Makes about 12 pieces


Ingredients:

90g egg noodles
vegetable oil for deep frying
300g white chocolate
1 cup (180g) chopped dried apricots
½ cup (60g) flaked almonds, toasted


Method:

• Break noodles into smaller pieces. Heat oil in wok or frying pan until it reaches 190°C (375°F) on deep-frying thermometer or until small bread cube dropped in oil sizzles and turns golden. Add noodles and deep fry until crisp, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Allow to cool.
• Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. Place over, but not touching, saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.
• Add apricots, almonds and noodles to chocolate. Mix well.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tablespoonfuls of noodle and chocolate mixture on sheet. Refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.
• Serve crunch chilled. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

10-12 servings


Ingredients:

Chocolate sponge:
200g butter
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs
200g self-rising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder

Filling:
2 (250g containers) ricotta cheese
80g sugar
1 handful of mixed glace fruit
1 tin cherries, drained
100g chocolate, broken up
1 handful flaked or shaved or thinly sliced almonds
2 heaping tablespoons good coffee beans, crushed
2 egg whites
A good drizzle orange liqueur
Cocoa powder for dusting


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Line 2 (25cm) cake tins with greaseproof paper and rub with a little butter. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix well and divide into the cake tins. Cook for 7-8 minutes at 180°C (350°F) until firm but soft.
3. So, you have 7-8 minutes, while the sponge is cooking, to make the filling. Add the ricotta to a food processor and blitz with the sugar until shiny and smooth. Scoop into a bowl, add the chopped fruit, cherries, chocolate, and almonds and stir together. Now add the coffee to taste (bash the beans using something heavy wrapped in a tea towel, or use a coffee grinder). Whip up the egg whites and fold into the ricotta mix.
4. By now, the sponge is probably ready. Turn it out while it is still hot and cut it into 8 wedges. Line a shallow round bowl, about 23cm across, with two sheets of cling film, making sure it fits the shape of the bowl. Then fit half of the sponge pieces neatly around the insides of the bowl (as you would if you were making summer pudding).
5. Drizzle with liqueur, then pour in the ricotta mixture. Level it out, then place the remaining sponge over the top. Drizzle again with liqueur. Pull the cling film over the top and weigh it down with some plates, pushing down on them before placing in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Serve this semi frozen, dusted with cocoa powder and sliced into wedges. If it's very frozen then that's fine; just pull it out of the fridge when dinner is served so it can slowly thaw as you are eating.

4 servings


Ingredients:

3 vanilla pods
200ml milk
375ml double cream
8 large egg yolks, preferably organic
70g caster sugar
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder
100g good-quality chocolate, bashed up finely
Extra sugar, for caramelizing


Method:

1. Run a knife along the length of the vanilla pods, scraping out the seeds, and then chop up the pods. Put the seeds and pods in to a thick-bottomed pan with the milk and cream. Simmer slowly for 5 minutes for the flavor to infuse.
2. In a bowl that will fit into the top of the pan, but not fall into the pan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa powder for a minute. Still slowly whisking, add the vanilla-flavoured milk and cream and keep whisking until well mixed.
3. Add 2.5cm of hot water to the dirty pan bring to a simmer and put the bowl on top of the pan. Cook the custard slowly over the simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring often until it coats the back of the spoon.
4. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean container. Discard the vanilla pods.
5. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
6. Put 4 ovenproof serving dishes in a high-sided roasting tray. Divide the chocolate between them and shake flat. Carefully divide the custard mix between the dishes; making sure the chocolate isn't disturbed. Fill the tray with water until it is halfway up the sides of the dishes.
7. Cook in the preheated oven for around 30-45 minutes until slightly wobbly in the middle. Allow to cool, then sprinkle with some sugar, and caramelize with a blowtorch.

