Cranberry and Pecan Tiffin

Cranberry and Pecan Tiffin :: this is one ScRumPtiOuS recipe, and I'm delighted to be passing it on to you all. You're gonna love it. Your family and friends are gonna love it, and they will love you for making it and sharing it.

When it was J's birthday earlier this year, he told me quite matter of factly that he didn't want any presents, and he didn't want cake. No, what he really wanted more than anything else was homemade tiffin. And that is what he got.

This recipe is my own. I had never made Tiffin before J's birthday request, although I had eaten it. I have a faded memory of eating the most delicious, scrumptious cranberry and pecan tiffin someplace, somewhen, somewhere that I can't quite recall. But I remember how completely I loved it, and how that combination of the slightly sharp cranberries with the sweetness of the chocolate and the crunch of the biscuit was just divine. Heavenly.
I searched the internet for a cranberry-pecan-tiffin recipe and could find none. But there are a gazillion recipes out there for Tiffin (often known as Refrigerator Cake), and I found they all varied wildly in both the ingredients and the quantities. So I ended up kind of combining several different bits of various recipes to make my own version, based on that elusive memory of the original one I tasted in some unknown cafe in some forgotten place.

So to make this wickedly, heavenly recipe, you will need ::

200g digestive biscuits
100g dried cranberries
50g roughly chopped pecan nuts
200g good chocolate (I use half and half dark/milk)
200g unsalted butter (it HAS to be unsalted and it CANNOT be margarine)
2tbs golden syrup (or corn syrup in the US)

This is a very child friendly recipe, and it's also a no-bake recipe. It can also be a very messy recipe if you have Small Helpers.

Put the biscuits into a bowl and smash to bits. Use whatever implement you fancy...rolling pin, wooden spoon, your child. We started out with a wooden spoon, then went in with Little Lady's hands toward the end to break the crumbs up more finely.

You don't want to end up with dust mind you, so go steady with the pounding. The biscuit should be a mix of very fine crumbs and slightly larger bits too, as pictured above.

Assemble your cranberries, and roughly chop your pecan nuts.

 

Add the fruit and nuts to the smashed biscuit and mix well.

In a separate heatproof bowl, put the chocolate, butter and syrup and heat gently until melted. I used the microwave, heating for about 30-45 seconds at a time, then stirring, then heating a little more, then stirring until there is a lovely, luscious bowl of brown melty smooth deliciousness.

Ahhhhh the smell......it takes all my will power not to stick my face right in the bowl and slurp.

Now add the biscuit/fruit/nut mix to the melted chocolate/butter/syrup mix and stir well.

Pour into a lined tin (I used an 8inch/20cm square brownie tin, lined with baking parchment).

Then put the tray into the fridge and leave to cool/set...takes at least an hour, and this is by far the hardest bit of the whole tiffin-making experience, especially if you are doing it with Little People.

You can distract Little Minds for a good while by allowing them to clean the bowl out with their bare hands. Be warned, it will be Messy.

But once the bowl has been cleaned, the Pestering will begin.

Is it ready yet?

Can we check?

Is it ready now?

Can I go look?

I lost track of the number of times Little Lady went to the fridge to see if the chocolate had set, but there were a lot of little finger prints all over the surface of our tiffin.

No matter...it did eventually set of course....

....and it did eventually get eaten with mmmmmm's of appreciation. Words cannot describe how delicious this stuff is.

And Oh. My. Goodness. Just looking at these photos this morning is making me want to rush out the house this very instant to go buy the ingredients to make this again. Really. I'm seriously thinking to myself :: right, its 9am, the supermarket is open, if I put my coat on over my pyjamas and go right now this very minute, I could be eating cranberry and pecan tiffin with my (late) morning coffee.

Oh yeah.

See ya.....I'm off.............

Edited to add :: a note about digestive biscuits...I realise now, a very English ingredient. According to Wikipedia, in the US you can substitute with Graham Crackers, if this makes any sense??!!

Comments

[trinitycraftsister (janet)]

thanks for the interesting site. I cannot have wheat and gluten but your tiffins could be made with gluten free digestives in the Free From range. Delicious. I cannot crochet but do loads of knitting and really enjoy your love of life

[Sarah]

Thank you Lucy, I made this yesterday & it has been a big success with my man; perfect with a big cuppa to keep out the damp weather=^.^=

[RUTH RYAN]

Lucy, If you dont mind me asking what are the digestive biscuits in US terms? in your recipe for the tiffin-cant tell what it is from picture. it does look yummy and I know my hubby would love it. thank you ruth

[Timi]

And no sugar at all?

[vivien cooper]

Your recipe looks great Lucy - we have a family recipe of Tiffin - we call it Pedigree Chum - but it is delicious. I must give your recipe a try when Lent is over - as I have given up chocolate! Thanks sharing.

[Twolittleflowers]

Oh my!! Never seen this post before! Am drooling. Making this will certainly be high priority on this weeks to do list!
....and maybe some tissues to mop my drool too :)
Keri

[Denise]

went to look out the ingredients- only have ginger biscuits but they will do just as well- I now make rocky road using ginger bisciuts too!

