Recipes: Bake your own George’s Bakery signatures

To celebrate the publication of his debut cookbook - Rebel Bakes, out next month - George’s Bakery founder George Hepher shares two of his best-loved recipes

S’mores Bar
Prep + hob time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Serves: 14

Says George: “The main reason I love s’mores is the excuse to get the blowtorch out and do some charring, but OMG these bars have it all! Crunchy biscuit base, rich, smooth and indulgent chocolate ganache filling and creamy Italian meringue topping with crispy, burned edges.”

Ingredients:
For the base:
100g (31⁄2oz) digestive biscuits

100g (31⁄2oz) malted milk biscuits

100g (31⁄2oz) butter

For the filling:
225g (8oz) milk chocolate

225g (8oz) dark chocolate

600ml (20fl oz) double cream

75g (23⁄4oz) icing sugar

1⁄2 quantity of Italian meringue (see below)

Method:
1. For the base, crush the digestives and malted milks to rubble before melting the butter, stirring through and firmly pressing into a lined 20cm (8in) square tin. Refrigerate while making the filling.

2. To make the chocolate filling, melt the chocolates together over a bain-marie. Once melted, take off the heat and beat the double cream through. When it’s all incorporated, sieve in the icing sugar and mix through until lump-free. Pour onto the biscuit base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set.

3. To make the Italian meringue topping, half the ingredients of the recipe in the box, see left/right, and follow the method.

4. Dollop the meringue over the filling and use a fork to make peaks and patterns in the meringue that’ll catch when blowtorched. Use a blowtorch (or quickly grill) the meringue until lightly charred.

George Loves a Tip! Slice up the bar once the chocolate filling has set. Fill up a piping bag with the Italian meringue and use your favourite nozzles to make patterns on top of each bar before scorching individually.

Italian Meringue
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: Enough to stack and coat a 2-layer, 20cm (8in) cake

Ingredients:
6 egg whites

(240g 81⁄2 0z)

1⁄2 tsp cream of tartar

200ml (63⁄4fl oz) water

300g (101⁄2oz)

caster sugar

Method:
1. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Meanwhile, place the water and sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved before turning it up to a high heat and boiling to create a sugar syrup.

2. When the syrup reaches 112°C (233°F), begin whisking the egg whites on a low speed. When the syrup reaches 116°C (240°F), whisk the eggs on a medium speed. When the syrup reaches 120°C (248°F), remove the saucepan from the heat, whisk the egg whites on high speed, and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites as they whisk. Once all of the syrup has been poured into the meringue mixture, gradually reduce the speed of the whisk to help keep the meringue stable and allow it to cool down.

3. You can either dollop the meringue on top of your bakes, or use a piping bag with your favourite nozzle to decorate. This meringue can also be eaten as it is or even blowtorched/grilled to char and add more flavour.

Chocolate Bulge
Prep + baking time:1 1⁄2 hours, plus chilling
Serves: 12

“Triple-chocolate, thicccalicious, sexilicious gorgeousness describes this towering bulge,” says George. “These are a staple at market - especially because you can easily substitute the plain flour for gluten-free plain flour to make them gluten free - even if we do have to up the choc quantities in the layers so they don’t melt in the summer.”

Ingredients:
For the brownie:
125g (41⁄2oz) butter

100g (31⁄2oz) dark chocolate

150g (51⁄4oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

40g (11⁄2oz) cocoa powder

30g (11⁄ 8 oz) plain flour

1⁄4 tsp salt

For the chocolate caramel layer:
750g (1lb 10oz) Thiccc Caramel (see below)

100g (31⁄2oz) milk chocolate spread, melted

For the dark, milk and white chocolate toppings:

400g (14oz) milk chocolate spread

200g (7oz) dark chocolate, melted

400g (14oz) milk chocolate spread

200g (7oz) milk chocolate, melted

400g (14oz) white chocolate spread

200g (7oz) white chocolate

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm (8in) square cake tin.

2. To make the brownie, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a bain-marie. Whisk the sugar and eggs until pale and doubled in size. Pour in the melted chocolate and butter and fold through before sieving in the cocoa powder and flour, adding the salt and folding once more. Pour into the tin, bake for 16–20 minutes until it reaches 89°C (192°F) and leave to cool.

3. To make the chocolate caramel layer, mix the Thiccc Caramel - see box left/right - with the melted chocolate spread until smooth. Immediately pour onto the brownie base and allow to cool.

4. To make the chocolate layers, melt the chocolate spread in the saucepan, then add the melted dark chocolate. Combine and pour over the chocolate caramel layer and refrigerate until set (around 30 minutes). Repeat for the next two chocolate layers. When all of the layers have set, remove from the fridge and slice.

Thicc Caramel
Prep time: 20 minutes
Makes: 1kg (2lb 3oz)

Ingredients:
175g (6oz) butter

115g (4oz) light brown sugar

115g (4oz) golden syrup

750g (1lb 10oz)

Condensed milk

Method:
1. Put all your ingredients in a saucepan and start by stirring infrequently over a low heat with a spatula. Make sure to catch and break down any harder lumps of sugar while it dissolves and the butter is melting.

2. Once the butter and the sugar has dissolved, and the butter is combined into the mixture, turn the heat up to medium-high.

3. Begin stirring continuously for 25–35 minutes (make sure the caramel doesn’t catch on the bottom) until it begins to darken in colour. If you have a thermometer to hand, look for a temperature between 93–103°C (199–217°F). Another way to test if you’re on the right track is by scooping up a teaspoon of the caramel and dropping a small amount into a glass of cold water. If a ball forms, your caramel is ready.

4. Take it off the heat, but continue whisking for a couple of minutes to ensure that the residual heat in the pan doesn’t burn or catch the caramel on the bottom.

Rebel Bakes: 80+ Deliciously Creative Cakes, Bakes and Treats for Every Occasion by George Hepher is out in hardback on April 11, published by Quercus and available from all good bookstores.