Dive face-first into National Chocolate Week with these gorgeously gooey dessert recipes
From a quick-fix chocolate hit to a deliciously indulgent pud that would make Mary Berry proud, we've got just the thing to hit your choccie spot
IF there's ever a time to indulge on chocolate guilt-free it's during National Chocolate Week.
It would be rude not to, really...
Quick Chocolate Pear Crumbles
Serves 4
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Cals 171
Sat fat 3g
*20g hazelnuts, blanched
*3 dark chocolate digestives
*2 big, ripe pears
*30g dark 70% chocolate, roughly broken up
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. In a plastic food bag, bash the nuts and biscuits to break them up into rough crumbs.
2 Cut the pears in half and scoop out the core with a teaspoon. Place the pears in a small ovenproof dish and fill with the crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes, then for a final 5 minutes add the chocolate pieces (they burn quite easily if cooked for longer than this).
3 When the chocolate has melted, remove from the oven and serve with a ball of vanilla ice cream on top.
Chocolate Brownie Pudding with Salted Caramel and Toffee Pecans
Serves 4
Preparation time 45 minutes
Cooking time 25-30 minutes
Cals 987 (pudding only)
Sat fat 26g
*100g unsalted butter
*250g unrefined caster sugar
*75g golden syrup
*275g dark 70% chocolate chips
*4 medium free-range eggs
*70g plain flour
For the salted caramel sauce
*100g salted butter
*100g unrefined light muscovado sugar
*1tsp Maldon sea salt flakes
*100g double cream
For the toffee honey pecans
*100g pecan nuts, shelled
*1tbsp honey
*1tbsp unrefined caster sugar
*1/2tsp Maldon sea salt flakes
1 To make the pudding, melt together the butter, sugar and syrup until it bubbles. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and mix well. Add the eggs and beat until smooth, then add the flour, mixing well.
2 Pour into individual pudding basins or a 6in-deep baking dish and bake at 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. It should still wobble when it leaves the oven. Don’t allow to cook for longer than 30 minutes so that the brownie middle is still soft and molten.
3 Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce, bring the butter and sugar to a simmer with the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Take off the heat, add the cream and mix well. While warm, pour it over the brownie pudding and leave to stand.
4 On a baking tray, cook the pecans in the oven at 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark 3 for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
5 In a saucepan, bring the honey, sugar and sea salt to a simmer until golden. Throw in the pecans and stir to coat in the caramel. Pour on to parchment paper and allow to cool. Once cold, chop. Sprinkle over the pudding and serve.
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Marmalade and Prune Chocolate Cake
Serves 8
Preparation time 25 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Cals 613
Sat fat 12g
For the cake
*125g soft pitted prunes
*50ml brandy
*1tsp cinnamon
*1tsp mixed spice
*125ml Seville orange marmalade
*2tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1tbsp water
*1tsp vanilla extract
*240g plain flour
*3tbsp cocoa powder
*3tsp baking powder
*½tsp bicarbonate of soda
*250g dark brown muscovado sugar
*70g 70% dark chocolate or chocolate chips
*100g unsalted butter
*2 large eggs, beaten
*240ml single cream
For the topping
*2tbsp marmalade
*8tbsp icing sugar
1 Put the prunes into a small bowl and cover with brandy, mix in cinnamon and spices. Leave overnight
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Put the prunes, marmalade, coffee mixture, vanilla extract in a food blender until nearly smooth. Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then mix in the muscovado sugar.
3 In a pan, melt the butter and chocolate separately. Leave to cool a little.
4 Mix together the chocolate, butter, eggs, cream, and the blended prune mixture
5 Make a well in the flour mixture then pour in the wet ingredients: chocolate, butter, eggs, cream and the prunes. Fold together and ensure all ingredients are mixed in thoroughly then add to a 20cm springform or loose-bottom cake tin.
6 Bake in the preheated oven for 1hr. While hot, prick with a skewer, warm 2tbsp marmalade until runny and spoon over the cake. Drizzle over the top with glace icing made with icing sugar mixed with hot water.
Recipes from by Paul A Young (£20, Clearview Books) out October 10, 2016.
