Christmas Crunch Snack Mix

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

A scrumptious snack mix that’s perfect for festive parties and snacking on while watching Christmas TV or films. It’s a great recipe to make with kids, but adults will have just as much fun making this!

The countdown to Christmas is on! We’re only 5 sleeps away from the big day. It feels as though December has gone by in a flash!

We’re waving goodbye to 2023 soon. It’s been another fantastic year of blogging; I’ve shared some more tasty bakes, and I cannot wait to see what recipes feature on the blog next year. I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all your continued support in reading my blog and baking the recipes (new and old). WJBN means so much to me, and I get so much satisfaction from creating content.

This will be my last recipe of the year. I was inspired to make this snack mix after seeing this idea on the shelves in the supermarket. This homemade mix is fun to make, and in the end, you get a larger quantity overall to serve, and it can be tailored to your own budget and flavour preferences.

Not everything has to be made from scratch over Christmas. I’m all for cutting corners, less prep time, and easy and impressive recipes!

Serve this crunch mix at parties, or transfer to gift bags, tie with a ribbon, and give as an edible gift. This will take less than an hour to make from start to finish, and lasts in an airtight container for up to one week.

I’ve taken a bag of my favourite popcorn – you can make your own, but for ease I bought a bag.

I use sweet ‘n’ salty’ popcorn for my mix. I love the combination of sweetness and saltiness in each mouthful. Then I added a combination of our favourite chocolates and sweets. My recipe is just a guide; I used Oreos, chocolate-coated pretzels, festive-coloured M&M’s, and Galaxy Minstrels.

I made this mix, and it was served at a Christmas party. It got some good reviews, so I thought I would share it with you this Christmas!

This Christmas Crunch Snack Mix will become a Christmas tradition from now on in our house!

Christmas Crunch Snack Mix

A scrumptious snack mix that's perfect for festive parties and snacking on while watching Christmas TV or films. It's a great recipe to make with kids, but adults will have just as much fun making this!

Prep Time 45

Servings 15

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

100 g popcorn (already popped not kernels) I went for sweet 'n' salty', but just regular sweet would work
100 g white chocolate melted
154 g pack Oreos broken into pieces
90 g chocolate-coated pretzels
50 g M&M's I picked the festive colours for my mix - you can use any colours
125 g Galaxy Minstrels

Instructions

Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the melted white chocolate and stir to coat the popcorn in the chocolate.
Line a large baking tray/sheet with parchment paper/silicone baking mat, spread the popcorn out in an even layer. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until the chocolate is set.
Once the chocolate is fully set, stir through the crushed Oreos, pretzels, M&M's, and the Galaxy Minstrels. Store the mix in an airtight container - it will last for up to a week.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate · Christmas

Chocolate Shortbread

December 5, 2023December 3, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next9 Comments

Rich, homemade Chocolate Shortbread. Divine cocoa flavour is celebrated in this buttery, crumbly, and slightly salted chocolate shortbread recipe. Made in one bowl AND no chilling!

This intensely chocolatey shortbread recipe is a perfect Christmastime treat. It’s not overly sweet, slightly bittersweet, and has a salty hit in each bite.

A slice of shortbread anytime of the year is lovely, but around Christmas, I feel it’s even more special. Whether you have friends or family stopping by, want a gift to share with neighbours, or simply want to treat yourself to some baking and a sweet for an afternoon or evening dessert.

My chocolate shortbread has the flavour of a chocolate brownie. Rich, decadent, but without either a cake or fudgy texture, but instead the delectable, crumbly texture of shortbread.

When I made my Scottish Shortbread recipe for the blog back in 2015, I fell in love with the idea of baking shortbread by pressing the dough straight into a tin rather than rolling, then cutting the dough into shapes. We’re cutting the prep in half, which means we get to eat our shortbread even sooner!

Saving time is always helpful around December and the weeks leading up to Christmas, when we’re often pushed for time.

Like with most biscuit or cookie recipes, this one is just a base recipe.

Switch the recipe up by adding some freshly grated orange zest, tossing in some nuts, or combining some dark, milk, or white chocolate chips into the shortbread dough.

Once baked, you can dip the shortbread pieces into melted chocolate or drizzle it over.

There are so many exciting ways to make this recipe your own!

This recipe is found in ‘The Great British Book of Baking’. I was given this as a Christmas present from a work colleague last Christmas, and ever since spotting this recipe in the book, I’ve been excited to try it! It certainly did not disappoint, and it has me intrigued to try more!

