Kartoshka (Russian No Bake Cake Картошка)

Kartoshka is a popular Russian dessert. It is very easy to make, and requires no baking!

Utensils

• Food processor with a chopping function;
• Kitchen scale;
• Muffin paper cases (optional, but highly recommended);
• Mixing bowl;
• Small saucepan.

Ingredients

• 80g butter;
• 160g half-fat or full-fat milk;
• 100g sugar (I use demerara sugar, but any sugar will do);
• 300g cookies or biscuits. I was using McVities Rich Tea Biscuits, pretty much the only available budget biscuits without palm oil or hydrogenated oil;
• 10g-15g 100% cocoa powder (I use 20g of 40% cocoa powder).

Directions

1. Melt the butter;
2. In your food processor, break the biscuits into curbs or flour, depending on how you like it;
3. Put biscuits flour/crumbs into a mixing bowl, remove big chunks it there are any, and mix in cocoa powder; stir really well;
4. Once the butter melts, take it off the heat, incorporate sugar and milk and stir so that the sugar dissolves. Let it cool a little;
5. Add the liquid mix into the bowl with biscuits flour/crumbs and stir well;
6. Put it in the fridge to let in cool;
7. Make the cakes by rolling the “dough” between the palms of your hands for a few seconds. You should get 12-15 cakes. Put them in muffin paper (optional but highly recommended);
8. Keep the cakes in the fridge until you are ready to serve them..

Possible Variations

• Toss in some spices: nutmeg, cardamom, maybe even a bit of cayenne;
• Add some brandy or rum (reduce the volume of milk accordingly);
• Incorporate some raisin or and/dried apricots and/or chopped nuts (scale milk and butter and reduce the sugar accordingly);
• Dust the cakes in cocoa powder or desiccated coconut or chopped nuts.