Add the coffee and vanilla to a small cup and stir together to dissolve the coffee. Set aside. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt to a saucepan and whisk together. Add the cream and egg yolks and whisk until incorporated. Scrape the corners of the saucepan, making sure you get all the ingredients and whisk again. Pour in the milk and whisk once more. Now place the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly. Keep going until the mixture has thickened and is bubbling all over the surface – it should take 5-7 minutes. Cook for another 30 seconds and then remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and chocolate and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Add the coffee and vanilla and whisk to blend. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the mixture through. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the pudding’s surface and refrigerate for 2 hours. Whisk the pudding by hand for one minute before serving.
If you long for slightly warm pain au chocolat directly from a Paris pâtisserie, long no more! This chocolate bread offers real competition! If you battle to understand the finishing instructions, go to my instagram account (karen_claassen) or my YouTube channel, for a demonstration video.
300ml milk
30ml butter
10g instant yeast
80ml sugar
a pinch of salt
850ml cake flour
2 egg yolks
350g chocolate spread
2 egg whites
Put a small saucepan onto the heat and warm the milk in it.
Stir the butter into the milk so that it can melt.
Allow the milk to come to a temperature where you can comfortably keep your finger in it without feeling it is hot.
Sprinkle the yeast onto the milk and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.
Add the sugar, salt and flour to a large mixing bowl.
Add the yeast mixture as well as the egg yolks and mix to form a rough dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to stand until doubled in volume.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into four equal pieces.
Roll the first portion of dough into a circle – I like to measure my circle with the loose-bottom of a 22cm cake tin. This is a real help in getting all the circles/discs to the same size.
Transfer this dough circle onto your prepared baking sheet and spread a third of the chocolate spread as evenly as you can over the dough.
Repeat this process with the other three portions of dough.
Once the last dough circle has been placed onto the stack, you are ready to cut and shape your bread. If you have difficulty in following this process, go to my instagram account or my YouTube channel for demonstration video.
Finishing instructions:
Imagine a 5cm diameter circle as the centrepiece of your dough circles – DO NOT cut through this circle.
Now, if the dough circles were a clock, make an incision from the centre circle on 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
Half each of the four triangles you have so that you are left with 8 pieces.
Lastly, cut through each of the 8 pieces to end up with 16.
Now lift two pieces that are next to each other, one in each hand, and make two twists in opposite directions. Carefully place these pieces down. Keep going until all of the bread pieces have been twisted and your have a beautifully patterned bread.
Cover the bread with a clean tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Whisk the two egg whites with a fork and glaze the bread with it.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Add the melted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the espresso, eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Now add the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Fold the ingredients together until you have a smooth batter. Add the chopped chocolate and fold through. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and set aside.
For the cheesecake swirl: Add the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. Spoon dollops of the cheesecake batter across the surface of the brownie mixture. Swirl the cheesecake mixture through the brownie batter with a small knife. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool the brownies in the baking tin before removing and slicing.
50g butter, melted 140g chocolate, chopped 30ml sour cream 10ml vanilla 4 eggs, separated 2 egg whites a pinch of cream of tartar a pinch of salt 45ml sugar
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Place 6 ramekins on a baking sheet, brush the insides evenly with the melted butter and dust with some sugar, making sure you cover the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Set aside. Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt. Take the bowl from the heat, add the sour cream and stir through. Add the vanilla and stir through. Now add the egg yolks, one at a time and stir to combine. Set aside. Add the 4 + 2 egg whites to a clean mixing bowl, sprinkle the cream of tartar and salt over and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a teaspoonful at a time while whisking continuously. Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate with a metal spoon. Now add the rest and gently for into the chocolate mixture. Do not over mix but do get rid of white streaks in the mixture. Fill each ramekin. Gently run your thumb around the inside of the ramekin to create a small well. Bake the soufflés for 12 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
This traditional dessert, also known as Pots de Crème, is super easy to make. It is a rich and creamy no-bake dessert and most of all, it is deliciously smooth and not airy like a mousse. I serve this dessert in espresso cups as I find a larger serving too rich and overwhelming. This recipe yields 10 espresso-cup servings or 6 individual servings in standard ramekins.
250ml cream 100ml milk 160g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa, chopped 40g brown sugar 3 egg yolks 5ml vanilla
Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and slowly bring it to a simmer. Take the saucepan from the heat the moment it starts to simmer. Add the chopped chocolate and stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted completely. Add the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk with electric beaters until pale and fluffy. Drizzle the chocolate mixture onto the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly! Keep going until you have added all of the chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between ramekins/espresso cups and allow to cool completely. Place the cups on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until you are ready to serve. I serve my chocolate pots as they are but this dessert is often served with Chantilly cream.
My Whisk and I 