The soufflé is light and airy with an intense cocoa richness that melts on the tongue. The warm white chocolate pouring ganache creates a decadent contrast between bitterness and creamy sweetness in every bite. 

Dark chocolate soufflé with white chocolate sauce

Serves 8

Ingredients

¼ cup (60ml) corn flour
2 cups (500ml) full cream milk
½ cup (125ml) sugar
Pinch of salt
200g dark chocolate, chopped
100g milk chocolate, chopped
4 eggs, separated  

For the pouring ganache  

120g white chocolate
¼ cup (60ml) cream
1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out 
¼ cup (60ml) melted butter 
¼ cup (60ml) cocoa powder  

Method

1. For the chocolate creme patisserie, place the corn flour in a small bowl and add 1/3 cup (80m1) of the milk and mix into a slurry. 
2. Heat the remaining milk, half the sugar and salt on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add chocolate and heat until melted. Set aside. 
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining sugar and egg yolks. Whisk until light and fluffy. 
4. Pour about ½ cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining chocolate milk mixture and mix well.
5. Heat mixture over medium heat and add the corn flour slurry, while whisking.
6. Cook until bubbling, about 10-12 minutes. 
7. Pour the mixture onto a deep plate, cover with clingfilm on the surface and refrigerate until cold.
8. For the white chocolate pouring ganache, finely chop the chocolate and heat the cream until steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add vanilla seeds and stir until the chocolate is melted. Cover and set aside until needed.
9. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
10. To prepare the ramekins, brush upwards with melted butter (this encourages the souffle to rise upwards). Dust with cocoa powder and shake off excess.
11. Whip the chocolate creme patisserie and set aside. 
12. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold through the creme patisserie using a large metal spoon. Be careful not to over work it and knock out the air. 
13. Fill the ramekins 2/3 full and bake for 10-12 minutes. 
14. Serve immediately with white chocolate pouring ganache. (Heat the pouring ganache in bursts of 10 seconds in the microwave to reheat, if needed.)

By: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine

Also read: Cooking and Baking Jargon to Add to Your Vocab

The post Dark chocolate soufflé with white chocolate sauce  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Celebrate World Milk Day on 1 June in the sweetest way possible – with a cup of rich, creamy hot chocolate! These recipes will warm you up from the inside out. 

Peppermint Crisp hot chocolate with cocoa sauce  

Serves 4  

Ingredients  

For the chocolate sauce 

1 cup water
½ cup cocoa powder
⅓ cup caster sugar
¼ cup finely chopped milk chocolate
2 Tbsp Peppermint Crisp, crushed  

For the hot chocolate  

4 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp boiling water
4 cups milk
¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
¼ cup crumbled Peppermint Crisp, plus extra to serve
Marshmallows, to serve  

Method  

For the chocolate sauce  

1. In a large pot, whisk together the water, cocoa powder and caster sugar, until smooth.
2. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to the boi. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened.
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the finely chopped milk chocolate and crushed Peppermint Crisp, until fully melted.

For the hot chocolate  

1. In a pot, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar and boiling water, until dissolved. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously until smooth.
2. Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the dark chocolate and Peppermint Crisp.
3. Serve immediately topped with the marshmallows, a drizzling of chocolate sauce and extra Peppermint Crisp.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Malted hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows 

Serves 1  

Ingredients 

3 marshmallows
1 cup milk
3 tsp hot chocolate mix
1 tsp Horlicks  

Method  

1. Place the marshmallows on a baking tray and toast under the grill until golden.
2. Heat the milk in a pot until scalding (just below boiling), then stir in the hot chocolate and Horlicks.
3. Pour into a mug and top with the marshmallows.

Date and coconut hot chocolate  

Serves 2 

Ingredients 

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup milk
3 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup chocolate protein powder
⅓ cup cocoa  

Method  

1. Place the coconut milk and milk in a pot over medium heat. Add the dates and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Whisking continuously, add the vanilla essence, salt, protein powder and cocoa. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Blend until frothy. Divide between 2 mugs and serve immediately.

Recipe and styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto 

Marbled hot chocolate 

Serves 2  

Ingredients 

2 Tbsp cocoa
1½ cups hot water
50g dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup condensed milk
¼ cup milk  

Method  

1. In a pot, whisk the cocoa with a little hot water until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the rest of the water.
2. Add the dark chocolate and place the pot over medium heat. Melt the chocolate, stirring to combine. Pour into 2 mugs.
3. Heat the condensed milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Slowly pour into the hot cocoa, creating a marbled effect. Serve without stirring.

