desserts and cakes

Gateau Moeleux au Chocolat - dessert recipes and ideas on HOUSE by House & Garden

Gateau Moeleux au Chocolat - Eric Landlard Recipes

butter

golden caster sugar

black treacle

eggs, lightly beaten

quality dark chocolate, melted

self raising flour

cocoa

tsp baking powder

ground almonds

golden icing sugar, sifted

unsalted butter, softened

vanilla extract

plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted

whipping cream, slightly warmed

dark chocolate, chopped

House and Garden

Preheat the oven to 170°C Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the black treacle. Mix in the eggs, a little at a time, hen add the melted chocolate.

Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and ground almonds and fold in to the mixture, finish combining with electric whisk to produce a smooth glossy consistency.

Divide the mixture between the two greased, lined sandwich tins, 8 inches in diameter.

Level the mixture in the tins, and put into the preheated oven to bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool and then turn out of the tin.

To make the butter cream filling, cream the sugar and butter until soft and light. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and double cream to produce a fairly stiff spreading consistency.

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a pan and bring just to boiling point, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate to the cream and beat vigorously until melted and thoroughly mixed. Allow to cool slightly.

Slice the top off each cake once cooled. Cover one half with butter cream then sandwich the cakes together, top with ganache and decorate with berries.

In her cookbook 'Bitter Honey', Letitia Clark amps up a tiramisu recipe with the addition brandy alongside traditional marsala.

Tiramisu recipe

eggs, separated

g (3½ oz/½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) mascarpone

200 ml (6¾ fl oz/¾ cup) strong black espresso coffee

80 ml (2¾ fl oz/1/3 cup) marsala

brandy

20–24 Savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits

bitter cocoa powder,

Literally translated as ‘pick-me-up,’ tiramisu is not only delicious as a dessert: it is the perfect thing for breakfast after a heavy night, the booze and coffee providing both the hair-of-the-dog and the caffeine necessary. There is no time of any day, in fact, when a little pick-me-up is not welcome. For me the key is the quantity of alcohol. Like a good trifle, it is this boozy kick that elevates the childhood nostalgia of a custardy cream and cake combo into something a little more adult and refined.
I like to make mine in a big dish or trifle bowl for serving by the generous scoopful, rather than in individual portions. A traditional tiramisu has only two layers of biscuit, but you can scale this recipe up quite easily, or use a tall but narrow vessel, as I have done here, to create more layers.
Find more recipes from 'Bitter Honey'.
A recipe from Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia by Letitia Clark (Hardie Grant). Buy a copy here.

Place the yolks and the sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric beater (or in a stand mixer) until they become thick, pale and mousse-like.

Mix in the mascarpone by hand, folding it in until completely incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix the coffee with the marsala and brandy.

Whisk the egg whites until smooth, creamy peaks are formed, but not too stiff so that they become dry. Fold into the mascarpone mixture, incorporating them gently so as not to lose too much air.

Dunk the Savoiardi briefly into the coffee mixture, making sure they are fully immersed, and arrange them on the base of your chosen serving bowl. The idea is not to have them either sopping or still-crisp, but somewhere in between. I dip, hold for a second, turn and hold for another second, and then remove. It pays to be diligent here, as no one wants a tiramisu swimming in liquid.

Scoop the first half of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuit layer. Spread out evenly. Repeat the soaked-Savoiardi layer and then finish with the second mascarpone layer on top of this.

Dredge well with bitter cocoa powder and place in the fridge to set for at least an hour or two. If you like, you can add more cocoa powder just before serving, but I like it when it has slightly melted into the cream.

This boozy, ice-cold treat is Italy's version of frosé

Burnt Lemon Sgroppino

lemons

vodka

table spoons of Lemon Sorbet (60 grams)

milliliters Burnt lemon vodka

Prosecco

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Burnt Lemon Sgroppino

Place your cut lemons onto the charcoal grill cut side up to get those juices bubbling. Lemon skin will protect the flesh from burning but will also absorb that beautiful smoky flavour.

Once the juices are bubbling, turn the lemons cut side down and get that fire and heat to begin the caramelisation process of the sugars.

When lemon flesh achieves brown caramel-like colour it is time to take them off the fire and add them to your vodka.

Have a bowl with vodka ready, you want your spirit to absorb all the juices and sweetness from scorching lemons. Let that cool on the counter and once cooled it can be covered and go into a fridge for a minimum of 24 hours or overnight.

After the infusion time, we want to squeeze all our burnt lemons into the vodka. Do not discard the fruit as it contains all beautiful charred flavours. Once all lemons are squeezed we will need to sieve the vodka from impurities.

