Cocoa Black

One of my Christmas presents I got was an afternoon class learning how to make chocolates at Cocoa Black. I spent yesterday afternoon making dark chocolate and orange ganache, milk chocolate and coffee truffles and praline squares. These are delicious!

In Progress

The class is very informative and dipping chocolate is (with the right tools) very therapeutic and relaxing. Needless to say I will be off to find the right tools so that I can dip my chocolates more effectively at home.

The finished products

For those of you who would like to make chocolates at home I highly recommend the Cocoa Black make your own truffles, praline in ganache class. I am now very tempted by some of their other classes :-)

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake



Ingredients

135g Butter

200g Good Dark Chocolate (75% or above)

8 Large Eggs, separated.

150g Plain Flour

2tbsp Brandy

110g Caster Sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting

For the topping

2tbsp Brandy

1-2 tsp Coffee Powder (I prefer Decaf)

250g Mascarpone

75g Icing Sugar

Pre heat the oven to 170oC. Grease a tin then dust with cocoa powder and set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure no water gets in with the chocolate. When melted set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the egg yolks, flour and brandy until all combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a tbsp at a time to the egg whites folding in gently. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture then place in your baking tin.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer can be inserted and removed clean.

To make the topping mix the brandy and coffee together until the coffee dissolves then add to the mascarpone and icing sugar. Mix it all together and chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve dust a slice of cake with icing sugar and a dollop of the mascarpone mix.