parchment squares

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20cm square traybake tin

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Print Recipe

Chocolate Tiffin

You will need:

• Glass bowl for melting the chocolate
• Plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the biscuits
• Saucepan large enough to take all the ingredients
• 25cm x 16cm tin or 20cm x 20cm traybake tin
• Optionally, baking parchment or a non-stick liner to line the base of the tin

Prep Time25 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Teatime

Cuisine: British

Keyword: chocolate refrigerator cake

Servings: 20 pieces

Author: [email protected] Cooks

Ingredients

FOR THE TIFFIN:

• 200 g glace cherries
• 300 g Rich Tea biscuits
• 150 g butter
• 40 g light brown soft sugar
• 200 g golden syrup
• 25 g cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate
• 125 g raisins or sultanas

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 200 g dark chocolate

Equipment

Glass bowl for melting the chocolate

Plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the biscuits

Large saucepan

Square traybake tin 20cm/8-inch

Baking parchment square

Instructions

PREPARATION:

• Grease the tin with a little butter OR line the base with baking parchment or a liner
• Halve or quarter the cherries - no need to wash

FOR THE CHOCOLATE TIFFIN:

• Crush the biscuits: Put them in a large bag and beat with a rolling pin until the biscuits are in small pieces. (Some biscuit will be powdered and some will be in larger pieces)
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup and mix to combine
• Turn off the heat, add the crushed biscuits and cocoa and mix thoroughly, ensuring the chocolate colour is evenly distributed. Add the fruit and mix carefully
• Press the mixture into the tin with the back of a spoon. Push it down firmly. Turn the spoon over and use the edge to tidy up the edges of the tiffin
• Leave to cool.

FOR THE TOPPING:

• When the base has cooled, tip the tiffin out of the tin and remove the liner
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a saucepan of hot water

  For step-by-step instructions see How to Melt Chocolate
• Pour the melted chocolate over the base and spread evenly using a knife
• Leave to cool, then cut into squares.

Notes

Everyday Cooks tips:

• If the cocoa has lumps, don’t bother to sift it. Just make sure you mix it in thoroughly, pressing the lumps out as you go.
• Storage - Chocolate Tiffin keeps well for a week or so in an airtight tin or plastic box. It will keep for longer in the fridge, but the chocolate may look less shiny.