Chocolate Shortbread

Rich, homemade Chocolate Shortbread. Divine cocoa flavour is celebrated in this buttery, crumbly, and slightly salted chocolate shortbread recipe. Made in one bowl AND no chilling!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
100 g caster sugar
260 g plain flour
40 g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt omit if using salted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 20cm cake tin with extra butter.
Cream the butter for a minute to soften. Now add the sugar and cream for a further 2 minutes until lightened in colour and fluffy.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, and the pinch of salt (if using), and mix until a dough comes together - don't over work the dough, just mix until there's no visible specks of flour remaining.
Transfer the shortbread dough to the greased cake tin and press down until compact. Score into 12 triangles, making sure you don't slice all the way through. Prick each piece of shortbread once or twice with a fork, and bake the shortbread for 25-30 minutes until the top is firm to the touch - mine was in the oven for a full 30 minutes.
Once baked, allow the shortbread to cool in the tin. Remove from the tin and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar/or icing sugar if you prefer. Slice into 12 triangles and serve. The shortbread will keep for up to 1 week, stored in an airtight container/or a covered plate.

Try these festive-inspired biscuit/cookie recipes next!

Snowball Cookies

Butter Cookies

Scottish Shortbread

Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Christmas

Snowball Cookies

November 22, 2023November 21, 2023 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

5 Ingredient Snowball Cookies – whipped shortbread filled with pieces of toasted pecan, and a generous coating of icing sugar.

Last year I ran out of time to bake these for Christmas. I had so many ideas, but I knew I needed to make sure I baked these cookies this year.

Being from the UK, these Snowball Cookies aren’t something I was too familiar with. I’m sure my US/North American readers will be familiar with these. I now know they’re a popular cookie that features on Christmas cookie platters. They’re also known as Mexican wedding cookies/Russian tea cakes.

I love that these cookies look like little snowballs, they’re super fun and perfectly festive!

I added toasted pecans to my batch, but you can substitute the pecans for other nuts, such as hazelnuts, pistachios, or even walnuts. Also, mini chocolate chips can be used instead.

The cookie dough is a shortbread dough, but this is possibly one of the lightest shortbread textures I’ve eaten before. It’s just like the texture of whipped shortbread, super airy, with a texture that melts once it hits your mouth.

To make the dough, you start by creaming the softened butter until smooth, then right after that add icing sugar and beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Now, a couple of teaspoons of vanilla is added, followed by the flour – which is mixed until a soft dough comes together. Finally, some chopped and toasted pecans are added. After this, the dough is covered and chilled for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Once chilled, small portions of the dough are rolled out, and then baked. Once baked, the cookies are cooled for 5 minutes, then they’re rolled in more icing sugar. Then the cookies are left to cool completely, before being rolled in a second coating of icing sugar. The finished cookie has a snowy whiteness, resembling a snowball!

These cookies would make a wonderful addition to a Christmas treat box gift for family and friends.

You’ll enjoy these cookies for their delectable melt-in-the-mouth texture, and beautiful buttery flavour. I really mean it when I say, it’s hard to stop at just one!

I lost count of how many I devoured while taking photos! My hands/camera, just about everything was covered in icing sugar…

But, I’m not complaining, as these cookies are simply divine!

Snowball Cookies

5 Ingredient Snowball Cookies - whipped shortbread filled with pieces of toasted pecan, and a generous coating of icing sugar.

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1

Servings 36

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

100 g pecans (substitute with hazelnuts, pistachios or walnuts optional
225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
90 g icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
280 g plain flour

Coating:

150 g icing sugar you might not need all of this

Instructions

Start by toasting the pecans (or nut of your choice), if using. Heat oven to 150°C / 130°C Fan / 300°F / Gas Mark 2. Spread the pecans out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool, before chopping finely.
To make the cookie dough: Cream the butter for a minute until softened. Now add the 90g portion of icing sugar and cream for another 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and lightened in colour.
Now add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour and continue to mix until it's incorporated fully. Finally, fold through the chopped nuts, if using.
Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. If you chill the dough longer than a few hours, it will need about 30 minutes at room temperature to warm up before rolling. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line 3 large baking trays with parchment paper.
Take 20g portions of the dough and roll into balls. Place the balls of cookie dough at least 2 inches apart - you'll need about 3 large baking trays to bake all the cookies at once.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until the bottoms are just turning golden, and the tops are lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes, then take the remaining icing sugar (150g), and roll each cookie lightly and very carefully in the icing sugar. They will be slightly sticky at this point.
Now place each cookie on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Once cool, take the cookies and coat in the icing sugar once again - this is when the sugar really coats the cookies.
Enjoy the cookies right away, or keep them stored in an airtight container/or covered plate for up to one week.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate · Christmas

Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

November 11, 2023December 19, 2025 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

A chocolate orange flavour spin on the popular NYC cookies! Thick cookies filled with chunks of Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments, vanilla, orange zest, and chocolate chips!

I’m kicking off the run of Christmas recipes today with these decadent NYC cookies! As I do from November onwards every year, I’m sharing Christmas-inspired recipes right through until the New Year! This year, I hope to entice you to make some festive recipes, and I have plenty for you to choose from.

My Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cookies, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Traybake, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, or how about some Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies?

Can you tell I’m obsessed with Terry’s Chocolate Orange?!

I’ve made sure these cookies are well and truly packed with TCO, with three whole chocolate oranges needed!

I have shared a Terry’s Chocolate Orange cookie recipe previously, but this time, rather than a chocolate cookie dough, I went for an orange-flavoured cookie dough (without cocoa powder added).

I baked a NYC-style cookie similar to Levain Bakery/Crème in London a few years ago, sharing my Chunky Milk Chocolate Pecan Cookies. It’s been a while since I baked some super chunky/thick cookies, so I couldn’t wait to get in my kitchen and bake some!

Enjoy one of these cookies dipped in a mug of hot chocolate or warm with a scoop of ice cream!

They’re the taste of the Christmas season, filled with gooey chocolate orange segments and freshness from orange zest. I add some vanilla extract to my cookie dough, but this can be substituted with orange extract for a more delicious orange flavour.

I love a bit of festive baking; it’s lovely filling the house with freshly baked goods.

It’s my favourite time of year, with so many recipes featured on my Christmas menu. Butter Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Vegan Sausage Rolls (Easy Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls), Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels, and Cinnamon Rolls.

You need a little patience with this cookie recipe. The secret to a super-thick cookie with crisp edges and a gooey centre is freezing the cookie dough for at least 90 minutes before baking. I leave mine overnight for an even thicker cookie and bake the cookies for exactly 17 minutes (until the edges are nicely browned), so they have incredible soft centres.

As the cookies cool on the baking trays, another finishing touch I do is press a few extra chocolate chips and a segment of Terry’s Chocolate Orange on the top of each cookie.

I hope you enjoy baking these in the lead-up to Christmas!

Terry's Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

A chocolate orange flavour spin on the popular NYC cookies! Thick cookies filled with chunks of Terry's Chocolate Orange segments, vanilla, orange zest, and chocolate chips!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 17

Chilling Time 1 30

Total Time 2 2

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

230 g butter (salted or unsalted) cold and cut into small cubes
160 g caster or granulated sugar
160 g dark or light brown sugar
1 large orange zest only
300 g plain flour
200 g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Terry's Chocolate Oranges save 12 segments for decoration and break the remaining chocolate into chunks - I used 1 dark chocolate and 2 milk chocolate
100 g dark/milk or white chocolate chips
2 medium or large eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract this can be substituted with orange extract or left out

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the cold butter for about 30 seconds until softened slightly. Add the orange zest to the sugars, and rub the orange zest into the sugars until combined. Now add the sugars to the butter and mix again until just combined. You don’t want to make this mixture creamy and fluffy.
Now add both types of flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Mix until you have a fine, breadcrumb texture. Save 12 segments of Terry's Chocolate Orange for decoration later on. Now stir through the remaining chocolate.
Add the beaten egg and vanilla and just mix until a dough comes together; be careful not to overmix. Weigh roughly 125g portions of the cookie dough and roll into a ball - this doesn't need to be perfect just lightly press them together. Place on a lined baking tray or container and freeze for at least 90 minutes, or overnight for a thicker cookie.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper and place the trays in the oven for 5 minutes to heat before spacing the rolled cookie dough balls out leaving at least 2 inches between each to allow room for spreading.
Bake the cookies for 17 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes, then if you desire, press a few extra chocolate chips and top each cookie with a Terry's Chocolate Orange segment.
Leave the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes then transport to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool slightly before serving. Cookies will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Some favourite Christmas recipes!

