Chocolate Berry Goo Puds

Did this for Lara's 16th as she requested 'something REALLY chocolaty and with berries'. It did the trick. Do not attempt to eat this more than once in 16 years as you will die from chocolate overdose. 

Butter up 6 ramekins. It'll fill about 4 small and two large, so you can cater to various chocolate needs. Put a bunch of mixed berries in the bottom. 

Melt together: 

• 105g butter
• 345g dark chocolate 

Beat till thick and zabaglioned up: 

• 5 large eggs 
• 0.75 cups sugar 
• vanilla essence 

Add the two, plus 2tbsp cocoa powder (did we really need that?), in two doses to minimize deflation.  pour mix over berries. Can leave in fridge for 24 hours if necessary at this point. 

Bake at 180 for 15 mins. A few more if from chilled. 

Tip out onto plates, serve topped with fresh berries and some cream on the side. 

NOT for the faint-hearted. 

Chocolate Cinnamon Crumb Squares

Wouldn't rave about these but they do stick to yer ribs and they are chocolaty. Need some cream to go with them. Frankly can't taste the cinnamon.

For the crumble topping 

• 50g plain flour 
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 50g light muscovado sugar 
• 50g butter

For the cake 

• 200g plain chocolate 
• 175g softened butter 
• 200g light muscovado sugar 
• 3 eggs 
• 175g self-raising flour 

Make the crumble first and set aside. Make the cake (cream butter and sugar, melt chocolate, add, etc.). Pour into 20cm square tin, top with crumble, bake at 150 for 40 mins, until skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 mins then dust over with icing sugar and cut into squares.

Chocolate Swiss Log

Whisk 100g of caster sugar with three whole eggs, until it's all thick and creamy and leaves a trail. Stir in a mix of 75g plain flour and 25g cocoa powder and 15ml hot water, pour into a lined Swiss Roll tin and bake at 180 for about 8-9 minutes until it's pouffy and done. Tip out onto a sugar-sprinkled sheet of baking paper and roll it up while it's hot. Set aside to cool.

The mix I filled it was a cream-cheese and lemon zest, which worked very nicely. Covered it with a simple dark chocolate ganache and all good. Fed 8 as a very light but yummy dessert.

Chocolate Berry Pastries

Apparently these are 'Breakfast Of The Year.' Easiest breakfast since sliced toast. 

Cut a sheet of frozen puff pastry into squares, put an appropriate amount of Nutella and berries in a corner, fold each into triangles, seal with a fork and bake on high. Dust with icing sugar and serve hot. 

Big discussion amongst the kids today as to how frequently they should be served for breakfast. Some thought they were so special they should be kept for once a month, others thought to hell with that let's have them at least once a week. So there you go. 

Chocolate mousse terrine (in various stages)

The one constant I like in this one is the sponge on the base. You can make a chocolate one or a vanilla one depending on how you feel - but just a plain one will do. If it's adults, and you have a chocolate sponge, it's nice to pour a bit of Kahlua over it. Or brandy. Or whatever comes to hand. Anyway, prep your sponge in the same size as the terrine.

Strawberries and chocolate are nice. Slice some strawberries in half, arrange flat along the base of your terrine, after lining the whole thing nicely with ling film. Then pour in the first layer of mousse, which will be some combo of

200ml thickened cream, about 120g melted chocolate (white, milk, dark, whatever you want), a couple of tsp of gelatin dissolved in about 50ml of warm milk. Mix, pour over the strawberries, allow to set (about an hour).

You can follow this up with another layer of chocolate, of another sort. I'm thinking of trying a chili dark chocolate layer and a white chocolate layer. When it's all set and ready (1 hour per layer) put the prepped sponge on top and refrigerate for another couple of hours.

When you're ready, turn out onto a serving platter. Slice.

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup each of plain flour and rolled oats,
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened,
cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup each of granulated and brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
vanilla essence
6 oz chocolate chips


Mix up (combine dry ingredients, whisk wets, then amalgamate), dollop into baking trays well spaced and bake at 180. Make sure NOT to overcook or they'll turn into Ninja throwing weapons.

Chocoholic's First Aid

If you've a chocoholic who needs urgent resuscitation, this could be the recipe to grab. You’ll require (per one patient):

 

A large mug or oversize ramekin

4 tablespoons of flour (add baking powder if plain)

2 melted tablespoons of butter

2.5 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 egg

A few chocolate drops

 

Mix all the dry ingredients in the ramekin, add the butter and egg, mix, add choc drops. Microwave until it stops rising. Administer to your chocoholic with action-pump squirty cream accompaniment. They will soon lose that mad look and relax, and you can get on with your evening.