Chocolate pots with orangeand cardamom
Orange and cardamom combine to make this a chocolate pudding with a difference. Although the fruit and spice cut through the richness ofthe chocolate and cream, it is nonetheless luxurious. The pudding is quick to make but takes a few hours to set.
Makes 6-8
8 cardamom pods
100ml milk
200g good quality plain chocolate
1 orange
2 eggs
250ml double cream
1 Slit the cardamom pods open and prise out the seeds. Crush the seeds a little with the back of a spoon or in a pestle and mortar and put in a small pan with the milk. Slowly bring to boiling point, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse while preparing the otheringredients.
2 Break the chocolate into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and place over a pan of boiling water – try not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl as this will make the chocolate lumpy. Leave the chocolate to melt.
3 While the chocolate is melting, grate the zest of the orange and squeeze out its juice.
4 Separate the eggs, then use a whisk to beat the egg yolks until they turn thick.
5 When the chocolate has melted, stir in the yolks, zest and juice, and strain in the milk.
6 Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold them into the chocolate mixture using a large metal spoon.
7 Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks and, using the metal spoon again, fold it into the other ingredients.
8 Pour the chocolate into a large dish or distribute it between six or eight small ramekins or pots (espresso coffee cups will do). Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight until set.
The Kitchen Revolution: A Year of Time-and-Money-Saving Recipes by Rosie Sykes, Zoe Heron and Polly Russell (Ebury Press). Order a copy for £19.99 with free UK p&p (save £7.51) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Venezuelan chocolate pancakes with chocolate maple syrup
Brunch is certainly not the time to count calories. Feel free to add blueberries, nuts andsultanas to this recipe if you like. The syrup can be made in advance and stored inthe fridge.
Serves 4
For the pancakes
25g Venezuelan 100% dark chocolate, grated
200g buckwheat or spelt flour
1 egg
45g light muscovado sugar
350ml milk
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
25g unsalted butter, for frying
For the syrup
A pinch of sea salt
50ml water
250ml maple syrup
100g dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
1 Place all the pancake ingredients except the butter in a blender or food processor and whizz until a smooth, thick batter is formed. Let the batter rest while you make the syrup.
2 Dissolve the salt in the water in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then add the maple syrup and bring to a simmer. Pour on to the chocolate in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
3 Heat the butter in a nonstick frying pan until it sizzles. Spoon in the batter and cook on a medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, then carefully turn over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4 Place the pancakes on a plate and cover withfoil until you have cooked the entire batch. Serve laced with the warm syrup.
Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A Young (Kyle Books). Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Cardamom-vanilla shortbread with white chocolate and rose petals
These slice-and-bake cookies – bursting with theflavours of earthy cardamom tea, warm vanilla and white chocolate – are done up in their Sunday best – but easily prepared any day of the week.
Makes 24
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
80g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
130g plain flour
1½ tsp ground cardamom
A pinch of salt
110g white chocolate, melted
24 organic, unsprayed rose petals
1 Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and combine.
2 Mix together flour, cardamom and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
3 Form the dough into a long log, about 4cm in diameter, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the chilled dough into 1.5cm-wide pieces, place them on the sheets and bake for about 12-15 minutes until pale golden.
5 When cooled, dip the cookies halfway in the melted white chocolate and top with a rose petal. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Recipe supplied by Rebekah Peppler, thekitchn.com
Chocolate and blackberrymilkshake
Layered milkshakes and smoothies look prettier and make the drinking experience more interesting, as the separate flavours slowly combine as you work your way down the shake. Blackberries and chocolate are perfect together, but raspberries would be really good as well.
Serves 2
15 fresh blackberries (or thawed if frozen)
2 frozen bananas (or fresh bananas and 2 ice cubes)
250ml coconut milk
120ml almond milk (or milk of your choice)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp cocoa nibs (optional)
1 tbsp nut butter (almond, peanut or cashew)
1 Divide the blackberries between two glasses. Mash them gently in the bottom of the glasses with a pestle or the end of a rolling pin.
2 Put the rest of the ingredients in a blender and run on high speed until frothy. Pour carefully into the glasses, making sure theblackberries stay on the bottom, and serveimmediately.
The Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel and LuiseVindahl (Hardie Grant). Order a copy for £17 with free UK p&p (save £8) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Chocolate and prune cakes
These are not too sweet, and perfect served after supper.
Makes 12
150g butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing
250g pitted prunes, quartered
4 tbsp Armagnac
600g milk chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
1 tbsp espresso coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
200g ground almonds
100g chestnut flour
1 tbsp orange oil
¼ tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
25g butter
50g dark chocolate, chopped
12 pitted prunes
1 Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Brush a 30cm x 23cm x 4cm baking tin with melted butter.
2 Put the prunes in a small pan, pour the Armagnac over and heat gently for a minute ortwo, then set aside to cool.
3 Melt the butter with the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth.
4 Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the prunes, Armagnac, coffee, ground almonds, chestnut flour, orange oil and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mix. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until the mixture is creamy and bubbles are rising.
5 Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread out evenly. Bang the tin firmly on a work surface to get rid of air pockets. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the surface is springy and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.
6 For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Dip each prune into the chocolate mixture and arrange on the cake. Slide the cake out of the tin and cut into 12 squares.
Honeybuns Gluten-free Baking by Emma Goss-Custard (Pavilion). Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Dark chocolate brownies with raspberry goat's cheeseswirl
Brownies are the plain jane of desserts, but something creamy or fruity added to the chocolate can change everything. These have a thick, fudgy bottom studded with raspberries and topped with sweet, creamy goat's cheese. Both fresh raspberries or defrosted frozen ones work well.
