and just tuck in
Two foods that I love most in this world- chocolate and cheese. So imagine my delight when whilst shopping I came across Wensleydale with dark chocolate chunks.
To some this may sound disgusting- to me this is heaven. I instantly bought some and was not disappointed. The combination is delicious!
I find that my cookies don’t seem to come out of the oven the same shape that they went in- they often seem to merge into each other and look a little bit like squares- but if you cut them into slices no-one would ever know and they actually look quite reasonable. As often is the case with my food it tasted a lot better than it looks, and as always with cookies tasted best when fresh out of the oven.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 ripe pears, peeled and cored
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 tbls caster sugar
1 tbls amaretto liqueur
50g icing sugar
1 tbls cocoa powder
25g ground almonds
1 egg white
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F/ Gas 3
2. Cut pears in 1cm cubes. Place in saucepan with lemon juice and caster sugar and cook over a medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. When they are cooked pour the amaretto over the pears, then spoons the pears with the juices into 4 x 150ml ramekins.
4. To prepare the topping sift the icing sugar and the cocoa powder into a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds.
5. In a separate bowl which the egg white until stiff. Gently fold the egg white into the dry ingredients.
6. Spoon the chocolate meringue mix over the pears and shake the ramekins to level it. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 mins until the topping is firm to the touch. Serve warm and enjoy.
This was my first attempt at this recipe (taken from BBC Good Food Website). I think it went pretty well for a first time. Tasted really nice, though I think I would prefer to have more chocolate on top, about 1 1/2 times the amount as it didn’t quite cover the pears as much as I would have liked. I would also like to try soaking the pears in the amaretto overnight so that more of the flavour was captured by them. Overall though very yummy, a good mix of fruit and chocolate. And quite quick to make.
The presentation of this cake may need a lot of work…. however the taste does not! I cannot even begin to describe how amazing this tastes. It’s like chocolate goo heaven! Not recommended for those who don’t like chocolate, or who are on a diet. The sponge is so moist and lovely, and then the combination of ganache and buttercream icing is to die for!
I did however use dark muscovado sugar in my recipe instead of light as it says below and I think this makes it taste much richer.
Preparation Time 30mins, Cooking time 1 to 2 hours
For the cake
200g/ 7oz plain chocolate
200g/ 7oz butter, cubed
100ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz water
125g/ 4 1/2 oz self raising flour
125g/ 4 1/2 oz plain flour
25g/ 1oz cocoa powder
200g/ 7oz light muscovado sugar
200g/ 7oz golden caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
75ml/ 2 1/2 fl oz creme fraiche
For the chocolate buttercream icing
50g/ 1 3/4oz plain chocolate
100g/ 3 1/2oz unsalted butter
200g/ 7oz icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache
150ml/ 5 1/4oz double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp unsalted butter
150g/ 5 1/4oz plain chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/ 335F/ Gas 3. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.
2. Melt the chocolate, butter and water together in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Sift the flours and cocoa powder into a bowl and mix in the muscovado and caster sugar.
4. Beat the eggs and creme fraiche together in a separate bowl, then beat in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour mixture until smooth.
5. Divide the cake mix between the tins and bak for 35- 40 mins, or until the top is firm to the touch.
6. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
7. Meanwhile, for the chocolate buttercream icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl.
8. Beat the butter in a bowl until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and fold in the melted chocolate until smooth.
9. For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream, vanilla extract, butter and chocolate, then remove from heat and whisk the mixture until smooth and thickened.
10. Remove cakes carefully from the tines.
11. Spread the chocolate buttercream over the top of one of the cakes, then carefully top with the other cake.
12. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and spoon the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle over the edge.
This recipe is not my own- I got it from the BBC food website.
Over the Christmas holidays I ate a lot of food. This of course is a given for most people at this time of year. However I was particularly spoilt this year. I went on holiday to Corcheval snowboarding with my family and stayed in a Chalet where I was cooked for everyday. The food was in my opinion amazing. Every evening we had a selection a canapés before sitting down to a 3 course meal followed by cheese. Needless to say I didn’t lose any weight while I was away!
Below are a couple of photographs I took with the Hipstomatic App on my Iphone as I didn’t take my DSLR with me. The two meals are scallops, and duck, with a chocolate tart to end. These photographs really do not do it justice.
Abandon Spoon! 