It's that time of year when everyone has guilt-free permission to indulge their chocolate habit. Usually one square is plenty for me, but occasionally I'll lose myself in a dessert.
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE WITH MAPLE SYRUP AND CARDAMOM CREAM
Sometimes, only the classics will hit the spot ...
SERVES 6
for the maple syrup and cardamom cream
4 cardamom pods,
seeds only
250ml pure cream
1½ tbsp maple syrup
for the souffle
butter, softened for greasing
2½ tbsp caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra
175g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
3 tbsp pure cream
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
cocoa powder, to dust
To make the cream, grind the cardamom seeds using a mortar and pestle. Put in a bowl with the cream and whisk until the cream just holds its shape. Fold through the maple syrup. Place in fridge until needed.
To make the souffle, preheat the oven to 200°C and place a baking tray on the top shelf. Grease six 150ml ramekins with a generous amount of butter, sprinkle each with caster sugar, then tip out any excess. Keep in the fridge until needed.
Put the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool, then mix in the egg yolks, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add remaining sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking as you go until all the sugar has been incorporated. Mix a spoonful into the chocolate to loosen the mixture, then gently fold in the rest.
Spoon mixture to fill each ramekin, then run your thumb around the edges to help the souffle rise evenly. Place on the heated baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes or until well risen. Dust each soufflé with cocoa and serve with a dollop of maple and cardamom cream.
TOBLERONE COOKIES WITH ICE-CREAM AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE
These cookies don't last long in my house. The recipe came about when one day I decided it was time to use up all the duty-free chocolate in the cupboard.
SERVES 4
for the cookies
55g butter, softened
100g tightly packed
soft brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup plain flour, plus an extra ⅓ cup
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
150g Toblerone dark chocolate, chopped
vanilla ice-cream, to serve
for the chocolate sauce
250ml pure cream
150g dark chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Cream butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth then stir in the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, salt and three-quarters of the chocolate.
Drop 8 generously heaped tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, 4 per sheet. Leave plenty of space between each to allow for spreading. Sprinkle the remaining chopped Toblerone over the surface of the cookies. Bake for 15 minutes, until covered with cracks but not completely firm to the touch. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before carefully removing each from the paper.
To make the chocolate sauce, pour the cream into a small pan and heat until scalding. Put the chocolate in a separate bowl and pour over the hot cream. Add a pinch of salt and stir until the chocolate has melted.
Break the cookies into bite-sized pieces and serve with ice-cream and the chocolate sauce.
Bill's tip
The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to three days. Warm them slightly in the oven before eating to freshen.
CHOCOLATE, FRUIT AND NUT TRUFFLES
These dairy-free truffles taste great and are healthy enough to put in the kids' lunch boxes.
MAKES 20
125g dried pitted dates
125g dried apricots
100g almond meal
2 tbsp cocoa powder
75g hazelnuts, finely chopped and toasted
100g desiccated coconut
Whiz the dried dates and apricots in a food processor. Tip into a bowl and stir in the almond meal and cocoa powder to make a firm mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts with a wooden spoon. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 20 truffles, adding a little extra almond meal if the mixture is too sticky to handle. Roll into a bowl with desiccated coconut. Store in an airtight container.
Food preparation by Marina Filippelli. Props merchandising by Rachel Jukes.
