Category: Chocolate

Baking · Chocolate · Dessert · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Flourless chocolate, prune and Armagnac cake

Belinda

Recipe c/o the wonderful, fail-safe Delia Smith

For the cakes:

6 large eggs, separated
150g golden caster sugar
50g cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling:
400g pitted prunes, soaked overnight (or longer if possible) in 120ml Armagnac
1 level tablespoon crème fraîche

To finish:
150g dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
1 level tablespoon crème fraîche

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/ 180°C. Grease 2 x 8″ (20cm) loose-based sandwich tins, 1.5″ (4cm) deep and line the bases with baking parchment.

Place the egg whites in a large, clean, grease-free bowl. Put the yolks in another bowl, along with the sugar, and whisk them until they just begin to turn pale and thicken – be careful not to thicken them too much; they need approximately 3 minutes’ whisking. After that, gently fold in the sifted cocoa powder.

With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff but not too dry. Using a metal spoon, fold a heaped tablespoon of the egg white into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up a little, then carefully and gently fold in the rest of the egg white, slowly and patiently trying not to lose any air.

Divide the mixture equally between the prepared sandwich tins and bake near the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. They won’t appear to be cooked exactly, just set and slightly puffy and springy in the centre, so when they’re taken out of the oven they will shrink (but that’s normal, so don’t panic). Leave the cakes to cool on a rack in their tins, then slide a palette knife around the edges, gently invert them on to a board and carefully strip off the base papers.

To make the filling for the cake, first of all set aside 10-12 of the largest prunes, then place the rest, plus any remaining soaking liquid, in a food processor, along with the crème fraîche, and whiz to a purée.

Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and transfer the purée straight from the processor on to one half of the cake, then spread the purée out carefully and place the other half of the cake on top.

For the chocolate topping, place the broken-up pieces of chocolate in a large heatproof bowl, which should be sitting over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Keeping the heat at its lowest, allow the chocolate to melt slowly – it should take about 5 minutes to become smooth and glossy. Then remove it from the heat and give it a good stir, then let the chocolate cool for 2-3 minutes.

Take each one of the reserved prunes and dip it into the melted chocolate so that half of each one gets covered. As you do this place them on a sheet of parchment paper to set. When all the prunes are done, stir the crème fraîche into the chocolate, then use this mixture to cover the surface of the cake.

Spread it over carefully with a palette knife, making ridges with the knife as you go. Decorate the cake with the chocolate prunes. Cover the whole thing with an upturned, suitably sized bowl or cake dome, and keep it in the fridge until about an hour before you need it.

NOTES:

Because the cake is flourless, it is good for coeliac guests, but apart from that it has a wonderful texture – not so much cakey as almost mousse-y. The Armagnac-soaked prunes mean that the cake is never too sweet and has a very definite grown-up feel to it, and it does look spectacular when it arrives at the table. I don’t think it needs to be served with anything, but if you insist, I would serve it with a little creme fraiche.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

Blender chocolate mousse

Belinda

Recipe from the New York Times

“Straightforward, adaptable and extremely satisfying, this is one of those recipes that you want to pass along to as many people as you can. Instead of separating the egg yolks and whites, this technique simply involves pouring hot sugar syrup into a blender with chocolate and whole eggs, then folding that mixture into softly whipped cream. The resulting texture is so creamy and rich, it doesn’t need anything at all, though you can top it with extra whipped cream, if you like.”

Serves 8 (7 cups)

1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
12 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup strong (brewed) espresso (or very strongly brewed coffee)
¼ cup light or dark rum (or Marsala or brandy)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt

Step 1
In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer on medium speed, whip the heavy cream to glossy, medium peaks, about 5 minutes. Set aside in the fridge. In a small saucepan over gentle heat, melt the sugar with ¼ cup water until dissolved. As soon as the syrup begins to boil, turn off the heat.

Step 2
Add chocolate and eggs to a blender. Blend on medium-high speed while slowly pouring in the hot sugar syrup, which will melt the chocolate and cook the eggs. Keep the machine running until the mixture is extremely smooth, then stream in the espresso, rum, vanilla and salt. Keep blending until the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 1 minute, pausing to scrape the sides as needed.