We add 3 generous table spoons of Lemon sorbet into a mixing jar, followed by our 30ml of burnt lemon vodka.

Give it a vigorous stir. You really want to loosen up the sorbet with the support of vodka to make sure all flavours are incorporated well.

Once cream-like consistency is achieved this mixture can be poured into your flute and topped up with Prosecco. Give it another stir to combine the ingredients to achieve a 'slush' '-like effect.

Vegan lime and avocado cheesecake with an Oreo base

Oil spray, for greasing

Oreo cookies, finely ground

tbsp coconut milk

cashew nuts,

avocados,

sea salt

vanilla paste

milliliters agave nectar

coconut oil

limes,

kiwi fruit, for the top (optional)

By Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmitelover in V is for Vegan
Recipe extract and image taken from V is for Vegan by Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmitelover (Quadrille £20). Photography: Jan Baldwin.
Cake recipes

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground Oreos and coconut milk. Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Put all the ingredients except the lime zest and kiwi fruit into a powerful blender. Process until smooth. Then take the cheesecake base from the fridge and ladle in the green filling.

Decorate with curls of pared lime zest, or with overlapping layers of kiwi fruit slices, or both. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.

The Head Pastry Chef at Harrods shares a plant-based banoffee pie recipe from his cookbook ‘A New Way to Bake’

How to make a plant-based banoffee pie

Digestive biscuits (Graham crackers) 300 grams/10.6 ounces

chocolate

Peanut oil

grams/1/4 tsp sea salt

Caster (superfine) sugar 225 g 7.9 oz

Water 50 grams/1.8 oz

Soy milk (1) 375 grams/13.2 oz

soy milk (2) 75 grams/2.7 ounces

Cornflour (cornstarch) 40 grams/1.4 oz

Coconut oil (deodorised) 50 grams/1.8 oz

Sea salt 2 grams/1/2 tsp

bananas

whipping cream 300 grams/10.6 ounces

Dark chocolate block

This recipe is an extract from A New Way to Bake by Philip Khoury (Hardie Grant, £30), Photography © Matt Russell
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Use a food processor to pulse the biscuits to a crumb

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, or in a heatproof or stainless-steel bowl set over a pan filled with 1 cm (½ in) simmering water, stirring until melted. Mix in the oil and sea salt, followed by the digestive crumbs

Pour the chocolate crumbs into a 23 cm (9 in) steel tart or pie case with removable base and press the mixture into the case with the back of a tablespoon. Leave to chill in the refrigerator to set

Add the sugar and water to a high-sided saucepan, making sure there is no sugar on the sides of pan, and bring to the boil over medium-high heat

Warm the soy milk (1) in another pan over a low heat until it is 60°C (140°F) on a thermometer

Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it thickens and starts to colour (the time varies but it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes), then reduce the heat while it caramelises. It will become a deeper golden colour quite quickly. Remove from the heat and carefully start whisking the hot milk into the caramel gradually in a stream until it is all incorporated. Be very careful as it will boil and spit.

Mix the remaining soy milk (2) and cornflour together in a small cup, then, while whisking, pour it into the caramel mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, coconut oil and sea salt. Leave at room temperature in the pan to cool slightly, to 50°C (122°F). Whisk gently to start as the coconut oil will make the liquid slosh around. Gradually pick up speed and it will come together. Keep whisking until it is glossy and smooth and it sticks to the side of the pan.

Using a silicone spatula, scrape the caramel custard into the chocolate digestive-lined base. Spread gently to level. The base and caramel filling can be prepared the day before, but it should be served the same day that it is finished with the bananas and cream.

Slice the bananas and layer them all over the custard.

Whip the cream in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to medium peaks, then dollop on top of the fresh banana.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate over the cream, then leave to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set a little further. Place the tart case on top of a small dish to help push the base upwards to remove it from the tin and place the tart on a serving dish. Serve chilled on the same day it is made.

Chocolate and olive oil make surprisingly great bedfellows in this ultra-moist and easy chocolate cake recipe by Diana Henry

Chocolate olive oil cake recipe by Diana Henry

plain chocolate, 70 per cent cocoa solids

olive oil

caster sugar

almonds

eggs,

Icing sugar, for dusting, and crème fraiche

To drink: This is delicious with espresso, but also with 10-year-old or 20-year-old tawny port, or with Maury, France's answer to port: Mas de Lavail Expression 2011, £13.99 for 37.5cl, The Vineking (01293-771305). Wine details correct at original magazine publication date.
From the March 2015 issue of House & Garden. Recipe by Diana Henry; photograph by William Lingwood; food preparation and styling by Jack Sargeson; table styling by Alexander Breeze; wine recommendations by Joanna Simon.
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Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4, then butter and line the base of a 20cm spring-form cake tin. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir a little to help the chocolate to melt.

