Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients
150g Dark Chocolate
115g Plain Chocolate
225g Caster Sugar
475ml Water

Equipment
1 Blender
1 Large Pan
1 Airtight Freezer Container
1 Metal Fork
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Start by heating the water and sugar up in the pan and leaving to simmer for 2 minutes over a medium heat, whilst that is doing, put the chocolate in your blender fitted with a metal blade, whisk until it is well finely chopped.
2. Now pour your sugar solution over the top whilst keeping the blender going (with the whisk attachment on this time) Keep this up for 1 minute then scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and repeat for another minute until you have a smooth paste.
3. Pour into your freezer container and chill before you freeze, once you have a slushy consistency, whisk/beat with the fork until you have a smooth consistency and then freeze again, do this once more before you have a solid consistency.
4. You'll need to bring this out of the freezer 5-10 minutes before you want to serve it (or as i do, i put it in the fridge just as i'm starting to serve dinner.

Serves 6

Cheats Tiramisu

Ingredients
200g Dark Chocolate
260g Mascarpone
100ml Double Cream (whipped till it holds it's shape)
260ml Black Coffee (with 17g caster sugar stirred in then cooled)
4 Tablespoons Rum/Brandy
24 Sponge Fingers
Cocoa Powder (for sprinkling)

Equipment
3 Mixing Bowls
1 Balloon Whisk
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Pan (with simmering water in)
4 Serving Plates

The Good Bit

1. Melt the chocolate in one of your mixing bowls over the pan with the simmering water in it then allow it to cool a little before stirring in the mascarpone and whipped cream
   
2. In the meantime, make your coffee, with the correct amount of sugar and rum or brandy, then you need to dip the sponge fingers in, one at a time, do it quickly so you don't make the fingers all soggy.
3. As you dip, lay out the sponge fingers on each of your 4 plates, 3 fingers next to each other pointing away from you, then spoon on some of the chocolate cream mixture, next add another layer of 3 fingers at 90 degrees to the first lot on top of the cream, now add another layer of chocolate cream and finally top with 3 more fingers pointing in the same direction as your first layer.
4. Chill for at least an hour the just before serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Serves 4

Indulgent Easter Eggs (adults only)

Ingredients
100g Dark Chocolate
175g Icing Sugar
175g Ground Almonds
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
175g Dark/Milk Chocolate
175g White Chocolate
Edible Gold or Silver Decorative Balls

Equipment
3 Mixing Bowls
3 Pans (1/2 full with simmering water to melt the chocolate in)
1 Serving Dish
1 Sheet Greaseproof Paper
Cling Film
A Fork

The Good Bit

1. Melt the 1oog dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water stirring occasionally. Stir in the sugar, ground almonds and egg white to make a paste, next take walnut-size pieces of the paste (keeping the rest wrapped in cling film as you work), and mould into egg shapes.
2. Melt the dark and white chocolates in separate bowls and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Put an egg shape into one of the bowls and use a fork to turn until coated. Carefully lift out the egg cradled in the fork (not on the prongs) and lay it on its side on the greaseproof paper. Coat half the eggs in white chocolate and half in dark.
3. Once all the eggs have been coated and then left to set, place them in a serving bowl and drizzle the rest of the melted chocolate over contrasting coloured eggs. Sprinkle with the decorative balls and then leave to set at room temperature. Serve and enjoy, just don't eat too many

Makes 25ish

Chocolate Rice Krispie Cakes

Ingredients
1 Block of Your Favorite Chocolate (only)
or
2 Mars Bars (only)
or
2 oz Butter
1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup
2 Teaspoons Cocoa Powder
Icing Sugar
And
Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes or Broken Shredded Wheat

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Pan (with enough water in to touch the bottom of your bowl when the water is simmering)
Paper Cake Cups

The Good Bit

1. OK we're doing 3 types here but they all work along the same principal. Melt your block of chocolate/2 mars bars/butter, golden syrup, cocoa powder in a bowl over the simmering water. If you are doing this the cocoa powder way, also add in enough icing sugar until you have a thick sauce.
2. Now add in the cereal of your choice, rice krispies, cornflakes or broken shredded wheat (this make excellent nests for easter treats) making sure to coat all the cereal, spoon out into your paper cake cups.
3. If you are going with easter treats, you may like to decorate them with a few mini eggs! chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before attempting to eat them, longer if you have the will power!

