Recipe: 3 Ingredient Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

This weekend I had a baking disaster.

By disaster, we're talking dry sponge, lumps of butter in the frosting, too warm frosting slipping down the cake, a drop in transit and for the finale, completely collapsing.

I was persistent, carried it to the Sunday dinner table (looking like a car crash), but it got trumped by my Mum's sticky toffee pudding.

And so I did what I always do in times such as this, seek inspiration and encouragement from Pinterest.

3 ingredient recipes, no baking? Yes please!

I think most colleagues and friends must assume that, like Nigella, I bake at all sorts of hours and sit in my pantry (cupboards) eating ingredients straight out the jar. Well, strictly speaking this is pretty spot on. And this is exactly what I did last night come 10pm, Horlicks in hand.

A few minutes of prep and you're away, this recipe can be left overnight to firm up. Monday morning = significantly improved.

There's not a recipe as such, just a few cup measurements. But when you're waiting for an advert break to finish on your weekend TV shows or for Netflix to load, there's just no time.

Peanut butter cup fudge
(Recipe adapted from Something Swanky, makes 24)

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (approx. 180g)
3 1/2 cups chopped milk chocolate (approx. 500g)
1 bag Reese's peanut butter mini cups (approx. any left after you've tested a few)

Line an 8" square cake tin with foil. Line the bottom of the tray with half the Reese's cups. Melt the peanut butter in a pan over a low heat, stirring constantly. Pour in the chocolate and continue to stir until everything has melted. Pour the mix over the cups in the tray, give it a gentle wiggle to cover every gap. Chop the rest of the Reese's cups and scatter over the top. Leave out to cool overnight (or 4 hours at least). If the fudge has been cooled in the fridge, leave out for 30 mins until room temperature to slice, this way it won't crumble.

Once made, this should last a week in an airtight container or a few weeks in the fridge...I like mine straight from the fridge.

In Ashton's recipe, white chocolate is used. The flavour combinations are endless, next I may try white chocolate and custard creams or milk chocolate and mini eggs, dark chocolate and pretzels.

And if you don't believe I eat ingredients straight from the cupboard...

...no shame!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sometimes you just need to bake a cake. A really indulgent one!

Salted caramel chocolate fudge cake
(Adapted from Great British Chefs)
     125g caster sugar
     100g soft brown sugar
     4 large eggs
     1tsp vanilla extract
     240ml vegetable oil
     200g self raising flour
     75g cocoa powder
     1tsp baking powder
     1tsp bicarbonate of soda
     a pinch of sea salt
     2tbsp plain, natural yoghurt

For the salted caramel buttercream filling:
     250g unsalted butter, softened
     500g icing sugar
     3tbsp Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel
     a pinch of sea salt

For the chocolate fudge topping:
     200g dark chocolate
     125ml double cream
     2tbsp Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel
     chopped fudge pieces to decorate

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Butter three sandwich cake tins and line the bottom of each with baking paper.
• Using a mixer or electric whisk, beat the caster sugar, soft brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together for about four minutes until creamy. Slowly add the vegetable oil and mix again well.
• Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and stir together well with a metal spoon or spatula. Add a pinch of salt and stir in the plain yoghurt, mix well.
• Divide the mixture equally between the prepared baking tins and bake for 30 minutes. Once a skewer comes out clean, take the sponges out of the oven and leave to cool in the tins.
• To make the filling, beat the butter until soft and a little fluffy. Carefully add the icing sugar a little at a time and keep mixing until the whole amount is added in. Add the caramel sauce and a punch of sea salt and mix well.
• Once the sponges are completely cool, sandwich them together with equal amounts of buttercream.
• To make the chocolate fudge topping, melt the chocolate and stir in the cream and caramel once slightly cooled. Leave to cool entirely, before spreading the fudge topping over the entire cake. (I found it easier to do a crumb coating, although the second layer was a lot cooler and a lot less spreadable). Decorate with chopped fudge pieces.