Right, so kiddo rows and I am not much of a baker. Rowing needs a lot of fuel. So when they are in between rows and main meals, they need Parents to provide home baking. Baking as healthy as possible, as well as something the kids will eat. They gave me a few different recipes… as I said I don’t bake and not great at instructions and lazy as to boot! You don’t know until you try right.

I made this today and it surprised me… its really nice! Sticky. I made a few basic changes based on what I had. Makes 2 dishes – what I call “lasagna dishes” But anything rectangular would work. Get your bench clean, break out the food processor, bowl, spatula, sieve, kitchen scales and measuring cups/spoons. Boil the jug. Good to go! I like to have all the ingredients out on the bench and put them away as I use them, then I know where I am at and what is left to go. This could easily be made GF if you so fancy.

Heat oven to 160. Mine runs hot, so I did 150 for around 45 mins.

2 cups roughly chopped dates *

2 TBS Vanilla essence

2 TBS Instant Coffee *

1 tsp Baking soda

3/4 cup hot water

Throw all of the above into a pyrex jug, give it a stir and leave to sit and fizz for 10-15 mins

200 Grams very soft butter

4 eggs

Tip the contents of the jug into the processor along with the butter and give it a good zzzzzzzzz. Once combined. Drop your eggs in and zzzzzzzzz, till you have a smooth batter.

Sift the following into a large bowl

1 cup SR flour

1 cup cocoa powder*

1 tsp baking powder

Fold in your batter and 250 Grams (1 packet) Dark chocolate chips*

Do not over mix, just fold.  It will start to look very shiny.  Spray your dishes with cooking spray, you could baking paper them.  But spray worked fine for me.  Tip, half the batter into each.

Pop into oven, keep an eye open or set a timer. they will trick you as they are so super sticky, but keep cooking after they come out and as they cool become firmer. There should be a few cracks starting to show.

*Notes*

I only had 1 cup of dates, so used dried apricots to take me to 2 cups. You could use whatever dried fruit you have I guess.

I don’t drink coffee, it confuses me. I guess you could use espresso shots if you so fancy.

I had Milk chips, so used them.

Cocoa, I used Dutch which is stronger and can be more bitter than stock standard, so I added 1/2 cup of sugar too.