Chocolate Cup Cakes

Ingredients
125g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
125g Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs (beaten)
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Boiling Water
125g Chocolate (chopped into chunks)
50g Butter

Equipment
20 Paper Cases (placed into the spaces on your bun trays)
1-2 Bun Trays
2 Mixing Bowls
1 Pan (to fit one of the mixing bowls inside along with simmering water to melt the chocolate)
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 190c 375f gas 5. Beat the butter and 125g of butter together until pale and smooth, the mix in the beaten egg, mix the cocoa powder and boiling water together and fold into the egg mixture along with the flour.
2. spoon into your paper cases then stick them in the oven for 14 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Whilst they are cooling melt your chocolate in a bowl in the simmering pan of water carefully, add in the butter then stir in well, spoon over your cakes and leave to set. (I put mine in the fridge after a while to get the chocolate nice and hard.)

Makes 20

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
150g Plain Chocolate (chopped into small chunks)
4 Tablespoons Chocolate chips
65g Self Raising Flour
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
215g Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
120ml Sunflower Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
75g Chopped Mixed Nuts (or just chopped nuts that you like, walnuts? pecans?)

Equipment
1x19cm Square Cake Tin (greased)
1 Sauce Pan (half filled with boiling water and a bowl sat in it to melt the chocolate)
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Electric Whisk (although a balloon whisk/fork will do)
1 Sieve
1 Spatula/Wooden Spoon (for mixing and spreading out mixture)
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4, start by melting the chocolate in the bowl over just barely simmering water, beat the eggs, oil sugar and vanilla essence together in your mixing bowl then stir in the melted chocolate (this is where the whisk comes in handy)
2. Once you have a smooth mixture sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with either the spatula or the wooden spoon, finally stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips then tip out into the cake tin and smooth over the top.
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is crusty then allow to cool slightly before moving onto the wire rack, when it is cold enough, cut into chunks and serve (cream or custard goes really well)
   

Choc Tipped Biscuits

Ingredients
115g Butter
3 Tablespoons Icing Sugar (sifted)
150g Plain Flour
Vanilla Essence
75g Chocolate (broken into small pieces)

Equipment
1 Sieve
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Baking Tray
1 Piping Bag with Large Star Nozzle (optional)
1 Wire Rack
1 Baking Tray
1 Pan (1/2 filled with water with a glass bowl inside to melt the chocolate)

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4. Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl until soft and then mix in the flour and a few drops of vanilla essence. Pipe onto the baking tray, you should get about 10x5 inch biscuits. Cook for 15-20 minutes until golden
2. Allow the biscuits to cool slightly before moving them onto the wire rack, Melt the chocolate in a bowl that is being warmed gently in a pan of hot water, stir the chocolate until it is a thick creamy consistency then remove from the heat. Dip both ends of your biscuits into the chocolate then set back on the wire rack to set.
   

Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients
150g Self Raising Flour
125g Dark Chocolate (chopped finely or choc chips)
125g Butter
50g Brown Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)

Equipment
Baking Parchment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Sieve
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Little Dish (with a fork for the egg)
1 Wire Rack
Palette Knife (optional)

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4. Grease the baking sheet lightly, then whip together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, then sift in the flour and blend well before finally adding the chocolate pieces.
2. Drop 20-30 teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, give them room to expand and bake for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute or so before moving to a wire rack.
   

Chilled Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
125g Dark Chocolate (plus extra for decoration)
125g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs (separated)
300ml Double Cream (plus extra for topping)
2 Strawberries (halved)

Equipment
1 Electric Whisk
1 Small Bowl (large enough to sit in a small pan of water without touching the bottom)
At Least 2 Large Mixing Bowls
1 Small Pan

The Good Bit

1. Start by half filling your pan with water, you then want to place the bowl inside it that will sit in the water and rest against the sides without touching the bottom (we don't want to burn the chocolate) under a low heat, simmer the water and add the chocolate to the bowl and melt slowly and carefully.
2. In 1 of your mixing bowl add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk with the electric whisk until it is light but firm, Remove the chocolate from the heat once it is well melted and allow to cool for about a minute before adding to the egg mixture, whisk this well too.
3. In another bowl, whisk the double cream until it is thick, then whisk this into the chocolate mixture. now finally in another bowl whisk the 4 egg whites until they hold firm peaks, gently fold 1 tablespoon of the egg white into your chocolate mixture then fold in half of the rest until it is well mixed in the lightly fold in the rest. Place into serving dishes and chill
   
4. To serve i whisked up a little more cream and spooned it on top, i then grated a little chocolate over the top of the cream then topped off with a strawberry half, but you can be inventive here and top how you like.
   