Gingerbread Men

Butter Cookies

Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake

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Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · No-Bake

Halloween Chocolate Bark

October 14, 2023December 9, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

The easiest of recipes! This Halloween Chocolate Bark is a great treat to rustle up for trick-or-treaters, serve at a Halloween party, or to use up any leftover chocolate and sweets!

We’ve kicked off Halloween on the blog with my Ghost Cupcakes, now we move onto another devilishly delicious treat…

Pick your favourite chocolate for the base of your chocolate bark. I made this recipe with my sister, we went for Cadbury Dairy Milk, then swirled some melted white chocolate through the milk chocolate. We’ve topped our bark with Reese’s Pieces, chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and crushed Oreos. All our favourite chocolate and confectionery!

You could also top the bark with Halloween-inspired sprinkles, gummy sweets – we didn’t do this because all the sweets we found weren’t vegetarian. But toppings are totally individual, next time we even discussed adding some pretzels for extra crunchy texture.

This chocolate bark is perfect for making to give out to any trick-or-treaters and Halloween parties.

Kids will love getting involved in making this! It’s a super fun and easy treat to whip up, there’s absolutely no baking involved, and it takes only 30 minutes to set in the fridge. It can be topped differently depending on the season – I’m already thinking of a (dare I say it?) Christmas-inspired one!

This chocolate bark tastes just so good, you may or may not want to open the door to any trick-or-treaters. I don’t blame you if you keep it all to yourself!

It’s like creating your own chocolate bar, you can add all your favourite chocolates and sweets – make a bark completely unique to you!

Halloween Chocolate Bark

The easiest of recipes! This Halloween Chocolate Bark is a great treat to rustle up for trick-or-treaters, serve at a Halloween party, or to use up any leftover chocolate and sweets!

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

360 g dark or milk chocolate
100 g white chocolate
90 g bag Reese's Pieces
5 snack size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups each chopped into quarters
5 Oreos broken into a mixture of big and small pieces - you can add more

Instructions

Line a large baking tray/sheet with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
Melt both types of chocolate, separately in either the microwave, or in a bowl atop a pan of simmering water (make sure it's not directly touching) - this is known as a bain-marie.
Spread the melted milk chocolate over the baking tray/sheet into an even layer, about 1/2-inch in thickness.
Top with the Reese's Pieces, chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and the crushed Oreos. Add any additional toppings you desire.
Place the chocolate bark in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. Cut into pieces as big or small as you like. The bark will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Bake more Autumn/Halloween recipes!

Ghost Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Chocolate

Ghost Cupcakes

October 3, 2023October 3, 2023 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

It’s spooky season and time to get ready for Halloween! Nothing screams Halloween more than these hellishly good Ghost Cupcakes! You get to decide whether they’re cute or spooky…

I first baked some Ghost Cupcakes many years ago when I’d only just started food blogging. I didn’t end up sharing the recipe, but years later I’ve decided to have another go at this cool recipe idea and bring it to the blog.

The recipe is super adaptable, take your favourite cupcake recipe. Chocolate, funfetti, red velvet, pumpkin, or vanilla.

My cupcakes were chocolate flavoured. I used my go-to Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe, and topped the cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream.

In the past, I’ve used a cream cheese frosting. However, I love the un-beatable flavour combination of dark chocolate cupcakes with fluffy white chocolate buttercream.

The final decoration is super simple, take mini dark/milk chocolate chips or regular-sized chocolate chips and place two to make the ghosts eyes, and if you desire, place an extra chocolate chip for the mouth – I just went for two eyes!

These cupcakes will haunt you, that’s how good they are! You won’t be able to stop thinking about them…

Ghost Cupcakes

It's spooky season and time to get ready for Halloween! Nothing screams Halloween more than these hellishly good Ghost Cupcakes. They're just as cute as they are scary!

