Nigella Mars Bar cakes - simple I know, but I still cocked it up...

[DrNortherner]

Melt mars bars, golden syrup and butter in a pan it says. I did. I got a black burnt smelling gooey mixture.

What did I do wrong please?

do you have to melt on direct heat or in a ban marie???

It said in a pan. Should I have done it over water?

heat to high i would say.

try

4 mars bars, 4oz butter. v v low heat big pan. When it looks utterly disgusting beat it into submission with a wooden spoon .

It will turn into a smooth delicious glossy looking toffee sauce.(whihc is gorg on pancakes, waffles, ice cream etc)

Tip in 4oz of rice crispies then flatten out in a traybake tin.

Chill in fridege and if you feel decadent melt some choc and pour over the top.

(you can chill in freezer to speed it up)

too d'oh.

nigellas baking recipes are a bit crap tbh

oh line the tin obv or it will be difficult to get out.

Really Enid? I've not done v many of her cakes but the ones I have done have been good.
Who is better then?
(other than MarsLady who should clearly have a section in my local Waterstones )

oh chop the mars bars into teeny bits before trying to melt them.

Oh i like delia and margeret costa and Rachel Allen

all super reliable and margaret costa is comfortingly old fashioned

i agree, enid, i think nigella's baking is very hit and miss. victoria sponge rather too dense, that sort of thing. if you look at her website there are screeds of corrections for the books. i do like the way she's generous with her raising agents, though.

I always think too much raising agent is lazy

if you mix by hand you don't need so much

it is lazy, that's exactly the appeal...

lol

depends on my mood: domestic goddess or resentful of domestic goddess tag

for baking i find my mum's greasy old Mary Berrys the best, i'd have to say. but they are in revolting condition and not pretty and filled with shiny photos...

delia always v reliable i find. Also have Mary berry but mine are v v 70's