Step 3
Fold 1 cup of the chocolate mixture into the chilled whipped cream until smooth, then add the rest of the chocolate mixture to the cream mixture and fold until there are no streaks. Pour into individual bowls, ramekins or glasses, and set in the fridge until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

No-bake chocolate cheesecake

Belinda

Don’t you just love those desserts that require no baking? For those in the USA< you can buy Digestive cookies in Costplus World market, Bristol farms or on Amazon.

100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
110g dark chocolate digestive cookies
160g digestive cookies
60g porridge oats
3 tbsp Nutella
360g soft cheese
250g mascarpone
60g icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
200g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (minimum 55% cocoa solids)
2-3 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Lightly butter a deep 23cm square cake tin and line with baking paper, ensuring that it comes up and over the sides of the tin, and put it in the fridge.

Reserve two of the dark chocolate digestives, then put the rest of the biscuits into a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the oats, melted butter and 1 tbsp of Nutella, then blitz again until it comes together. Tip the crumbs into the chilled tin, spreading them evenly and into all corners, before compacting flat with the base of a glass. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Use an electric whisk to beat together the soft cheeses and icing sugar. When all the sugar has been incorporated, add the melted chocolate, remaining Nutella and 2 tbsp of milk, and beat until fully combined. If the mixture looks a little thick add the extra 1 tbsp of milk. Spoon the filling onto the chilled biscuit base and spread level with a spatula. Crush the last two digestives to crumbs, mix with the chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle evenly across the top of the cheesecake. Chill for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When completely chilled, release one side of the cheesecake by gently pulling up one length of the baking paper. Holding the paper firmly, angle the tin and pull to slide the base of the cheesecake flat onto a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices or squares. This will keep, chilled, for up to a week.

Baking · Chocolate · Dessert · Holiday Food

Sticky toffee self-saucing pudding

Belinda

A glorious mash-up of two favorite puddings, this rich recipe is the perfect weekend winter warmer
Recipe by Janine Ratcliffe for Olive Magazine

Serves 8

200g Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
250 ml weak black tea
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
85g unsalted butter, softened
175g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
vanilla ice cream to serve

TOFFEE SAUCE
250 g dark muscovado sugar
250 ml double/heavy cream

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the dates and tea in a pan, and bring to the boil. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the dates. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda.

To make the toffee sauce, put the sugar and cream in a pan with 150ml water. Stir, then put over a low heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Cool a little.

Beat together the butter and sugar with electric beaters until creamy, then beat in the eggs, flour and mixed spice. Stir in the date mixture and pour into a buttered 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish. Pour the toffee sauce over the top. Don’t worry if it looks messy. The sauce will sink to the bottom and a sponge will form on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is just firm to the touch.

Scoop onto plates and serve with ice cream.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

3-ingredient Nutella brownies

Belinda

I think I found this recipe on Tik Tok!
Nutella Brownies are one of the easiest recipes you will ever make with just 3 ingredients. They are fudgy in the centre with a chewy outside and are so soft.

½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cup Nutella
2 large Eggs

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Grease and line 8 × 8-inch square baking pan with a aluminum foil and keep aside.
In a mixing bowl add the flour, Nutella and eggs.
Stir well until thoroughly combined with a spoon.
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the help of a spatula.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until you see some small cracks on the top or toothpick inserted comes out almost clean with few crumbs.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

Chocolate · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Christmas rocky road

Belinda

Tom Cenci’s crunchy treat made with festive fruit, nuts and ginger nut cookies.

Filled with crystallized ginger, cranberries and mixed nuts then scented with a hint of rose, this is a perfect way to indulge yourself with something a little different this Christmas.

Makes 15 slices

600g dark chocolate
150g unsalted butter
50g dried cranberries
50g rose Turkish delight
100g crisp ginger cookies
50g crystallized ginger
40g toasted pistachios
20g toasted hazelnuts
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
A few drops of rose essence
2 tsp dried rose petals

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir often so it can melt evenly.
Cut the Turkish delight into smaller pieces and crush the ginger nut biscuits then mix together with all the dried ingredients.
Once the chocolate and butter has melted, pour it over the dried ingredients, add the rose essence, and mix all together until everything has been coated in the chocolate
Line a 30cm x 20 cm baking dish with parchment paper, pour in the rocky road mix and spread out evenly with a spatula
Allow to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours then take the rocky road out of the dish and cut into squares

