Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies

I always weigh my ingredients but if you prefer to measure yours here's an Easy Conversion Chart

Recipe to make 16

10oz /300g caster sugar
8oz/225g unsalted butter
4 eggs
3oz/75g plain flour
3oz/75g cocoa (not drinking chocolate)
8oz/225g  70% dark chocolate melted ( I used Green & Blacks)
4oz/100g 70% dark chocolate cut into chunks
3oz/75g  Frozen Raspberries (do not thaw)

a 9"/23cm square tin lined with baking parchment

Heat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4

Method

Beat together the sugar and the eggs until the sugar loses it's graininess
Melt the butter over a low heat and beat into the egg & sugar mixture
Sift together the flour & cocoa powder and add to the egg & butter mixture
Stir in the melted chocolate and add the chocolate chunks
Lastly gently stir in the frozen raspberries being careful not to break them too much
Bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 30 minutes.
The brownies may appear undercooked but do not over bake them
Leave to cool completely in the tin.
Turn out, remove the paper and cut into 16 squares with a sharp, warm knife.

Meringue Roulade with Homemade Lemon Curd & Raspberries

                       Meringue Roulade with Homemade Lemon Curd & Raspberries


A perfect light & delicious dessert to finish any dinner party.  This meringue roulade is filled with tangy lemon curd, whipped cream and raspberries.  It is possibly the most popular dessert that I made during my many years of outside catering and no wonder. It not only looks fabulous, it's really easy to make. I usually make the components the day before and then assemble it just before the guests arrive. 
This will make a great alternative to Christmas Pudding...I quite often fill it with chopped mango & passion fruit and exchange the almonds for a little grated coconut...well here's the recipe.

you will need a 9"x13" ( 23cms x 33cms) Swiss roll tin.... oiled & lined with parchment paper

This dessert will serve 8 people

Ingredients

4 large egg whites
8oz / 250g caster (superfine) sugar
a handful of flaked almonds

for the filling

Homemade Lemon curd around 2/3 tbsps * see recipe below  (or a good shop bought one) 
½pt double cream whipped until thick but not firm
8oz /250g fresh raspberries  ( if using frozen defrost on kitchen paper and only use decorate the roulade at the very last minute)
a few mint leaves
Icing/ Confectioners sugar for dusting 

For the Lemon Curd
this is a very quick recipe using the microwave. 

zest of 3 lemons
250 ml lemon juice
100g melted unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
3 eggs

In a microwavable bowl
Whisk the eggs & sugar, add the lemon juice & zest & stir
Add in the melted butter
Cook on a medium heat for 1 minute blasts and give a good stir after each minute
When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon it is ready.
Pour into sterilised jars.
Can be kept in the fridge for up to a month.



For the meringue

Place the egg whites in a bowl and whip them until stiff but not too dry
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time whilst whisking all the time
The mixture should be glossy and thick
Spread the meringue over the Swiss roll tin evenly until level
Sprinkle over a handful of flaked almonds 
Preheat your oven to 220c/425f/gas 7
Bake near the top for around 6 mins until the top starts to turn golden
Turn the oven down to 160c/325f/gas 3 and bake on for another 10 minutes
The meringue should feel firm. Remove from oven
Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface 
Carefully turn out the meringue (upside down) onto the paper
Carefully remove the paper it was baked on and leave to cool on the bottom sheet of paper  
Don't throw the top sheet of paper away you may need it again

You can either fill this immediately it has cooled or place it between the 2 sheets of paper you have used...put this back onto the swiss roll tin and carefully wrap with aluminium foil to fill later

To fill, 

make sure you leave the bottom piece of parchment paper to help you roll it up
Spread over with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the lemon curd
Spread this with 2/3rds of the whipped cream (saving the rest to pipe on the top)
Sprinkle over most of the raspberries (saving 8 to decorate the top)
With the long side of the meringue in front of you start to roll up
The parchment paper underneath will help you to lift the roulade as you roll it up

Leave in the fridge for around 30 minutes to set then pipe on a line of cream shells and decorate with the saved raspberries & mint leaves.  Dust with icing sugar & serve. 

  

White Chocolate Bavarois with Darkest Chocolate Sauce & Strawberries

This Chocolate Bavarois is such a wonderful dessert for a special dinner party or event. It can be made well in advance & placed in the freezer. It just needs an hour or so at room temperature to defrost. It's quite a complicated recipe but if you take your time and follow the instructions carefully you will have no problem at all. Once you've made them I'm sure you'll be back time & time again as they are so light & a delicious way to end a special meal.

Take a look below and you will see a White, Milk & Dark Chocolate Bavarois. Made in exactly the same way but layered up one lovely Chocolate layer at a time. I always make 3 & freeze two for a later date.

I do hope you try & enjoy them.       

White Chocolate Bavarois with Darkest Chocolate Sauce



This recipe should make 8 small puddings. It could also be made in a loaf tin and sliced. It freezes brilliantly.

recipe

13 fl oz / 375ml milk
8 egg yolks lightly beaten
1.5oz caster sugar
15oz white chocolate grated
3/4oz - / 20g gelatine powder soaked in 6 tbsp of cold water
1and a quarter pints/ 720ml lightly whipped double cream

Method

Line 8 . 3 &1/2"  / 8cm pudding basins with cling film
or a 2pt loaf tin
Boil the milk.
Beat the egg yolks & sugar with a wooden spoon to combine.
Pour the milk onto this, stir well.
Return to the pan and heat very gently until the mixture starts to thicken and will coat the back of the spoon.
WATCH THIS LIKE A HAWK, DO NOT OVERHEAT OR THE MIXTURE WILL CURDLE. IF IN DOUBT TAKE IT OFF THE HEAT. IT'S BETTER UNDERCOOKED THAN SCRAMBLED EGGS.
Place the chocolate into a bowl, pour over the milk & eggs and stir to disolve
Place the gelatine into a small pan, pour over the cold water and leave to gel
Heat slowly on a low heat until completely disolved
Add the the chocolate custard
Pass through a sieve into a clean bowl to remove any straggley egg whitey bits
Place in the fridge & leave until it starts to set around the edges.
Lightly whip the cream
Fold into the chocolate custard and pour into the prepare pudding basins/ loaf tin.
Chill until set firmly, preferably overnight and it's ready to serve. Served with raspberries, strawberries as I have here or it's delicious with Cherry Compote.

Darkest Chocolate Sauce
8oz/Dark 70% solids Chocolate
3oz /80g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
6 fl oz/175 ml double cream
1oz/ 30g butter.

Just place everything into a saucepan, heat gently until it's combined & glossy and it's ready. Just warm through if it's sets a little thick.

Now using this recipe you can make a three layered chocolate Bavarois using White, Milk & Dark Chocolate .
Just make sure that each layer is set before you start on the next layer. It's very time consuming so I always make at least three at a time. The recipe freezes brillantly so you'll always have a spare in the freezer when unexpected guests arrive. It will need at least 2 hours at room temperature or even better overnight in the fridge to defrost the loaf.