9 of the Best Chocolate Recipes Ever IMHO!

I think it’s about time I shared my favouritest chocolate recipes ever – all of these have been big sellers in the posh and not so posh restaurants I have cheffed in.

Firstly some guidance on …

How to Melt Chocolate

~   Break the chocolate up a bit. The easiest way to do this
is to throw the cold sealed bar violently onto a hard
floor or maybe bash it on the edge of the counter. 
Unwrap et voila …
~   Put the broken chocolate into a bowl and the bowl into
a small pan of simmering water to come about a third of
the way up.  Here’s a tip – stand it on a metal jam jar lid
or similar to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
~   White chocolate is a little more delicate than dark and
must be melted carefully over very low heat. 
~   Don’t mess with the chocolate as it melts just let it sit till
there till it’s ready then stir till smooth.

WARNING

If you get water into the melting chocolate it will go all hard, lumpy and useless.  For this reason Do Not Cover as steam will condense on the lid and fall back into the chocky.

If the worst happens and the chocolate does split or seize stir in 1 tablespoon of mild vegetable oil per 175g/6 oz chocolate and it should recover.

Dark Chocolate & Kahlua Marquise

This is a classic and my sister Maggie and I made vast numbers of marquises in our Cornish restaurants. When I went to the Caribbean the slices seemed to soften almost as quickly as we plated them so I took to serving from frozen, which worked really well – a kind of semi freddo by the time it reached the table!

You need 3 bowls and a loaf tin to make this, I prefer to use a silicon loaf “tin”.

200g dark chocolate
200g soft butter
40g caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
3 eggs – separated in yolks and whites
another 40g caster sugar
275ml double cream
2 tbsp Kahlua (or other spirit or liqueur of your choice)

~   Melt the chocolate as above in the first bowl.
~   Whisk together the butter, first batch of sugar and the cocoa in the second bowl.
~   In the third bowl whisk the egg whites till still. It is crucial that you whisk these in a clean dry
bowl or they won’t work.
~   Fold the butter mixture into the melted chocolate.
~   In the empty butter bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the second batch of sugar.
~   Fold this into the chocolate mixture.
~ Now fold the stiff egg whites.
~   Finally whisk the cream (together with Kahlua) and fold that into the mix till no streaks are l
left.
~   Decant into the loaf “pan” and either chill or freeze.

Serve thickly sliced, probably with more cream!

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream 

The optional brandy in this recipe benefits the ice cream in two ways; it will make it softer and also taste more alcoholic, I mean chocolatey!  My book Luscious Ice Cream without a Machine, explains how this quick, easy, no churn method works and gives over 100 ice cream recipes plus ideas, suggestions, recipes for accoutrements such as cones, sauces and inclusions.

200g/⅔ cup condensed milk
175g/1½ cups coarsely chopped dark chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa
500ml/2 cups double cream
3 tablespoons brandy – optional but highly recommended

~ Put the condensed milk, the chocolate and the cocoa into a small bowl.
~ Stand the bowl in a small pan of water as described above.
~ Simmer the water till the chocolate has melted and then stir smoothly into the condensed milk. This will be quite a thick mixture.
~ Cool slightly but not too much as it needs to be soft enough to fold into the cream.
~ Whip together the cream and the optional brandy till slightly thick.
~ Add the melted chocolate mixture and continue whisking till thick.
~ Freeze.

This is just one of over 100 ice cream recipes in my book, including at least eight more chocolate ice creams and lots of ancillaries such as the cones and the sauce in the picture. 

A Rather Special Chocolate Mousse

Or in more detail from an old meu long ago and far away … 

Here’s the recipe for my Dark Chocolate Mousse plus a great photo of a Dalek on holiday in Cornwall.

Chocolate Topped Peanut Butter Mousse Tart

You need a 24cm (9½”) pre-baked (preferably by you but bought in is fine too) tart case, either pastry or a crumb base as with cheesecake.

120g smooth peanut butter
50g soft light brown sugar
100g cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla extract + see below
180ml double cream + see below
150g dark chocolate
another 80ml double cream
another couple of drips of vanilla extract

~   Whisk together the peanut butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract till combined.
~   In a separate bowl whisk the first batch of cream till thick.
~   Whisk ¼ of the whipped cream into the peanut mixture.
~   Fold in the rest of the whipped cream and put it into the tart case, levelling the top.
~   Chill.

Now for the chocolate bit …

~   Chop or break the chocolate into pieces and put it into a bowl.
~   Bring the second batch of cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate together with the second vanilla extract.
~   Allow to sit for a few minutes (during this time it is advantageous to make yourself a coffee to accompany scraping the bowl).
~   Stir till smooth.
~   Pour the chocolate gently over the peanut mousse and smooth the top.
~   Chill till needed.
~   Stir till smooth.
~   Pour the chocolate gently over the peanut mousse and smooth the top.
~   Chill till needed.

