Easy Chocolate Moose

Chocolate Moose


Ingredients:
320g (12oz) strong dark chocolate - 70% coco solids min
30g (1oz) unsalted butter
6 eggs
pinch of salt

Method:

1 - Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a large bowl.

2 - Break the chocolate into small pieces I like to use a chefs knife to cut it up as it helps with the melting,

3 - Put the chocolate in glass bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Add the butter and allow both to gently melt.

4 - Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk till they are just becoming stiff.

5 - Take the yolks and mix them up with a fork.

6 - When the chocolate and butter have melted allow them to cool for a couple of minutes then stir in the yolks.

7 - Fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon or spatula in three to four batches until fully mixed.

7 - Pour into ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for a couple of hours to set.

This is great topped with a little fresh whipped cream, or served with Amaretto Biscuits.

Easy Chocolate Tart

This is a recipe I got from an old recipe book, and it is just divine. I have also made it by adding some chopped roasted hazelnuts to the mix. Yum yum.

I have served this at many a dinner party and each time it has been raved about and I have passed this recipe out to more people than any other.

Ingredients: -
For the pastry
250g/9oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch salt
100g/3½oz cold butter
1  egg
1  yolk
50g/2oz caster sugar


For the filling
400ml/14fl oz double cream
few drops vanilla extract
100g/3½oz caster sugar
400g/14oz dark chocolate, must be 80% or more cocoa solids
50g/2oz butter
50g of chopped roasted hazelnuts or flaked almonds

Method

1. For the pastry, place the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and blitz until the mixture is like breadcrumbs.

2. Add the egg, egg yolk and sugar and pulse until the mixture forms a dough. Place into cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.



4. Place dough out on a lightly floured surface and rollinto a sausage about 3" wide. then slice off 5m sections and line a 25cm/10in fluted tart tin. I find slicing the pasty when chilled then pressing it down like Playdoh really easy and is much better than all the fuss of rolling and dropping it. trip the top of the pastry on the tin

5. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on top and weigh it down with baking beans or coins.

6. Blind bake the pastry for 15-18 minutes dependent on the oven, or until lightly browned. remove from the oven and leave to cool.



6. Meanwhile, for the filling, bring the cream, vanilla extract and sugar slowly to the boil in a pan.



7. Break the chocolate and butter into pieces and place into a large bowl. Pour over the cream mixture and whisk slowly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.



8. Pour the chocolate mixture into the tart case (add the chopped hazelnuts or almond flakes after the mix, this lets them stay at the top of the tart and makes it look really proffesional) and leave to cool. Place in the fridge to set for two hours.



9. Add the white chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the remaining cream.



10. To serve, cut the tart into wedges . Serve with some whipped cream and a few chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on the cream.



This is soooooo rich, but amazing.

Moist Chocolate Cake

I got this recipe from an old food processor recipe book, the cake is amazing and very moreish. it's one of my wifes favourites, and i am not allowed to make this when she is on one of her diets.
Ingredients: -
4 eggs
225g Caster Sugar
2 Drops of Vanilla Essence
150g Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids any less and the cake does not work due to the fat content of the chocolate)
125g unsalted butter
50ml water
25g plain flour
50g Ground Almonds
Whipped Cream or  good quality Ice-Cream to serve and Icing Sugar to dust.
Use a 7 inch (18cm), lose bottom cake tin.

Method: -
1 - Preheat oven to gas mark 3 / 170°C / 320°F

2 - Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.

3 - Put chocolate, butter and water in a bowl and heat over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not stir until it is completely melted. When they are all melted stir gently together. This is key, not to stir until it is melted as the water changes the composition of the chocolate if stirred too soon. I hav made a mess of this so many times.

4 - Using a metal spoon or spatula gently fold in the creamed mixture into the chocolate mix, and then fold in almonds and flour.

5 - Pour into cake tin and cook for 20-25 mins. To check if cooked see if the top is crispy.

Note – The cake will rise in the oven, but when cooled it will sink. The outside will be crispy and the centre will be slightly gooey a bit like a chocolate brownie.

Now dust with icing sugar and serve this with the whipped cream or ice-cream, and Indulge in chocolate heaven.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is on old recipe my Gran used to make. it so so easy and is so tasty. try it you will be amazed at how easy it all is.

Ingredients: -


100g dark muscovado sugar

175 g self-raising flour

125 ml full-fat milk

1 x egg

1 tsp vanilla, extract

50 g unsalted butter, melted

200g chopped rolled dates - I like to use 100g dates and 100g raisens/sultanas



For the toffee sauce: -

200 g dark muscovado sugar

25 g unsalted butter, approximately, in little blobs

500 ml boiling water



Method

• Preheat the oven to 190 C/gas mark 5 (note: about 375F) and butter a 1 1/2 litre capacity pudding dish. (if you use a 1 ltire dish multiply the quantities by 0.8 and use a small egg.

• Take the 100g of dark muscovado sugar and mix with the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring jug or smaller bowl and beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter, then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring  with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine. Fold in the dates then scrape into the buttered pudding dish. Don't worry if it doesn't look full: the mix rises as it cooks.

• For the sauce: Sprinkle over the 200g dark muscovado sugar and break the 25g of butter into small pieces and place all over the top of the bowl.

• Pour over the boiling water over the mix in the bowl. yes pour boiling water over the mix (this works, honest) and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more. The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it's cooked.

•  Underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky toffee sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, double or single cream as you wish.

Now enjoy, sit back and be in food heaven

Shortbread

This is my Grampa's Recipe and it is so easy. When I was a young boy he used to make this with me, now I make it with my young son. this is what started me cooking, so hopefully it will do the same for my son too.

Thats us making the shortbread

Ingredients: -



50g caster Sugar

100g Unsalted Butter

150g Plain Flour



Preheat Oven to 170 deg C / 320 deg F / Gas Mark 3



Sieve flour into a mixing bowl, then add sugar and the butter.



Mix with your hands until the mixture becomes one lump of dough.



Place onto a floured worktop and roll to 10mm / 1 cm thick.



Cut out biscuits using scone cutter or a glass, and place onto a backing tray. My son loves to use his own cutters from his own playsets

Place in the over for 20 Min's. Check after 15-17 Min's and remove if they are light golden brown.



If the biscuits start to go golden brown they will be over cooked and taste slightly burnt. They should still be soft when you remove them from the oven.



Place on a rack to cool.