It’s a time for chocolates and it deserves some love! Brace yourself, because it sure is time to treat yourself guilt-free. Chocolates or cocoa has good antioxidants which can provide health benefits when done in moderation. Here is a reason alongside number of impressive ideas to go nuts over Chocolate. Chocolate lovers rejoice, you need to stuff your face with these!
1.Tiramisu
Ingredients:
- 250 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 50 g butter , diced
- sea salt
- 175 g sponge fingers
- 400 ml good hot sweetened coffee
- vin santo or other sweet dessert wine
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 100 g caster sugar
- 750 g mozzarella curds
- 2 oranges
- a few fresh coffee beans , bashed up finely
METHOD:
- Put a glass bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Put 200g of the chocolate into the bowl, keeping the remaining 50g in one piece. Add the diced butter and a pinch of salt, and leave for 5 minutes or so until melted and combined. Help it along by giving it a stir every now and then.
- Meanwhile, line a large, deep bowl or round earthenware dish (about 30cm in diameter and 12cm deep) with the sponge fingers, then carefully pour over the hot sweetened coffee. Add a couple of swigs of vin santo to your melted chocolate, stir it through, then drizzle all over the sponge fingers. Use a spatula to carefully smooth it out to the edges so you’ve got a nice even layer. Put it to one side to cool.
- Separate your eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Add the sugar to the yolks with another swig of vin santo (if you’re feeling naughty!), and whisk with an electric whisk on the highest setting for about 5 minutes, or by hand, until all the sugar has dissolved and the yolks are pale and fluffy. Mix in the mascarpone and the zest of 1 orange.
- Clean and dry your whisk, and whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks – they should be a similar consistency to the yolk and mascarpone mixture, and should hold their shape when you lift the beaters from the bowl.
- Using a large metal spoon, add a spoonful of your whites to the yolk mixture and gently fold them in, then fold through the rest of the whites. Spoon and smooth this creamy mixture on top of your chocolate layer.
- Scatter the finely bashed-up coffee beans over the top. Using a sharp knife or a speed peeler, carefully shave over your remaining chocolate. Finely grate over the zest from half your remaining orange. Pop the tiramisù into the fridge for 2 hours to set.
2. KIT KAT Shake
Ingredients:
* KIT KAT chocolate: 3 Sticks
* Milk – 150ml
* Chocolate Sauce- 60ml
* Vanilla Ice Cream – 2 Scoops
Method:
* Mixed & blend properly.
* Serve in chocolate glazed Pilsner.
* Garnish it with 1 KIT KAT stick on top.
3. Oreo Cookie shake
Ingredients:
* Oreo cookie – 6 pieces
* Milk – 150 ml
* Chocolate sauce – 60 ml
* Ice cream – 2 scoops
Method:
* Mix/blend the oreo cookie, milk, chocolate sauce and ice cream in the shaker.
* Glaze the chocolate sauce on the walls of a glass and then pour the blend into it.
* Garnish it with 2 pieces of cookie on the top and serve chilled.
4. Mud Pie Pastry
Ingredients:
For the base:
* 300g/10½oz bourbon crushed
* 75g melted butter
For the filling:
- 85g dark chocolate
- 85g butter
- 2 free-range eggs
- 85g/3oz muscovado sugar
- 100ml double cream
For the fudge sauce:
- 150ml dark chocolate
- cocoa solids
- 150ml double cream
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 175g/6oz sieved icing sugar
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Mix the biscuits and melted butter together in a bowl. Press the mixture into the base and sides of a 23cm in springfrom tin. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- For the filling, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water).
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl for 5-6 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Fold in the cream and melted chocolate mixture. Pour into the chilled springform tin and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, for the fudge sauce, heat all of the fudge sauce ingredients in a saucepan, stirring regularly, over a medium heat until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Spread the sauce over the cooled pie and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Serve with double cream.