Sweet treat: Three chocolate desserts to indulge in this week
These chocolate treats are the ultimate indulgence
Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest Brownies
These healthy chocolate orange brownies have a surprise ingredient.
Preparation Time
15 minsCooking Time
30 minsTotal Time
45 minsCourse
BakingCuisine
IrishIngredients
400g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
50g jumbo porridge oats
50g pecan nuts
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
zest of 1 orange
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
½ tsp coconut oil
3 egg whites
1 tsp agave syrup
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease an 18cm (7 inch) square tin and line it with parchment paper.
Boil the sweet potato in salted water for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain, mash and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and set aside to cool slightly.
Mix the oats, pecans, cocoa powder, vanilla protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and orange zest in a bowl. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and stir well. Add the egg whites, agave and melted chocolate and stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 30 minutes, until firm in the centre and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cut the slab into slices in the tin, then carefully remove the brownies to cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate tart served with blackberries
Delights of blackberry picking... enjoying the bounty
Servings
4Preparation Time
2 hours 0 minsCooking Time
17 minsTotal Time
2 hours 17 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
For the pastry case:
140g cold butter, cubed
a pinch of sea salt
225g plain flour, sieved
60g golden caster sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
For the filling:
300mls cream
400g dark chocolate broken into small even size pieces
70g butter
30g blackberries, roughly chopped any extra juice set aside
Method
Add the salt to the flour to a large bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like rough breadcrumbs.
Stir the sugar into the egg to dissolve it slightly and add this to the flour mixture until it comes together as a dough.
Wrap it in baking parchment and place into the fridge to firm up for about two hours.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, grease and flour the sides of a 10–inch tart case and line the base with parchment.
Roll the pastry into a disc just larger than your tart case and gently nudge it in the tin. Bake blind for 12 minutes until the edges are just starting to colour.
Remove the beans, or whatever you use to blind bake, and brush the inside of the pastry case with the egg yolk. Place the case back into the oven for another five minutes or until it is golden. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
To make the filling heat the cream until it is shivering, just before it boils. Remove from the heat then add in the chocolate and butter and stir until glossy. Stir in the chopped blackberries. Allow to firm up for about five minutes then pour it into your cold tart case.
Allow the tart to cool in the fridge and serve with some extra blackberries.
Double chocolate and raspberry buns
Chocolate and raspberries are always a good combination.
Servings
12Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
20 minsTotal Time
30 minsCourse
BakingCuisine
IrishIngredients
25g cocoa powder, sieved
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder, sieved
25g muscovado sugar
100g golden caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
170mls milk
100mls rapeseed oil
100g raspberries
100g of chocolate chips
Method
Preheat your oven to 170°C and pop bun cases into a 12-hole tin.
Mix the dry ingredients together then make a well in the centre and add in the eggs, milk and oil. Combine until smooth.
Stir in the raspberries and chocolate chips.
Scoop the mixture between your bun cases and bake for about 20 minutes until the buns are baked through. Once cool enough to handle place on a wire rack to cool completely.
