We visited the world renowned Marjorie's Kitchen on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina to get some Easter recipes from Marjorie herself. Watch below some of her mouthwatering (and we can honestly say DELICIOUS!) chocolate treats made in her very own kitchen, where she has regaled the listeners to Midwest Radio from for over a quarter of a century with Paul and Gerry. We have all the recipes below the videos so you can try them out over the Easter weekend - and we promise, you'll be trying these out all year round as well! Plus there is a bonus recipe for chocolate peppermint squares in the factsheet! Bon Appétit! 

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Marjorie`s Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Scones

Makes approximately 8

Ingredients

227g/8 ozs, self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

5ml/1 tsp baking powder

57g/2ozs butter

10ml/2 tsp sugar

86g/30zs chocolate chips or plain chocolate finely chopped

150ml/1/4 pt buttermilk

To glaze – beaten egg

Method:

1)         Preheat the oven 220°C, 425°f, Gas 7.

2)         Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.

3)         Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4)         Fold in the sugar and chocolate chips.

5)         Stir in the buttermilk to give a fairly soft dough.  It is important to add all the liquid at once.

6)         Lightly flour a board and roll out the dough to 2cm/ ¾” thickness and cut into rounds using a 6cm/2 ½ " cutter.

7)         Place the scones on a non-stick baking sheet, brush the top of the scones with a little egg wash.  Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

8)         Cool on a wire tray. Serve warm, split and spread with butter or piped with fresh cream (whipped)

 

Marjorie’s Tip

 

(a)        Like all scones it is very important to add most of the milk at once.  If you add the milk a little at a time it slows the process down and the scones will not be as soft when cooked.

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Easter Chocolate Cake

 

Ingredients                                                                         Icing

227g/8oz butter or margarine, soft                           142g/50z icing sugar and 27g/1ozz Bourneville

227g/8oz castor sugar                                                            cocoa powder

170g/6oz plain flour                                                   86g/30z butter, soft

42g/1 ½ oz Bourneville cocoa powder                       2.5ml/1/2 tsp vanilla extract

5ml/1 tsp baking powder                                            Approx. 30ml/ 2 tbsp. milk

4 eggs, free range, beaten

Approx. 86g/30z chocolate drops

            (or chocolate pieces)

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and base line 2 x 20cm/8 “sandwich tins.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together. Sieve dry ingredients.
4. Beat in the eggs and flour alternatively with vanilla extract.
5. Mix in the chocolate pieces.
6. Place the mixture in the lined tins, spread out with a palette knife.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for approx. 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire tray.

Icing

1. Sieve dry ingredients together
2. Beat the butter, sugar and remaining ingredients together until the icing is a soft consistency.

To ice:           Spread a little of the icing on both cakes, then sandwich together.  Spread or pipe the remaining icing on top of the cake. Decorate with mini Easter eggs, maltezers or sprinkles.

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Simple Ferrero Chocolates

A friend gave me this recipe, these chocolates are low calorie, but so delicious, you won`t know the difference.

Ingredients:

2-3 Weetabix

45-60ml/3-4 tbsp. chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)

Method

1. Crush the Weetabix into a bowl.
2. Melt the Nutella for 20 seconds in the microwave, then mix into the Weetabix.
3. Roll into small balls, place in petit four paper cases or small bun cases and set.

If wished, mould the chocolate mix around a roasted hazelnut or almond, or dust with a little cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts or desiccated coconut.  Really delicious!!

Marjorie’s Tip: If wished dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with finely chopped nuts

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Ena’s Chocolate Peppermint Squares

 

Ingredients:

227 g / 8 oz Margarine                                   27 g / 1 oz Cocoa Powder

113 g / 4 oz Sugar                                           27 g / 1 oz Drinking Chocolate

227 g / 8 oz Self Raising Flour                                    5ml/1 tsp. Baking Powder

227 g / 8 oz desiccated Coconut

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°/Gas 4.
2. Melt margarine in a saucepan, stir in sugar to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Spread mixture on a greased swiss roll tin and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Icing Ingredients:

170 g / 6 oz Icing Sugar, sieved                      Few drops of Green Colouring

113 g / 4 oz. Butter                                         2.5ml/ ½ tsp. Peppermint Essence

1¾ bars of Dark Chocolate – melted

Method:

1)         Mix icing sugar, butter and essence together, add a few drops of green colouring, if wished.

2)         Spread over cooled mix

3)         Melt the chocolate and pour over icing. Leave to set, then cut into small squares.

This recipe was given to me by my late cousin Ena Walker, who was a super cook, we shared many recipes and tasty treats together.

 

E-mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Web:      www.marjorieskitchen.net

Phone No: 087 2304986

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Marjorie`s Kitchen Tips

Baking Powder

Baking powder is a key ingredient in many cakes, cookies, muffins and bread recipes.  Make your own baking powder and keep your baked goods aluminium free.  Baking powder contains an acid and alkali in correct proportions.  A third ingredient is added if you are not using the baking powder immediately, this is usually cornflour, (corn-starch) or rice flour as it absorbs moisture, preventing the baking powder from becoming lumpy.

 

Baking powder ingredients

One part bread soda to two parts cream of tartar.

5ml/1 tsp of bread soda (bicarbonate of soda)

10ml/ 2 tsp of bextartar (cream of tartar)

5ml1tsp of rice flour or corn starch (cornflour) (optional).

Method

1. Sieve the breadsoda and bextartar for 2-3 times until well combined.
2. Use immediately
3. To store: add 5ml1 tsp. of rice flour or cornflour to the mix.  This will absorb any moisture from the air and prevent the baking powder from reacting before you use it.  Store in an airtight tin.

Did you know that most commercially produced baking powder contains aluminium –sodium aluminium sulphate to be exact?

To test baking powder for freshness or if it is out of date

Place 2.5ml/ ½ tsp of baking powder into a cup, top with 1/3 cup of hot tap water. The mixture should bubble enthusiastically, if not discard, make your own or buy a new one.

 

Bread Soda (Baking Soda) Sodium Bicarbonate

When bread soda is used with mixture and an acidic ingredients e.g. buttermilk or yogurt, its reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise.  When using a raising agent in recipes, once you add the liquid, it is important to bake goods immediately in a pre-heated oven or else it will not rise properly.  If you wish to use baking powder in a recipe to replace bread soda – 5ml/ 1 tsp bread soda =15ml3 teaspoons of baking powder.

 

Baking Soda

Baking soda is made from Soda Ash (sodium carbonate) and is mined in the form of an ore called Trona.  Through a process, the soda ash is dissolved into a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled into the mixture forming sodium bicarbonate (bread soda). The sodium bicarbonate quickly solidifies and separates from the rest of the mixture.

Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is a by-product of the wine making industry.  Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid.  Cream of tartar is obtained from sediment produced in the process of making wine.  It is also known as potassium, tartrate and potassium bitartrate.