CHOCOLATE ORANGE TRUFFLE TORTE
Serves 10-12
180ml flour
45ml cocoa powder
pinch of salt
4 eggs
180ml castor sugar
60g butter, melted and cooled
50ml orange liqueur or fruit juice
TOPPING
400g good chocolate, chopped
375ml cream
45ml orange liqueur (optional)
cocoa powder for decoration
Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt. Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until very thick and pale, about five minutes. Carefully fold in sifted dry ingredients, then fold in the melted butter.
Pour mixture into a base-lined 25cm cake pan and bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove and turn on to a cooling rack. When the cake is completely cold, trim it to fit into the base of a 23cm springform cake pan. Sprinkle liqueur over cake.
TOPPING: Heat the chocolate and cream in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in the liqueur.
Put in the fridge to cool. Using an electric mixer, beat the chocolate until it begins to thicken. Spoon on top of the cake and smooth with a spatula.
Chill until firm.
Remove from the cake pan on to a serving plate.
Sift with cocoa powder and decorate with white chocolate truffles.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PROFITEROLES
Makes 15-16
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
200g dark chocolate
80g butter
2 eggs
30ml honey
250ml cream, whipped
CHOUX PASTRY
250ml water
100g butter
250ml flour
3-4 eggs
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
100g dark chocolate
50ml cream
MOUSSE: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl and place over hot water until melted. Remove and allow to cool.
Beat eggs and honey in a bowl until thick. Add to the chocolate, mixing well. Fold in the cream and refrigerate.
PASTRY: Bring water and butter to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add in all the flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball in the centre of the pan.
Remove from pan and allow to cool completely. Put dough in an electric mixer and add three of the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add only enough of the fourth egg to make a stiff and shiny dough that holds its shape.
Put spoonfuls of the mixture on a greased baking tray and bake at 190ºC for 20 to 30 minutes until puffed and golden.
Remove and pierce the side of each to allow steam to escape.
Return to the oven and bake at 180ºC for a further five minutes. Remove and cool completely.
SAUCE: Melt chocolate and cream together.
TO SERVE: Fill a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle with the chocolate mousse and fill the profiteroles. Pile on a serving plate. Drizzle with sauce.
WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE
Serves 10-12
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
80g butter, melted
500g thick cream cheese
180ml castor sugar
30ml flour
5ml vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
250ml crème fraiche
100g white chocolate, finely chopped
2 punnets fresh raspberries
30ml castor sugar
30ml berry liqueur (optional)
50g white chocolate, grated
Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into a greased 20cm springform pan to form a base.
Wrap the outside, base and sides of the pan with a double layer of foil. Put in fridge to set. Beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and well mixed. Beat in the flour. Add the vanilla. Add eggs and egg yolks gradually. Last, stir in the crème fraiche and chopped chocolate.
Spoon mixture into the prepared cake pan and scatter evenly with half the raspberries. Put in a large roasting pan half-filled with hot water and bake at 180ºC for 45 minutes.
It should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, chill in fridge for at least two hours before serving.
TO SERVE: Combine remaining raspberries, sugar and liqueur or a little water in a saucepan and heat gently. Unmould cake on a serving platter, sprinkle with grated white chocolate and pile raspberries in the middle of the cake.
HONEYCOMB CHOCOLATE DELIGHT
Serves 10-12
200g packet of Marie biscuits, crushed
100g butter, melted
250g thick cream cheese
250g mascarpone
397g can of condensed milk
200g white chocolate, melted and cooled
15ml gelatine, softened in 50ml water
250ml cream, whipped
3 chocolate honeycomb bars (Crunchies), crushed
To serve: Strawberries, grated chocolate or curls of chocolate
Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into a deep, 23cm springform pan. Chill in fridge.
Combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and condensed milk and beat well. Beat in the melted chocolate.
Melt gelatine in the microwave for 10 seconds and beat into the mixture. Fold in the whipped cream and the honeycomb bars. Spoon mixture over the prepared biscuit base and chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours until set.
TO SERVE: Unmould cheesecake on to a serving platter and decorate with chocolate curls or grated chocolate and strawberries.
Pile chunks of honeycomb in the centre.
ANGELA DAY
* For household queries, recipes and tips, call the Angela Day Helpline at 011 836 7181 between 8.30am and 12.30pm weekdays, or e-mail Janice at [email protected].
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Saturday Star