CHOCOLATE AND THYME SHORTBREAD
Makes 20-25
15ml chopped thyme
80ml castor sugar
150g good quality
dark chocolate
430ml cake flour
180ml rice flour
grated rind of 1 orange
200g butter, softened
Combine 10ml of the thyme with 30ml of the castor sugar and chop the thyme into the sugar on a board until you have a smooth mixture. Melt the chocolate. Put the cake flour, rice flour, orange rind, the remaining 5ml thyme and the rest of the castor sugar in a bowl.
Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the melted chocolate and, using a round bladed knife, bring the mixture together to form a dough.
Turn the dough on to your work surface and shape into a log about 30cm long. Roll in baking paper and refrigerate for one hour.
Roll the log in the sugar and thyme mixture and cut into slices. Place on to a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until pale golden brown. Remove and cool.
WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND ROLLS
Makes 18
100g slivered almonds, lightly toasted
100g good quality white chocolate
15ml castor sugar
12 sheets phyllo pastry
100g butter, melted
250ml sugar
125ml water
5 cardamom pods, bruised
15ml lemon juice
Berry sauce:
250g berries (fresh or frozen)
30-40ml icing sugar
Put almonds, chocolate and sugar in a food processor and process until fine.
Place one phyllo pastry sheet on the work surface and brush with melted butter. Top with another sheet of pastry. Cut the sheets into 3 equal strips. At the base of each strip place a mound of the chocolate and nut mixture. Roll over to enclose the filling, fold in the sides and roll up. Brush with butter and place on to a baking tray.
Repeat with remaining sheets of pastry and mixture. Bake at 160°C for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and soak with the cardamom syrup. Leave to cool and serve with the berry sauce.
Cardamom syrup: Put sugar, water and cardamom into a sauce-pan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Remove and set aside.
Berry sauce: Place berries and icing sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. If you like a smooth sauce, press mixture through a sieve.
WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Makes 24
500ml flour
10ml baking powder
250ml castor sugar
100g white chocolate, chopped
100g pecan nuts, chopped
3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
5ml vanilla essence
Sift flour, baking powder and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add chopped chocolate and nuts. Stir in eggs, vanilla essence and mix well.
Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 slightly flattened logs about 20cm in length and place on a paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden.
Remove from oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 1cm-thick slices and return to the baking sheet.
Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C and bake for a further 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through the baking time, until pale golden in colour. Remove from oven and cool.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE MARBLE CAKE
150g butter
250ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla essence
2 extra large eggs
finely grated rind of 1 orange
500ml flour
10ml baking powder
pinch salt
125ml milk
30ml orange juice
100g good quality dark chocolate, melted
Chocolate glaze:
100g dark chocolate
50ml cream
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla essence in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat well until soft and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add orange rind. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and add to the egg mixture alternately with milk and orange juice.
Spoon half the cake mixture into another bowl and mix in melted chocolate. Drop alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla mixture into a greased and lined 20cm 13cm loaf pan.
Once it has all been used up, run a flat-bladed knife through the mixture to create a marbled effect.
Bake at 180°C for 45- 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool in pan five minutes before turning out on to a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, spoon over chocolate glaze and decorate with orange slices or grated orange rind if desired.
Chocolate glaze: Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and place over boiling water to melt. Stir to combine and let cool to a spreading consistency. - Saturday Star