Chocolate Mousse Master and Cake

Ingredients 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely cut
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided and softened
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brewed coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Method :
1. Prepare a double-boiler: place a large heat-proof bowl over pan, being sure water does not touch bowl, and add chocolate and butter to bowl.
2. Once chocolate is completely melted, stir in the butter one piece at a time until fully incorporated.
3. Keep scraping bowl with a rubber spatula so chocolate does not scorch.
4. Remove bowl from pan and set aside.
5. In same double-boiler: Place large heat-proof bowl and whisk together yolks, coffee and vanilla. While whisking, slowly add in sugar and whisk until thick.
6. Pour mixture into a stand mixer and whisk until cool. Meanwhile, in another kitchen aid or by hand in a chilled bowl, lift the cream into soft peaks.
7. Fold cream into cooled cooked eggs and cooled chocolate. Use for the below applications as it will set when cooled. Store in fridge.


Ingredients
3 cups Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup sifted cake flour
Cooking spray

Method :
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees with bain marie.
2. Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing it, lining with parchment paper, and greasing again.
3. In a large bowl, gently fold chips and flour into Chocolate Mousse. Transfer to prepared cake pan and lower pan into bain marie. Bake about 30 minutes. (A toothpick will not come out clean; this is a dense, fudgey cake.) Remove cake from oven and bain marie and let rest in cake pan for 10 minutes before slicing -- serving warm is ideal.

Butternut Snap Chocolate Tartlets

Ingredients
12 Arnott’s Butternut Snap Cookies
165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
60ml thickened cream
40g butter
150g dark chocolate, chopped

Method
Lightly grease a 12-hole round bottomed tartlet tin.
Place 6 of the biscuits on a microwave-safe plate and heat on high for 20 seconds or until biscuits are soft and pliable. Working quickly, gently roll the biscuits out until 3mm thick and then push into the tartlet tin. Repeat with remaining 6 biscuits.
Combine sugar and 165ml water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook (brushing down sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals) for 10-15 minutes or until sugar mixture is a deep golden colour. Remove from the heat, add the cream and butter (caramel will spit) and stir until smooth. Pour into the biscuit cases and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until set.
Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and set over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted. Pour over the caramel filling and refrigerate tartlets for a further 10 minutes, or until set.

Chocolate Biscotte

Ingredient :
2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
1/2 cup nutella

Method
Mix all of the above, bake in oven

Chocolate Red Wine Cake

Ingredients :
4 ½ oz softened unsalted butter
4 ½ oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
5 fl oz red wine, at room temperature
4 ½ oz plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 easpoon baking powder
2 ¼ oz dark chocolate (55-70 per cent cocoa solids), grated

For soaking:

2 fl oz water
1 oz caster sugar
4 fl oz red wine (an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot works well)

For finishing:

1 jar of redcurrant jelly
About 10 ½ oz tempered dark chocolate

Method :
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt tin.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the wine and mix well.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder and baking powder together. Sift again to make sure the ingredients are well mixed. Fold the dry ingredients a tablespoon at a time into the creamed cake mixture.

Lastly, fold in the grated chocolate. Transfer the mixture to the prepared bundt pan and level the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then place a thin cake card over the top and invert the pan. Lift off the pan so the cake sits on the card. It will still be warm, so do not try to move it at this stage. Cool the cake completely.

To soak the cake, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small pan and stir in the red wine. Fill the cleaned bundt pan with the red wine syrup and place the cooled cake back in the pan. It will quickly absorb the hot liquid. Once the liquid has been absorbed, reverse the cake on to the cake card as before. Remove the pan, being careful not to damage the cake.

Leave the cake to cool before glazing. Bring the redcurrant jelly to a rolling boil in a small pan, then remove from the heat and, with a small, flat brush, quickly brush the hot jelly over the cake using large strokes. Let the jelly set, then repeat the process for a beautiful glossy finish.

To finish the cake, you need to make little discs of tempered chocolate. Spoon 10-15 blobs of the chocolate, about ½ inch wide, on a sheet of acetate, spacing them 2 inches apart. Place a second sheet of acetate on top of the chocolate and press down to flatten each blob to a smooth circle. They do not have to be completely round—that is half the fun. Place the chocolate discs, still sandwiched in acetate, on a baking sheet, put another baking sheet on top of it and leave in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set.

