Kartoshka (Russian No Bake Cake Картошка)
Kartoshka is a popular Russian dessert. It is very easy to make, and requires no baking!



- Food processor with a chopping function;
- Kitchen scale;
- Muffin paper cases (optional, but highly recommended);
- Mixing bowl;
- Small saucepan.
- 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).
- Melt the butter;
- In your food processor, break the biscuits into curbs or flour, depending on how you like it;
- Put biscuits flour/crumbs into a mixing bowl, remove big chunks it there are any, and mix in cocoa powder; stir really well;
- 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;
- Add the liquid mix into the bowl with biscuits flour/crumbs and stir well;
- Put it in the fridge to let in cool;
- 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);
- Keep the cakes in the fridge until you are ready to serve them..
- 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.
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