Baking with Chocolate

Valrhona Chocolate

Valrhona – recognised by gourmet chefs everywhere: Available in couverture drops for ease of melting; powder for coating truffles or addition to chocolate cakes; or little perles when your recipe calls for little bits of chocolate…

Quick Recipe: For the fastest & tastiest summer dessert – melt Valrhona 70%; dip a fresh strawberry & allow to set in the fridge - et Voila!

Willies 100% Cacao Chocolate Basted Partridge

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 oven-ready partridges
75g goose fat
4 tbsp Willie's cacao, finely grated
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
Olive oil
24 slices pancetta
Thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Place the goose fat and cacao in a small pan and heat until the goose fat has melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft.

Season the partridges then add them to the pan, along with the shallots. Fry the birds until golden brown then remove from the pan. Leave to cool slightly, reserving the shallots and cooking juices for gravy.

Use a pastry brush to paint the birds with the chocolate goose fat. Wrap 3 slices of pancetta around each partridge, sprinkle over the thyme and roast for 25-30 minutes. Leave the birds to rest before serving with gravy and roast vegetables.

Ballymaloe Chocolate Almond Gateau

This cake keeps incredibly well.

4oz best quality dark chocolate
2 tablespoons Red Jamaica Rum
4 oz butter, preferably unsalted
4 oz caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2oz plain white flour
2oz ground almonds
Toasted flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350F/Regulo 4. Grease the tins and line the base of each with greaseproof paper.

Melt the chocolate with the rum on a very gentle heat. Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolks. Whisk the egg whites with a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff. Add one tablespoon of castor sugar and continue to whisk until they reach the stiff peak stage. Add the melted choc to the butter and sugar mixture and then add the almonds. Stir in a quarter of the egg white mixture followed by quarter of the sieved flour. Fold in the remaining eggs and flour alternatively until they have all been added. Divide between the two prepared tins and make a hollow in the centre of each cake. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Important: Cake should be slightly underdone in the centre. Sides should be cooked but the centre a little unset.

For Chocolate Icing
4oz dark chocolate
2 tablespoons Red Jamaica Rum
4oz butter
2x7inch sandwich tins.

Chocolate Butter Icing : Melt 4oz best quality chocolate with two tablespoons of rum Beat in 4 oz unsalted butter by the tablespoon. Beat occasionally until cool. If the icing liquefies, put into the fridge to firm up, whisk until stiff. When the cake is complete cold, fill and ice with mixture. Pipe the remaining icing around the top and decorate with toasted almonds.

Schokinag Flakes – perfect for rolling truffles or home-made drinking chocolate

More Delicious Chocolate Recipes

Truffles: Pour 550mls of boiling cream over 550g chocolate drops & mix with a whisk. Add 125g of chopped butter. Whisk until smooth. Form balls of the refrigerated mixture & roll in 100% cocoa powder.