No Bake Chocolate Cake

• My mother would often make this and I liked to help as it was easy – there was no baking required.
• She would use plain biscuits such as:  Morning Coffee, Petit Beurre or Rich Tea.
• These are called herbatniki – (biscuits to go with a drink of tea) – in Poland.
• The biscuits were roughly crushed using a potato masher – they do not want to be too small.
• Chocolate, butter and sugar are melted together and the biscuits are added.
• My mother would press this into a square or rectangular tin, which was well buttered and lined.
• This was then easy top cut up into small cubes or rectangles.
• You can make make this in a small (15 cm) circular, loose bottomed tin and pour a chocolate glaze or icing over this.
• With the given proportions it is easy to double-up etc to make a large cake or a two tiered cake.
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• I had always thought of this as a Polish recipe but have read recently that the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge had a similar one as one of their wedding cakes.
• Also I have read that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II enjoys this cake too.

Ingredients

• 180g biscuits
• 90g butter
• 180g dark and milk chocolate
• 2 tablespoons of cold water.

Method

• Butter and line a small rectangle 27 x 18 cm tin.
• Crush half of the biscuits finely.
• Roughly crush the other half of the biscuits.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over some boiling water.
• Add the butter and mix.
• Add the water and mix
• Mix  in the biscuits till they are all coated.
• Press into the prepared and flatten the top with a wooden spoon.
• Leave in a cool place or refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Crown Devon – Du Barry Cake Stand – 1930s.