Chocolate Cauldrons with Edible Slime

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cauldrons

• 400g dark chocolate chips, 54%
• Edible green spray

For the Edible Slime

• 180g caster sugar
• 4g agar agar
• 500ml coconut milk
• Purple gel food colouring

For the Biscuit Spoons and bases

• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 30g hundreds and thousands
• 370g plain flour
• 2 limes, zested
• Pinch of fine salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.

1. For the chocolate cauldrons, temper the chocolate. In a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt 300g of the dark chocolate chips until it reaches 55°C/131°F, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 100g of chocolate chips.
2. Stir the chocolate until the temperature drops to between 27-28°C/81-82°F, then set the bowl back over the hot water and reheat to 31-32°C/88-89°F.
3. Immediately remove the chocolate from the heat and spoon into the 3 cauldrons moulds. Use a pastry brush to fully coat the inside of the moulds, making sure that there are no gaps. Leave in the freezer to set. Keep the remaining melted chocolate for decoration.
4. Alternatively, if using the small balloons, hold the knotted end of the balloon and dip it into the melted chocolate to create a cauldron shape. Transfer to a lined baking tray and hold the balloon for a few seconds until the chocolate pools around the base allowing you to let go of the balloon. Continue with the remaining balloons. Chill for at least 30 mins or until set.
5. To make the slime, mix the sugar and the agar agar together, then add the coconut milk and mix so no dry lumps remain.
6. Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil rapidly for five minutes, whisking continuously. Add a few drops of purple gel food colouring, and mix to colour the slime.
7. Sieve the mixture into a shallow tray, then transfer to the fridge to cool. Discard any pieces of agar agar which remain in the sieve.
8. Once cooled, transfer the slime to a jug and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
9. For the biscuit spoons and bases, in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Add the hundreds and thousands, flour, lime zest, and salt then gently mix until a dough is formed.
10. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 3mm thick. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out three circles and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Using a spoon shaped cutter, cut out six spoon shapes and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
11. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden-brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool.
12. To assemble, firmly tap the set chocolate cauldron halves out of the moulds. You may need to scrape any excess chocolate from the top of the mould if you are struggling to remove the cauldrons.
13. Using the remaining melted chocolate, stick the halves together to create three full cauldrons, ensuring that there are no gaps as this will allow the slime to leak out. If there are any gaps, use a little more melted chocolate to seal.
14. Heat a small round cutter in a dry frying pan, then use the hot cutter to melt a circle in the top of each cauldron. It doesn’t matter if this circle of chocolate falls into the cauldron.

Transfer to the freezer to set.

1. If making the cauldrons with small balloons, simple pop the balloon and remove it from the chocolate cup. This is your cauldron.
2. Once set, put a little melted chocolate on the round biscuits and stick the whole cauldron to the biscuit base.
3. Spray the cauldrons with a little edible green spray to give them a ghoulish, scary appearance.
4. Pour the chilled slime into the cauldrons and serve with a biscuit spoon.