Chocolate for Mother's Day

Ingredients

• For the Shortbread Base:
• 9 ounces flour
• 3 ounces caster sugar
• 6 ounces butter, cut into bits
• For the Caramel:
• 4 ounces butter
• 4 ounces soft light brown sugar
• 2 - 397g tins of sweetened condensed milk
• For the chocolate topping:
• 7 ounces good quality plain chocolate
• Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F. Butter a 13 by 9 inch swiss roll tin. Set aside.
• Weigh
• the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour
• and sugar with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine
• breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it forms a dough. Press this into
• the base of the prepared tin, smoothing out evenly. Prick all over
• with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and very
• lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.
• To make the
• caramel, place all the caramel ingredients into a saucepan. Heat gently
• until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil,
• still stirring, then reduce the heat to low and cook very gently for
• about 5 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened slightly. Do not
• stop stirring as the mixture will catch and burn if you don't keep it
• moving. Remove from the heat and pour over the cooled shortbread base.
• Allow to cool completely.
• To make the chocolate topping, break
• the chocolate into pieces and place into a bowl that you have set over
• simmering water. (Don't allow the bowl to touch the water) Melt
• completely, stirring occasionally. Pour over the cold caramel and leave
• to set. Cut into squares or bars to serve.
• Note - you can vary
• the chocolate topping by melting about 3 ounces of each, dark, milk and
• white chocolate separately. Drop by dollops onto the top of the caramel
• and lightly swirl together to cover. Leave to set before cutting.
• Chocolate Cola Cake*
• serves 8
• Printable Recipe
• A
• deliciously moist chocolate cake with a chocolate cola buttercream
• icing. Serve with a tasty chocolate sauce and some mini marshmallows
• for an extra special treat.
• For the cake:
• 250g butter (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 250g self raising flour (1 3/4 cup)
• 300g golden caster sugar (11/2 cup)
• 3 heaped TBS cocoa powder, sifted
• generous pinch of baking soda
• 200ml of cola drink (slightly more than 3/4 cup)
• 75ml milk (1/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• For the buttercream icing:
• 60g butter, softened (4 1/2 TBS)
• 200g icing sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups approx.)
• 2 to 3 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 TBS cola drink
• For the sauce:
• 4 ounces heavy cream (1/2 cup)
• 3 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
• 70g caster sugar (1/3 cup)
• 60g dark brown sugar, firmly packed (1/3 cup)
• pinch salt
• 60g sifted cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
• To serve: Mini marshmallows
• Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch loose bottomed round cake pan. Set aside.
• Whisk
• the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda together in a large
• bowl. Melt the butter and cola together. Add to the dry ingredients
• along with the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently bur thoroughly.
• Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick
• inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Beat together all the ingredients together for the icing until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake.
• To
• make the sauce, melt the butter and sugars together until they no
• longer feel grainy. Whisk in the cream and heat through. Whisk in the
• cocoa powder until smooth.
• Cut the cake into slices to serve. Sprinkle with some marshmallows and spoon some of the chocolate sauce over top.
• Chocolate Chunk Muffins*
• Makes 8 muffins
• Printable Recipe
• Lovely big and moist muffins, chock full of delicious chunks of chocolate. Mmm . . . mmm . . . good!
• 180g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 150g of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 80ml of vegetable oil (1/3 cup)
• 1 large free range egg
• 80ml of milk (1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 9 ounces of good quality chocolate cut into chunks (1 1/2 cup)
• (I favour Green and Black's Organic Dark Milk chocolate myself)
• Preheat
• oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line 8 muffin cups with paper
• liners. (Fill the remaining cups 1/4 with water to help prevent the pan
• from scorching). Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and
• baking powder together. Whisk together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla.
• Add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix only until the dry
• ingredients are moistened, without overmixing. Fold in the chocolate
• chips.
• Using an ice cream scoop, place one scoop into each lined
• cup. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well risen and a toothpick
• inserted in the centre comes out clean. Delicious warm or cold!
• Sea Salt Chocolate Snaps*
• Makes 8 to 10 snaps
• Printable Recipe
• Sweet, rich, salty, crunchy . . . there isn't a sense these don't tingle!
• 100g (3 1/2 ounces) dark chocolate (You want a good quality one
• with at least 70% cocoa solids. I used Lindt)
• a good handful of shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• a handful of raw macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 7 or 8 cubes of candied ginger, roughly chopped
• a handful of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• flakes of sea salt
• Break the chocolate up and place it into a bowl. Place the bowl over
• simmering water, without allowing the bottom of the bowl to touch the
• water. Leave alone without stirring for about 8 minutes. Halfway
• through the melting time, push the unmelted chocolate down into the
• melted parts. Turn out the heat and just let sit until it is all
• melted.
• Line a large baking sheet with some non stick baking
• paper. Spoon out little disc shapes of the melted chocolate onto the
• paper, spreading it out thinly with the bottom of the spoon. While the
• chocolate is still warm, scatter the chopped nuts and fruits in
• combination over the chocolate. (Pistachio and cranberries are nice.
• Macadamia and cranberries are also nice. Macadamia and ginger is lovely
• as well.) Sprinkle a little sea salt over each.
• Place the tray in the refrigerator to chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully lift from the paper and serve.
• Flourless Chocolate Cake*
• Makes one 9 inch cake
• Printable Recipe
• There
• are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use.
• When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always
• requested.
• 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
• 4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
• 8 ounces butter (1 cup)
• 9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 6 large free range eggs, separated
• Sifted icing sugar to serve
• Preheat
• your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch
• springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of
• parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and
• clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place.
• Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a
• baking tray.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl
• placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch
• the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is
• completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the
• sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a
• time, beating constantly.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff using
• clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to
• combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the
• mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the
• preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall
• drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's
• supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the
• countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours
• before removing the sides of the springform pan.
• Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups*
• Makes about 24 huge cookies
• Printable Recipe
• Double the pleasure. Double chocolate chip cookies, filled with a milk chocolate centre. Decadently scrummilicious!
• 220g of butter, at room temperature
• 201g of soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
• 191g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 TBS pure vanilla
• 500g of plain flour (3 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp fine seasalt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 10 ounces of pure chocolate chips, semi sweet (1 1/2 cups)
• To fill:
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips (1/2 cup), melted
• Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease two medium
• size nonstick muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cream
• together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in
• the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, salt and soda. Stir in
• the flour until well mixed. Stir in the semi sweet chocolate chips.
• Using
• about 1 dessertspoon measure for each roll the dough into balls.
• Flatten half of them and place into the prepared muffin tins. Top each
• with about 1 tsp of the melted milk chocolate chips, taking care to
• keep it in the middle. Take another ball of dough, flatten it and
• place it over the melted chocolate and press around the edges lightly
• to seal the chocolate in. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
• Bake
• in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the muffin tins
• halfway through the baking time. They should be lightly browned on the
• edges and set. Immediately upon removal from the oven run a sharp
• knife around the edges to loosen. Allow to cool completely in the
• muffin tins before popping out. Store in an airtight container.
• Note:
• To serve as a dessert cup, lightly reheat the number of cookies you
• want in the microwave for a few seconds. Place each on a plate. Top
• with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle with some chocolate
• syrup. If you have homemade so much the better!!
• I have a fantastic chocolate sauce recipe here. It's the best!
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding*
• Serves 12 (I have successfully cut this down to a third of a recipe)
• Printable Recipe
• Three little words . . . deliciously decadently MOREISH! May I add Nom Nom!!
• For the Bread:
• 1 (1 pound) loaf of brioche or French bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• (About 7 cups, or 455g)
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (57g)
• For the Custard:
• 3 large free range eggs
• 3 cups of half and half (675ml of a mixture of half cream and half milk)
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (95g)
• 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• For the Cookie Dough:
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (48g)
• 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
• 1 TBS half and half or cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour (99g)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (180g, I used Green & Blacks milk chocolate, chopped)
• Pre-heat
• your oven to 200*C./400*F/ gas mark 6. Toss the bread cubes with the
• melted butter and spread them out onto a couple of large rimmed baking
• sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden.
• Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas
• mark 4.
• Place the bread cubes into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
• Whisk together all of the custard ingredients. Pour this over the
• bread. Let stand for 30 minutes, giving it a turn every so often so
• that the bread absorbs the custard evenly.
• Cream together the
• butter and sugars for the cookie dough until light and fluffy. Beat in
• the vanilla and cream. Mix in the flour and salt until incorporated.
• The dough should come together in large clumps. Stir in the chocolate
• chips.
• Crumble half of the cookie dough over the bread in the
• dish and gently fold together until the dough is covered with custard
• and evenly distributed. Crumble the remaining dough over top.
• Bake
• the pudding for 1 hour, or until the top is puffed and golden brown and
• a silver knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Remove from
• the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• Adapted from the Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis
• Fudge Walnut Brownies*
• Makes 24
• Printable Recipe
• I
• wish I had a pound for every time I have made brownies in my life and
• for every new brownie recipe I have tried! I’d be a rich woman! This is
• my old standard that I return to every time. Moist and delicious with
• full on chocolate flavour, these are everything a good brownie should
• be! You can leave the nuts out if you wish, or you can add chocolate
• chips instead. They then become double chocolate fudge brownies!
• 8 ounces (1 cup) butter
• 140g (1 cup) plain flour
• 4 ounces good quality bitter chocolate
• 4 large free range eggs
• 400g (2 cups) sugar
• 1 TBS vanilla essence (YES 1TBS)
• Pinch salt
• 60g (1/2 cup) cup walnut halves, broken into pieces
• Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour the bottom of an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Tap out any extra flour.
• Melt
• the butter along with the chocolate over low heat in a large pot. Allow
• to cool, then stir in the sugar, eggs (one at a time) vanilla, flour
• and salt, mixing with a wooden spoon and being careful not to over mix,
• no more than 50 strokes!
• Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan
• and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out a little
• wet if you want fudgy brownies. Bake until it comes out cleaner if you
• want cake type brownies, about 40 to 45 minutes for the fudgy ones. Let
• cool a bit before cutting into squares.
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownie Torte*
• Serves 8
• Printable Recipe
• Peanut
• Butter and Chocolate are a marriage made in heaven. This is a tasty,
• moist brownie pie, just stogged full of peanut butter cookie dough. Oh
• so scrummy. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to serve if you
• dare!
• For the Brownie part:
• 3 ounces continental style dark chocolate (at least 70%cocoa solids)
• 3 ounces butter (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 2 large free range eggs
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 ounces of sugar (1 1/3 cup approx.)
• 6.5 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cups)
• For the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough part:
• 8 ounces creamy peanut butter (1 cup)
• 2 ounces caster sugar (1/4 cup)
• 2.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
• 4 TBS butter, melted
• 2 TBS plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large free range egg, beaten
• Vanilla Bean Ice cream to serve (optional)
• Preheat
• the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round baking tin
• and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper. Set