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Chocolate Salame

Belinda

Recipe from Nigella Lawson
“I’ve encountered quite a few versions of chocolate salame in Italy – coming to the conclusion that it’s really an Italian version of our chocolate refrigerator cake – and although I am not normally a huge fan of the culinary pun, Christmas does seem the right time of year for such whimsical enterprises. And, I admit, the chocolate salame does have a certain charm, especially when dusted with icing sugar, tied like a proper salame with string.
If I can do the stringing up, then you can, honestly, but if you prefer, you can just dust the unstrung salame with icing sugar and leave it picturesquely on a board.”

Makes: approx. 20 generous slices

9 oz good-quality bittersweet chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
9 oz amaretti cookies (crunchy, not soft)
7 tbsp soft unsalted butter
¾ cup superfine sugar
3 large eggs
2 tbsp amaretto liqueur
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup raw almonds (unskinned), roughly chopped
½ cup hazelnuts (roughly chopped)
⅓ cup pistachios (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar (to decorate)

In the microwave (following manufacturer’s instructions), or in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water (but not touching the water), melt the chocolate until smooth. While the chocolate’s melting, put the cookies into a large freezer bag, seal and bash them with a rolling pin until you have a bag of rubble – not dust. When the chocolate’s melted, remove it to a cold place (not the fridge) and set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar together; I do this in a freestanding mixer, but you don’t have to. You just need to use a large bowl and make sure the mixture is soft and superlight.
Gradually, and one by one, beat in the eggs. (Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled at this stage: all manner of ills will be righted once the chocolate is added later.) Then beat in the amaretto liqueur.

Push the cocoa powder through a little sieve or tea strainer into the cooled chocolate and, with a small rubber spatula, stir till combined, then beat this into the egg mixture, too.
When you have a smooth chocolate mixture in front of you, tip in the chopped nuts and crushed cookies. Fold these in firmly but patiently to make sure everything is chocolate covered.
Transfer this mixture, still in its bowl, to the fridge to firm up a bit for 20–30 minutes. Don’t leave it for much longer than this or it will be difficult to get out of the bowl to shape.

Unroll and slice off 2 large pieces of clingfilm, overlapping them, so that you have a large cling-covered surface to roll the chocolate salame out on. Tip the chocolate mixture out in the middle of this and – using your hands, messy though this is – mould the mixture into a fat salame-like log, approx. 30cm long.

Cover the chocolate log completely with the clingfilm, and then firmly roll it, as if it were a rolling pin, to create a smooth, rounded cylinder from the rough log you started with. Twist the ends by grasping both ends of the clingfilm and rolling the sausage-log towards you several times. Then put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours – though preferably overnight – to set.

Now – once it’s set – for the exciting bit: tear off a large piece of greaseproof paper and lay it on a clear kitchen surface. Take the salame out of the fridge and sit it on the paper. Measure out a piece of string at least 6 times longer than the length of the salame, and tie one end of the string firmly round the twisted knot of clingfilm at one end of the salame. Then trim away as much clingfilm as you can, but without cutting either of the tapered, nose ends, so that you can attach the string to these.

Dust your hands with a little confectioners’ sugar and then rub 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar (more if needed) over the unwrapped salame to stop it getting sticky as you string it up. Plus it makes it look more like a salame!
Make a loop with the string, a little wider than the salame, and feed it over the end of the salame, close to where it is tied on. Pull on the trailing end to tighten (but not too tightly) and form another loop of string as before. Work this second loop around the sausage, 4cm or so further along from the first, tighten again and repeat until you reach the far end of the salame, then tie the string firmly round the other twisted nose of clingfilm.

With your remaining length of string, start to feed it back along the salame, twisting it around the encircling string each time it crosses a loop, then tie it again when you come to the end. Repeat these lengths as many times as you want, to make the authentic-looking pattern, but two or three times would be enough to get the effect.