Serves 8

Yule Log

Ingredients
3 Eggs
75g Caster Sugar
75g Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon Hot Water
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Icing Sugar
175g Sugar
125ml Water
6 Egg Yolks
375g Unsalted Butter (softened)
250g Plain Dark Chocolate (melted and cooled)

Equipment
2 Large Bowls
1 Whisk
1 Spatula
1 13x9inch Swiss Roll Tin (greased)
Grease Proof Paper
1 Sauce Pan
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Balloon Whisk

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 220c 425f gas 7. Place the 3 eggs in the mixing bowl and drop in the caster sugar, whisk together until it is thick and fluffy, now with a spatula or fork fold in the flour, vanilla and hot water, be gentle but mix it well, then pour the mixture into the Swiss roll tin and bake for 10 minutes until it is golden.
2. Tip the cake out onto some sugared grease proof paper, trim off any burnt and crispy edges then wrap in the paper and leave to cool.
3. In the sauce pan heat up the sugar and water until all the sugar has dissolved, bring it to the boil and heat up until it reaches 110c without stirring.
4. With the balloon whisk, whisk the egg yolks and then slowly pour on the sugar solution, whisking all the time, keep whisking until the mixture is thick and cool, then whisk in the butter and finally FOLD in the chocolate with a fork or spatula.
5. Unwrap your cake and cover with half the chocolate sauce mix, then place on whatever you are serving the cake on, cut off 1 end at a diagonal and then attach that piece back onto the top of the log to make it look like a branch (the topping will help it stick) cover with the rest of the chocolate sauce, then with a fork scrape lines along it to make it look real then chill until firm (a good couple of hours or over night, which is why I'm doing the recipe today on Christmas eve, so you can do this and mince pies!!)
6. When you are ready to serve, dust with icing sugar and enjoy. MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Warrens Chocolate Orange

Ingredients
2 Oranges
2 Pears (peeled, cored and halved)
2 Apples (peeled, cored and quartered)
1 Lemon (juiced)
50g Butter
4 Tablespoons Muscovado Sugar
75g Chocolate
4 Tablespoons Double/Whipping Cream

Equipment
1 Zester/Juicer
1 Chopping Board
1 SHARP Knife
1 Frying Pan
1 Glass Bowl
1 Large Pan
1 Spoon
1 Grater

The Good Bit

1. Remove the zest from one orange and keep to one side then grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the second, now remove the rest of the skin from both oranges and slice into thick chunks saving any juice.
   
2. Melt your butter in the frying pan and add the sugar until dissolved then add the zest from the first orange along with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the apples pears and orange slices, cook for 5 minutes until soft.
3. Heat some water in the pan and put your glass bowl in it, break the chocolate into the glass bowl and melt (or you can do this without the water and pan using a microwave, trying 30seconds at a time) add in the grated orange rind and juice and the cream and stir well.
4. Serve the fruit between four bowls and drizzle over the chocolate.

Serves 4

Chocolate Risotto

Ingredients
50g Hazelnuts (or any you like)
50g Raisins or Sultanas
600ml/1 Pint Milk
25g Sugar
50g Butter
125g Pudding Rice (yes pudding, long grain wont do for this)
Brandy (optional but bloody good!)
125g CHOCOLATE (i find cooking chocolate awful, there are several brands i love which are great for this and i cant get them over here in france so i'm having to wade through block after block of chocolate to find one i really like, IT'S A HARD LIFE)

Equipment
1 Small Frying Pan
1 Small Sauce Pan
1 Large Pan
1 Grater
1 Ladle
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Toast your nuts in the small frying pan (insert joke) with no oil then leave them to cool before chopping to bits, grate your chocolate.
   
2. Heat the milk and sugar in the small pan until just at simmering point.
3. Melt the butter in the large pan and add the rice and stir well coating all the rice, add a ladle of milk and wait for it to be absorbed by the rice then add another, keep this up until all the milk has gone.
4. Now whack in your nuts, raisins and stir well then finally add the grated chocolate but only give a little stir as this will then give a lovely marbled effect, Serve. (in case you were wondering add the brandy at the same stage as the nuts and raisins if you are using it)
   

Serves 4