Recipe Laffa Cakes (Lime Jaffa Cakes)

The Late Night Gourmet

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When I saw the Prize Challenge as being about making cakes, I was hoping it didn't require making a full-sized cake. While I don't mind making them, I find them impractical: how do I clear refrigerator space for a cake if there's no occasion to celebrate? I immediately thought of cupcakes and Jaffa Cakes, which were both approved. I decided to make my own marmalade. Since there's also a lime challenge, the next steps seemed natural.

I based my recipe on a recipe for Jaffa Cakes by Mary Berry. Besides using lime, there were other things I did somewhat differently than she did.

Ingredients

6 oz lime marmalade
2 large eggs
2 oz / 1/4 cup caster sugar (or see step 2)
2 oz / 1/2 cup self-rising flour
12 oz bittersweet chocolate (about 50% cocoa solids)


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 12-compartment cupcake tins with cooking spray.

2. If you don't have caster sugar, pulse white sugar in a spice grinder for about 15 seconds, or until it's reduced to a powder. My "spice grinder" is a coffee bean grinder that I never use for coffee beans. Don't substitute with confectioner's sugar!

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NOTE: Mary Berry's recipe called for a tablespoon of batter in the following step. This resulted in 12 "mini-muffins" that had to be cut down after cooking. This was half as many "cookie discs" as the recipe should have created.

3. Whisk the egg and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gently fold in the flour. Spoon about 2 teaspoons into each compartment: there should be just enough to cover the bottom, smoothing them out so they rise evenly.

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4. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until well risen and the top of the sponges spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tray for a 10 minutes, and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

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5. If needed, cut the tops off the cookie discs so the tops are flat.

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NOTE: Mary Berry's recipe uses a gelatin packet and orange zest for flavoring, but my marmalade worked perfectly well. I cut the marmalade into discs using my ring mold, then chilled them on the freezer for a few minutes to set them.

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But, when I tried to place them on the cookie discs, I found that the marmalade discs were too large. So, I did the following.

6. Once the cookie discs are fully cooled, spoon marmalade onto them, about 1/4" thick. Place all of the cookie + marmalade discs in the freezer for a few minutes to set if the marmalade is too runny.

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7. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the pieces are melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool and thicken slightly.

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8. Spoon the melted chocolate over the jelly discs using a metal spoon and smooth out so it covers the jelly. Allow to cool.

NOTE: Chef Berry's recipe called for making a cross-hatch pattern on top of each with a fork. I tried to do this before it had cooled enough, and the fork stuck to the chocolate. If I make this again, I'll add this pattern on the top after letting it cool for a few minutes.

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9. Store at room temperature (the refrigerator will reduce the shine on the chocolate).
 
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Wow. All that sugar and sweet stuff. I've been guilty of sweets, but try to keep to natural stuff - omitting cane sugars and derived high fructose stuff.
 
Wow. All that sugar and sweet stuff. I've been guilty of sweets, but try to keep to natural stuff - omitting cane sugars and derived high fructose stuff.
I've found myself making so many more desserts than I ever expected since joining this forum. I'm not blaming anyone but myself for that, but it's a fact. I like to think of each dessert as a science experiment...a science experiment that I eat when it's done, but still a science experiment. There's no high fructose here, since I made my own marmalade. But, yeah, huge amounts of cane sugar.

Savory recipes are more practical, so they're not the same thing in my mind, even when I do something that's technically difficult. I make savory recipes with the intention of eating them, and desserts with the intention of not eating them. :laugh:
 
Mary Berry is a good starting point. She's a tried and trusted long standing TV cook (not a Chef). I think it was probably her that set the Jaffa Cake challenge on Great British Bake Off (she was one of the two judges). I admire your industry here!
 
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