this has no flour, and has texture as meltingly rich as chocolate mousse
185g (6 oz) dark cooking chocolate; 185 g (6 oz) butter; 3/4 cup sugar;
2 tabs. dark rum; 185g (6 oz) ground almonds; pinch salt; 6 eggs, separated
To decorate - whipped cream and chocolate caraque.
Grease a 23cm or 9 inch springform pan and line bottom with baking paper. Set oven to moderately hot (190C or 375F).
Chop chocolate and melt in basin set over simmering water. Allow to cool a little. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Fold in chocolate, rum and almonds.
Whisk egg whites with salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold a large spoonful of egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites in 2 or 3 batches. Be gentle - dont beat the air out of mix.
Pour into prepared tin and level top. Place on a rack set about 1/3 way of from bottom of oven, and bake at moderately hot for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to moderate (180C or 350F) and bake for a further 45 minutes.
The cake will still be soft and moist in the centre.
Allow cake to stand in tin until cold. Carefully remove the sides of springform and peel paper away. Pile whipped cream in centre (which may have fallen a little). Decorate with chocolate caraque.
serves 8 to 10
Chocolate Caraque - a wonderful finish for many desserts or cakes.
Grate about 90 g (3 oz) plain dark chocolate and melt on a plate over pan of hot water, working with palette knife until smooth. Spread this thinly on a marble slab or laminated surface and leave until nearly set. Then, using a long sharf knife, shave off the slab slantwise, using a slight sawing movement and holding knife upright. The chocolate will form long scrolls and flakes. Store in airtight tin.
use individual moulds for this smooth-as-silk French chocolate custard
1 cup milk; 1 cup cream; 250 g (8oz) dark chocolate, grated; 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten; 1 tab finely grated orange rind; sugared violets (for decoration).
Heat milk, cream and chocolate in bowl set over pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted but do not allow to boil. Cool and combine with beaten egg yolks and orange rind. Pour into 6 individual pots or moulds, and arrange them in a baking dish. Pour enough hot water into dish to come halfway up the sides of the custards, and bake in a preheated moderately slow oven (160C or 325F) for 25 minutes, or until set. Remove moulds from water, cool, then chill before serving. Serve decorated with Sugared Violets.
serves 6
Sugared Violets - choose fresh, perfect violets and cut stems very short. Froth a little egg white with a fork, brush gently onto violets with a soft brush, and sprinkle with caster sugar. Dry on a wire rack.
a different dessert - white chocolate cups, filled with lemon souffle, topped with strawberry sauce.
250g (8oz) white chocolate; 30 g (1 oz) copha,
2 eggs separated; 2 teas. caster sugar; 2 teas gelatine; 1 tab water; 2 teas grated lemon rind;
1/3 cup lemon juice; 3/4 cup thickened cream;
3 kiwi fruit; punnet strawberries; 1 tab Cointreau;
1 tab. sugar extra.
Remove patty paper cases very carefully, place chocolate cases on serving plates. Return to refrigerator.
Place egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and rind in top of double saucepan. Beat over simmering water until mixture thickens, approximately 10 minutes. Sprinkle gelatine over hot water, cool a little then add to slightly cooled custard mixture.
Allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Do not refrigerate. When cool, fold in whipped cream and egg whites which have been beaten until firm peaks form.
Spoon mixture into chocolate cups until just below the edge of the cases. Refrigerate until set. Top with slices of peeled kiwi fruit. Allow to stand while preparing sauce. Wash and hull strawberries, place in blender or food processor with sugar, blend until smooth. Strain sauce, stir in liquer, pour over chocolate cups and kiwi fruit.
2 oz butter; 1/2 cup caster sugar; 1 egg; 1 cup self-raising flour; vanilla,
1/2 cup milk; 2 level dess. cocoa.
Cream butter and sugar, add unbeaten egg and little vanilla, and mix well.
Fold in sifted flour and cocoa alternately with milk. Put in greased oven dish. Sprinkle following topping over it.
makes a nice self saucing pudding that serves 6 to 8. Serve with cream or icecream.
250 ml milk; 4 egg yolks; 2/3 cup sugar; 2 tabs cocoa; 100g cooking chocolate; 1 teas vanilla essence;
30 ml thickened cream.