Transfer it to a wooden board, and cut some slices, fanning them out as if they were indeed slices of salame, leaving a knife on the board, too, for people to cut further slices, as they wish. Obviously, when you cut the salame, you will cut through the string, but the many knots and twists keep it securely tied. Serve fridge cold, or very near to it.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE: Can be made ahead, wrapped in clingfilm, then tied with string just before serving. Store in refrigerator and eat within 4 days of making.
Can also be frozen on day of making, wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm and a layer of foil, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, remove foil and tie with string before serving. Eat within 2 days.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead · Nuts

Flourless, fudgey walnut brownies

Belinda

Flour is the difference between a fudgy brownie and a cakey brownie—the more you add, the cakier it gets. So what would happen if you didn’t add any flour? And what is flour, anyway? While the default used to be all-purpose flour, nowadays there is a truckload of non-wheat ingredients calling themselves flour, from nuts (like almonds) to grains (like oats) to legumes (like chickpeas). These come in handy if you have a wheat allergy or intolerance—or if you want a super-fudgy brownie.

With this recipe we take advantage of walnuts. Some get toasted and stirred into the batter. Others are left raw, for a wheat-ish subtleness, and whooshed in a food processor. Thanks to the walnuts’ buttery fat and zero gluten, the result is rich, crackly, and halfway to chocolate ganache.
Recipe by Emma Laperruque

2/3 cup plus ¾ cup (170 grams) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (80 grams) cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch (20-centimeter) square baking dish with parchment, with overhang on two sides to lift out the baked brownies.
Place ⅔ cup (80 grams) of the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown.
While those cool, add the remaining ¾ cup (90 grams) walnuts to a food processor and pulse in short bursts until a crumbly meal forms. (Don’t take it too far, or you’ll end up with walnut butter.)

Add the butter to a medium saucepan and set over low heat. When that’s melted, remove from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the cocoa powder, then the sugar and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated. Set a timer and mix for 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and glossy.
Stir in the walnut flour, then the toasted walnuts.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed around the edges with a glossy-crackly top and a toothpick inserted near a corner comes out mostly clean. Let cool until room temperature, then remove from the pan and cut into squares.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Belinda

These taste distinctly homemade: much smaller than giant, thick bakery-style disks and more delicate, with just enough buttery dough to bind the chocolate and oats.
Mixing by hand turns out cookies that are crisp at the edges and tender in the centers. These can be mixed and baked in under an hour, but the dough balls also can be packed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month. You can bake them from ice-cold, though they’ll need a few more minutes to turn golden brown.

Recipe by Genevieve Ko for the New York Times
Makes between 2 and 3 dozen cookies

¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
8 tbsp/114 grams unsalted butter, softened
½ cup/94 grams packed brown sugar
¼ cup/59 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups/134 grams old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup/189 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup/63 grams chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then stir in the cream and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and fold until evenly distributed. Loosely scoop a rounded ball of dough using a measuring tablespoon or small cookie scoop and drop onto a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 2 inches apart.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Icecream

Cookies and Black Sesame Ice cream

Belinda

A dream came true: Cookies and cream meets black sesame ice cream. It’s nutty, textured, and not-too-sweet.
Nabisco chocolate wafers are the preferred cookies in this recipe, but you could also use Oreos or any chocolate cookie your heart desires.
Recipe by Sarah Jampel for Bon Appetite Magazine

Makes about 8 cups

½ cup (70 g) black sesame seeds
1x 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
3 oz chocolate wafer cookies, crushed into large pieces (about 1 cup)

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and just starting to crackle, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse, scraping down sides as needed, until seeds are finely chopped but haven’t formed a paste, about 3 minutes in a food processor, and about 2 minutes in a blender.

Mix together the ground sesame seeds, condensed milk, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream in a small bowl, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high as it thickens, until billowy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Add a dollop of whipped cream to condensed milk mixture and mix in with a rubber spatula (this is just to lighten it so that the next stage—folding—is easier). Add remaining whipped cream and fold in, running spatula down sides and along bottom of bowl and lifting up through center and over top while rotating bowl to integrate without deflating, until very few streaks of condensed milk mixture remain.
Fold in the crushed cookies; scrape the ice cream base into a loaf pan that’s at least 8½ x 4½”.
Cover with plastic wrap or an airtight silicone lid and freeze until solid, at least 8 hours.

To serve, transfer the loaf pan to refrigerator and let ice cream soften 10 minutes before scooping into bowls.

Do ahead: Ice cream can be made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.