Flour-less Chocolate Cake
Posted: 01 March '10 by Niall
Easy flour-less chocolate cake
As another weekend drew to a close, I thought that Kelly and I deserved a treat before getting back to the daily grind. When it comes to treats in our house, that means chocolate.
Here’s a recipe for a rich, moist chocolate cake.. And it’s easy. Three ingredients, that’s all!
It’s also a flour-less cake, making it suitable for coeliacs.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7
Ingredients
- 450g of dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 150g of unsalted butter – and a little more for greasing the cake dish
- 5 large eggs, separated
I’d also recommend some whipped cream and/or some ice-cream to serve with the cake – it’s so chocolate-y that you’ll need it!
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375F/190C.
- Take a saucepan, half fill it with water, and put it on a medium heat.
- Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over the saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water, stirring the mixture as it melts.
- Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Butter the cake dish and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two large bowls.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed and the whipped egg-whites do not move as you tilt the bowl (you’ll see that Kelly bravely volunteered for the age-old test for telling whether egg-whites are ready – if you can hold the bowl upside-down over your head without getting covered, they’re ready!).
- In the other bowl beat the egg yolks together.
- Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate, stirring lightly until the chocolate and egg yolks have mixed together.
- Using a metal spoon, fold in some of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, followed by the remaining egg-whites when this first amount has been thoroughly folded in. When folding use light, circular motions with the spoon – do not mix – the idea is to keep air in the mixture. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.
- Pour your cake batter into prepared cake dish. The batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way up the sides.
- Bake for 25 minutes -the top of the cake should have a firm crust, like the top of a brownie.
- Remove the cake dish from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes or so before trying to slice or un-mould the cake.
- Serve with cream and/or ice-cream.
Enjoy!
Categories: Biscuits and Cakes > Dessert Course > Featured Post > Recipes
1 Comment
Brownies with white chocolate buttons
Posted: 28 October '09 by Ciara
Brownies with white chocolate buttons
I was “surfing the net” a few weeks ago looking for a brownie recipe and came across a Nigella Lawson one. I have to confess, it was the first time that I have ever tried one of her recipes and I can tell you I was delighted with the results. These have to be the nicest brownies I have tasted. The gooey centre is to die for! I tried them firstly, for myself, Cor and Sophie and must admit I ate the majority of them.
The second time I made them was at the weekend just past, for my family in Belfast and they absolutely loved them. This time round, I added more chocolate buttons. You’d swear they’d never seen chocolate the way they went on about them.
You can see more photos hereImage 1
Ingredients:
- 375g dark chocolate - I use Green & Blacks as they are made with 70% cocoa solids
- 375g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 eggs
- 350g caster sugar
- 225g plain flour
- 250g white chocolate buttons
- brownie tin
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F
- Line brownie tin base and sides
- Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pot of boiling water
- In another bowl, beat eggs with sugar and vanilla extract
- Sift the flour into another bowl with salt
- When chocolate mixture has melted let it cool before beating in the eggs and sugar, then the flour
- Fold in white chocolate buttons, then beat slightly and scrape unto brownie tin
- Bake for 25 minutes until the top is dried to a paler brown and the centre is dark and gooey
Enjoy
Categories: Biscuits and Cakes > Dessert Course > Featured Post > Recipes
2 Comments
Oreo truffles
Posted: 15 October '09 by Niall
Making oreo truffles
This is such a simple, straightforward recipe – it only has 3 ingredients. The only difficulty is in stopping yourself (and others – you know who you are!) from eating the ingredients..
