Easter is the one time of year you can never have too much of these delightful sweets.
Easter is the one time of year you can never have too much of these delightful sweets.
HONEYCOMB-CHOC LAYER CAKE
Prep 10 mins + Chilling | Cook 20 mins | Serves 12
600 ml tub thickened cream
200 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 x 460 g double unfilled chocolate sponge cakes
2 x 125 g pkts honeycomb Easter eggs, roughly chopped
Broken hollow honeycomb eggs, melted dark chocolate and fresh raspberries to serve
HONEYCOMB
2 cups caster sugar
¼ cup water
1 tbsp honey
1½ tsps bicarbonate of soda
1. In a small saucepan, heat half of the thickened cream on medium until simmering. Place dark and milk chocolate in separate bowls. Pour half hot cream over each, stirring until melted and smooth. Chill 20 mins, until thickened. Whisk 30 secs, until smooth.
2. HONEYCOMB Line a 20 x 30-cm pan with baking paper. In a saucepan, stir sugar, water and honey over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Boil 8 to 10 mins, without stirring, until toffee begins to turn golden. Remove from heat and set aside 30 secs, until bubbles subside. Working quickly, use a wooden spoon to stir in bicarbonate of soda. Mixture will foam and bubble straight away. Pour the mixture into pan. Set aside until firm. Break into shards.
3. In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining cream to firm peaks.
4. Trim tops of cakes to level. Place one cake on a serving plate. Top with a little whipped cream, milk and dark ganache and chopped honeycomb eggs. Repeat layers. Spread top of cake with remaining ganache and arrange honeycomb on top. Serve with broken hollow honeycomb eggs, drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with fresh raspberries.
CHOCOLATE-MERINGUE LAYER CAKE
Prep 20 mins | Cook 1½ hours | Serves 8
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa, sifted
300 ml tub thickened cream, whipped to firm peaks
Melted dark chocolate, to serve WHIPPED GANACHE
200 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
⅔ cup thickened cream
STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
2 x 250 g punnets strawberries, hulled
½ cup icing sugar
2 tbsps water
1. Preheat oven to very slow, 120 C. Mark 6 x 15-cm circles on 3 sheets of baking paper. Arrange, marker-side down, on 3 oven trays.
2. In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until mixture is thick and glossy.
3. Gently fold cocoa through meringue. Spoon mixture between marked circles, spreading each to edges of circle. Bake 15 mins. Reduce oven to 100 C and bake a further 1 hour, until meringues are firm. Turn oven off. Cool meringues in oven with door ajar.
4. WHIPPED GANACHE Place chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream to a simmer on medium. Pour chocolate over, stirring until melted and smooth. Cover and chill 1 hour, until thick. Using a whisk, beat ganache until fluffy.
5. STRAWBERRY COMPOTE In a medium saucepan, heat strawberries, sugar and water on medium. Cook 5 to 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thick. Chill 30 mins.
6. Layer meringues with ganache and whipped cream. Top with strawberry compote and drizzle with extra melted chocolate. Serve straight away.
"Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week."
CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY FUDGE BROWNIE
Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins | Makes 12
200 g butter, chopped
200 g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsps cocoa
1¼ cups brown sugar
3 eggs, whisked
¾ cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup frozen raspberries Fudge sauce, fresh raspberries, Ferrero Rochers, to serve
HAZELNUT CRUNCH
½ cup caster sugar
2 tbsps water
½ cup chopped skinless roasted hazelnuts
1 tsp cocoa
1. Preheat your oven to moderate, 180 C. Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28-cm slice pan and an oven tray with baking paper.
2. In a small saucepan, stir butter, cocoa and chocolate on medium heat until melted. Transfer to a bowl. Cool slightly. Whisk in sugar and eggs. Fold in flour. Pour into slice pan. Press half raspberries over top.
3. Bake 25 to 30 mins, until cooked when tested. Cool in pan.
4. HAZELNUT CRUNCH In a saucepan, stir sugar and water on medium until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Simmer, without stirring 6 to 8 mins until light caramel. Remove from heat. Working quickly, stir in hazelnuts and cocoa. Pour onto oven tray. Set aside until firm. Break into pieces.
5. Cut brownies into squares. Serve with hazelnut crunch, fudge sauce, fresh raspberries and Ferrero Rochers.
"These are best eaten fresh!"
CHOC-CUSTARD DOUGHNUTS
Prep 25 mins + Proving | Cook 15 mins | Makes 24
1¾ cups bread flour
2 eggs
⅓ cup warm water
2 tbsps caster sugar
2 tbsps cocoa
7 g sachet dried yeast
½ tsp sea salt flakes
75 g butter, softened Oil, for deep frying
200 g dark chocolate, melted, cooled Gold and silver edible sprinkles, to decorate
CHOCOLATE CUSTARD
2 cups milk
2 tbsps cocoa
⅓ cup caster sugar
2 tbsps plain flour
3 egg yolks
15 g butter
1. In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook or strong paddle, combine flour, eggs, water, sugar, cocoa, yeast and salt. Mix on low. Knead on medium 4 to 5 mins.
2. With motor running, add butter, one cube at a time, kneading between each addition until dough is smooth and shiny (takes about 5 mins). Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and set aside, covered, 1 hour until doubled.
3. CHOCOLATE CUSTARD In a saucepan, heat milk and cocoa on low, until hot. In a bowl, whisk sugar, flour and yolks until smooth. Whisk ½ cup hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Whisk egg mixture into remaining milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, on medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 mins. Transfer to a bowl. Cover top of custard with plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.
4. Knock back dough with fist. Knead until smooth. Roll 2 tsps dough into a ball. Place on a lined oven tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Set aside, covered, 40 mins.
5. In a heavy-based saucepan. Heat oil until a piece of dough sizzles when added (180 C). Cook balls in 4 batches, 1 min each, turning. Drain and cool.
6. Pierce each with a small knife. Pipe in custard using a piping bag with a 0.5-cm nozzle. Top with chocolate and sprinkles. Chill 10 mins, then serve.
CHOC-CARAMEL SELFSAUCING PUDDINGS
Prep 10 mins | Cook 30 mins | Makes 6
60 g unsalted butter
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsps cocoa, plus
¼ cup, extra
½ cup milk
2 x 125 g pkts caramel Easter eggs
½ cup brown sugar
1½ cups boiling water
Whipped cream, sifted cocoa, to serve
1. Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Lightly grease 6 x 1-cup ovenproof dishes. Place on an oven tray.
2. In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add egg and beat well. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Using a large metal spoon, fold sifted combined flour and cocoa into creamed mixture, alternating with milk.
4. Spoon chocolate mixture into dishes. Press half the caramel eggs into batter. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and extra cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
5. Slowly pour boiling water evenly over each dish. Bake 25 to 30 mins. Serve warm with whipped cream, dusted with cocoa and topped with extra broken caramel eggs.
PHOTOS: ROB SHAW/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU
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