"BISCUIT AND BOOZE" "FRUIT AND NUT" NO BAKE CHOCOLATE BARS

Sometimes you need a recipe for a sweet treat that is quick and simple to make when you have a last minute gift making emergency. When I decided to make something as a thank you present for the superstars at my dad's care home which he was leaving this week I needed something that I could rustle up quickly after work ready to take the next day. These no bake chocolate bars were the answer to my prayers. They contain all my favorite things; ginger nut biscuits, chopped pecans and best of all, booze soaked dried fruit. Brilliant!

My recipe below is a version of these bars that I love but you really can mix up the recipe if you wish as long as you keep the chocolate, butter and syrup as a base. You can use any type of booze that you wish (I used left over Christmas Madeira!) or if you don't want to use alcohol then soak the dried fruits (raisins, currents, cranberries...it's your choice again!) in orange juice instead so they still go nicely plump and juicy.

Don't like or have any pecans? Use some walnuts or almonds instead and why not use some digestives or bourbons if you don't want to use ginger nuts. It's a totally adaptable recipe so experiment and make your own special version of these bars to suit your tastes. If you use the quantities below you should get about 18-20 squares out of the recipe and whilst they are quick and simple to make you will need a bit of time to allow them to set in the fridge before serving;

Ginger Biscuit, Boozy Fruit And Nut Chocolate Bars

200g Dried Mixed Fruit

100ml Booze 

300g Dark Chocolate

100g Butter
3 Tbsp Golden Syrup

50g Ginger Nut Biscuits

150g Chopped Pecans

1. Grease and line a deep sided 20cm square baking tin and leave to one side. Tip the mixed fruit into a bowl and pour over the booze. Set aside for a least 2 hours, giving them a good stir every half an hour.
2. Place the chocolate, butter and syrup into a large heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water!) and melt them all together, stirring occasionally until well combined. Remove the bowl from the heat and set to one side.
3. Place the ginger nuts into a plastic sandwich bag and bash them with a rolling pin to break them up into chunks (not crumbs!). Now add the biscuits, pecans and the boozy fruit into the bowl of melted chocolate and give everything a good mix together so all the ingredients are covered in chocolate. 
4. Pour the mixture into the lined baking tin and pop into the fridge for two hours until set.

Once the mixture has set, remove it from the fridge and carefully peel off the baking paper. Chop the chocolate slab into roughly 18 equal sized pieces and serve. The sweetened dark chocolate is delicious and hides all the little treats inside. With every bite you either get a hit of soft boozy soaked fruit or a bit of nutty crunch from all the chopped pecans. Perhaps you'll get a chunk of ginger biscuit in there too? Who knows but that is what makes these bad boys such a simple yet exciting treat to make. These grown up treats are a brilliant no bake treat for any big kids that you make them for! Fabulous!

*I dedicate this recipe to Jill and all the staff at Heathfield Lodge care home who looked after my Dad for many years. Hope you enjoyed your treats!*