White Choc Mousse

200g white chocolate
15ml water
75ml sour cream
juice of ½ a lemon
240ml double cream

~   Melt together the white chocolate together with the water as instructed above.
~   Mix together the sour cream and lemon juice.
~   Fold the cream mixture into the melted chocolate.
~   Whisk the cream till thick and fold into the chocolate mixture.

This is lovely served at room temperature, gorgeous chilled and if you heat them before serving the ganache melts and you get a self-saucing brownie which is also utterly wonderful.  

Dark, Milk or White Chocolate
Caramel Sauce

These are absolutely my favourite chocolate sauce recipes!

50g granulated sugar
25ml water
150ml double cream
90g coarsely chopped dark, milk or white chocolate
pinch of salt
 tsp vanilla extract

~   Set the cream beside the stove. 
~   In a deep saucepan over low heat stir together the sugar and the water till the sugar is
dissolved and then bring to a boil.  Don’t stir any more but when it begins turning golden
you can swirl it about a bit to even out the colour.
~   Cook to a deep golden brown watching carefully and swirling occasionally.
~   When you are happy with the colour add the cream and stir over low heat till the caramel
which will have hardened has melted back into the cream.
~   Add the chocolate and stir till completely melted and mixed into the sauce.
~   Add the salt and vanilla extract and mix in.

2 Good Ideas for these Chocolate Sauces

~   Add a pinch of salt – thus making Chocolate Salted Caramel Sauce!
~ Chocolate Fondue – serve the warm chocolate sauce (salted or otherwise) in a communal
pot or individual bowls with things to dip in it … biscuits, marshmallows, pieces of not too
crumbly cake, fresh fruit such as strawberries, lumps of banana, slices of ripe pear etc.

Gorgeous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 16 fairly large cookies so serves 1!

I make these sporadically and then try other things and then go back to these.  They really are the dog’s thingies!  People keep asking for the recipe – so here it is for everyone.

125g soft butter
125g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g self raising flour
a pinch of salt
200g dark chocolate coarsely chopped

~   Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~   Cream together the butter and sugars.
~   Beat together the egg and vanilla and then add it to the butter mixture together with a spoonful of the flour (this helps stop the mixture curdling).
~   Stir (or munge) in the flour, salt and chocky, it is pretty thick so easiest with your hands.
~   Roll into walnut sized balls and place well-spaced on ungreased baking trays.
~   Bake for about 8-10 minutes till just gold round the edges (if you want them squidgier cook
a little less).
~   Cool on a rack.

The dough can be rolled into a sausage shape and frozen and then it is possible (if you are careful and use a sharp knife) to slice off just as many cookies as you need and bake them from frozen. Useful in emergencies.

Chocolate & Chilli Quesadilla

See here for my Chocolate Quesadilla recipe and other ideas for combining chocolate and chillies.

 Chocolate Chunk Brownies

I think these are just about my favourite brownies but, of course, I am not averse to others!

185g dark chocolate
185g butter
85g plain flour
40g cocoa
50g milk chocolate coarsely chopped
50g white chocolate coarsely chopped
another 50g dark chocolate! coarsely chopped
3 eggs
275g caster sugar

~ Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~ Melt together the butter and the 185g dark chocolate then cool to room temperature.
~ Lightly butter a 20cm square cake tin.
~ Sift together the flour and the cocoa.
~ Whisk together the eggs and the caster sugar until doubled in size.
~ Fold in the cooled melted chocolate.
~ Fold in the sifted flour and cocoa.
~ Stir in all the chopped up chocolate.
~ Decant into the cake pan and bake for 25 minutes.
~ Cool in the tin then cut into squares and eat! Possible with some ice cream and one of the
chocolate sauces above.

Next time I cook these I’ll take a picture1

A Wonderful Thing to do with Chocolate Brownies 
(and a wooden spoon!)

I don’t think this behaviour is necessary with the Chocolate Chunk Brownies above but is a great idea with other brownies.

~   Make a batch of your favourite brownies (other than above).
~   While they are baking also make a batch of the chocolate ganache topping in the peanut
butter tart recipe above.  
~   Turn the brownie out onto a rack and then take a wooden spoon and lightly butter the
handle end! 
~   Carefully insert the spoon handle straight down into the brownie at 1” intervals twisting
gently it on the way in and out twisting to form lots of deep little wells, but not breaking
through the bottom of the brownie.
~   Fill each little hole with chocolate ganache and then allow the brownie to cool completely
before cutting into squares.

Served cold you have a creamy chocolate filling, if you reheat them they are self saucing.

Here’s another thing I like to do with chocolate; try it you might like it too!

Chocolate and Marijuana!

Please leave this field empty

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm and download your free tips.