Heat milk in medium saucepan. Beat egg yolks, sugar and sifted cocoa in bowl until mixture is thickened.
Pour hot milk over egg mixture and return to saucepan.
Heat stirring constantly, until custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Melt chocolate in bowl over simmering water and stir through hot custard. Flavour with vanilla essence. Allow to cool covered with plastic wrap.
Whip cream until it forms soft peaks and gently fold through cold custard.
Freeze in tray. Serve with
serves 4 to 6
Pudding - 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream; 360 g dark cooking chocolate;
(chopped) 2 1/2 tabs Grand Marnier liqueur or orange juice.
Base - 60 g butter; 3/4 cup (100g) plain sifted flour; 1 1/2 tabs cocoa;
1/4 cup (45g) icing sugar; 2 egg yolks.
240 g white chocolate buttons melted;
90 g marzipan colour with green food colouring. 30 g marzipan coloured with red food colouring.
To make pudding - place cream into saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Add the chopped chocolate and Grand Marnier and stir until mixture becomes thick and smooth.
Pour onto a baking tray and refrigerate the mixture until it becomes very hard.
To make the base - rub butter into flour, cocoa, and icing sugar until mixture resembles fine breakcrumbs. Add egg yolk and mix thoroughly. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 5
Roll out dough thinly on lightly floured surface and using a 3cm round fluted cutter cut out approx. 14 circles. Bake biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes then allow to cool on tray.
Remove chilled and solid chocolate mixture and cut it into strips. Cut the strips into 2cm lengths and roll each into a ball. Place each ball onto a base circle.
Pipe a little melted white chocolate onto top of each pudding and allow to run slightly down the sides of puddings.
Make little leaves by pinching little pieces of the green marzipan. Place 2 leaves onto white chocolate. Roll very tiny little balls for holly berries with red marzipan and place 3 little balls per pudding on top beside the leaves.
Chill for 20 minutes before serving. serves about 14
Pastry - 180 g butter; 1/2 cup (90g) icing sugar;
2 cups (240g) plain flour; 4 1/2 tab. cocoa;
1 egg.
Filling - 100g butter; 100g dark cooking chocolate;
3 eggs; 1/3 cup (45g) plain flour; 2/3 cup (150g)
castor sugar.
Topping - 1/3 cup (90ml) thickened cream;
250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
TO MAKE PASTRY.
rub butter into sifted dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and work mixture to a dough.
On lightly floured board, roll dough thinly and large enough in size to fill the greased tin. Line pan carefully with pastry and place in refrigerator until filling is ready.
TO MAKE FILLING.
Melt butter and chocolate together in top of double boiler. Whisk eggs, flour and sugar on high speed for 5m inutes. Pourt he melted chocolate and butter mixture into the whisked egg mixture and stir together. Pour chocolate mixture into pastry lined pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
TO MAKE TOPPING.
While tart is baking, place the cream into a saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate, stirring until all chocolate has dissolved. Leave mixture in saucepan, covered, until tart is baked and cooled.
When tart is baked, allow to cool in pan. As it cools the crust will sink - help it to flatten by pressing it down gently.
When the tart is cold and crust flattened, pour the chocolate topping over top of it.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
125 g butter; 250 g dark cooking chocolate, chopped; 6 eggs separated; 1/2 cup (75) caster sugar; 1 1/2 tabs plain flour; 24 chocolate squares OR 24 after dinner mints;
cocoa for dusting.
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease and lightly flour 24 cm round springform cake pan.
Melt butter and chopped chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring to combine.
Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Fold in melted chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture until well combined. Gently fold in the flour.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold through egg yolk mixture.
Pour 3/4 of mixture into prepared pan and bake 40 minutes.
When baked the cake should have shrunk slightly from the sides of pan. Allow it to cool in pan and it should sink in the middle as it cools.
When completely cool, remove the sides of pan from cake and pour the reserved quarter of mixture into the hollow on top of the cake. Take a little of the mixture and spread it thinly around the sides of the cake, spreading the remainder evenly over the top.
Place cake onto a plate or serving dish and then begin arranging the chocolate squares around the sides, making certain that each one overlaps the others. Cut remaining squares with hot knife and press these triangles into the top of the cake.
Refrigerate cake for 1 hour, then remove and dust with cocoa powder before cutting with a hot knife to serve.
