Who can resist chocolate?
These mouth watering recipes are guaranteed to satisfy that chocolate craving.
Chocolate Eclairs:
125g butter chopped
1 cup water
1 cup plain flour
4 eggs lightly beaten
300ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Icing:
2 cups pure icing sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
3 to 4 tablespoons boiling water
1. Preheat oven to 200c. Grease and line 2 baking trays.
2. Heat butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring for 5 minutes or until butter is melted. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Add flour stirring until a thick ball forms.
3. Transfer to a bowl. Slowly add the eggs to the dough a little at a time. Stirring until thick and shiny. Spoon or pipe 6cm long éclairs onto trays allowing room for spreading. Bake for 25 minutes or until crisp. Cool.
4. Beat cream, vanilla and sugar until thick. Cut eclairs in half. Fill with cream.
Make Icing: Combine sugar and cocoa. Slowly add water to form a thick icing. Spoon over the eclairs.
Hazelnut and Chocolate Torte...
250g packet dark chocolate bits
250g roasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
1 tablespoon cocoa powder shifted
8 egg whites at room temperature
¾ cup caster sugar
¼ cup plain flour sifted
250g pun net strawberries hulled and sliced
1 orange juiced
300ml double thick cream
1. Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and line a 26cm spring form pan.
2. Combine hazelnuts, chocolate and cocoa in a bowl. Gently stir to combine.
3. Using an electric mixer beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until thick and glossy.
4. Using a large metal spoon gently fold hazelnut mixture and flour into egg whites until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Stand in pan for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
5. Meanwhile combine strawberries and orange juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Spread cream over cooled torte. Top with strawberries and serve.
Rocky Road...
200g pink and white marshmallows
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup soft raspberry lollies halved
½ cup dry roasted peanuts roughly chopped
200g dark or milk cooking chocolate chopped
1. Line a 20cm x 30cm lamington tin with baking paper. Cut marshmallows in half and combine in a bowl with coconut, raspberry lollies and peanuts
2. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water making sure the pan does not touch the water. Pour over marshmallow mixture and toss to coat. Spread evenly into pan. Refrigerate until firm. When the Rocky Road has sat cut into pieces.
