Anytime we are in a restaurant and the dessert order comes to the table, it will usually consist of a creme brulee for me, or some fruit based dish, and for Declan, whatever 'Death-by-chocolate' option is on the menu. His always has extra chocolate ice cream on the side and he often orders a hot chocolate with it. Almost always, the waiter will automatically put the chocolate dessert with extra chocolate down in front of me, smiling. "The double chocolate cheesecake for the lady" at which I usually point to Declan indicating that he surely means the other lady!
I find it hard to bowl him over with a chocolate dessert and so have given up trying to meet his approval. I am not sure that the dessert he is looking for actually exists!
Anyway, to get to the point... these two desserts have been given the thumbs up by choco-boy himself, so I am fairly confident that any self-professed chocolate addict would be happy to be handed these offerings.
The first is a chocolate lava cake or sometimes called chocolate fondants. There are many versions of this dessert. Story has it that it was the result of underdone mini chocolate cakes, that when broken open oozed out uncooked batter from the centre, hence the name 'Lava cake'. They are not at all difficult to make and if you do overcook them a little, although you miss out on the oozy centre, you still get quite a yummy chocolate sponge, lovely with whipped cream.
Chocolate lava cake
This quantity serves 4 in individual ramekins
First, butter the ramekins (or you can use teacups) and dust with flour. Leave them in the fridge to set until you are ready.
Preheat the oven to 180c
In a bowl over simmering water, melt 100g butter and 100g plain chocolate until melted. Stir until well combined and leave aside to cool while you beat the eggs.
In a bowl, with an electric whisk or in a mixer, beat 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks with 120g caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
Mix in the chocolate mixture until combined.
Now sift in 50g plsin flour and fold until combined.
Put the mixture in the prepared ramekins and put in the fridge.
The beauty of this recipe is that it benefits from sitting in the fridge for a while until you are ready to serve them.
Put the ramekins on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes at 180c.
They are ready when they are spongy on top but when pressed you can see they are squidgy and liquid in the middle.
Serve immediately dusted with icing sugar.
The next recipe uses up the leftover egg whites from the first recipe, so it is perfect if you want a couple of desserts for an event, maybe the puddings for the adults and the mousse for the kids.
This is Gordon Ramsey's recipe called four minute chocolate mousse.
You can flavour this as you want, but I like using Irel, a coffee and chicory essence which make the mousse taste extra chocolatey!
Otherwise, you could just add a small drop of vanilla and a tsp of very strong coffee.
Anyhow, to the recipe
Chocolate mousse
Heat 150ml of double cream in a saucepan until just before boiling point and take off the heat.
Add 100g plain chocolate broken into pieces and allow to melt into the cream
While you are waiting, beat one egg white with an electric beater until in fairly stiff peaks and add 50g caster sugar gradually until it is stiff and glossy.
Now go back to your melted chocolate, stir until it is creamy and blended together, put the chocolate cream into a bowl sitting in iced water to cool and when cooled, add another 150 ml of double cream. Then beat until the mixture forms soft peaks.
Now fold in the flavouring you want and the egg whites until combined, but be careful not to knock the air out of it.
Put into little glasses or ramekins or shot glasses and chill for an hour or two..
They are nice served with a biscuit, or with maltesers crushed over the top.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment