Hot Chocolate Pudding from Ahernes Townhouse, Co. Cork
Serves 4
Ingredients:
128g chocolate
128g butter
3 tablespoons caster sugar
3 tablespoons of gluten-free flour
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
Method:
Melt the chocolate and butter together.
Beat the eggs and sugar for 10 minutes until you treble the volume.
Add the chocolate to the egg mix.
Add the flour, folding it in gently. Combine it all together.
Grease 4 medium ramekin dishes with butter and dust with chocolate powder.
Add your mix and chill for 3 hours.
Bake for 9 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.
Tiramisu Hearts from the Ice House Hotel, Co. Mayo
Serves 2
Ingredients:
7oz/200g piece chocolate marble cake
1 tablespoon cold, strong black coffee
4 tablespoons brandy
7oz/200g mascarpone or medium-fat soft cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted
1 ripe, small mango
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
White chocolate shavings & cape gooseberries to decorate
Method:
Line a 7 inch/19cm square cake tin with cling wrap so that it overhangs the sides.
Thinly slice the marble cake and lay the slices side by side to cover the base of the tin.
Mix the coffee with 2 tablespoons of brandy and sprinkle evenly all over the cake.
In a mixing bowl combine together the cream cheese, vanilla essence and icing sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Pile the cream cheese mix over the cake and spread evenly. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (although preferably overnight).
Meanwhile, peel the mango and remove the flesh from the stone. Place the flesh in a food processor along with the remaining brandy. Bend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until required.
Remove the cheese-covered cake from the refrigerator and carefully lift it out of the tin. Discard the cling wrap. Using a 3 inch/7cm heart-shaped pastry cutter, stamp out 4 hearts.
Now using a palette knife, stack one on top of another to create two thicker hearts. Dust the tops lightly with cocoa powder.
Arrange the hearts on a serving plate and drizzle some of the mango coulis around the edge. Decorate with some white chocolate shavings over the top and a cape gooseberry to the side.
Indulgent Chocolate Fondants from Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House, Co Wexford
Serves 2
Ingredients:
110g butter
200g Dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 eggs, separated
110g caster sugar (55g +55g)
Pouring cream or ice cream, to serve
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until combine and melted. Remove from the heat and Set aside for 2 -3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, beat half of the sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy, then beat into the chocolate mixture.
Place the egg whites in a third bowl and whisk until stiff peaks have formed. Whisk in the remaining half of sugar a little at the time until stiff and shiny.
Fold in the meringue and fill 2 porcelain teacups two-thirds full. Keep the rest of the mixture to use later. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until well risen but still with a slight wobble in the middle.