HAPPY EASTER! Hope it's a chocolatey one.

The food dept’s Hazelnut Concorde Cake

Serves 10-12

• 2 tablespoons corn flour

• 1/3 cup Dutch cocoa

• 10 egg whites, at room temperature

• a pinch salt

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 2½ cups caster sugar

• 1 cup hazelnut meal

• 1 qty Chocolate mousse

• extra, Dutch cocoa for dusting

 

1. Preheat oven to 100C (200F). Sift the corn flour and cocoa together and set aside.

2. Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved.

3. Using a spatula gently fold the sifted corn flour and cocoa through the egg whites until just combined.

4. Fill a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain nozzle and pipe 12 x 30cm lengths onto a lined baking tray.

5. Return any of the meringue from the piping bag to the remaining chocolate meringue mixture in the bowl, set aside the piping bag (there’s no need to wash it). Gently fold through the hazelnut meal and place back into the piping bag.

6. Draw 4 x 19cm discs on lined oven trays. Starting in the center pipe outwards in a spiral, repeat 3 times to create 4 discs. Bake the discs and lengths for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven.

7. To assemble the cake, attach the bottom layer of the cake to a platter with some Chocolate mousse. Place 1 cup of the mousse on the disc and smooth out with a palate knife. Repeat with the remaining mousse and meringue until you have 4 layers. Coat the entire cake with the remaining mousse.

8. Break up the meringue lengths, none shorter than the height of the cake. Sprinkle with extra cocoa and arrange around the side of the cake.

9. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set the mousse.

Chocolate mousse

• 250g 70% cocoa chocolate

• 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

• 4 egg yolks

• 6 eggs whites, at room temperature

• pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• ¼ cup caster sugar

1. To make the chocolate mousse place the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and gently stir until melted.  Remove the bowl from the heat and gently mix the butter through the chocolate a few pieces at a time until it is incorporated.

2. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well.

3. Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tarter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved.

4. Using a spatula, gently fold the meringue through the chocolate mixture a 1/3 at a time. Use as required.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pavlova Bark

This is a variation of TFD’S Hazelnut Concorde cake.  A great dessert to put in the middle of the table and share with friends this Easter.

Serves 8-10

• 1 tablespoon corn flour

• 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa

• 5 egg whites, at room temperature

• a pinch salt

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 ¼ cups caster sugar

• ¼ cup hazelnut meal

• 1 qty chocolate mousse

• 1 x 300ml double cream, lightly whipped

• ½ cup roughly chopped, roasted hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 100C (200F). Sift the corn flour and cocoa together and set aside.

2. Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved.

3. Using a spatula gently fold the sifted corn flour and cocoa through the egg whites until just combined.

4. Using a palate knife spread the meringue into a rectangle 30cm x 40cm on a lined baking tray and sprinkle with the hazelnut meal. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow to cool in the oven.

5. To assemble gently place the meringue onto a large serving board and spread with the chocolate mousse, double cream and roughly chopped hazelnuts. 

Serve in the center of the table with a pile of spoons.

Chocolate mousse

• 125g 70% cocoa chocolate

• 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

• 2 egg yolks

• 3 egg whites

• a pinch salt

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

1. To make the chocolate mousse, place the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and gently stir until melted.  Remove the bowl from the heat and gently mix the butter through the chocolate a few pieces at a time until it is incorporated.

2. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well.

3. Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tarter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved.

4. Using a spatula, gently fold the meringue through the chocolate mixture a 1/3 at a time. Use as required.

 

Chocolate Mousse Pots with Fresh Raspberries and Choc Hazelnut Meringue Bites

 A variation of TFD’s Concord cake and Chocolate hazelnut bark this makes another yummy dessert.

• Use the Chocolate hazelnut pavlova bark quantities for this recipe. Place tablespoonsful of the chocolate meringue onto baking trays, sprinkle with hazelnut meal and bake as you would the pavlova bark. Then, set little pots of mousse in the refrigerator. Once set, top them with fresh raspberries and serve with choc, hazelnut meringues bites.

Recipea: Sally Courtney.