traybakes & more

No-Bake Honey Crunch Traybake

Another new traybake for me this week. I can’t remember which retro recipe book this No-Bake Honey Crunch Traybake came from as I just made a copy the last time I was back at Mummy Traybakes’ house, but it intrigued me enough to make a note of it and I recently decided to try it out.

And it was a success all round! I offered some to my book club (my other official taste testers) and it proved to be a hit companion to our latest book discussion, as well as getting a thumbs up from Little Miss Traybakes.

The recipe uses Rich Tea biscuits (cookies), which I can get easily enough here in suburban Massachusetts. If you can’t get hold of Rich Tea, then Goya brand Maria cookies are a great substitute.

It’s a simple set of instructions. Make a honey chocolate buttercream and mix in the crushed biscuits. Chill, then top with honeyed cream and grated chocolate. The resulting traybake is delicately flavored and disappeared very quickly!

Ingredients

Base

4oz/110g/1 stick butter

3oz/85g/¾ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

2 tbsp clear honey

8oz/225g/2 cups Rich Tea biscuits, crushed (or Goya Maria cookies)

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Topping

5floz/148ml double cream (heavy whipping cream)

1 tsp clear honey

dark chocolate, coarsely grated, to cover

Method

1. Cream the butter, sugar and honey together until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the cocoa powder. You can use a little milk at this stage if it isn’t coming together nicely.

3. Stir in the crushed biscuits. I left some larger chunks in mine for texture.

4. Tip into a lined traybake tin, spread evenly and press down firmly.

5. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

6. Remove from the tin. Whip the cream until stiff and stir in the honey.

7. Spread over the biscuit base. Decorate with grated chocolate. Slice and enjoy!

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No-Bake Polish Cake

April 4, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

It’s another no-bake chocolatey biscuit traybake this week – No-Bake Polish Cake. Nope, I have no idea why this is called Polish Cake either. Perhaps it’s because you can ‘polish’ off a whole tray in one sitting? Bad puns aside, it’s another straightforward recipe. (One of these days, I’m going to have to make something more complicated! But I guess that’s the joy of traybakes, they are generally easy to make.)

French Chew

March 21, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

Nope, I have no idea where the name French Chew comes from either! This was a new traybake to me. I don’t remember ever eating French Chew. I don’t remember ever baking French Chew. But the recipe looked interesting, so I thought I’d give it a go. Now, having no real point of reference to compare it to (and my internet searching proved fruitless), I therefore have to assume that this is an accurate representation of French Chew.

So, French Chew is a soft sponge base, topped with a thin layer of coconut meringue. That’s it. Pretty simple and straightforward. Also pretty tasty.

Butterscotch Squares Traybake

March 7, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

This Butterscotch Squares Traybake recipe is essentially a recipe for Blondies. However, when I was a child, I’m not sure I would have known what a Blondie was, so Butterscotch Squares seems much more descriptive! It’s another easy bake, just some melting and mixing required. And it got a big thumbs up from Little Miss Traybakes. And she’s not even a big fan of nuts in my baking, so that’s got to be a good sign!

No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake Traybake

February 21, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

This No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake Traybake goes by many different names, with subtle variations to the recipes. But the basic principle is a chocolatey mix with crushed biscuits and any additions you want. I kept it traditional, for me at least, by adding raisins and glacé cherries, but feel free to take liberties with the recipe and add other dried fruit, or even something like Maltesers!

Brown Sugar Meringues

February 7, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

Meringues were a regular feature at my birthday parties when I was growing up (along with Toffee Rice Krispie Squares), although typically made with white sugar instead of these Brown Sugar Meringues. And Mummy Traybakes usually sandwiched them together with whipped cream. Yum!

Nowadays I see these being referred to as Meringue Kisses or Meringue Cookies, but I still just think of them as meringues. Making them with brown sugar, instead of the more traditional white sugar, creates a darker, more treacley flavor, with a hint of caramel, which is just as delicious.

No-Bake Date Rolls

January 24, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

It looks a little like Fifteens, before you cut into it anyway. It’s a similar log shape and is coated with coconut, and these No-Bake Date Rolls are just as easy to make, with an equally simple list of ingredients.

These were one of my favorites when I was a child and may explain my continuing love of dates as an adult, and the numerous date traybake recipes I have already made for the blog!

Chocolate Coffee Slice

January 10, 2018 / CJ / 0 Comments

January, the month of diets, healthy eating and Chocolate Coffee Slice traybakes?! I’ve never been a great believer in detoxing or fad diets. As long as I’m eating relatively healthy, mostly homemade food, then the occasional traybake or slice of cake isn’t a problem. And if you’re looking for something simple, that you can rustle up from ingredients that you probably have in your larder and fridge, then this is the no-bake traybake for you.

Ginger Cake

December 14, 2017 / CJ / 0 Comments

The festive season is well and truly upon us here at Traybakes HQ. The tree is up and covered in an array of ornaments, bought and homemade, and there are even a few presents underneath (Little Miss Traybakes has been very well behaved and isn’t shaking hers too much!). We’ve had our first snowfall and first sledding expedition. We’re introducing more Americans to the wonders of a good homemade mince pie and while we’re waiting for the Christmas cake to be iced, we’ve been enjoying this rich, spiced Ginger Cake.

Pineapple Coconut Slice

November 29, 2017 / CJ / 0 Comments

Pastry, jam, pineapple and coconut. It all sounds like a pretty good combination of flavors. And you’d be right! This Pineapple Coconut Slice has a layer of pastry topped with jam (I went for raspberry), pineapple pieces (tinned works great) and then a coconutty mixture, which turns beautifully golden after it’s been baked.

Yes, you have to make pastry for this, but it’s really not that tricky and you’re covering it with lots of toppings, so don’t worry too much about it. And the coconut mixture is quite stiff, so you have to scatter it over the top and press it down a bit, but it all works out in the end, and a little piece of pineapple peeking thought the coconut here and there gives a glimpse of what’s to come!

retro recipes for the modern baker