Apple Crumble*

A quick, relatively healthy dessert that is quick to prepare and tastes delicious. What more could you ask for really? Easy to turn wheat and dairy free (WDF) with an alteration of some added oats this never fails to please.

Apple Crumbe

Chocolate Lava Cakes

My favourite dessert in the world. These hot little chocolate mousses are wonderful puddings that melt in the middle with a blissful, chocolate liquid once served. Don’t be tempted to cook for longer than stated. Delicious on their own as a self-saucing dessert or add some ice-cream for an extra texture, flavour and temperature.

INGREDIENTS

5 medium eggs, plus 5 medium egg yolks (meringue tomorrow anyone?)

115g caster sugar

225g dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces

200g unsalted butter

75g plain flour

50g unsweetened cocoa powder, plus a little extra for dusting

ice cream to serve, optional

METHOD

1. Put the eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and thick
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water
3. Melt gently, stirring infrequently, until smooth
4. Remove from heat
5. Add a small amount of the egg/sugar mixture and stir well until mixed. Add the rest of the mixture, stirring well
6. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and gently fold it in with a large metal spoon until just mixed
7. Stand the prepared ramekins in a roasting tin and spoon the mixture into them (the mixture should be 3/4 to the top)
8. Bake on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven at 180C, from room temperature for 10-12 minutes until just risen and firm to touch. Don’t cook for longer than this except from fridge temperature or else the middle will set
9. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of each mould to loosen the puddings, then carefully turn them out onto individual plates
10. Dust with cocoa, add ice-cream if desired and serve immediately

 

YUM YUM YUM. A lot of people struggle with melt-in-the-middle cakes but this recipe works for me. It should be fairly easy to make wheat free, replacing the flour with WF flour. The butter likewise for olive spread. However, finding dairy-free chocolate is a rare occassion. Definitely a special treat.

PREP: 15 minutes

COOK: 10-12 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy-medium

Ice Cream (Chocolate)

I can’t say no to this chocolate ice cream recipe. It is absolutely delicious. Apologies again because this is not for those allergic to dairy. Maybe a recipe will follow using coconut milk or something similar. For now, just enjoy the normal version. Don’t forget to change the flavour to change it up a bit.

INGREDIENTS

200ml single cream or whole milk

300g dark chocolate (minimum 70%) – finely chopped **Adaptable recipe – change this ingredient for a new flavour**

75g caster sugar

6 medium egg yolks

750ml thick whipping cream

METHOD

1. Put the single cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth **using a different flavour? Change it here!**
3. Put the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until thick, pale and creamy – about 10 minutes
4. Put the whipping cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil
5. Remove and pour into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring continuously (I simply leave the mixer on but a slower speed)
6. Rinse the pan and then pour the mixture (not the chocolate cream) back into the pan
7. Heat over a low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Do not let the mixture boil or it will curdle!
8. Pass the mixture through a seive
9. Add the melted chocolate cream mixture **using a different flavour? Change it here!**
10. Stir well before pouring into a shallow container
11. Let it chill before either pouring into an ice-cream maker and following their instructions OR place in the freezer (in a freezer-proof container) and freeze it. Just before it becomes solid, (about 40-50 minutes roughly) remove from the freezer and whisk thoroughly with a hand-held mixer until smooth again. Now return to the freezer. Repeat 2-3 times before leaving it completely to become solid.

Serve with brownies, recipe here, for that added chocolate experience. This ice cream can be prepared ahead of a dinner party for that added wow! No-one will believe you made this, yet it’s surprisingly easy!

An easy addition, try chocolate chips. Changing it up, try vanilla pods or fresh fruit.

For the fruit flavours, use 400g (strawberries), hull them before adding to a bowl with 2 additional tablespoons of caster sugar to infuse the flavour for an hour before adding at step 9. You could also use pre-prepared (strawberry) jam too to make a raspberry ripple effect – add this at the last whisk from the freezer. Spoon a stripe down the centre of the container and then using the end of a fork or spoon, swirl around the container making sure to go through the stripe of jam to create the ripple effect.

PREP: 20 mins

FREEZE: 2-4 hours

DIFFICULTY: easy