|
|
|
|
| The Recipes of Passion |
|
Surprising your partner with a creative yet delicious meal can satisfy
more than the appetite. Today we're featuring the first two courses. First is a delicious,
tasty appetizer that is sure to impress you and your Valentine. And for the second course, we have two soups to choose from: an exotic chilled strawberry soup or a rich broccoli cheese soup.
Try them, they will work wonders!
|
|
Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake with Summer Fruits
|
| Ingredients: |
| 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing |
| 500g bag frozen summer fruits |
| 100g plain chocolate, broken into chunks |
| 3 eggs, separated |
| 75g caster sugar |
| 5 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted |
| 4 tbsp plain flour, sifted |
| 50g roasted, chopped hazelnuts |
| icing sugar, to dust |
| double cream or crème fraîche, to serve |
|
| Directions: |
| Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter the base and sides of a 20-23cm/8-9in cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. |
| Heat the summer fruits in a saucepan or microwave until soft. Press through a sieve with a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids, reserving the juice. |
| Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring. (Or you can do this in a microwave, but be careful not to overheat it.) |
| Using a balloon whisk, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the cocoa powder and flour, followed by the melted chocolate and butter and mix together using a large metal spoon. Pour in HALF of the summer fruit juice then mix in the chopped hazelnuts. |
| Using a balloon whisk, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the cocoa powder and flour, followed by the melted chocolate and butter and mix together using a large metal spoon. Pour in HALF of the summer fruit juice then mix in the chopped hazelnuts. |
| Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, fold into the chocolate mixture and spoon into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out clean. |
| Allow to cool in the tin then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar, cut into slices and serve with the rest of the summer fruit juice and double cream or crème fraîche, if desired. |
| For an even fancier presentation, use mint sprigs and fresh raspberries on the individual slices. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
