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

[BeBe]

Lucy, what a lucky coincidence! I just happen to have all the ingredients for that yummy looking Tiffin in my cupboard. Although I will have to use Graham Crackers instead of digestive biscuits since I live here in very very damp Florida. Thanks for your brightness. BeBe at the dreary Police Station

[Lucy]

Just taken a batch out of the fridge, YUM! How many calories do you think are in six squares??

[Kate Bruning]

Goodness me. I thought I might start watching what I eat today but now I can see it is a ridiculous idea.

[Lucy]

Yum, yum, yum! I have the ingredients purchased and sitting out on the kitchen bench just waiting to be turned into this delicious confection tomorrow morning! Thanks for your wonderful blog1

[cathleen]

Oh, you are killing me with these lovely yummy recipes, dear Lucy. First, your 'to die for' Caramel Shortbread and now this? Thank you for sharing your recipe!

[Julia]

That looks sublime!

[Debbie]

These look great! I don't know about the cranberries in it, but everything else looks awesome. I may try them, though--with the cranberries! Thanks for the recipe!

[Emma - Dotty Mays]

oooh this sounds scrummy delicious - I bought in the condensed milk to make millionaires shortbread, but haven't had chance to make it yet. Now I want to make this instead - but will have to go & buy cranberries!

THANKYOU LUCY!

Ps loved BB Tah dah too but couldn't get my post to lodge!

[Cathy]

If what popped up on my screen of the yummy looking photo, or the chocolate and cranberries weren't tempting enough to get my interest...well, the word tiffin definitely did it! I can't ever remember calling anything tiffin, and I like the word tremendously. I look forward to making these with my girls, and what a lovely time we will have eating chocolate and cranberry tiffin. Thank you very much for the recipe.

[weedwacker]

Sounds yummy! I want to make these!
I was wondering if the digestive biscuits are the same as Wheatabix? They have just arrived at my grocery store in the U.S.

[Vanda]

Your reicpe sounds wondeful - and I want to try it soon. Could someone translate the measurements to "cups" - for those of us who do not know the metric system.

Thank you,
Vanda

[Sian]

I have been anxiously awaiting this recipe! My boys (husband included)loved the Millionaire's shortbread and I know they will love this too. We are British but live in the USA so anything from 'home' is a real treat. Thanks for writing this blog; I look forward to reading your posts like waiting for a letter from an old school friend. Best wishes.

[sarah T]

Well done YOU!!!! on winning your award! Have a great weekend x

[Sara]

Nummy! I may just have to give this a try. I have everything but the cranberries. My toddler would love to "help" with this one!
Also, thanks for visiting my blog!

[Ingrid Peters]

Thank you so much for sharing all those nice things of your life with us. You really inspire me and I realise I'm checking many times a day if there's a new post just as you want to go on reading in a good book...
I read your recipe and it's not the digestive biscuits that are the trouble, I can get them in our supermarket in The Netherlands, but the 2 tbs golden syrup??? Is tbs a spoon like you use for soup/ dessert? And is golden syrup the syrup you use for making lemonade?
I really want to try this recipe! The photo's are delicious!
Thank you and go on like this!

[deb taylor]

Hey congratulations on your Dorset cereals win - so very deserved! I was happy to vote for you because your blog is so inspirational. All my friends appreciate it as well as they love all the goodies I make. I have made your cranberry & pecan tiffin this afternoon to take to work tonight - I am sure they will love it.

[Nina - Tabiboo]

Hi Lucy,

a treat for the weekend and such a yummy one.

You know I'm going to have to try this - just to make sure, of course! Though what do you think to dates and pecans??

Have a lovely weekend,

Nina

[Betty Anne]

Hi Lucy -- I have been following your blog for a couple of months now and I have decided that I really must send you a comment. I know that others have said it but I am going to say it too -- YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION -- your love of color, your beautiful photos, your fun way of expressing yourself in a real and honest way, your great tutorials -- o.k. that is enough for now. I first found your blog when searching the net for how to make a granny sq. I had learned to crochet as a child and had made a number of things but then got away from it for a long time so I needed a refresher lesson. My renewed interest in crochet started when I was given the news that I was going to be a Gramma in November -- I needed to make something "baby" and decided that a quilt would take too long so I bought some very baby yarn and I haven't stopped crocheting since. I am finding it to be enjoyable and relaxing and needless to say I have become quite addicted. It really is partly your fault because once I found your blog with all the beautiful colors I wanted some in my house too : ) I was also inspired by you and a number of others to start my own blog -- it took me a few tries but I have finally done it and so far it is great fun. Sorry this is so long -- maybe if I had written sooner I would have had less to say -- thank you again for your inspiration. Have a great day and God Bless.

[josiekitten]

I am going to make this for my husband's birthday munchies for him to take into the office next week! Thank you.

[Amanda]

Haha yes I thought gram cracker or waffers would be the sub for biscuits. Thanks for the recipe! <3

[Elizabeth D]

My teeth hurt just reading this recipe! It must be wonderful.

[Anne Bebbington]

Mmmmmmmm sounds so good have just rushed into the kitchen and made some - mind you I didn't have any nuts of any kind except ground almonds so used dessicated coconut instead - we'll see......... (but the mixture was delicious when squidged from round the edge of the mixing bowl on a bare finger!) It's in the fridge as we speak!

[Jenni]

I too am off to buy the ingredients!! I love that you posted the receipe on Friday for us to enjoy over the weekend:) Your BB looks so beauitful and comfy but I can't wait to see your next crochet project! Have a great weekend

[Wendy Wager]

Oh Lucy, I'm running out of superlatives to describe all the things on your blog! Next week is husband's birthday and shall impress family visitors with your tiffin and carrot cake. Congratulations on the award - so richly deserved! Yours is the best blog on the planet by far. X

[Lululiz]

Follow up to earlier post - I DID go out shopping for the ingredients, lol, my excuse is that I needed something to keep my granddaughter entertained. Yep, sticking with that. Literally, lol.