THE SUPREME CHOCOLATE

Chocolate is a superfood, a piece of delight that satisfies our taste and soothes our soul.  Here are seceral chocolate recipes.

            CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ALMOND POWDER AND CAYENNE PEPPER

A wonderful cake.

200 g dark chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou), finely chopped

200 g butter

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tsp instant coffee

(Melt butter and chocolate, add the Cayenne pepper and instant coffee, mix well together and set aside to cool)

300 g sugar, * three tbsp. reserved for the egg whites

6 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt, then whipped stiff with the reserved sugar

1 vanilla

60 g self-raising flour mixed with

40 g almond powder or more and

½ tsp baking soda

Ganache:

100 ml cream

100 g finely chopped chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou) 1 tsp honey

(Heat the cream, pour over the chocolate and honey and mix very well together)

A few hulled strawberries for garnish

Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.   Add the flour/almond flour mixture and stir well together.

Pour in the chocolate/ butter mixture and stir until no streaks are visible.   Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped egg whites and place the batter in buttered tin, lined with

baking parchment.  Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then reverse on a dish, spread with ganache, garnish with strawberries and serve.

                                        

                               CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM CUSTARD

An Individual  Chocolate Cake with Rum Custard

One of our favourite desserts.

Cake:

195 g (1½ cup) self-rising flour

45 g (¼ cup) sifted cocoa

1 vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

115 g (¼ cup) butter, softened

1 egg

125 ml (Greek yoghurt)

125 ml boiling water

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a tin with buttered baking parchment and brush the sides with melted butter.

Mix the five first ingredients of the cake together.   Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and yoghurt and whip until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients and the boiling water and stir until the batter is smooth.
  

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and wait for 10 minutes the reverse on a dish and allow to cool.

Rum Custard:

687.5 ml (2¾ cups) milk

125 ml (½ cup) dark rum

1 vanilla

3 egg yolks

100 g (½ cup) sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp butter

Simmer the milk the rum and the vanilla for 5 minutes and whip the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour until creamy and thick.  Allow the milk to cool for 5 minutes and ladle it into the egg mixture, beating constantly as you add.  Return the saucepan to the fire and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens, about 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the butter, cover with cling film and set aside to cool.  Then place it in the fridge for ½ an hour.

Cover the chocolate cake with the rum custard and make a pretty design on the top with the help of a spoon and refrigerate covered.

Bring to room temperature before serving. 

                                         EGGLESS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

A delicious dessert. 

125 ml (½ cup) water

3 tbsp sugar

210 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

½ tbsp. rum

250 ml (1 cup) + 1 tbsp heavy cream

Place the chocolate in a large bowl.   Simmer the water and sugar, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the fire and cool a little.  Pour the hot syrup over the chocolate and whip until smooth and glossy.   Stir in the rum and set aside to cool.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold 1/3 into the cool chocolate mixture.  Then, very gently fold in the remaining cream until no traces of white are visible. 

Divide the chocolate mousse into serving cups, cover with cling film and chill until it sets.  Remove from the fridge 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

                                        MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

A delightful chocolate dessert.

120 g (4 oz) butter, cubed

120 g (4 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

180 g ( 6 oz) brown sugar

4 eggs

60 g (2 oz) plain flour

Raspberries to serve

Heat oven to 180 C (350 F), also, butter 6 ramekins a d place them on a baking tin.

Melt the butter and chocolate, over very low heat, stir until smooth and glossy, cool, whisk in the sugar until it dissolves.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whipping well each time, until thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Sift the flour evenly over add the vanilla and fold gently, until no traces of white are evident. 

Divide among the ramekins and bake for 16 minutes, until the tops are firm but the centres are liquid.   Run a flexible knife the edge of the ramekins and turn out onto plates and serve with raspberries or strawberries.

Delicious Greek Dark Chocolate