Mocha Squares

Quick and easy, Mocha Squares have a chocolate oat base with coffee icing. Teatime or coffee break favourite.

This is another of my mother’s recipes that I’ve made for years, although not so much recently – so I was pleased to re-discover it.

All the traybakes I mention below are great for feeding crowds, e.g. if you’re making something to cater for an event. They’re also an easy way to provide something sweet for a party or family gathering – much less fiddly than icing individual cakes if you’re in a hurry.

Cocoa vs Drinking Chocolate

The base of the Mocha Squares are made in a similar way to Flapjack, but with a lot of cocoa to give a good chocolate flavour. When you’re making chocolate cakes, traybakes or biscuits, you need to make sure you use what the recipe calls for.

Drinking chocolate is cocoa with added sugar and usually milk powder, so the chocolate flavour is diluted and sweetened. Fine for a drink, but no good for baking. I use Green & Black’s as a good quality cocoa, but not the most expensive, and you get a good chocolate flavour.

If I’m using a brand that doesn’t seem as strong, I might add extra cocoa and correspondingly less flour. Of course, you can adjust your proportions yourself if you have a preference for more or less of a chocolate flavour.

Helpful Tools

• Magic liner – Cut to fit the traybake tins and roasting tins you use most. You wash it every time. Nothing sticks and it doesn’t need greasing

If you like this…

…Why don’t you try:

Chocolate Mint Crispies

Chocolate Mint Crispies are a sweet treat, easy for children to make, and ideal for a birthday party.

Millionaires Shortbread

Shortbread, caramel and chocolate – the three layers of a Millionaires Shortbread.

Polish Cake

This Polish Cake is a no-cook, chocolate fridge cake. It's easy for children to make and is a great addition to a party table, however old you are!

Flapjack

The ultimate flapjack, soft and chewy or crunchy – your choice – with a lovely buttery taste, and ready in half an hour. Perfect teatime treat and great for lunchboxes.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Mocha Squares

Mocha Squares have a chocolate oat base with coffee icing.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Teatime

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Mocha, oats, traybake

Servings: 24 pieces

Author: [email protected] Cooks

Ingredients

For the Mocha Squares:

• 250 g butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
• 250 g granulated sugar
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 150 g rolled oats
• 50 g cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate
• Pinch of salt

For the Icing:

• 80 g butter
• 325 g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee (15ml)
• 40 ml hot water

Equipment

Swiss roll tin or shallow baking tray 25x35cm

Magic liner or

Silicone baking mat OR

Baking parchment

Instructions

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ gas mark 4/ 350°F
• Line the base of the baking tin with baking parchment, a silicone baking mat or a piece of magic liner

For the Mocha Squares:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a LOW heat
• Add the vanilla extract
• Stir in the remaining ingredients so that everything is well combined

  (Sugar, flour, oats, sieved cocoa, pinch of salt)
• Press the mixture into the tin and cook for 15 minutes
• Cool in the tin

For the Icing:

• Melt the butter in the microwave or on the hob
• In a cup mix the instant coffee and hot water
• Sift the icing sugar into a bowl
• Add the melted butter and coffee to the icing sugar
• Stir gently to combine, then beat well
• Spread the icing over the cooled base
• Leave to set, then cut into squares.