Chocolate & Hazelnut Bundt Cake

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Decided to bake a chocolate cake for our New Years Day dessert, we had the whole family this year so had to do something that fed 11 adults and 1 child. This was perfect and delicious but so rich, so a little bit is all you need.

 

Serves about 12-14

For the Cake:-

200g unsalted butter

200g Dark Chocolate

300g Light Muscovado Sugar

4 large eggs

175g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

 

For the Glaze:-

300ml double cream

160g dark chocolate

Choice of nuts – I used Hazelnuts

 

  1. Preheat oven to 180 deg
  2. Melt butter and chocolate together, either in a bowl over a pan of boiling water or in a microwave for about 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly.
  3. Beat Sugar & Eggs together then pour in butter & chocolate mix.
  4. Fold in flour & baking powder until combined.
  5. Pour mixture into a cocoa floured bake tin and bake for about 40 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile make the glaze by heating the cream gently and add the chocolate in, stir to melt. Whisk and pour over cake once cooled from oven. Sprinkle over nuts.

 

Custard Creations

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Looking for a wee dessert tonight so raided my cupboards and came up with these little bowls of delights.

 

Made 4 ramekins – each one different

11/4 packet of custard Powder

1 pint boiling water

1 Banana

4-6 squares of Dark chocolate

Chopped Hazelnuts – 1 tablespoon

4 teaspoons of sugar (Demerara or Caster)

1. Mix custard and boiling water in a bowl to get your base ingredient

 

Ramekin 1 – Disaronno custard brulee

1. Chop 1/2 banana and soak in 1 tablespoon of disaronno/Amaretto liquor (could use brandy/orange liquor) for 5 mins.

2. Lay banana at bottom of Ramekin then pour over some of the custard mix.

 

Ramekin 2 – Chocolate delight brulee

1. Melt 2 Dark Chocolate squares and mix with some of the custard mix

2. I crushed a chocolate cookie and placed at the bottom of the ramekin for extra crunch, then pour in the custard mix.

 

Ramekin 3 – Chocolate orange custard

1. Melt 2 Dark chocolate squares and mix with the custard mix, then add in a 2 drops of orange essence, mix and pour into ramekin

 

Ramekin 4 – Chocolate, Banana and Hazelnut pot

1. Slice 1/2 banana and put at bottom of ramekin, sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts over banana

2. Melt 2 Dark Chocolate squares, mix with custard and pour over.

 

Once ramekins are ready put into a ban maree and cook at 160deg in oven for 30-35 mins to thicken up. Remove and let cool before putting in refrigerator for approx 3 hours to let set.

When you are ready to eat, sprinkle some Demerara Sugar or Caster if you prefer over top and place under a very high grill for about 5-10 mins until slightly bubbly. (or if you have a cooks blow torch, go for it)

Yummy….Yummy….Yummy.

Assorted Meringues

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hazelnutEton Mess gloss meringues Hazelnut meringues meringues oven set pink meringues wh meringues

My very first go at Meringues…was very pleased, but would love to learn more.

 

ASSORTED MERINGUES – makes about 18.

4 Large Egg Whites

115g Caster Sugar

115g Icing Sugar

Food Colouring (Optional)

Crushed Hazelnuts (Optional)

 

1. Pre-heat oven on Eco Cooking to 100 deg. Line baking trays with baking parchmont paper (don’t use tin foil or baking sheet as they will stick)

2. Break egg whites into a glass bowl and using a handheld whisk, whisk on medium speed until it resembles a fluffy cloud and has stiff peaks.

3. Turn up the speed and gradually mis in the sgar a little at a time, leaving about 5-6 seconds between each whisk. When ready the mixture should be thick and glossy (see picture above)

4. Sift 1/3 of the icing sugar in and using a rubber spatula fold in gently the icing sugar, and repeat until all icing has gone.

5. At this stage you can add any additional flavours or food colourings and fold in gently.

6. Using 2 dessert spoons gently ease a scoop onto the baking sheet or just drop them on.

7. Bake on levels 1 & 3 or 2 & 4 for about 1 3/4hrs – 2hrs. Meringues should sound hollow/ crisp when tapped on bottom, leave on rake to cool.

8. Serve like an Eton Mess with fresh berries (see picture) and some cream or put two together with some cream in the middle.

9. For the hazelnut version, melted some chocolate, pour over, whip some cream and sprinkle crushed hazelnuts on top. (picture to come)

Mmmmmmm………first attempt at these and they were great.