4 servings


Ingredients:

150 g digestive biscuits
100 g pecans
100 g pistachio nuts
10 glace cherries
2 ready made meringue nests, crumbled into small pieces
150 g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
200 g good quality chocolate
Cocoa powder, for dusting


Method:

1. Break the biscuits into small pieces directly into a large bowl. Add the pecans, pistachio nuts, cherries and bits of meringue. Put the rest of the ingredients, except the cocoa powder, into a bowl and put over a pan of simmering water on low heat to melt.
2. Mix the ingredients together and place in the container which acts as your mold. To help with turning out, line a 30x20 cm container with cling film, first leaving plenty of extra film at the edges to fold over the top.
3. Leave in the refrigerator to firm up then turn out and cut into chunky slices. This cake can be kept in an airtight container and actually improves after a couple of days.

Ingredients:

3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
200g caster sugar
200g butter
3 large eggs, preferably free range
200g self raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
200ml double cream
1 large handful raspberries
1 large handful strawberries

Chocolate Topping:
100g butter
100g best cooking chocolate
100g icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk


Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bases of 2x20cm cake tins with greased proof paper. Mix the cocoa powder with 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, add the cocoa mixture, eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix well fold in the nuts. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for about 25mins. When cooked, allow to cool then remove from the tins.
• Melt the chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well and allow to cool. Whip the double cream to soft peaks and sweeten with a little sugar to taste.
• To assemble the cake, remove the greaseproof paper from both sponges. Drizzle each one with a little Sherry if you like. Spread the cream over one of the sponges, then sprinkle the fruit on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth it off and drizzle over your chocolate topping. Allow the chocolate topping to firm up slightly before tucking in.

4-6 servings


Ingredients:

200g good quality dark chocolate, bashed up
70g butter, cut into pieces
350ml heavy cream
2 large eggs, preferably organic
2 tablespoons Scottish Heather honey
1 tablespoon Scottish whiskey
455g caster sugar
8 tablespoons butter
200g sesame seeds


Method:

1. In a bowl over some gently simmering water, slowly melt the chocolate and butter together then remove from the heat.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.
3. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs and honey until light and fluffy then fold in the whisky, melted chocolate mixture and cream, gently, so you don't lose too much air. Pour into small chilled 4-6 wine glasses or serving dishes and chill for at least an hour before serving.
4. Put your sugar and 8 tablespoons of water into a pan on medium heat. Use a spoon to stir together, it will become a syrup.
5. Cook until light golden, then add the sesame seeds and continue to cook until dark golden. Pour out the sesame seed caramel onto an oiled non-stick tray or oiled tin foil.
6. Use a palette knife to push it out to about 0.5cm thick (even thinner if you can).
7. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes and you will have one big sesame seed caramel biscuit. Bash it up as you like.

Makes 8 pastry cases


Ingredients:

150 gram slab puff pastry
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Pinch allspice
A couple pinches cinnamon
1 orange, zested

Filling:
160ml double cream (heavy cream)
2 level tablespoons caster sugar
The smallest pinch salt
½ stick butter, softened
225g best-quality baking chocolate, broken up
50ml milk
Cocoa powder, for dusting


Method:

1. Dust a surface with flour and roll out your pastry to a bit bigger than an 20x30cm sheet of paper. Brush with the egg yolk and scatter the rest of the ingredients over, being subtle with the allspice and cinnamon. Roll the pastry up tightly like a Swiss roll to make a long sausage shape. With a knife, cut across the sausage into 2.5cm pieces. Take 8 pieces aside, and freeze the rest of the pastry for a rainy day.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
3. Turn all the pieces of pastry swirl-side up and flatten them slightly. Dust the surface of your pastry with flour, then roll each piece out into a thin circle (around the size of a teacup saucer). If you don't have proper pastry molds at home, grease and flour the outsides of 8 glass tumblers. Then, place a circle of pastry on top of each tumbler, pleating, pinching and hugging the pastry around them.
4. Place the tumblers on a baking tray, pastry at the top, and put in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, around 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, take a tea towel and pat the slightly raised top of the pastry back down on to the flat bottom of the tumbler, giving you a flat base again. Allow to cool, and carefully remove the pastry cases from around the tumblers.
5. To fill your pastry cases with the chocolate filling: Place the double cream, sugar, and pinch of salt in a pan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture has boiled, remove from the heat, and add the butter and chocolate. Stir until it has completely melted. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, stirring in the cold milk until smooth and shiny. Sometimes this mixture looks like it has split. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit more, and whisk in a little extra cold milk until smooth. Scrape all the mixture into the cooked pastry shells. Shake to even it out and allow to cool for around 1-2 hours, until it is at room temperature. Dust with the cocoa powder. Ultimately the pastry should be short and crisp and the filling should be smooth and should cut like butter.