Once it's completely melted, whisk in the oil in a steady stream, then two-thirds of the sugar, whisking to help the sugar dissolve in the heat of the chocolate. Remove from the heat. Stir in the ground nuts, a pinch of flaked sea salt and the egg yolks.

Put the egg whites into a scrupulously clean bowl with about one third of the remaining sugar. Beat with an electric whisk until the whites are no longer clear, and then add another third of the sugar. Continue beating until the whites have really increased in volume, then add the rest of the sugar and beat until you have medium peaks (firm with tips that droop slightly).

Using a really large metal spoon, loosen the chocolate mixture by folding in a big tablespoon of the egg whites, then fold in the rest carefully so that you don't lose air. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes. Test by inserting a fine skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, with no batter attached, the cake is ready.

Leave it to cool in the tin - it will deflate and crack a lot, but that is fine. Carefully turn it out and remove the paper. Put on to a plate and dust with icing sugar before serving. This is a chic, grown-up cake - it needs nothing more than some crème fraiche on the side.

Benjamina Ebuehi reinvents a classic brownie sundae for a more grown up palette

Chocolate brownie pudding with cornflake crunch

(4¼oz) dark chocolate

Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

(7 ounces 1 cup) light brown sugar

eggs

(2½oz/½ cup plus 1 Tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour

¼ tsp fine sea salt

(2½oz/generous 1/ 3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

(½oz/1½ Tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)

tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

(14fl oz/1¾ cups) milk

fine sea salt

instant coffee

(1½oz) dark chocolate, chopped

(1¾oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

water

(1 ounces) hazelnuts, roughly chopped

(1½oz) cornflakes

Ice cream

This is not for the faint-hearted. Rich and indulgent, and a little over the top, in the best way. When I was younger and going for dinner at TGI Fridays, which felt like the height of coolness, my sister and I would always share the brownie sundae. In a glass the size of our heads was a tooth-achingly sweet mess of brownie chunks, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, toffee popcorn and ice cream. The thought of it now does make my teeth ache but we loved it. I’ve downsized and tidied up this version but still kept the playfulness. This is very much an assembly sort of pudding: buy a tub of vanilla ice cream, and let everyone make their own.
Tip: You can make all the elements up to 3 days ahead. Store the brownies and custard in the fridge and the cornflakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
This recipe is an extract from I'll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion by Benjamina Ebuehi (Quadrille). Image credit Laura Edwards.
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For the brownies, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4). Grease a 20-cm (8-in) square cake pan and line with baking paper.

Add the butter, chocolate and cocoa powder to a heatproof bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, stirring gently until it’s completely melted. Set aside.

Add the sugar and eggs to a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate mixture and then mix in the flour and salt until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 18–23 minutes or until the edges are firm but the middle is still a little soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. I like to chill these in the fridge until I’m ready to use, so I can cut the brownies into neat little squares.

To make the custard, add the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder to a heatproof bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and salt to a small saucepan and heat until steaming but not boiling. Stir in the instant coffee to dissolve. Pour half of the hot milk onto the eggs while whisking to quickly combine. Slowly pour in the rest of the milk while whisking continuously.

Pour everything back into the pan and heat it gently while stirring, until the custard starts to thicken. Once it comes to the boil and starts to bubble, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until it melts. Pour it into a clean, shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap, so it touches the surface of the custard. Let it cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge.

To make the cornflake crunch, line a small baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Add the sugar and water to a pan and heat gently until the sugar is melted and the mixture comes to the boil. Tip in the chopped nuts and cornflakes and stir to coat. The mixture will look like it has crystallized but keep stirring until the sugar melts into a deep amber colour and coats the cornflakes.

Remove from the heat and pour it onto the lined tray to cool completely. Be careful here as the mixture will be extremely hot. Once cool, break up the cornflakes into smaller chunks.

When you’re ready to assemble, slice the brownie into small chunks and give the custard a good whisk to remove any lumps. Layer up the elements in small ramekins and top with a scoop of ice cream and more cornflake crunch.

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Gateau Moeleux au Chocolat - Eric L...

Tiramisu recipe

Burnt Lemon Sgroppino

Vegan lime and avocado cheesecake w...

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Chocolate brownie pudding with corn...

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