[kalladawn]

US friends, those biscuits are available at World Market. I have made a recipe quite similar with graham crackers (with cherries and raisins instead of cranberries) & it turned out YUMMY! I can't wait to try this recipe.....now to figure out the translation of grams to cups.......

[Kerry]

Thank you for this fabulous recipe - I've just made up a batch and I'm so with your children on this one .... is it ready yet? Can I taste it yet??! I think I may have to go out to take my mind off it!

Thanks also for sharing your recipes and crochet patterns, they're so well written and your pictures are always inspiring.

:)

ps. Many congrats on Bump24 to you and your family - happy days!

[vertige]

Looks awesome. Thanks for sharing recipe. I like cranberry dishes. Its yummy. It improve the body's circulatory system. A daily glass of cranberry juice will treat diseases like cystitis.

[julie]

Folks in the US who live close to Canada can find Digestive biscuits here. We also have Graham crackers and I must say disgestives are lighter than Grahams. If you look at savory crackers, the kind you serve with cheese, some are sweet-ish... that's what digestives are like.

Corn syrup/golden syrup is also known as liquid glucose. It is very thick and helps chocolate to set. It's not necessary to make tiffins given the butter in the recipe (ps you can use peanut butter also). Avoid thin syrups because you won't get the consistency you need to make bars... it might make your chocolate mixture liquid.

hope this helps... :-)

[eliane]

Quite some time since I spotted this recipe, but I just wanted you to know that it has hit France and will be spreading soon! I made a boozy end of dinner party version here in Normandy, substituting raisins soaked in calvados ( apple brandy) for the fruit and nuts, and my guests snapped up the recipe straightaway, promising to serve it up to their French friends.
I'm already planning a Christmas version, with cranberries/ dried cherries and pistachio nuts...
Tiffin has come a long way since I first made 'chocolate biscuit cake' as a child from a recipe in a Blue Peter annual!
Thanks for the inspiration.

[Sarah Jones]

made the tiiffins ~ delicious love your blog as alays.hope you enjoyed your time down south with your folks.xxxx

Sarah.xx

[rosepetaljam]

thanks for another lovely recipe Lucy! I have just posted one (strictly for the grown ups) that you might like to make for you and husb, it's on my blog. I made your millionnaire's shortbread the other week for mine :-) Love S x

[Beth]

I love the tiffin recipe! However, I also couldn't find digestive biscuits in the states, so I improvised some ingredients, and it turned out so well that my husband and coworkers are asking for more. I used semi-sweet chocolate and dried cherries (my husband's favorite combination), and instead of biscuits, I used gingersnaps, which you can find in the cookie aisle next to the nilla wafers. They are pretty hard, so I had to use a plastic ziptop bag and a rolling pin to smash them, but they incorporate beautifully into the melted chocolate/butter. Thanks so much for the great idea!

[ElisabethB]

I just tried your recipe yesterday. I used "Petit Beurre" from LU because in France I think they are easy to use when we have not your english biscuits . I have had a good result and all the family (cousins, uncle , aunt, daughters, husbands, mother, father ..........!) loved that :-)
I had'nt golden syrup, so I used honey , and it's nice too!
Thank you to share with us your recipe, in vacation it's also pleasant to find new recipes on th web!!!:-)
Elisabeth

[Lynn]

So YUM! Made this last weekend, and it was so fun and easy! I will be adding this to my holiday gift repertoire - cutting little squares and nestling them in colorful candy papers.

[Trisha]

Thank you so much for this recipe! It looks divine! I hope you don't mind but I posted the link to it on my blog, it is that wonderful! Let me know if that is not ok.

[Trina]

Honestly Lucy, I haven't forgiven you for the Millionaire's shortbread yet!...only joking, it was quite delicious! Think I will be making this gorgeous looking Tiffin in the very near future.
Many thanks lovely lady.

[Anne Kari Holli]

Since I`m a big fan of you and your blog, I had to try your recipe....Very good!!Anne

[Mihaela]

P.S.
My above comment was posted here,from mistake. That's why I posted it again in the place that inspired it:"Where I live"
Sorry!

[Mihaela]

Now I can explain myself what is your source of peace and inspiration: the good and old NATURE that you can smell it, see it and touch it every moment....That's why you are like HER:good,beautiful,generous.
Everywhere on that earth are still such a beautiful places and people that are living in it seems to have a better way of life...
Unfortunate I live in a big city and only in the summer,from time to time, I spend a few days at my little country house,in my little orchard-garden, in a beautiful hilly region.Every time I come home,in the city,with better thoughts and feelings.
You and your beautiful things shared with us confirmed my view.
Please, excuse my English.I hope that you will read this post and understand me. I'm still waiting new images from "Country Living" and especially the answer of my little question from the post of the "Cranberry and Pecan Tiffin".
All my good thoughts!

[Mihaela]

Please, Lucy, tell me what is tbs(2tbs golden syrup)? Thank you!

[Pauline Musch]

Hi Lucy, Love your blog, going to try this slice out very soon. I have just finished making a bag from your pattern. Thanks for sharing. The photo is on Flickrhttp:href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carousel3762/3807193984/"> Pauline Bag

[lisette]

Ohh my G! That is soooo good!! Thank you for the recipe!