Coffee & Walnut Knutsford Knud

The Coffee & Walnut Knutsford Knud takes this classic flavour combination, adds in an extra crunch of Biscoff Biscuits and Rice Krispies, then coats everything in rich, dark chocolate with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

Coffee & Walnut Knutsford Knud Recipe

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter - cut into cubes (see hint below)
4 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
50g dark chocolate (54%) - chopped into chunks
125g Biscoff biscuits - broken into pieces no bigger than 1cm
40g walnuts - chopped into small pieces
40g Rice Krispies
1.5-2.5 tsp coffee dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water to make a paste (adjust according to taste)

To cover:

100g milk chocolate (54%)
40g chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top

Hint: DO NOT substitute the butter for margarine. The high water content in margarine makes the Rice Krispies & biscuits go soft, so the Knud loses it's signature crispy texture

Directions

Melt the base: Add the butter, golden syrup, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate to a large glass bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir continuously until the chocolate and butter completely melt to a smooth consistency.
Add the flavour: Remove from the heat. Pour in the coffee paste, stir through the chocolate mixture.
Mix in the dry ingredients: Tip in the biscuit crumbs, chopped nuts, and Rice Krispies. Mix well.
Prepare the tin: Lay a piece of clingfilm over a traybake or swiss roll tin, letting it hang over all the sides.
Shape the Knud: Spoon the Knud mixture along one long edge of the tin, pressing it slightly against the sides to start forming a log shape. Carefully use the clingfilm to lift the mixture and roll it tightly, twisting the ends of the clingfilm as you go until you have a firm cylinder. Secure the ends by tucking them under the clingfilm flap.
Chill and set: Place the rolled Knud in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let it firm up (see Tip 2 below)
Unwrap: Remove the clingfilm and let the Knud sit on baking paper at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Chocolate coating: Melt the remaining 100g of chocolate. To make it easier, stand the Knud on one end and use a palette knife to spread the coating evenly over the entire surface. Finish with the ends.
Decorate and enjoy: Sprinkle with the additional chopped walnuts (see Tip 4 below). Let the chocolate coating harden completely, then slice and serve.

Coffee & Walnut Knutsford Knud Recipe Tips:

Tip 1: As when making any type of Knutsford Knud, letting the mixture cool slightly before you roll it can make it easier to shape.

Tip 2: Giving the clingfilm wrapped Knud a gentle roll about 1 hour into the chilling time will help keep the cylinder shape by preventing too much of a flat bottom.

Tip 3: Bringing the chilled Knud back to room temperature before coating prevents the chocolate from setting too quickly as you're attempting to spread it. So don't miss this step!

Tip 4: For this recipe, the chocolate coating will still harden before you have chance to finish with the extra sprinkling of chopped walnuts. Therefore, you'll need to add some heat to melt the chocolate slightly again. I use a hairdryer, and it works perfectly! Simply lay the Knud down on the baking paper, apply enough heat to melt the surface of the chocolate, sprinkle immediately.

Tip 5: If you'd prefer not to melt the chocolate again, you could spread the final bit of melted chocolate along the top of the Knud and sprinkle with around 25g of chopped walnuts instead. Or why not decorate with a row of whole walnuts.

Discover more tips for making the Knutsford Knud here