My husband has begged me since Wednesday (Bake Off night) to bake him some Jaffa cakes. I wasted hours (Ok, 5 minutes) looking for vegetarian orange jelly - couldn't find it anywhere. So I gave up - these are NOT vegetarian friendly!
Prior warning - these are not an easy bake! Very fiddly and time-consuming - I was ready to tear my hair out by the end! Here are my step by step instructions with pics, hints and tips - so you can learn from my mistakes!
Full recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mary_berrys_jaffa_cakes_58695
Ingredients
For the jelly
1 x 135g packet orange jelly
150ml/5fl oz boiling water
1 small orange, finely grated zest only
For the sponge
unsalted butter, for greasing
1 large free-range egg
25g/1oz caster sugar
25g/1oz self-raising flour, sifted
For the topping
180g/6¼oz plain chocolateMethod
Step One : Make the Jelly
Pour it into a tray to set. I had a LOT of issues getting it out of the tray when it had set. I've since googled the issue and a lot of people suggest wiping the tray with vegetable oil so it doesn't stick.
Step Two : Make the Sponge
First, preheat the oven to 180 (160 fan) and grease a bun tin. I also added a sprinkle of sugar to help the cakes come out cleanly. This worked well so I recommend you try it.
Then, whisk the egg and sugar until it is pale and fluffy (should look almost white). I used my trusty mixer (£5 from Sainsbury's!) to save my arm muscles! After that, fold in the flour. (I always use a metal spoon to fold)
Use a FULL dessert spoon to fill each well in the bun tray (about 3/4 full), then smooth the tops. Bake for about 7 minutes. THEY WILL NOT GO GOLDEN BROWN so you do need to do the 'finger' test (sponge should bounce back when pressed lightly with a finger) and not rely on colour (mine were dry because I left them in too long).
Step Three : Jaffa Cakes - Assemble!
Welcome to the fiendishly difficult part! Up to now it's been relatively straightforward. The jelly and the chocolate are a NIGHTMARE.
I always melt my chocolate in the microwave. Some people may find this daunting but the trick is to do it in quick blasts. Break 2/3 of the chocolate into a bowl and melt in 20 second blasts, stirring in between. When it's melted, add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and just stir - the remaining heat will melt the rest of the chocolate. This reduces the risk of the chocolate spoiling and usually guarantees me a gorgeous shine. Leave it to cool for a while until it is quite viscous. Mine refused to thicken as it was so hot when I was making them.
My jelly was a DISASTER. As I mentioned earlier, it stuck to the dish so I couldn't turn it out. I was forced to cut the circles in the dish, which then meant they lost their shape as I transferred them onto my buns - very messy! Definitely not the polished look I was going for!
Finally, spoon the chocolate onto the jaffa cakes and smooth carefully around. I was NOT patient enough - my chocolate was still too runny and dribbled down the sides. Also, I was forced to put my jaffas in the fridge to set as they refused to set at room temperature. This meant they lost their beautiful shine and went misty. The criss cross was a disaster too. Again, I was impatient and dragged the fork across when it was still too wet, resulting in messy crosses.
My score: 1/5 This is far too difficult for the pay off involved. They were absolutely delicious but frustrated me so much! Don't do it. Buy a pack instead! :)
Julia's Top Tips
- Wipe your jelly dish with flavourless oil before you begin so that your jelly doesn't stick.
- BE PATIENT - the chocolate will spread better if it's slightly cool and thicker.
- Don't bother with the criss cross - it looks rubbish!
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