145g butter 250g sugar 80g cocoa powder, sifted 1,2ml salt 7,5ml vanilla 2 eggs 65g flour 75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped 2 x 80g slabs of chocolate
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the mixture every now and then until the butter has melted and the mixture is amalgamated. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the vanilla. Stir through. Add the eggs one-by-one and beat to incorporate, with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and beat again to incorporate. Add the pecan nuts and stir through. Spoon half the batter in to the prepared baking tin and spread it out evenly. Place the chocolate slabs, side-to-side, on the batter and cover with the rest of the brownie batter. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the brownies from the oven and cool completely. Slice into 16 squares.
You can top these cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing or leave them plain – I prefer plain as they are sweet and gooey with the melted Easter egg on the inside.
200g butter, room temperature 200g sugar 200g flour 83ml cocoa powder, sifted 7,5ml baking powder 1,2ml bicarbonate of soda 2,5ml salt 150ml sour cream 2 eggs, lightly beaten 7,5ml vanilla 12 small, filled chocolate eggs
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on high speed, scrape down the bowl and mix again on high speed. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Stir through by hand until just incorporated. Divide the batter between the 12 paper cups and insert a filled chocolate egg in each. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
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.
500g flour 190ml brown sugar 62ml cocoa powder 10ml baking powder 2,5ml salt 120g butter, cubed 220g dark chocolate, chopped 250ml cream 5ml vanilla 125ml pecan nuts, chopped 15ml cream brown sugar for sprinkling
Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers. Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and stir it every now and then until completely melted. Add the melted chocolate, cream and vanilla and lightly mix through, making sure that all dry ingredients are moistened. Add the chopped pecan nuts. Knead the dough 3 or 4 times by hand to bring everything together in a ball. Do not overwork the dough – scones are soft and crumbly when the dough is handled less. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet and pat it down into a 20cm diameter circle. Cut the dough circle into 8 wedges and slightly separate them with the. blade of the knife. Brush the top of the scones with the 15ml cream and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Serve the scones with a dollop of whipped cream.
I am celebrating my one year association/endorsement of the best chocolate available on the South African market!! Yes, for one full year I have baked, maked or concocted something with chocolate at least once a week and what fun it was with such a fabulous product!
De Villiers Chocolate is an artisanal chocolate made from sustainably sourced raw materials. This sought-after brand is available through retailers across the country as well as online from the brand themselves. The Nut Butter Chocolate bars are dairy-free and made with no added artificial preservatives, colourant or other ingredients. The chocolate is Rainforest Alliance Certified and endorsed by the International Vegan Society.
My Whisk and I 