Special thanks to Katie B – our chief assistant, unlicensed ingredient-taster, photography model, and truffle-sampler.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4
Ingredients:
- 1 packet of Oreo cookies
- 200g of Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 100g of good dark chocolate
You’ll also need:
- A food processor
- Large mixing bowl
- A heat-proof bowl, ideally one that will sit snugly on a saucepan of boiling water without touching the water
- Baking spatula or large spoon
- Grease-proof paper
- A tray that will fit into your freezer and fridge
- A bowl of water
- Metal skewer to help to coat the truffles (optional)
Method:
- Place the oreo cookies in the food processor and blitz them until they have been broken down. How “breadcrumbed” they are depends on you – I like a few large bits in there – a nice surprise when you’re munching through the Oreo Truffles with a cuppa
- Pour most of the crumbs into the large mixing bowl, keeping some back to dust the finished truffles, and add the cream cheese (it’s easier to mix the cream cheese if it isn’t chilled)
- Mix them together until you end up with a brown-coloured, smooth-ish dough – although we started off with a metal spoon, we found that it was much easier just to get your hands in there
- Wash your hands – or spend the next 10 minutes licking them clean
- Cover the tray with the grease-proof paper
- Moisten your fingers from the bowl of water and take a tablespoon of the dough, rolling it into a gobstopper-sized ball, and place onto the tray
- After you’ve used all of the dough, put the tray into the freezer – 5 to 10 minutes should do it – you need the dough balls to get more firm for the next step
- While the dough is in the freezer, bring a pot of hot water to a simmer in your pot, place your heat safe dish on top, and break the bar of dark chocolate into the bowl (make sure that the inside of the bowl and all of your utensils are completely dry – the smallest drop of water in there and the chocolate will be ruined – I speak from experience)
- Constantly stir your chocolate, encouraging it to melt – it’s important not to over-heat it. When a good portion of the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the remainder has melted
- Take your dough balls from the freezer and, working quickly, you can try to skewer them the drip chocolate over the truffles – we started to do this but found that lifting each dough ball up using a tablespoon, dropping them into the melted chocolate, roll them around until they were completely coated was easier – whichever method you use, place the coated truffles on the grease-proof covered tray
- Take the remaining oreo pieces that you set aside and sprinkle over the truffles
- Place the tray in the fridge and let them cool again, and the chocolate shell to harden
The Oreo Truffles give a satisfying “crack” when you bite into them, and the slightly bitter chocolate gives way to the rich, creamy, sweet centre – DELISH!
Other information:
We’ve used a lot of cream cheese here – you can lessen the cream cheese content to make the truffles darker, and more intensely rich.
Categories: Biscuits and Cakes > Featured Post > Recipes
No Comments - Click to Add Yours
Snicker Krispie Buns
Posted: 13 October '09 by Niall
Snickers Rice Krispie buns
With “Chocolate Week” well and truly upon us, Kelly and I decided to make some chocolate goodies.
As much as we love Chocolate Rice Krispie buns, we thought it was time for a change. Here’s our Snickers Krispie Buns – give it a go – they’re GREAT.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6
Ingredients:
- 100g milk chocolate
- 5 cups of Rice Krispies
- 5 Snickers bars (290g X 5)
- 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter
- 25ml of milk to loosen the melting chocolate
You’ll also need: a food processor, 1 saucepan half-filled with water, a glass bowl to sit on top of the saucepan, a very large bowl, a tray that fits into your fridge, and a metal spoon to stir.
Method:
- Place the saucepan of water over a high heat, and place the bowl on top of that.
- Chop the Snickers bars roughly, and blitz in your food processor
- Place the butter into the bowl and allow to melt
- As the butter melts, add the peanut butter and 3/4 of the blitzed Snickers, and stir until all the ingredients have melded
- Pour the Rice Krispies into the large bowl and add the melted ingredients. Mix thoroughly until all of the Krispies have been coated
- Smear the tray with some more unsalted butter and spoon the covered Krispies onto the tray, flattening them to form a sheet about 11/2 to 2cm thick
- Scatter the remaining Snickers pieces on top and lightly press in
- Return the glass bowl to the saucepan and break the milk chocolate into the bowl
- When the chocolate has melted, add the milk and stir until the chocolate has loosened up, then spoon over the Krispie sheet and spread across the surface
- Place the tray into the fridge until the chocolate has fully set – about 30 minutes or so.
Given how delicious these Snickers Krispies are, you won’t have to worry about this next bit – but the Krispie buns are best eaten within 24 hours.
Categories: Biscuits and Cakes > Featured Post > Recipes
1 Comment
Chocolate Week – 12th to 18th of October 2009
Posted: 12 October '09 by Niall
National Chocolate Week 12-18 October 2009
As if we ever needed an excuse to eat more, Chocolate Week is running from 12-18th October, 2009!
As per usual, Northern Ireland has been virtually left out of the official events, so we thought we’d do our best to make up for it. We’ll be posting two recipes this week that make the most of chocolate: Oreo Truffles, and Snicker Rice Crispie buns. With a view to providing our readers with the best recipes, we’ve tested them thoroughly, and they definitely get the thumbs-up!
The question is, what are you doing to celebrate?
You can visit www.chocolate-week.co.uk to read more about Chocolate Week, find out how chocolate is made, and how to recognise good chocolate (is there such a thing as bad chocolate!?).
Other information:
Apparently Co Couture is participating in Chocolate Week, the only representative from Northern Ireland to do so.
Categories: Things to do
