Ta-dah! Tuesday - Mocha Squares Recipe [aka How to celebrate weight loss]

Hello, and happy Tuesday! What better way is there to celebrate seeing a pleasing weight on the scales than by baking, eh?

Anyway - Mocha Squares. I LOVE these, and have since I was a little girl. I always requested them for my birthday parties and my mum would always oblige. October is my birthday month and it appears the craving for the chocolate oaty base with sweet coffee icing hasn't lessened over time! I just need to reign in the urge to eat four in one go, I have made could make myself very sick on these. The recipe is also a winner as it's quick easy and low on elbow grease required.

I'm afraid I've only ever had imperial measurements, so if you're a modern gal you'll have to use an old scales  or use a conversion chart to get the metric amounts. As Mr FHCS is away again on business I used my smaller tin, but usually I add half again to the measurements. I will put the bigger batch amounts in brackets.

Mocha Squares

For the base

6oz (8oz) margarine or butter (I use hard cooking marg)

6oz (8oz) white sugar

6oz (8oz) self raising flour

3 3/4 oz (5oz) porridge oats

1 1/2 oz (2oz) cocoa powder

For the icing

1 1/2oz (2oz) marg/butter

3/4 tablespoon (1 tblsp) coffee essence. [measure out the right amount of instant coffee in the spoon. Add boiling water to the same level so it dissolves in the spoon]

6oz (8oz) icing/powdered sugar

This batch is made in a shallow square tin measuring 6.5 x 6.5 inches approx. The larger batch is made in a shallow rectangular tin which is 7 x 11 inches.

Method

• pre-heat the oven to 180c
• In a saucepan, gently melt the margarine. Stir in the sugar, then sieve in the flour and cocoa powder. Finally add the oats and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.

• Grease and flour your tin, then squish the mixture in and firmly level it with the back of a spoon.
• Put in your preheated oven for 15 minutes exactly. You want it cooked, but without the edges catching or going crispy.
• Cool in the tin on a wire rack.

When cool, make the icing in a clean saucepan.

• Melt the margarine/butter. Turn the heat off.
• Add the coffee essence.
• Sift in the icing sugar.
• You should find that with a stir, the icing comes together in a ball, as if you were making a roux.
• Ice the base whilst it's still in the tin. I generally just splodge the icing into the middle and spread it out to the edges from there using a palette knife. If you have problems, dip the blade of the knife into just boiled water and it should spread smoothly.
• Make a pattern in the icing with the tines of a fork.

• You should be able to turn the whole thing out with the help of a fish-slice, but otherwise, cut into squares in the tin.

• Don't blame me when the scales start creeping up again.

So, what's new this week? I have been a little better about visiting everyone lately, but please do feel free to link up even if I've seen your post. Take a look at a few other submissions while you're at it. Someone suggested that from now on I feature a particular post the following week - what do you reckon? I don't want to create a popularity contest or anything but I always appreciate it whenever someone links to a post of mine and potential new readers see it.

Lakota x

PS. I've also had enquiries about the Chr***mas swap. I don't mind organising it if people are are still interested. Let me know...