- Prep
- 20 min
- Total time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 12 porções
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Quick summary
“Traditional British no-bake dessert combining crushed digestive biscuits, velvety chocolate sauce, and milk chocolate. Chocolate-covered malt balls provide a crunchy texture to every square-cut piece.”
What you need to know
- The slow cooking of butter with cocoa, milk, and brown sugar forms a dense and shiny chocolate syrup.
- Keeping irregular pieces of digestive biscuit preserves the essential crunchy texture of the traditional tiffin.
- Cooling in the refrigerator for 3 hours firms the butter and chocolate fats, ensuring a clean cut into cubes.
Ingredients
Main
- g Digestive Biscuits
- g Unsalted Butter
- g Cocoa Powder (100%)
- g Light Brown Sugar
- ml Whole Milk
- g Milk Chocolate
- g Maltesers
Instructions
Principal
- Line a square pan (20x20cm) with parchment paper, leaving edges hanging over to facilitate removal. This is crucial so that the tiffin does not stick and is easy to unmold.
- Crush the digestive biscuits until you get small pieces, but still with some texture. Avoid turning them into a fine powder; crispiness is essential.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the cocoa powder, brown sugar and milk. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes homogeneous and shiny. Remove from the heat.
- Add the chopped milk chocolate to the hot mixture in the pan. Stir well until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- In a large bowl, combine the crushed cookies and 100g of whole Maltesers. Pour the chocolate mixture over them and mix well with a spatula, ensuring everything is covered.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, pressing it down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon or with your hands. A compact layer ensures the shape.
- Distribute the remaining 100g of Maltesers over the surface of the batter, pressing them lightly. Take to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until completely firm.
- Remove the tiffin from the refrigerator and, using the edges of the parchment paper, lift it from the pan. Cut into squares or rectangles with a hot, clean knife. Serve and enjoy.
Chef's tips
- Leave leftovers of parchment paper outside the square pan to unmold the whole block by pulling the tabs.
- Press the dough firmly into the pan with the back of a metal spoon to compact and prevent crumbling.
- Cut the tiffin with a large chef's knife heated under hot water and wiped dry to obtain slices with straight, clean edges.
Variations
- Version with dried fruits: add half a cup of black raisins or chopped dried cranberries to the biscuit mixture.
- Version with nuts: incorporate half a cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts or chopped walnuts along with the Maltesers.
- Double topping version: spread 150 grams of melted milk chocolate over the top before chilling.
Substitutions
- Maltesers malt candies can be replaced with similar crispy chocolate candies or chopped chocolates.
- Digestive biscuits can be replaced by traditional Maria biscuits or crushed butter cookies.
- The light brown sugar can be replaced by crushed demerara sugar or refined sugar maintaining the amount.
How to store
Store the tiffin squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. They can be kept at cool room temperature for up to 3 days in a sealed biscuit tin, provided they are protected from direct sun so they don't soften.
Can it be frozen?
The cut squares freeze very well separated by sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 months. They can be consumed cold directly from the freezer as a crunchy candy or after 15 minutes at room temperature.
What to serve with
Serve with a cup of hot black tea with milk, a short espresso without sugar, or a glass of cold whole milk.
Frequently asked questions
Can I grind the digestive biscuits in the blender?
Do not grind into powder; break them with your hands or with a rolling pin inside a plastic bag to keep rustic pieces.
How to prevent chocolate from burning when melting in the pan?
Use constant low heat and add the chopped milk chocolate only after dissolving the sugar in the hot butter.
What is tiffin and what is the origin of this chocolate candy?
It is a typical treat from Scotland and the United Kingdom, composed of broken biscuits held together by dense chocolate syrup without going into the oven.
Why should the malted milk balls on top be pressed gently?
Pressing gently anchors the balls in the warm dough without crushing the crunchy and airy malt core.
