Chocolate is the product made from the seeds of the Theobroma Cacao tree.   Theobroma is Greek for “food of the gods”.   One has to wonder if the gods in Mount Olympus would have preferred a cup of hot, spicy chocolate in place of nectar, or a moist chocolate pie instead of ambrosia, had they been lucky enough to have tasted the tiniest bit of chocolate

        But jokes apart, we have to be grateful to the majority of the Central and South Americans, for growing this invaluable product, and of course to the Spanish, for introducing it to Europe and the rest of the world.

        Health-wise, dark chocolate has been proven to reduce the possibility of heart attack, when consumed in moderation. Also, it has been said that chocolate strengthens our memory and learning abilities and promotes our wellbeing and happiness. So let’s eat chocolate every day… in moderation.

                                                   CHOCOLATE PIE

          You could replace the hazelnuts and orange-flavoured liqueur with those of your choice.

          

200 g (6½ oz) dark chocolate, cut in small pieces

200 g (6½ oz) butter, cubed

6 eggs, separated, whites whipped with a pinch of salt, to the soft peak stage

300 g (1½ cup) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp orange-flavoured liqueur

100 g ( a bare cup) self raising flour, sifted

100 g (about 1 cup) ground hazelnuts dusted with a little flour

Melted butter for the cake tin

For the Chocolate Cream Sauce:

100 g (about 3 oz) dark chocolate cut in small pieces

100 ml cream

1 heaped tsp honey
2 tbsp orange-flavoured liqueur (only for grow-ups)

        Melt the chocolate and butter, in a bowl over simmering water, mix well together and let cool.

        Beat the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla, until light in colour and doubled in bulk.  Stir in the chocolate mixture and the liqueur, and keep stirring until well combined.  Sift the flour over the batter and  just mix.   Fold in first, 2 tbsp of whipped egg whites, then the hazelnuts and finally the remaining egg whites, very gently.  

       Pour in a round cake tin, lined with baking parchment brushed with butter, and bake in an oven, preheated to 180C (350 F)  for 30-40 minutes.  Reverse the cake and set aside to cool.

        Meanwhile prepare the sauce.   Place the chocolate bits in a bowl.   Heat the cream, just under boiling point and pour over the chocolate.   Add the honey and liqueur, if using, wait for a minute or two, then stir well until you have a thick and glossy sauce.

        Cover the cake with the chocolate sauce and garnish with chocolate curls, hazelnuts or the fruit of your choice.

(Serves 8-10)         

   

                                     CHOCOLATE DESSERT

       You can prepare this delicious dessert with, or without coffee and brandy.   You can also serve it as a cake, dusted with icing sugar.

180 g (6 oz) good quality dark chocolate cut in small pieces

105 g (almost 3 ½ oz) butter

1/2  tsp instant coffee

6 eggs, separated, whites stiffly beaten with a pinch of salt

180 g (1 cup less 1 tbsp) caster sugar

1 scant tsp vanilla

135 g (1 ample cup ) self-raising flour mixed with 1½ tsp baking powder

1½ tbsp brandy

Chocolate Cream Sauce:

200 g (about 7 oz) good quality dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

200 g (about 7 oz) cream

1 tsp honey

         Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water, and mix well together.   Stir in the instant coffee, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

         Beat the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Pour in the cool chocolate mixture and stir well.   Add the brandy, flour and baking powder, and mix the batter lightly, until combined.  Carefully fold in the whipped egg whites and pour in a cake tin, lined with baking parchment.

  

         Bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Reverse the cake and set it aside to cool.

          For the sauce, place the chocolate pieces in a bowl.  Heat the cream just below boiling point and pour over the chocolate, add the honey,  and mix very well until the sauce is cold, smooth and glossy.

     

          Place the cake on a platter, spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the top, and garnish with fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate, or crystallized chestnuts.

(8-10 servings)

                             

                                 

   CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

                                         

          This is a light chocolate cake and very appropriate for young children.  It is also a suitable base for making a dessert with fruit and cream, like a Black Forest Cherry Cake. 

6 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiffly with a pinch of salt

300 g (1½ cup) caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

170 (1 + 1/3 cup) self raising flour

60 g (2/3 cup) good quality cocoa

½ tsp baking powder, diluted in

1 tbsp water

          Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.  Combine the flour with cocoa, sift over the beaten egg yolks and mix with a rubber spatula.  Stir in the baking powder solution and, finally, fold in the whipped egg whites. 

   

       Pour the batter into a prepared cake tin, lined with baking parchment, and bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.

(Serves 8-10)