8 servings


Ingredients:

200g sugar
200g butter
200g self-raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, preferably free-range
3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
8 tablespoons warm water
Handful flaked almonds
110g cooking chocolate, broken up

Chocolate sauce:
110g cooking chocolate
110g confectioners' sugar
110g butter
4 tablespoons milk


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture. Add the eggs and mix it all together. Then mix the cocoa powder with 8 tablespoons of warm water, until smooth.
2. Fold the chocolate paste, almonds, and chocolate pieces into the cake mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin, spreading it out evenly. Bake for about 18-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate sauce ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well. When the pudding is cooked, remove from the oven and pour over the chocolate sauce while still hot.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

¾ cup (90g) self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup (125g) caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup (60ml) milk
60g butter, melted
⅓ cup (60g) soft brown sugar
3 tsp cocoa powder, extra
icing sugar, to dust

Method:

• Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease four ¾ cup (185ml) ramekins.
• Sift the flour and cocoa into a small bowl and add the caster sugar. Stir in the combied egg, milk and butter and mix together.
• Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and sprinkle with the combined brown sugar and extra cocoa powder. Carefully pour ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water over each pudding and place on a baking tray. Bake the puddings for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
  

Nutrition per serve:
Protein 6g;
Fat 16g;
Carbohydrate 65g;
Dietary Fibre 1g;
Cholesterol 85mg;
1730 kJ (413 cal)

Note: When testing whether the puddings are ready, insert your skewer at an angle. This way there is a larger area of the pudding being checked.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

250g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into even-sized pieces
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs, separated
1 cup (250ml) cream
2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds


Method:

1. Place four 1 cup (250ml) ramekins in the freezer to chill until needed. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then remove from the heat. Sit the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the base of the bowl does not sit in the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted, then remove from the saucepan and keep stirring until the chocolate has cooled slightly but not set.


2. Put the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until they are smooth and lump free. Lightly beat the egg yolks, then add to the banana mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate and mix together well. Pour the cream into a bowl and beat with electric beaters or a whisk until soft peaks form, then fold into the chocolate and banana mixture.


3. Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Fold half the egg whites into the mousse with a metal spoon, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined.


4. Spoon the mousse into the chilled ramekins and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Nutrition per serve:
Protein 10g;
Fat 50g;
Carbohydrate 53g;
Dietary Fibre 3g;
Cholesterol 175mg;
2917 kj (697 cal)

Serves 6


Ingredients:

1 cup (125g) self-raising flour
½ cup (125g) caster sugar
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
60g chocolate, chopped
60g butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup (80ml) milk
icing sugar, to dust

Ice cream:

500g vanilla ice cream
55g choc-cherry bar, finely chopped


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease six 1 cup (250ml) muffin holes. Sift the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and stir constantly over very low heat until melted, then remove from the heat.
3. Stir the chocolate and butter mixture and the combined egg and milk into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Mix well, then spoon evenly into the prepared holes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Leave for 2 minutes, then run a flat-bladed knife around the edge of each muffin and turn out onto a wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, place the ice cream in a large bowl and chop roughly, stirring to soften it slightly, then stir in the chopped choc-cherry bar. Spoon into a loaf tin, cover and freeze until ready to eat.
5. Cut the top off the muffins and scoop out a little of the centre to make a hollow. Fill with a scoop of ice cream, add the lid at a slight angle and dust lightly with icing sugar. Serve.
   