Total Time 1

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

85 g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
40 g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon coffee granules or powder
180 ml boiling water
105 g strong white bread flour you can substitute this with plain flour
150 g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium or large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Buttercream

150 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
300 g icing sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 g white chocolate melted and cooled slightly
Dark or milk chocolate chips for decoration

Instructions

To make the cupcakes: Place the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and coffee granules/powder (if using) in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over and whisk until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake/muffin tin with paper cases. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda until thoroughly combined. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla into the now cooled chocolate mixture. Finally, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Divide the batter between the paper cases – I find using an ice cream scoop best for doing this as it makes less mess. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transport to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the buttercream: Cream the butter for about a minute or two to soften. Now add the sifted icing in two batches and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and double cream.
Mix in the melted chocolate until just combined and decorate the cupcakes as desired - I use a large round piping tip to create the ghost shape. Decorate each cupcake with a couple of chocolate chips for the ghosts eyes. The cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Get ready to bake some truly spooktacular cupcakes!

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Italian Cuisine · No-Bake

Pistachio Tiramisu (No-Bake, Eggless Recipe)

August 22, 2023October 16, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next8 Comments

Ultra creamy homemade tiramisu. This is our take on a tiramisu, it’s not traditional but tastes just as amazing as the classic version of this Italian dessert. Layers of soaked sponge fingers, pistachio paste mascarpone filling, and decorated with even more pistachio paste and chopped pistachios. Heaven on a plate!

If there’s one recipe to say goodbye to summer this year on the blog and before I start working on some autumn bakes, then it just has be this fabulous tiramisu. This summer we’ve been celebrating no-bake desserts, including this Oreo Ice Cream Pie – which I updated in July, all things fruity with our Passionfruit Lemon Tart, and eating all the fresh berries and cream with this epic Eton Mess Cake. I hope your summer has been as sweet as mine?

This is the very first tiramisu recipe to feature on the blog! I’ve loved tiramisu for ages, but never thought until recently to try making one in order to share with you. The tiramisu I have for you today isn’t traditional, it’s made without eggs, there’s also not a drop of coffee, or any chocolate in sight.

Instead, I’ve allowed pistachio paste to be the main flavour of this.

Pistachio Tiramisu isn’t commonly found on restaurant menus, I used to get a pistachio tiramisu slice from a speciality tiramisu shop in London, but this time I wanted to recreate it in my kitchen.

My sister got me a massive jar of pistachio paste as one of my birthday presents this summer, I’ve been beyond excited to experiment using it in my recipes. This tiramisu is just the start of some pistachio recipes, with hopefully more featuring on the blog in future recipes.

I’m the biggest pistachio lover. It’s my favourite ice cream flavour hands down, and also the BEST tiramisu flavour!

Sorry, traditionalists – I’m not a coffee drinker, so this tiramisu recipe ticks all the boxes for me.

This isn’t one of my prettiest or most colourful desserts, but it was far too tasty not to share! I personally love the green colour the pistachio paste adds, and it adds an extra little bit of decadence to the top of the tiramisu.

This dessert is one perfect for all occasions, parties or simply a sweet treat to enjoy over the weekend.

We ate this entire tiramisu between just four of us in only two days, but it’ll serve 10 portions.

Pistachio Tiramisu

Ultra creamy homemade tiramisu. This is our take on a tiramisu, it's not traditional but tastes just as amazing as the classic version of this Italian dessert. Layers of soaked sponge fingers, pistachio paste mascarpone filling, and decorated with even more pistachio paste and chopped pistachios. Heaven on a plate!

Prep Time 6 20

Total Time 6 20

Servings 10

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

300 ml double cream
75 g icing sugar
250 g mascarpone
125 g pistachio paste plus extra to decorate (optional)
200 g pack sponge fingers (also known as ladyfingers)
milk enough to soak the sponge fingers
chopped pistachios (optional)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Now mix through the mascarpone until just combined. Finally, mix through the pistachio paste.
Get your chosen serving dish ready - I recommend a 20cm square dish/tin or something of a similar size. Take the sponge fingers and soak each finger in the milk for a couple of seconds on each side, create an even layer of sponge fingers across the bottom of your dish.
Now spread half the pistachio cream on top. Repeat the previous step, layering the soaked sponge fingers on top of the cream layer, and spread the remaining pistachio cream on top. Decoration is optional: I piped some extra pistachio paste on top of the tiramisu and sprinkled the edges with chopped pistachios.
Cover and chill the tiramisu in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but up to overnight before serving. It will last in the fridge for up to 3 days - though it's unlikely to last that long!

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Baking · Breakfast · Chocolate

Chocolate Granola

August 5, 2023August 5, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

My easy homemade TRIPLE Chocolate Granola makes a fun, chocolatey breakfast. It’s delicious, slightly bittersweet and great served with creamy yoghurt, or milk of your choice. A day that starts with a little chocolate is sure to be good!

