Nutty, fuss-free, no-bake dessert
- Carbohydrate 8.2462875 g
- Cholesterol 21.03125 mg
- Fat 11.5583125 g
- Fiber 0.899999976158142 g
- Protein 0.7159375 g
- Saturated Fat 7.189875 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (23g)
- Sodium 4.44875 mg
- Sugar 7.34628752384186 g
- Trans Fat 0.7489375 g
- Calories 138 calories
Step-by-step
- Break the biscuits into small pieces directly into a large bowl. Add the pecans, pistachio nuts, cherries and smashed meringue. Put the rest of the ingredients into a second, heatproof bowl and either put this over a pan of simmering water, or into a microwave until melted.
- Mix the contents of both bowls together and get yourself a container that will act as a mould. To help with turning the cake out, line the container with clingfilm, leaving plenty of extra clingfilm at the edges to fold over the top. Now spoon the mixture into the container. Put into the fridge to firm up, then turn out , removing the clingfilm, and cut into chunky slices.
- This cake can be kept in an airtight container for a few days and actually improves in flavour after a few days.
- If you're allergic to nuts then simply leave them out of the recipe.
- 313 calories per serving
Operating entirely without an oven requires relying completely on thermal control during the melting phase. When combining dark chocolate, unsalted butter, and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, keep the water level low enough that the boiling liquid never touches the base of the bowl. Direct high heat causes cocoa solids to seize rapidly, turning a glossy mixture into a grainy, stiff paste. Gentle, indirect steam softens the fats evenly.
Refrigerator cakes emerged in popular cookbooks during the early twentieth century as domestic kitchens gained reliable mechanical refrigeration. This preparation depends on the structural integrity provided by the solidifying fats within the butter and chocolate matrix rather than starch gelatinization. Breaking the digestive biscuits into heterogeneous pieces rather than fine crumbs ensures the solidified block retains distinct structural pockets and textural contrast against the chewy glace cherries and crisp meringue nests.
Lining the mold with plastic wrap allows for clean extraction once chilled for two hours in the refrigerator. Allowing the assembled dessert to rest in an airtight container for up to three days mellows the initial sweetness as the fats absorb aromas from the toasted pecans and pistachios. Slicing the dense mass requires a sharp, heavy blade dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts to penetrate the hard chocolate shell cleanly.
