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Cookery: Chocolate indulgence
by Deanna Baynes
CHOCOLATE — how can you describe it? It makes you happy and it’s addictive, but it makes wonderful desserts, and is helpful for gifts when you are stuck for ideas. I have three recipes for you. Chocolate éclairs (makes 8 or 9) Choux pastry150g (5 oz) plain flour 75g (3½ oz) butter good pinch of salt 4 medium eggs 284ml (½ pt) water 1 beaten egg with a little salt Filling 900ml (1½ pt) double cream 1 tablespoon icing sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla essence Topping 225g (8 oz) dark Belgian chocolate Put the water, butter, and salt into a saucepan over a medium heat, and allow the butter to melt. Throw in the flour all at once, and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble, and forget about the lumps; but you must get rid of the moisture. When the flour rolls into a ball and away from the sides of the pan, pop into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Crack in each egg at intervals while whizzing: when you have used four eggs, the mixture should look shiny and firm. Fill an icing bag with a plain, half-inch nozzle, and squeeze into 4in. × 1½in. portions on to a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6, and with a paintbrush coat each éclair with the beaten egg. Cook for 45 minutes until they are firm and crisp. Stick a skewer underneath each one to let the steam out. Allow to cool. For the filling, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff. For the topping, break up the chocolate into a bowl, and place over a pan of boiling water. Let it melt, and remove from the pan. Place the filling in an icing bag with a half-inch nozzle, fill each éclair with it, and coat each one with the chocolate. Chocolate and Cointreau mousse 100g (4oz) plain chocolate broken into pieces 4 medium eggs, separated 3 tablespoons Cointreau 6 ramekins, 3½ × 2in. Heat the chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water until it melts. Whisk the egg yolks and the Cointreau together and stir into the chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, fold in the melted chocolate, and spoon equal portions into the ramekins. Chill. Chocolate rum truffles (makes 24) 100g (4oz) plain chocolate 1 tablespoon dark rum 25g (1oz) unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 100g (4oz) ground almonds 100g (4oz) cake crumbs 1 tablespoon cocoa Melt the chocolate with the rum in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water, beat in the butter and egg yolk, remove from the heat, and stir in the ground almonds and cake crumbs. Divide into 24 pieces, shape into balls, and dip each one into the cocoa. Put greaseproof paper into a box and lay them in. Chill. |
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