There are many granola recipes on my blog. We’re utterly in love with this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola when in need of a sweet ‘n’ salty treat for breakfast, but when we’re feeling like something a touch healthier, then our Basic Homemade Granola hits all the right notes.

I’ve said it lots of times before, I love making granola just as much as baking a batch of cookies, or a cheesecake. This granola is in fact inspired by my Triple Chocolate Cookies!

I’ll always find a way of getting chocolate involved in my breakfast bowl/plate…

Why buy all the expensive cereal/granola, when you can make it at home for cheaper?

When you make it yourself, you can control what ingredients are going in, which is definitely one of the many added bonuses of anything homemade.

What makes this granola contain triple chocolate: firstly, the cocoa powder combined with the oats before baking, secondly, the pack of dark/milk chocolate chips that’s stirred through the granola as it’s cools, and thirdly, the white chocolate chips added once the granola has completely cooled.

This granola is a dream breakfast for me. I love chocolate cereal, but with the oats in this and nuts, I feel it is just that little bit healthier than reaching for one of the go-to chocolate cereals!

Chocolate Granola

My easy homemade TRIPLE Chocolate Granola makes a fun, chocolatey breakfast. It's delicious, slightly bittersweet and great served with creamy yoghurt, or milk of your choice. A day that starts with a little chocolate is sure to be good!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

350 g jumbo rolled oats
100 g flaked almonds substitute with chopped hazelnuts, if preferred
45 g dark or light brown sugar
120 ml maple syrup or honey
120 ml vegetable oil I use rapeseed oil
60 g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
sea salt flakes a generous pinch
100 g dark/milk chocolate chips
100 g white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 150°C / 130°C Fan / 300°F / Gas Mark 2. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment or a silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flaked almonds and sugar until combined.
In a small jug, whisk together the maple syrup/honey, oil, cocoa powder and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, along with a generous pinch of sea salt flakes until the oats are all thoroughly coated. Spread the granola out on the baking tray - making sure it's an even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, then give a good stir, making sure the edges are pushed to the centre and redistributed so every bit of the granola gets evenly toasted.
Bake again for another 15 minutes and repeat again, stirring as you did before. Now bake for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle over 3/4 of the dark/milk chocolate chips, let the granola sit for a few minutes before stirring the chocolate in.
Allow the granola to cool on the tray, once it's completely cool, add the remaining dark/milk chocolate chips and the white chocolate chips, and stir through. The granola will keep stored in an airtight for up to a fortnight.

Serve your granola at breakfast: my favourite way to serve it is with natural yoghurt and fresh raspberries.

It’s also fantastic sprinkled over ice cream/frozen yoghurt, or eaten straight by the handful – something I’m most certainly guilty of doing!

A couple more granola recipes to try next!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola

Basic Homemade Granola

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Caramilk Cookies

July 11, 2023July 10, 2023 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Caramilk Cookies are incredibly soft and chewy. Filled with lots of chunks of caramelised white chocolate and white chocolate chips!

I’m a wee bit late jumping on the caramelised white/caramel chocolate bandwagon! Upon my first taste, I’ve since become literally obsessed. Whenever I’m eating a bar of caramelised white chocolate, I’m thinking of the many ways I can combine it in my bakes.

This cookie recipe is based on the cookie dough I use to make my Mini Egg Cookies. It’s perfect in every way possible. These cookies are soft, a little bit chewy and jammed full of gooey chunks of Cadbury Caramilk and white chocolate chips.

Exactly how a good cookie should be!

Homemade cookies are always a good idea! You can never have enough cookies. I could eat them all day long.

That first bite of a gooey, delicious cookie is simply amazing. We loved the combination of creamy white chocolate chips, mixed with the decadent caramelised chocolate.

With the summer season here, take a couple of these cookies, and add a scoop of ice cream to the centre. Your very own cookie sandwich is a decadent treat that will satisfy your sweet cookie craving and cool you down.

Every time I make cookie dough, I always leave some in the freezer, so then I can reach for a homemade cookie when I want! I have some of this Caramilk white chocolate cookie dough in the freezer, and cannot wait for another one!

I might reach for the extra cookie dough very soon, along with a tub of vanilla ice cream…

These cookies reminded us of bakery-style cookies we loved years ago, but better!

