Tag Archives: chocolate

Chocolate Eclair Pots

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Desserts, Valentine's

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Chocolate eclair pots
This is a dessert that my mom used to make that would be perfect for a Valentines’ Day treat.

I made the whip cream and chocolate ganache to step it up a notch.
This was a BIG hit with friends at the dinner we hosted last night.

What you will need:
1 box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1.5  Cups of Whipping Cream
8oz Chocolate Bar
8 Graham Crackers
1/2 Cup of Scalded Heavy Cream

I made 6 pots out of this so change accordingly if you want to make more or less.

First make the instant pudding which just requires milk. SUPER EASY. It sits for 10 minutes in the fridge.

Whipped cream

Whipped cream

Then whip 1.5 cups of whipping cream.

Fold the instant pudding into the whipped cream. Put it back in the fridge to sit while you make the chocolate ganache.

Fold cream

Fold cream

First chop your chocolate into bits. Then pour the cream in a double boiler over medium heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, add your chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted.

Melt chocolate

Melt chocolate

Let the ganache sit off the heat for a few minutes to help it thicken.

You can either layer this with graham crackers in a small casserole dish or in individual pots.

The pots are cleaner and have a better presentation but either one works.

Lay crackers

Lay crackers

You just layer graham crackers and the spread the vanilla cream over it. Put the vanilla cream mixture in a baggie and piped it out for better control but you can just spoon it.

Pipe cream

Pipe cream

You should be able to do this about three or four times before topping it off with chocolate ganache.

Continue layering

Continue layering

Let it sit in your fridge for at least an hour before serving.

This is a quick and easy dessert that looks and tastes like you slaved over it!

Enjoy!
Joy

Chocolate and Hazelnut cake

28 Saturday Apr 2012

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Chocolate and Hazelnut cake

It was my friend Emma’s birthday at work and so I decided to make a chocolate cake I have been making since I was a kid. You can never really fail, unless you over-cook it. It turned out pretty good and everyone gobbled it down, so here it is:

Prep time: 20mins
Cooking time: 25 – 30mins at 180C

For the cake you will need:
200g dark chocolate (mine was 76% cocoa)
100g of hazelnuts (whole)
150g granulated sugar
150g butter
100g raising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda

For the ganache you will need:
100g dark chocolate
50g icing sugar
50g butter

Before you do anything turn your oven onto 180C. You will need two big bowls. Take your eggs and separate into the two bowls the yolks and the whites. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk until it takes on a creamy colour (this will only take a minute or two).

Now you need to melt your chocolate and butter together. You can do this in a bain-marie but I like to cheat and use the microwave. Break up the chocolate in a bowl and the cut up the butter and place on top of the chocolate, add a tablespoon of water. Put in the microwave at medium heat for a minute. Check the chocolate, if it isn’t fully melted put it a back in for a while longer. Be careful not to leave it to long as it can easily burn if it goes past its melted form.

Once the chocolate and butter are melted make sure the mixture isn’t hot when you add it to the yolks and sugar (otherwise it will cook the eggs).  With a whisk mix all ingredients together.

Put the flour in a small bowl and add to it the baking soda. Make sure they are well mixed together and then add them to your cake mixture. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour and then use the whisk to properly mix. Add the hazelnuts, though they are not a must have.

Now come the egg whites, you need to whisk them until you can literally turn the bowl upside down over your head without them falling out. This should take about 5 minutes. Then you need to use a wooden spoon to fold the egg whites into your cake mixture. This is so you don’t lose the air you have created with the whites, this will ensure you cake rises and is light.

Put the cake mixture in a not stick proof cake tin and place in the oven for 25 minutes if you like it a little gooey in the middle or 35 minutes if not.

Remove the cake from the oven and de-mold. Once it has cooled you can turn to your ganache.

Ganache:
Melt the chocolate and butter as you did previously. Then add to it the icing sugar and make sure the three ingredients are well mixed together. Now you can cover your cake with the ganache.

Fell free to add anything else to the top of your cake for decoration, or just leave it simple.

This is a definite success.
Enjoy!

Mel

Pecan Pie Sundae

23 Sunday Oct 2011

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My husband’s birthday is this week and I was making an early celebration dinner because his mom was in town.
He is not a chocolate lover, so I was slaving away at a pecan pie for him.
After I baked them I asked if he liked pecan pie and he said,”not particularly”.
Can you tell we are newlyweds? I had no idea!

So instead of panicking, I said, “Well, this pecan pie will change your mind!”
Instead of serving it on a plate with whipped cream or ice cream, I made a sundae out of it.
I put the pecan pie on top of vanilla ice cream and drizzled dark chocolate over it.
It was a HUGE hit! He could not stop telling me how “amazing” it was.

Here is what you need:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter (melted)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 large eggs
1 cup and 1/3 light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup bourbon
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
4 cups pecans, chopped and toasted
I bought a frozen ready-made pie crust which I don’t usually do, but it worked great!

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk eggs and then your sugar and corn syrup.
Add vanilla, salt, butter and bourbon to egg mixture.
I whisk, but you can also beat together in mixer on slow speed.
Stir in pecans.
Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle evenly with pecan halves.
Bake for 55 minutes. Pie should be firm and will “set-up” while cooling for at least 2 hours. It may crack.

Scoop on top of ice cream with drizzled chocolate or serve traditionally.

Enjoy!

Joy