Oreo Pancakes With Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups self-raising/rising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp caster/granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup plus
1 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for frying
9 Oreo cookies or similar, broken into pieces

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

1⁄3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp cold water
2⁄3 cup double/heavy cream
1⁄3 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp golden/light corn syrup
1 tbsp butter Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. To make the pancake batter, put the flour, baking powder, egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, salt and milk into a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the melted butter and whisk again. The batter should have a smooth, dropping consistency.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whisked egg white into the batter mixture using a spatula. Cover and put in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
3. For the chocolate fudge sauce, mix the cocoa powder with the cold water until you have a smooth paste. Put the cream, chocolate, cocoa paste, golden/light corn syrup, butter, salt and vanilla extract in a saucepan set over a medium heat and simmer until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, glossy sauce. Keep the pan over a low heat to keep the sauce warm until you are ready to serve.
4. When you are ready to serve, remove your batter mixture from the refrigerator and stir once.
5. Put a little butter in a large frying pan/ skillet set over a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and coat the base of the pan, then ladle small amounts of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle some of the Oreo cookies into the batter and cook until the batter is just set, then turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Once cooked, keep the pancakes warm while you cook the remaining batter in the same way, adding a little butter to the pan each time, if required.
7. Serve the pancakes in stacks with the hot chocolate fudge sauce poured over the top.

Makes 12 pancakes.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

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Chocolate and Hazelnut Muffins

Ingredients

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chocolate-and-hazelnut spread
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted and chopped hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
2. Gently melt the chocolate and chocolate spread in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl. Let cool for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla, oil, and milk using an electric handheld mixer. When combined, stir in the cooled chocolate. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula or metal spoon, but don’t overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Divide the batter among the muffin liners, filling them three-quarters full, then sprinkle the hazelnuts over the tops. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. When cooked, transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Makes 6 muffins.

Source: Chocolat

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients

1 thin slice of sourdough rye bread
1-1/2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1/2 banana, sliced
1 small cube of good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Method

1. Lightly toast the bread.
2. While it’s still hot, spread it with the peanut butter.
3. Lay on the slices of banana, grate over the chocolate and munch.

Makes 1 serving.

Source: Gizzi Erskine

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup rice malt syrup
1 cup dried pitted dates, chopped coarsely
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp baking soda
6-1/2 oz butter, chopped
3 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole roasted peeled hazelnuts, halved
1-1/2 tsp cocoa powder extra

Method

1. Preheat oven to 18oºC/35oºF. Grease a 8-inch x 12-inch slice pan. Line base with baking paper, extending the paper 2-inches over long sides.
2. Place syrup, dates, salt and the water in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until dates are soft.
3. Stir baking soda into date mixture, transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth.
4. Return date mixture to pan. Add butter, stir over medium heat until butter melts. Pour mixture into a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sifted cocoa, ground hazelnuts, flour, sour cream and chopped nuts. Spread mixture into pan and level top.
6. Bake brownie for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs attached.
7. Cool in pan. Dust with extra cocoa, then cut into squares.

Makes 24 servings (1 square per serving).

Source: The Australian Women’s Weekly

Layer Dessert with Mango and Two Sauces

Ingredients

13 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1-2/3 cups whipping cream
9 Tbsp Kahlua chocolate liqueur
4 mangos, peeled and cut from seed
juice of 2 oranges
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash ground cloves
cocoa powder

Method

1. Melt 8 oz chocolate. Beat until shiny. Spread 1/8-inch thick on wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill 2 hours.
2. Combine 2-1/2 oz chocolate and 2/3 cup cream, heat to boil.
3. Add 4 Tbsp Kahlua, chill 1 hour.
4. In blender, puree flesh from 2 mangos with orange juice, sugar and 1 Tbsp Kahlua. Strain and chill.
5. Combine 1/2 cup cream, 2-1/2 oz chocolate, cinnamon and cloves. Heat to boiling. Chill 20 minutes.
6. Stir in 1/2 cup cream and 4 Tbsp Kahlua.
7. Thinly slice remaining mangos.
8. Cut 8 3-inch rounds from chilled chocolate.
9. Whip first cream mixture until thick. Pipe through pastry bag equally onto 4 chocolate rounds.
10. Arrange mango slices on top. Top with remaining rounds. Pour mango and chocolate sauces onto 4 plates. Set desserts over sauces. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Patricia Quintana