Raising the bar on chocolate

Chocolate has become the food of connoisseurs, and increasingly consumers are being educated about the benefits and myriad uses of premium chocolate, the kind made from single origin beans. On the eve of a new TV series on chocolate, Angela Day shares more-ish recipes of her own.



PEPPERMINT CRISP BROWNIES

Makes 20 squares

160g butter

180ml castor sugar

200g dark chocolate

3 eggs

5ml vanilla

250ml flour

2 peppermint crisp bars

Icing:

50g butter

30ml water

50ml castor sugar

250ml icing sugar

30ml cocoa powder

1 peppermint crisp bar

Line a 20x24cm pan with non stick baking paper.

Combine butter, sugar and chocolate in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, add eggs and vanilla beating with wire whisk. Add flour and mix until smooth.

Break up the peppermint crisp bars and fold into mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes. Remove and cool in pan.

Icing: Combine butter, water and castor sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until butter and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat.

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa and add, then mix until smooth.

Spread on brownies and grate over the remaining peppermint crisp. Leave to set. Cut into squares and serve.



WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND ROLLS

Makes 18

100g slivered almonds, lightly toasted

100g good quality white chocolate

15ml castor sugar

12 sheets phyllo pastry

100g butter, melted

250ml sugar

125ml water

5 cardamom pods, bruised

15ml lemon juice

Berry sauce:

250g berries (fresh or frozen)

30-40ml icing sugar

Put almonds, chocolate and sugar in a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Place one phyllo pastry sheet on the work surface and brush with melted butter. Top with another sheet of pastry.

Cut the sheets into 3 equal strips. At the base of each strip place a generous mound of the chocolate and nut mixture.

Roll over to enclose the filling, fold in the sides and roll up. Brush with butter and place onto a baking tray. Repeat with remaining sheets of pastry and mixture.

Bake at 160°C for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and soak generously with the cardamom syrup. Leave to cool and serve with the berry sauce.

Cardamom syrup: Put sugar, water and cardamom into a small saucepan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Remove and set aside until rolls come out of the oven.

Berry sauce: Place berries and icing sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. If you like a smooth sauce, press mixture through a sieve.



CHOCOLATE AND THYME SHORTBREAD

Makes 20-25

15ml chopped thyme

80ml castor sugar

150g good quality dark chocolate

430ml cake flour

180ml rice flour

grated rind of 1 orange

200g butter, softened

Combine 10ml of the thyme with 30ml of the castor sugar and, using the blade of a knife, chop the thyme into the sugar on a board until you have a smooth mixture.

Melt the chocolate.

Put the cake flour, rice flour, orange rind, the remaining 5ml thyme and the rest of the castor sugar in a bowl.

Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the melted chocolate and, using a round bladed knife, bring the mixture together to form a dough.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and shape into a log about 30cm long. Roll in baking paper and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll the log in the sugar and thyme mixture and cut into slices.

Place onto a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until pale golden brown. Remove and cool.



CHOCOLATE ORANGE MARBLE CAKE

150g butter

250ml castor sugar

5ml vanilla essence

2 extra large eggs

finely grated rind of 1 orange

500ml flour

10ml baking powder

pinch salt

125ml milk

30ml orange juice

100g good quality dark chocolate, melted

Chocolate glaze:

100g dark chocolate

50ml cream

Combine butter, sugar and vanilla essence in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat well until soft and creamy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well.

Add orange rind.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt and add to the egg mixture alternately with milk and orange juice.

Spoon half the cake mixture into another bowl and mix in melted chocolate.

Drop alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla mixture into a greased and lined 20cm x 13cm loaf pan. Once it has all been used up, run a flat-bladed knife through the mixture to create a marbled effect.

Bake at 180°C for 45- 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan five minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, spoon over chocolate glaze and decorate with orange slices or grated orange rind if desired.

Chocolate glaze: Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and place over boiling water to melted. Stir to combine and let cool to a spreading consistency.



WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Makes 24

500ml flour

10ml baking powder

250ml castor sugar

100g white chocolate, chopped

100g pecan nuts, chopped

3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

5ml vanilla essence

Sift flour, baking powder and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Add chopped chocolate and nuts.

Stir in eggs, vanilla essence and mix well.

Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 slightly flattened logs about 20cm in length and place on a paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Cut into 1cm-thick slices and return to the baking sheet.

Reduce the oven temperature to 14°C and bake for a further 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time, until pale golden in colour.

Remove from oven and cool.

GOOEY CHOCOLATE PUDDINGS

Makes 6-8

180g cacao, finely grated

200g unsalted butter

175g golden castor sugar

6 eggs

10ml vanilla extract

40g ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease 6-8 ramekins. Melt the cacao and butter by placing them, along with 60g of the castor sugar, in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the remaining castor sugar and the vanilla extract.

Stir the ground almonds into the melted cacao and butter mixture.

Gradually fold the cacao mixture into the egg mixture. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and bake for 12 -15 minutes. The tops will rise and start splitting when they are ready. Serve at once.

NOTE: As I could not find 100 percent cacao in South Africa, I made the recipe using 70 percent cocoa chocolate. It turned out very well and was absolutely delicious.


Source : http://www.iol.co.za