Remove the top sheet of acetate and peel away the chocolate circles. Using a hot knife, cut the base off each circle so they sit flat at the bottom of the cake. Push them one at a time on to the sides of the cake round the base; they will stick to the jelly.

Claire’s notes:

Make the chocolate decorations the day before you make the cake, to take the hassle out of finishing it. If you do not feel up to tempering chocolate, look in your local supermarket for chocolate decorations.
The cake will keep for a week in a sealed container in the fridge.
Sheets of acetate can be bought in boxes from most stationery stores.

chocolate self saucing pudding

Ingredients :-
Pudding
125 g Plain Flour
1 Pinch of Salt
120 g caster sugar
3 teaspoons Baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
250 ml Milk
85 g unsalted Butter melted
2 Eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Double cream or crème fraiche to serve

Topping
185 g soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
250 ml boiling Water

Method :-
Pudding
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Sift the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl.
Add the milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and mix with beaters until combined.
Pour into four 250 ml (1 cup) greased pudding moulds.

Topping
Stir the brown sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl to combine, then sprinkle it over the pudding batter.
Pour boiling water carefully over the puddings, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve with thick cream.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Ingredients :-
375mL CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
200g PLAISTOWE Rich Dark Cooking Chocolate, break into pieces
2 tsp gelatine
2 tbsp hot water
250g strawberries

Method :-
1. Heat CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk until hot without boiling.
2. Add PLAISTOWE Rich Dark Cooking Chocolate, stir until well combined.
3. Dissolve gelatine in hot water, combine with milk and chocolate mixture.
4. Pour mixture evenly into 6 x 1/2 cup serving dishes, refrigerate until set.
5. Reserving 6 strawberries for decoration, puree remaining strawberries, chill.
6. Unmould panna cotta onto serving plates just before serving.
7. Decorate with reserved strawberries and drizzle with prepared puree.

Serves 6

Milk and White Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients
225gr butter, softened
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup condensed milk
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup chocolate buttons

Method
1. Preheat oven to 190C
2. Cream butter (softened) and sugar, until pale and fluffy.
3. Add condensed milk and cream again until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in sifted flour and chocolate buttons
5. Roll mixture into large balls using about a tablespoon of mixture for each cookie, place on greased trays and press down lightly with a fork to flatten slightly
6. Bake for about 12-15 minutes

Simplest Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients :-
175g self rising flour
175g butter or margarine
2 eggs lightly beaten
175g caster sugar
20g cocoa powder

Method
1. Preheat over to 200 degrees c and grease muffin tray
2. beat butter and sugar till fluffy
3. Gradually add eggs
4. sift in flour and cocoa powder, fold into mixture
5. spoon mix evenly into tray
6. Cook for 15-20 mins till golden brown
7. Leave to cool for 5 mins before removing or decorating

Chocolate Red Wine Cake (French Laundry)

Ingredients(Serves six to eight)
125g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
150ml red wine, room temperature (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
125g plain flour1tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp ground cloves1tsp cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder65g dark chocolate (55-57% cocoa solids), grated

For soaking
50ml water
30g caster sugar
125ml red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)

For garnish
1 jar redcurrant jelly
300g dark chocolate, tempered
Optional: raspberry sorbet and hot chocolate sauce

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and flour 25cm bundt tin.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Add beaten eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
4. Add 150ml red wine. Mix well. Sift flour, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder, baking powder together. Sift again, then fold a tablespoon at a time in to creamed mixture.
6. Fold in grated chocolate. Transfer to bundt tin. Level.
7. Bake in centre of oven for 35 minutes until well risen.
8. Skewer-test to check if cooked.
9. Once cooked, cool in tin for 20 minutes, then take out and cool completely.
10. Clean tin for reuse.

To soak the cake, bring water and sugar to the boil in a small pan, stir in 125ml red wine. Fill bundt tin with red wine syrup. Place cooled cake back in tin. Once liquid has been absorbed, reverse cake out again, being careful not to damage. Cool.

Bring redcurrant jelly to a rolling boil in small pan. Remove from heat, then brush hot jelly over cake. Let jelly set, then repeat process to get glossy finish.

To garnish cake, make discs of tempered chocolate. Once cooled, cut off base using hot knife so that they sit flat at the bottom of cake (see above).