chocolate
Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
100g dark chocolate, chopped (I used 70% dark chocolate)
1/2 cup thickened cream
8 strawberries, halved (you can use any type of fruit you like)
1 tbs. Queen vanilla bean dusting sugar (for dusting)
Method:
1. Combine flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and milk and whisk until smooth.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and spray with oil spray. Cook about 1/4 cup of batter for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through (make sure you don’t over cook the pancakes as it will burn easily and you will have that bitter taste). Transfer to a plate.
3. To make the ganache, place chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until smooth.
4. Divide pancakes among serving plates and drizzle with chocolate. Top with strawberries or your favorite fruit. Dust with vanilla bean powder (you can use icing sugar if you like).
Ingredients:
150 g organic dark cooking chocolate
1/2 cup thickened cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tspn gelatine powder
1/2 tspn vanilla bean paste
2 Tbls creme de menthe (for the bottom layer)
2 Tbls caster sugar (for the bottom layer)
300 ml water (for the bottom layer)
2 tspn gelatine powder (for the bottom layer)
1/4 cup hot water
Method:
1. To make the bottom layer, combine water, sugar and crème de menthe in jug. Sprinkle gelatine over the boiling water in a small heatproof bowl or cup. Stir until dissolve. Cool slightly and stir into the crème de menthe mixture. Strain the mixture and divide among glasses and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until set.
2. Place cream in a medium saucepan and cook on low heat until just warm (do not boil). Add chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Stir in the milk, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle gelatine powder and stir until combined. Strain the chocolate mixture. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Divide mixture among the prepared glasses. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until set. Garnish with chocolate shapes.
Note: To make the chocolate shapes, melt 80g of white chocolate in the microwave on high. Sprinkle 2 tsps. of green powder food coloring. Mix until combined. Cool. Place chocolate in a piping bag. Line a tray with baking paper and pipe shapes onto the baking paper. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to set.
Ingredients:
200 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1 x punnet raspberries
1 x firm ripe mango
300 ml thickened cream
1 tspn caster sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence
Method:
1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Use a metal spoon to stir until the chocolate melts. Set aside to cool.
2. To create the chocolate baskets, use 150ml dariole moulds (you can use small glasses or small bowls). Invert the moulds and cover with baking paper and secure with kitchen strings or rubber band. You can make around 4-6 baskets depending on the size of the moulds.
3. Place melted chocolate in a paper piping bag. Pipe around the mould back and forth to create a lattice basket. Make sure to pipe a thick layer on the sides and base of the moulds. Place moulds in the freezer for 2 hours or until set.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until thick.
5. To serve, place chocolate baskets on serving plates. Put cream in the basket and top with mango cubes and raspberries. Garnish with mint leaves.
Serving tips:
To achieve a glossy look for the raspberries, brush with a cooled raspberry flavored jelly and place them in the refrigerator to set.
You can replace cream with ice-cream and use your favorite fruit or use white chocolate to make the baskets.
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp pink food coloring gel (you can use pink or red food coloring)
1 tbs strawberry flavoured topping
For chocolate ganache:
2/3 cup thickened cream
150g Plaistowe dark cooking chocolate, chopped (you can also use dark chocolate melts)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. To make the ganache, place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the cream over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Place in the fridge until thick and spreadable.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until stiff peaks forms. Add sugar, strawberry topping and food coloring. Beat until sugar dissolves. Mixture should be stiff and glossy.
4. Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 24 (5cm-6cm) rosettes, about 3cm apart on the prepared trays. Turn oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius. Bake meringue for 1 hour or until firm and dry to touch. Turn off oven and leave the meringues to cool with the oven door ajar for 1 hour.
5. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of ganache over the back sides of half of the meringues. Sandwich the remaining meringue rosettes on top.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups water
150g butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsps ground cinnamon
rice bran oil or any cooking oil, to deep-fry
Hot Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 cup thickened cream
180g packet dark chocolate, chopped
Method:
1. Combine sifted flour and salt in a large bowl. Place the water and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and cook stirring, until butter melts. Bring to the boil. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the side of the pan. Transfer mixture into a clean mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly.
2. Using an electric mixer , beat the eggs into the flour mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition until well combined (mixture should look glossy and thick). Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm star fluted nozzle.
3. Half-fill medium heavy-based saucepan with oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat (you will know when the oil is ready when you drop in a cube of bread and it turns golden brown in a few seconds).
4. Pipe mixture into the oil and use scissors to cut the dough to a desired length. Cook for 2 minutes and turn using tongs and cook until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle churros with cinnamon sugar.
6. To make the chocolate sauce, bring cream almost to the boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Serve churros with chocolate sauce.
