This is the recipe the Husband has been asking and asking for. Remember it? A hunk of hard chocolate deliciousness, smothered in the custard of choice. Happily, it’s so flippin EASY to make, it’s not really any wonder we all had it so often. I make it with a certain Pink 4yr old, and am only allowed to do the heavy mixing bit. It still takes less than ten minutes to get it into the oven.
So – here it is, the original real life genuine School Dinners 1970’s Chocolate Concrete recipe…
Time needed – 10 minutes prep (even when assisted by 4yr old), 45 minutes cooking.
• 160g/5 1/2 oz Butter
• 1 Egg
• 25g/1 oz Cocoa powder
• 225g/8 oz Self Raising flour
• 175g/6 oz Granulated sugar
Pre heat oven to gas mark 3/170ºC (160ºC fan)
Melt the butter in a pan – do NOT let it bubble and/or burn!
In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together, so it looks like chocolate flour.
Make a well in the centre, and pour in the melted butter. Beat well (small hands will need help here) to combine.
Beat the egg and gently stir into the flour mixture.
Put the greasy doughy mixture into a greased 30cmx18cm (12″x7″) baking tray, gently press into the corners and flatten into the tin (the mix is quite stiff, and I often cheat and use 2/3 of a bigger tin. It holds it’s shape quite happily).
Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar.
Place in the top half of the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 mins, then cut into required slices/pieces/hunks/slabs and place on a wire tray to cool.
You can eat it as it is – but if you want to be authentic, it really needs the School Dinners Pink Custard for true Comfort Pudding lushness.
If you really do need the recipe for a school, here’s an old one I found for 100 people:
5lb 4oz (84oz) self raising flour
4lb (64oz) margerine
3lb (48oz) sugar
5oz Cocoa Powder
8 Eggs
1. Mix Flour, Sugar & Cocoa Powder together
2. Melt Margerine but don’t let it boil, only melt
3. Pour into flour, sugar, cocoa you’ve already mixed well
4. Add Eggs slowly until you get the right consistency
14 November 2011
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have craved for chocolate concrete for years, and after trailing the internet for a reliable recipe, found this. Since then, I’ve been constantly cooking it. It tastes exactly as I remember, and is absolutely delicious with peppermint custard. Yum yum!
14 November 2011
Oh Kathryn that’s really fab! Thanks for letting us now!
12 March 2024
peppermint custard? how’s that made?
14 March 2012
I have just followed this recipe with my 5 yr old daughter & it is awesome, just like back at school!
14 March 2012
*cheers loudly*
So glad you like it – and you’re ensuring that food-memory for yet another generation. So Proud!
6 May 2012
Thank so much for this recipe, I used to be a school’s forgottenmeal cook and had completely all the recipes, this is the second time I have done chocci crunch and it’s so esy to do and turns out fab ……thanks again
27 June 2020
OMG!!! I’m also a 70’s child and have wanted this recipe FOREVER. Thank you so much!
20 August 2012
it was discussing at i think it was a waste of time
9 September 2012
We was talking about this at my moms last night.. the best school pudding ever!! Well me and ny 2 year old son just had great fun making it and now its in the oven so fingers crossed it turns out ok…. cant wait till its done.. i so hope it goes hard like at school xx
17 September 2012
hi, DOES ANYONE HAVE THE RECIPE FOR THE HONEY CORNFLAKES BECAUSE THE ONE ON WEBSITE DOES NOT WORK
10 January 2014
you use golden syrup cornflakes mix together and place in a thin pastry base and bake
18 October 2012
manchester tart, gypsy tart, pink custard oooh lovely.
I make pink custard today by using stawberry milkshake
(not the thick stuff) instead of milk, with custard powder. It’s really easy and tastes lovely, also the chocolate and banana flavours work just as well.
18 October 2012
Does anyone remember Manchester tart and gypsy tart
oooh lovely. I make pink custard with the bottles of milksake you can buy (not the thick stuff) use instead of milk with custard powder it’s really easy and nice. The chocolate and banana flavours work just as well
21 October 2012
I remember manchester tart yes, pasty, jam, banana, custard and hundreds and thousands. Does anyone remember the cheesy puff type balls, we had mash and spagetti in tomatoe sauce. If so who knows the recipe?
13 February 2013
@Emmalouwalsh http://t.co/A2p4EUr5
23 February 2013
Aww thanks for this, scanned a few websites for choc crunch but this one stood out, It’s easier than I thought it would be!! Sod butterfly cake!! I can’t wait to see the kids faces :)I made the biggest oven tray worth!! lol
23 February 2013
Love the old fashioned oven tray used in pics too xx
27 March 2013
Thanks to your recipe my daughter and i have been baking this for all our friends and family :-) tastes just like it did at school
7 April 2013
what a excellent recipe, tastes, just like it did at school,really eajoyed them!
7 April 2013
excellent recipe!
10 May 2013
rubbish recipe ! did not taste nice at all …or go hard either. made double quantity and was waste of money making it
27 May 2019
Wow! I thought I was only one that was addicted to school chocolate concrete. My favourite was when it was served with chocolate custard… Perfect for a Chocoholic like me. I even shamefully spent the whole of my dinner money on extra helpings and skipped the savoury, something I would be appalled at my own children doing now. I have tried to replicate the recipe for years but gave up. Nothing tasted anything like the block of gorgeousness old Mrs Sidmouth made (our lovely school cook who’s probably cooking up scrumptious treats to the angels now, God rest her soul?). I will try this recipe in the hope it’s like hers, although I’m gluten free now (probably punishment on all that 70’s concrete overload), so I’ll substitute it with GF flour.
29 September 2013
Excellent recipe made it several time and all my family love it to the maximum. Also had request from my neighbours to make them some. I will be making it for pudding today. Cannot wait to tuck in.
10 January 2014
golden cornflake pie .. just mix cornflakes with golden syrup , place in a thin pastry base and bake till pastry is golden
10 January 2014
we had our chocolate concret with mint custard it was the bomb ..
21 February 2014
Thanks for such a simple recipe just made them with my 3 year old and they have come out perfect!
12 May 2017
I have a memory of a gooey moist chocolate slab cake/biscuit type things…I’m guessing might’ve had some coconut and condensed milk in too. V sweet but delicious and served with milkshake in big metal jugs! Any recipes?
30 May 2020
Does this go hard like a biscuit that’s the bass I want if not can you please tell me what I have to do to get it go hard