Tiffin or a fridge cake, is a type of confection made up of crushed biscuits, often chocolate syrup, and lots of dried fruit, and it comes from Troon, Scotland. It is really one of the most popular and loved desserts, and it does not require baking, so it is perfect for summer or hot weather in general. As you know, I love Jaffa cakes, so this rich chocolate tiffin is full of orange zest, orange liqueur, as well as chopped up Jaffa cakes.
You can glaze the chilled tiffin with more chocolate (or even melted Terry's chocolate orange), or you can serve it just as it is, it will be equally delicious. When cooking the chocolate syrup, make sure you stir constantly, so it does not burn. The butter can be at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator, it makes no difference. And finally, you can increase the amount of Grand Marnier, or replace it with fresh orange juice, if serving the tiffin to the little ones.
Ingredients
150 grams Jaffa cakes
120 grams vanilla biscuits
100 grams granulated sugar
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
120 ml lukewarm water
75 grams unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Preparation
Crush the biscuits into pieces, and place them into a large bowl. Chop each Jaffa cake into quarters, then add that to the bowl as well. To prepare the chocolate orange syrup, take a large saucepan, and sift in the cocoa powder. Add the granulated sugar and the water, and stir really well until there are no more lumps. Take a rubber spatula and clean the sides of the saucepan, so there are no bits of cocoa and sugar, then place it over medium high heat. Let it come to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. It should reduce and thicken up. Remove it from the heat, and add in the butter and the orange zest. Stir until the butter completely melts, then set it aside for a few minutes so it starts cooling down.
When the syrup has cooled slightly, so it doesn’t start melting the chocolate on the Jaffa cakes and absorbing into the biscuits, add in the liqueur, stir well, then pour it all over the biscuits and the Jaffa cakes, and immediately mix very well with a spatula or a large spoon. Place the mixture in a small springform pan (15 cm) lined with baking parchment, for easier removal. Press the mixture well into the pan, so there are no pockets later on. Cover the top of the tiffin with cling film, and place it into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, decorate it with some additional melted chocolate, whipped cream, fresh oranges, etc. Yields 12 servings.