· Chocolate soufflés with caramel sauce
The drama of a soufflé straight from the oven will always stir a table of dinner-party guests. This is one of Jo Gilks's recipes.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Use: 6 x 6cm ramekins
Serves: 6
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs cocoa powder
Soufflés
100g dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
60g cocoa powder
8 egg whites
60g caster sugar
Caramel sauce
100g caramel-filled chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbs thick cream
Preheat the oven to 190 C/gas mark 5. Melt the butter and brush the insides of the ramekins. Mix the sugar with the cocoa and sprinkle into each ramekin until coated. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Mix the cocoa with 150ml cold water in a saucepan, then bring to the boil, whisking continuously. Boil for 10 seconds. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with the melted chocolate. To prepare the caramel sauce, place the chocolate and the cream in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir before serving.
Continue with the soufflés by whisking the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Add one-quarter of the egg white to the cocoa mixture and whisk until blended. Gently fold in the remaining egg white, using a metal spoon to cut through the egg white as you fold so that you do not knock the air out of it.
Fill each prepared ramekin to the rim with the soufflé mixture and, using a palette knife, level off the surface. Run your thumb around the rim of each ramekin, pushing away the soufflé mixture, so that it does not stick to the edge and will rise evenly.
Bake the soufflés for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour caramel sauce over each one and serve immediately.
· Breton butter biscuits
This biscuit from Brittany is traditionally plain but we couldn't resist trying a rival.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Use: a 5cm fluted biscuit cutter
Makes: 50
375g plain flour
large pinch of salt
150g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
tsp vanilla extract
200g milk chocolate or 50g each of milk, dark, Maya Gold (or good-quality dark orange chocolate) and white chocolate, broken, for dipping
Preheat the oven to 160 C/gas mark 3. Butter a large baking sheet. Sift together the flour and the salt. Add the sugar and butter and mix until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix again until it comes together as a firm dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 15 minutes.
Roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of about 3mm. Cut out the biscuits using the cutter. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Use a bowl that will allow you tofit your hand in to dip the biscuits. Be very careful when melting the white chocolate and ensure that the bowl does not touch the water. If you are using different flavours of chocolate, once melted, pour the chocolate onto a small plate and dip the surface of each biscuit before returning them to the rack .
HINT: The best way of melting chocolate is to microwave it on medium in short bursts - 50g requires 30 seconds, then 10-second bursts, stirring inbetween.
·Lighthouse chocolate bread
From the Lighthouse Bakery in Battersea. Elizabeth Weisberg and Rachel Duffield rely on traditional methods of hand-moulding and use long fermentation to develop the full flavour of their dough. On Valentine's Day the bakery makes heart-shaped chocolate rolls.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Proving time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Use: 1 large baking sheet
Makes: 2 small loaves
20g fresh yeast or 2 tsps active dried yeast
325ml warm water
125g caster sugar
1 large egg yolk
25g unsalted butter, softened
600g unbleached white bread flour
10g salt
30g cocoa powder
250g dark chocolate, minimum 60 % cocoa solids, roughly chopped
1 egg yolk for glazing
Combine the yeast, water and a generous pinch of sugar in a bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes until bubbly. Add the egg yolk and butter to the yeast mixture.
If using a free-standing mixer, place all the remaining ingredients in the bowl and mix with the paddle for 1 minute on low speed. Add the yeast mixture and mix with the paddle until well blended. Switch to the dough hook and mix first on low, then on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes). Add a little water if it's too dry.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix briefly with a spoon to blend. Then add to the yeast mixture in three batches, stirring well. Add the chocolate pieces last. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add water if it looks too dry. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to prove for about two hours in a warm area.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and punch down. Divide into two equal pieces and shape into an oval. Place both ovals on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to prove for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220 C/gas mark 7. Beat the egg with a fork and brush over the surface of the loaves. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 190 C/gas mark 5 for a further 25 minutes. Watch theloaves for the last 5 minutes to avoid scorching the tops. Cool on a wire rack.
HINT: To make the heart shapes, roll the dough into long snakes about 3cm in diameter by 37cm long. Shape into hearts and snip into the top cleavage and inside curves of the heart shape before baking. Keep an eye on the cooking time as chocolate bread is easily ruined.
· Jo's chocolate pecan pie
Jo Gilks' pie is a Thanksgiving favourite; don't worry about the crumbly pastry.
Preparation time: 35 minutes plus 25 minutes chilling
Cooking time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Use: a 28cm loose-based tart tin
Serves: 8-10
Pastry
275g plain flour
75g icing sugar
150g unsalted butter, cold
2 large egg yolks
Filling
275g dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
200g shelled pecans, chopped
3 large eggs, beaten
225g light soft brown sugar
250ml evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g unsalted butter, melted
To make the pastry, sift together the flour and icing sugar and cut the butter into cubes. Place in a food-processor and mix together, adding the egg yolks at the end to form a dough. Carefully roll out the pastry - it needs to be very thin. Lift into the tart tin and allow a little extra as pastry tends to shrink. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 C/gas mark 4.
Bake the pastry case blind by covering with parchment or greaseproof paper and baking beans for about 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until it is a very light golden colour. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C/gas mark 3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Mix together the remaining ingredients for the filling, and stir in the melted chocolate. Spoon into the pastry case and return to the oven for about an hour. Watch carefully and if necessary cover with foil to prevent burning.
· To order Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes (Kyle Cathie, rrp £14.99) for £9.99 plus p&p, call the Observer book service on 0870 066 7989
