Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: British/Scottish/Irish
Cooking time: More than 2 hours
Course: Dessert
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

Decadent chocolate hazelnut Christmas logs

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (250ml) extra light olive oil
½ cup (125ml) port
2/3 cup (230g) golden syrup
½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2½ cups (375g) raisins, chopped
1 1/3 cups (270g) firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1¼ cups (185g) plain flour
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
100g hazelnuts, roasted, skins removed, chopped
400g dark eating chocolate, chopped
80g butter, chopped
2 cups (150g) shredded coconut

METHOD

Grease and line base and side of food cans with baking paper. Place the cans on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Combine oil, port and golden syrup in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Add the sifted cocoa and mixed spice, stir until smooth. Add the raisins; stand for 1 hour.

Pour the oil mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and eggs one at a time and mix well. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced).

Sift the flours together over the fruit mixture; stir gently to combine. Fold in the hazelnuts. Spoon mixture into prepared cans so they are three-quarters full. Smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer (cover with foil if starting to over-brown). Cool cakes in cans on a wire rack.

Place the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; stir with a metal spoon until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened to a spreadable consistency.

Use a sharp knife to trim the tops of the cakes and remove from cans. Place the coconut on a tray. Thickly spread chocolate over the top and half the side of one cake.

Turn cake to stand on chocolate end in the coconut. Spread remaining side and top of cake with chocolate. Sprinkle coconut over the side and top to coat. Place coated cake upright on a piece of baking paper until set. Repeat with the remaining cakes, chocolate and coconut.