Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Kitchen Machine

Chocolate and Cherry Bites with the new Creations Kitchen Machine

This week I was invited to take part in a challenge set by Russell Hobbs to try out their new Creations Kitchen Machine. Russell Hobbs are hosting a champagne and cake party tonight in London to launch their new range of Creations food prep products. My challenge was to make something to the theme of a ‘Girls’ Night In’ using the new machine and the main ingredient had to be chocolate. Since English cherries are now at their best and in season, I decided to combine chocolate and cherries into these tasty morsels. Not quite a cupcake (you’ll notice the distinct lack of piled high buttercream) just an extra drizzle of chocolate with a fresh cherry compote. I think these would be a very welcome addition to a Girls’ Night In!Good luck to the other bloggers taking part tonight in the bake off and thank you to Russell Hobbs for sending me the Creations Kitchen Machine to try at home. We certainly had fun trying out the stand mixer and it seemed to enjoy mixing and making these chocolate and cherry bites!

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Chocolate and Cherry Bites

Ingredients

  • 225g light brown unrefined sugar
  • 4 large, free range eggs
  • 240ml mild, light olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp fairtrade vanilla extract/essence
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 200g cherry compote or soft set cherry preserve
  • 100g dark or milk chocolate (to drizzle over the top)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Beat the soft brown sugar and eggs together for a few minutes, until pale and creamy.
  3. Slowly pour in the oil and beat again. Add the vanilla extract and mix in well.
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into the mixture and carefully mix (with a metal spoon, not mixer) until it is all combined.
  5. Using a spoon or an ice-cream scoop, fill the paper cases with the chocolate cake batter to two-thirds full. Take a teaspoon and carefully drop half a teaspoon of fresh cherry compote or soft set cherry preserve into the centre of the batter in each case.
  6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-18 minutes.
  7. Take the cakes out of the oven and leave them to cool.
  8. In the meantime, break up the dark chocolate and place it in a glass bowl over a pan with lightly simmering water in it to melt the chocolate. Once melted, using a teaspoon, drizzle some melted chocolate over the cakes. The more mess the better!

 

 

Please note: this post is not a review of the product nor is it an endorsement. I am still testing and trying it out and would usually give a product a longer testing run before posting my opinions about it. The Creations Kitchen Machine will be available from 21st July 2012 in Argos and has an RRP of £199. You can follow Russell HobbsUK on Twitter to keep up with the party tonight!