Karen Wright: Chocolate raspberry showstopper sweet

Karen Wright's Chocolate Raspberry Slice

It is February, hurrah! I know it is still a cold wintery month, but it has some good bits we can look forward to. Have you noticed that it is still daylight at teatime now? Also, the spring flowers are making an appearance.

The government have pledged to get the over 70s and the clinically vulnerable the first vaccine by the middle of the month, which is such a fantastic achievement.

For the romantically inclined there is Valentine's day, for the youngsters there is pancake day, and although we are not able to enjoy the Rhubarb Festival this year, we do have rhubarb in the farm shops and I intend to do a recipe later in the month for that. See, thank goodness it is February!

Speaking of recipes, I had great feedback from the soup recipe last week: my cousin Geoff and his wife Dee made it and said it was “souper”.

This week I am not writing a recipe... instead I am explaining how easy it is to make a mini showstopper from cake trimmings or even from a chocolate cupcake.

Last week I made a birthday cake as a present for an ex work pal. I had sliced off the domed top of the cake to level it. There are plenty of things you can do with bits of cake, apart from just eating itt. Trifle is a good idea, but I had an even better one.

It was my Aunt Janet’s birthday and I wanted to send her a treat.

I cut three rectangles about the size of playing cards out of the cake. I drizzled each one with a bit of booze and then simply stacked them up with layers of raspberries and blobs of whipped cream.

I took a few squares of chocolate and melted it then carefully spread the chocolate on the top. With a little melted white chocolate in a tiny piping bag, I piped lines across the cake. To make the pretty feather design I then dragged a cocktail stick through the chocolate lengthways and voila, a bit of patisserie in ten minutes.

I posted this photograph on Instagram and had over 700 likes, which is a lot, so it was an eye catcher!

In these lockdown days this is something everyone could try, even with a chocolate cupcake. If you slice it through and make three rings of cake.... away you go.

I had a great chat on BBC Radio Leeds, it was all about our favourite, roast potatoes.

My trick is to sprinkle the part boiled potatoes with a tablespoon of semolina and give them a good shake in a pan before roasting them up. No semolina, then plain flour will do.

Have a brilliant week, stay safe.

Karen Wright: Chocolate raspberry showstopper sweet - from trimmings