Review :: Chocolate and Love

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Chocolate and Love

Two of the most exquisite bars of chocolate I have EVER tasted arrived by post today courtesy of Chocolate and Love, a new online chocolate boutique. I have tasted so many "gourmet" chocolates in the past which have never met up with the expectations the pricetag encourages. This, I can say without reservation, is not one of those occasions. I had the chance to sample Crushed Diamonds (Organic Dark Truffle Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs) and The Coffee Affair (organic dark chocolate with coffee). … [Read more...]

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Tasting Fine Chocolate

September 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Chocolate tasting is often compared to wine tasting.  On the one hand this is a fantastic analogy, because the cocoa bean really does give us a whole world of different flavours to savour.  On the other hand though, it makes fine chocolate sound like a thing that can only be enjoyed by aficionados, and I don’t think fine chocolate should be limited in that way. So, like wine, there is something unique to look out for. Join the Dark Side? So why would someone make that leap from … [Read more...]

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Chocolate Angel Food Cake

December 21, 2008 By Leave a Comment

This is a very delicate cake which requires light handling. Ingredients 25g (1oz) Cornflour 70g (2 1/2 oz) Plain Flour 2 tablespoons of good qualty cocoa powder 225g (8oz) Caster Sugar 1/2 Lemon 10 egg whites 2 pinches of salt 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar For the Icing 50g (2oz) Plain or Bitter Chocolate 40g (1 1/2 oz) Butter 100g (4oz) Icing Sugar 4 tablespoons of milk 1 egg pinch of salt Vanilla Essense Set the oven at Gas Mark 4 (180c or … [Read more...]

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White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

January 31, 2008 By Leave a Comment

INGREDIENTS * 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs * 3 tablespoons white sugar * 1/4 cup butter, melted * 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries * 2 tablespoons white sugar * 2 teaspoons cornstarch * 1/2 cup water * 2 cups white chocolate chips * 1/2 cup half-and-half cream * 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened * 1/2 cup white sugar * 3 eggs * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie … [Read more...]

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Christmas Chocolate Log

December 13, 2006 By Leave a Comment
chocolate-log

To be fair Christmas Log was never a large part of my childhood memories - I did not discover the delight of a christmas log cake until I was in my early twenties. My family always had a fairly small selecton - christmas pudding, sherry triffle or fruit salad! Always the same, every single year. I do love all three but sometimes it would have been nice to vary it from year to year - but variety was never the source of pleasure with my family, provided it came in vast quantities they were … [Read more...]

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Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding

November 29, 2006 By Leave a Comment
self-saucing-chocolate-pudding

Sometimes one needs a highly indulgent pudding with little effort, and this is one of my all time favourites. Its easy to prepare, is a sauce and pudding combined, and everyone I have served it to have raved endlessly. Many chefs have their own version of this recipe - Nigella - but here is mine, and its slightly lighter than hers [but no less delicious]. I prefer it casually served with just a dollop of cream. Ingredients 125g/4½oz plain flour pinch of salt 120g/4¼oz caster sugar 3 tsp … [Read more...]

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Milk Chocolate Cake

November 23, 2006 By Leave a Comment
milk-chocolate-cake

I love my milk chocolate cake. Its immensely simple and yet so very gratifying. Because it is such a light cake I find it especially good for kids - and if you really want to hide a hidden and healthy twist try adding a touch of wholemeal flour to the mix - not only does it add a lovely nutty texture but its so good the kids will never know its there - for this recipe check my wholemeal milk chocolate cake recipe. Ingredients:: 200 g (7 oz) Self Raising Flour 225 g (8 oz) caster sugar 1 … [Read more...]

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Wholesome Milk Chocolate Cake

October 27, 2006 By 1 Comment
milk-chocolate-cake

This is a very simple milk chocolate cake with a wholemeal twist. The wholemeal flour lends it a lovely nutty texture. Its excellent if you are really struggling to get wholemeal goodness into your kids - namely because it looks so naughty and packed with chocolate that they will never know the secret ingredient that lurks within its rich dark layers. This is a tried and tested method of getting your kids to try some wholemeal foods. Ingredients 100 g (3 1/2 oz) Self Raising Flour 100 … [Read more...]

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