Makes 30 small squares
125g raspberries, lightly mashed
2 tbsp brandy or kirsch
285g dark chocolate (70% or higher), chopped
170g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
125g milk
400g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
130g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
For the topping
225g goat's cheese
110g cream cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
50g sugar
½ tsp almond extract
1 Take the topping ingredients out of the fridge and allow them to soften. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with butter. Place the raspberries in a bowl and stir in the brandy or kirsch. Set aside.
2 Melt the chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove from the heat, whisk in the milk and cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one by one. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold in until just combined. Fold in about half the raspberries and spread this brownie batter into the tray.
3 Beat the goat's cheese with the cream cheese, butter, egg, sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the other half of the raspberries and their juices.
4 Drop the goat's cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter in spoonfuls, then swirl it through the batter with a knife. Bake for 30 minutes or until just barely set. The top will be just turning light brown. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
5 Store at room temperature, well covered. The flavour and texture of these brownies really bloom if you let them rest overnight.
Recipe supplied by Faith Durand, thekitchn.com
A very chocolatey cake
This simple cake can be made in a shallow baking tin or as a round cake. It is velvety smooth and moist, and can be left undecorated or smothered with a ganache.
Makes one 23cm-diameter cake
150g butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing
200g dark chocolate, chopped
5 eggs
200g granulated sugar
1tsp gluten-free baking powder
100g ground almonds
60g ground linseeds
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g milk chocolate, cut into chunks
For the topping
50g butter
100g dark chocolate, cut into chunks
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a 23cm-round springform tin (or a 30cm x 23cm x 4cm baking tin) with baking parchment, then brush with melted butter.
2 Melt the butter with the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth.
3 Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, then add the sugar, baking powder, almonds, linseeds and vanilla. Pour in the chocolate mixture. Beat at medium speed until creamy, then fold in the milk chocolate chunks with a spatula.
4 Pour the mixture into the tin and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes (20–25 if using a rectangular tin), then check and cover the top with baking parchment if the cake needs further cooking. When ready, the cake should spring back when pressed gently with your fingertips. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool in the tin on a rack for 1 hour.
5 For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter as before, stirring until smooth. Turn the cake out on to a rack and peel off the parchment. Spread the chocolate mix over it with a palette knife. Leave to set for 2 hours.
Honeybuns Gluten-free Baking by Emma Goss-Custard (Pavilion). Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Hot chocolate on a stick
The trick to making the best hot chocolate is using the best chocolate – dark, milk, white, they'll all work. And use good-quality cocoa too – processed cocoa is more mellow than natural cocoa, so pick your favourite. Take care to keep water and alcohol away from the chocolate as you work. The kids will really enjoy making and drinking these: simply heat up a mug of milk and/or cream and stir in the cube until melted.
Makes 10 sticks
225g chocolate
3 tbsp cocoa, sifted
6-8 tbsp icing sugar (to taste), sifted
A pinch of salt
1 Chop the chocolate into small even-sized pieces and place into a glass or stainless steel bowl. Bring about 5cm of water in a pan to a simmer, then turn down the heat so the water is below a simmer. Place the chocolate bowl over the warm water and stir as the chocolate melts – slowly, to avoid any lumps forming.
2 When two-thirds has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and stir until fully melted.
3 Add the cocoa, sugar and salt. Stir until combined.
4 Once fully combined, scoop into a piping bag, or use a plastic bag and clip off the corner.
5 Pipe the chocolate into an ice-cube tray, tapping it to ensure the chocolate settles. If the chocolate starts to get too thick, microwave in a bowl for 30 seconds or so at half power.
6 Place a wooden stirrer stick into each cube so it stands upright and leave the tray to cool.
7 Store in an airtight container in a cupboard, notin the fridge as chocolate absorbs odours.
Recipe supplied by AmberLee Fawson, giverslog.com
Mixed seed chocolate dropswith chilli, sea salt andpistachio
These little drops are wholesome, with a chilli-salt kick to spice things up. You can vary the toppings so feel free to experiment. Use good-quality, dark chocolate.
Makes 10-12
200g dark chocolate (70%)
30g mixed sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1 medium red chilli, finely sliced
10g pistachios, crushed into rough pieces
A pinch of sea salt
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Place two metal baking sheets in the freezer.
2 Put the seeds and a dozen chilli slices on to a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5 mins or until the sunflower seeds are just starting to brown. Remove and allow to cool.
3 Break up the chocolate and melt in a glass or metal bowl placed over a pan of simmering water on a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it is mostly melted. Take off the heat and stir to melt the rest. Transfer to a jug.
4 Take the baking sheets out of the freezer, line with baking paper and, working quickly, pour little pools of the dark chocolate on to the sheets, about 5cm in diameter. After every six drops, dust the surface with the toasted seeds, chilli strands, pistachio and, finally, afew flakes of salt.
5 You can vary the size and the amount of coating. Try different flavours too.
6 Leave to cool completely before serving.
Recipe supplied by Lily Vanilli, lilyvanilli.com
Toasts with chocolate, olive oil and sea salt
Dark chocolate and good bread both have bitter and acidic elements. In the kitchen, they are drawn to each other. They are also easy to combine, especially in this recipe, where four ingredients are given just a dash of heat.
Serves 4
8 baguette slices, ½cm-thick
8 thin, 1½cm squares dark chocolate (70%)
Extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of coarse sea salt
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet and a chocolate square on top of each. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and sea salt.
2 Bake until the chocolate is molten but not seeping through the bread – about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more olive oil and salt, and serve immediately.
The Essential New York Times Cookbook byAmanda Hesser (WW Norton & Co). Order a copy for £24 with free UK p&p (save £6) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