The cookies will keep on your kitchen countertop for a few days. They taste best on the day of baking, but on the second day we find they firm up and the flavour has developed further.

Caramilk Cookies

Soft and chewy cookies filled with chunks of caramelised white chocolate and white chocolate chips!

Prep Time 3 10

Cook Time 12

Servings 18

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

280 g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon salt
170 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted and cooled for 5 minutes
150 g dark or light brown sugar
100 g caster or granulated sugar
1 medium or large egg
1 medium or large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
100 g white chocolate chips
250 g caramelised white chocolate chopped - I use Cadbury Caramilk but Caramac works too

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cornflour and the salt - only add a pinch of salt if using salted butter.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter with both types of sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the whole egg, egg yolk and the vanilla extract, and whisk again to combine.
Now add the wet ingredients to your bowl of dry ingredients. Gently fold together to combine. Add your white chocolate chips and chopped Caramilk, stir to mix through. Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough for at least 2-3 hours, or up to 3 days. I leave mine overnight and then allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
When ready to roll the cookie dough, take 60g portions and roll into balls. Preheat oven 160°C / 150°C Fan / 325 °F / Gas Mark 4.
Space the cookie dough out on 2-3 large baking trays - you might need to bake the cookies in batches. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges - the cookies will appear very soft, but that's what you want. Press extra white chocolate chips and chopped Caramilk on top of each cookie while they're still hot. Leave the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking trays, then they're ready to serve.
The cookies will keep for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container or a covered plate at room temperature. Freeze the cookies in an airtight container/or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months - thaw the cookie before baking.

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Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · No-Bake

Crunchie Slice

June 30, 2023July 6, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next9 Comments

Easy Crunchie Slice recipe! Made in a matter of minutes, this decadent slice combines crushed biscuit with melted butter, condensed milk and chopped Crunchie pieces, then it’s topped with a layer of milk chocolate and more Crunchie.

Today’s new recipe is this delicious Crunchie Slice. It’s no-bake and takes little time to prepare – only about 30 minutes in total!

For years on the WJBN, as soon as the summer arrives, I’m more in favour of sharing no-bake, easy and minimal fuss recipes, so you won’t be spending hours in the kitchen.

I’m really excited to kick off the summer-themed recipes on the blog. This slice is super simple to make, and it’s fantastic packed up and taken along as part of a picnic, or for a chocolatey sweet treat to enjoy.

Rocky road, slice, tiffin – I love all these kinds of recipes and want to further experiment with different flavour combinations!

Homemade Crunchie Slice is crushed biscuits mixed with melted butter, a whole can of condensed milk, then a whole load of chopped Cadbury Crunchie bars are folded through. The mixture is then pressed into a lined baking tin, then it’s topped with melted milk chocolate (I love Dairy Milk for this), with more chopped/crushed Crunchie bars scattered over!

It’s one hundred percent a truly indulgent sweet treat…

This recipe is one you’ll need to make in advance and allow to set overnight. If you try slicing after a few hours in the fridge, it will be too soft, so overnight refrigerating is essential.

Once it’s set, slice up pieces as big or small as you want!

If you love Crunchie, try my No-Bake Crunchie Cheesecake next!

Crunchie Slice

Easy Crunchie Slice recipe! Made in a matter of minutes, this decadent slice combines crushed biscuit with melted butter, condensed milk and chopped Crunchie pieces, then it's topped with a layer of milk chocolate and more Crunchie.

Prep Time 20

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

300 g digestive biscuits finely crushed
100 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted
397 g tin sweetened condensed milk
6 Cadbury Crunchie chocolate bars chopped into medium-sized pieces
200 g dark or milk chocolate (I used Dairy Milk)
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted) - this is 15g

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs, with the melted butter and condensed milk. Stir until throughly combined. Now fold through 6 chopped Cadbury Crunchie bars.
Transfer this mixture to a lined 20cm square cake tin (or other suitably sized tin) and press down until compact and smooth on top.
Melt the chocolate and butter over a bain-marie, or in the microwave until smooth. Pour and spread the melted chocolate over the top of the biscuit layer. Now top with the remaining two chopped Cadbury Crunchie bars. Cover and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
When ready to serve, slice up into 16 squares or smaller pieces if desired. The slice will keep in the fridge for up to a week - the honeycomb will start to ooze slightly once sliced, but it still tastes delicious nonetheless.