Nutrition per serve:
Protein 7.5g;
Fat 16g;
Carbohydrate 64g;
Dietary Fibre 1g;
Cholesterol 55mg;
1766 kj (420 cal)

Serves 4


Ingredients:

90g coconut macaroons, crushed
150g white chocolate, chopped into even-sized pieces
300ml cream
250g fresh or frozen raspberries
50g slivered almonds, toasted


Method:

• Divide the crushed macaroons among four parfait glasses or 1½ cup (375ml) glass tumblers.
• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to boil, then remove from the heat. Sit the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the base of of the bowl does not sit in the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Cool slightly.
• Using electric beaters, whip the cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold in the melted chocolate. Divide half the chocolate-cream mixture among the glasses, top with the raspberries, then cover with the remaining chocolate-cream mixture. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds and serve immediately.

Nutrition per serve:
Protein 9g;
Fat 55g;
Carbohydrate 43g;
Dietary Fibre 7g;
Cholesterol 111mg;
2898 kj (692 cal)

Serves 6


Ingredients:

425g can pitted black cherries
100ml cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped into even-sized pieces
1 cup (125g) self-raising flour
¼ cup (30g) cocoa powder
¼ cup (60g) caster sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⅓ cup (330ml) milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla essence
40g butter, chopped
6 scoops vanilla ice cream


Method:

• To make the sauce, drain the cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons of the syrup. Place the cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Sit the bowl over the pan, making sure the base of the bowl does not sit in the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream. Stir in the cherries and reserved syrup. Keep warm.
• To make the pancakes, sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre and gradually add the combined milk, egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Melt some of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour ⅓ cup (80ml) of the batter into the pan and swirl gently to make a 12cm pancake. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the surface and the underside is golden brown. Turn over and cook for 30 seconds more, or until golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter to make five more pancakes, adding more butter as needed.
• Place a scoop of ice cream on one half of each pancake and fold the other half over. Drizzle with the sace and serve immediately.
  

Nutrition per serve:
Protein 8.5g;
Fat 27g;
Carbohydrate 58g;
Dietary Fibre 2.5g;
Cholesterol 60mg;
2110 kj (503 cal)

Note: Add a little milk if the batter thickens on standing.

Makes 20 stuffed dates

Ingredients:

140g almond paste or marzipan

finely grated zest of 2 oranges

½ teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

20 roasted almonds, with skin

20 large dates

200g dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids), broken up

Method:

• Knead almond paste, zest and orange flower water together until blended. Divide paste into 20 small balls. Flatten each ball slightly, then wrap each one around an almond.


• Slit each date lengthwise and remove pits. Insert an almond paste ball into each date, pressing date to make it evenly shaped. Lay dates out on a baking tray lined with baking paper.


• Melt chocolate in a bowl on top of a pan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Dip each date into the chocolate to half-coat it. Let excess chocolate drip off and return date to tray. Dip remaining dates likewise. Chill dates until chocolate sets.


• To serve, place dates on a doily or in individual paper cases, if desired.
  

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Marshmallow fluff or whipped cream (optional)


Method:

1. In small mixing bowl, at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, just until whites no longer slip when bowl is tilted.
2. In small mixing bowl, at high speed, blend or beat yolks, milk, syrup, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Gently, but thoroughly, fold into beaten whites. Place 6 (6-ounce) lightly greased custard cups in a large baking pan. Pour egg mixture into cups. Place pan on rack in preheated 176ºC oven. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2-inch on top of custards.
3. Bake until puffed, and cake tester or wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove promptly from hot water. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with a dollop of marshmallow fluff or whipped cream.