Cool Balls of Roasted Oats and Flaxseeds with Almond Butter

Ingredients

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp roasted ground flaxseed
1 cup natural almond butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Spread the oats on an ungreased baking sheet. Make a thin layer to ensure that they roast evenly.
3. Bake the oats for 8 to 10 minutes or until they turn tan and have a strong, nutty aroma. Use the spatula or spoon to stir the oats occasionally, to prevent scorching and ensure even toasting.
4. In a small bowl, combine oats, coconut, chocolate and flaxseeds. Mix well and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, mix almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add oat mixture and stir again until all ingredients are well blended. It’ll look like raw cookie dough.
6. Using about 1 tbsp dough per piece, roll mixture into 20 balls using your hands. Wet hands occasionally to help prevent dough from sticking. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Makes 20 balls.

Source: Yum and Yummer

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Latte Pannacotta

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope powdered gelatin, about 2-1/2 tsp
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla
pinches of cinnamon
grated semi-sweet chocolate

Method

1. Pour cream into a large saucepan and set over medium-high. Stir in granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.
2. Measure out 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle gelatin overtop to soften, and stir once.
3. When cream starts to boil, remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture, espresso powder and vanilla. Whisk to dissolve gelatin completely.
4. Divide evenly among 8 espresso cups or ramekins. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle each with cinnamon, then grate chocolate overtop.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Chatelaine magazine

Tarts with Dark Chocolate and Blueberries

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup superfine sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1-1/2 cups blueberries
2 tbsp crème de cassis (cassis liqueur)
2 tsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting

Filling

5 oz 70% dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sour cream

Method

1. To make the tart dough, put the flour, unsweetened cocoa, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter, pulse again, then add the egg yolk and a little cold water to form a dough. Cover the pie dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out. Use to line ten 4-inch/10-cm tart shells. Freeze for 30 minutes, then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
4. Put the blueberries, cassis, and confectioners’ sugar in a pan and warm through so the berries become shiny, but do not burst. Let cool.
5. For the filling, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, then cool slightly. Whip the cream until stiff, then fold in the sour cream and cooled chocolate.
6. Remove the tart shells to a serving plate and divide the chocolate filling among them, smoothing the surface, then top with the blueberries. Dust over or around the tarts with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 10 tarts.

Source: 100 Best Delicious Chocolate

Easy to Make Chocolate Cake with Vanilla

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until pale, using an electric hand mixer. Beat in the cooled, melted butter, then sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in.
4. Separate the batter into two large bowls. Fold the vanilla into one of the bowls and the melted chocolate into the other.
5. In a large, clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gently fold half of the egg whites into each cake batter.
6. Spoon layers of the hatter alternately into the prepared pan, then run through a toothpick or skewer two or three times to create a marbled effect.
7. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Chocolat

Rum Balls

Ingredients

3/4 cup crumbs of plain genoise (see recipe below)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons dark rum
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1/2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons whipping cream
chocolate sprinkles to decorate

Icing

1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, chopped
1 oz semisweet chocolate, grated
2 teaspoons dark rum
warm water

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine cake crumbs, sugar, almonds, rum and lemon juice.
2. Melt chocolate in a bowl or top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water.
3. Add to rum mixture with sufficient cream for mixture to hold together when pressed between fingers.
4. Form teaspoonfuls of mixture into 18 small balls. Refrigerate on a baking sheet 4 hours or until firm.
5. To make icing, combine and warm sugar, butter, chocolate and rum in a small saucepan. When chocolate and butter softens, add a tablespoon of water.
6. Warm again and add sufficient water to liquify.
7. To coat rum balls, insert a poultry skewer in center of a rum ball. Tilt pan of icing and dip each ball. Let excess drip.
8. To decorate, roll in chocolate sprinkles to coat completely. Refrigerate in a covered container with waxed paper between layers up to 10 days.

Makes 18 rum balls.

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Plain Genoise

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 14″ x 10″ baking pan. Shake out excess flour.
2. Combine eggs and sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Place bowl in a pan of hot water. Beat until mixture is very thick and just warm. Mixture should form a ribbon when beaters are lifted.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Continue beating until mixture is almost cool.
5. Fold flour into egg and sugar mixture. Mix in butter.
6. Pour batter into prepared greased pan; level top. Bake in a preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until set on top.
7. Cool pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife carefully around the edge. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Use within 36 hours or wrap and freeze up to 6 weeks.

Source: Chocolates & Petits Fours