The post 4 Hot chocolate recipes to warm from within  appeared first on MyKitchen.

With so many different variations available, there’s always a way to make the most out of chocolate

It’s Easter, the time of the year when shelves are brimming with all sorts of decadent treats and chocolate is always on the brain. As something that forms a part of life’s simple pleasures, chocolate is a complex ingredient. Since there are a number of different types and percentages out there, it can be quite daunting to figure out which chocolate is best for your bakes this Easter.  

To understand chocolate better, we need to know where it comes from. It all starts with the cacao tree, or more specifically the seeds found inside the cacao pods. In a nutshell, the beans are fermented, dried, roasted and then ground to form chocolate liquor. Chocolate manufacturers process this with the addition of sugars and other ingredients, such as milk powder, lecithin and vanilla, to form the glorious bars we know and love. Naturally, it would then make sense that the quality of the chocolate liquor determines the chocolate’s taste and worth.

Cracking the code
The percentages on chocolate can be a little perplexing, but it’s easier to understand than you may think – these percentages simply indicate the amount of cocoa mass (the good stuff extracted from the cacao beans) that is present in the chocolate bar. For example, a 70% slab of chocolate, also known as bittersweet chocolate, contains 70% cocoa mass and 30% sugar and other ‘stuff’.

You may have also stumbled upon semi-sweet chocolate in some recipes – this has a 55% cocoa content. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sugar the bar will contain, and the more bitter or intense the chocolate will be.  White-, milk- and dark chocolate contain different amounts of fat and sugar because of their different cocoa percentages. This means that they react, melt and reset differently, so are not easily interchangeable in recipes where chocolate is the star ingredient. When used as a mix-in, like in a chocolate-chip cookie recipe, then you can really go crazy with it!

Couverture or compound?

Couverture chocolate
Couverture chocolate, such as Lindt or bean-to-bar chocolate, has  a velvety melt-in-your-mouth texture, glossy finish and snaps when broken into pieces. It’s a superior level of chocolate with the best flavour and quality. However, it can be a bit more temperamental than everyday ‘eating’ chocolate. This is because it requires tempering, a process where the chocolate is heated and cooled to specific temperatures, in order to achieve its sheen and snap. If incorrectly tempered, the chocolate can form a white residue on its surface known as ‘bloom’. Although unsightly, it’s absolutely safe to use. Tempering is only required when making moulded chocolates, truffles and other dipped candies, not for day-to-day baking. 

Compound chocolate
This is the cheapest, lowest-quality chocolate one can get in terms of ‘chocolate purity’, although it’s still delicious and enjoyed by many. Remember when we were talking about that valuable chocolate liquor? In compound chocolate, the liquor
is replaced with cocoa powder and vegetable oil is used instead of cocoa butter. Along with higher levels of sugar and emulsifiers, the substitutions make the chocolate more affordable, but the lack of quality cacao mass gives it a dull appearance, soft texture and lack of a snap. Unlike couverture chocolate, compound chocolate doesn’t need tempering and can simply be melted and used straight away. An exception is chocolate chips, which have been specifically designed to hold their pointed shape when baked and not melt – bear this in mind when you’re planning your next chocolatey bake-a-thon.

Time to bake
So what chocolate should you actually be using? This is entirely up to you, your budget and the recipe that you’re preparing. Couverture chocolate will have the best flavour and is ideal to use  in recipes where the chocolate flavour really shines (think chocolate mousse, chocolate fondant and ganache) –try to buy at least 55%. Although compound chocolate, like Cadbury’s Bournville, generally works really well for these kinds of recipes, too. Go for compound chocolates when baking foods with lots of other competing ingredients and flavours. Chunks of compound chocolate work better than couverture when mixed into batters and biscuits, as they hold their form better at higher temperatures.

Try it yourself

Magic shell for ice cream
Melt together 1 cup chopped chocolate with 2 tbsp coconut oil. Pour the cooled sauce over the ice cream and watch it miraculously harden into a crisp shell.

Easy chocolate truffles
Melt together ½ cup cream and 250 g finely chopped chocolate of choice. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Shape into balls and roll in chopped nuts, cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles. Makes 12. 

Words by Kirsty Buchanan

Hop into the Easter fun with this cute and playful Easter Bunny Cookie Stack dessert.

The post The Chocolate Chronicles appeared first on MyKitchen.

SERVES 8 // COOK TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
For the sponge
2 cups oats
2 cups desiccated coconut
100 ml golden syrup or honey
¼ cup plain yoghurt
2 tsp psyllium husk
¼ cup berry jam
For the chocolate coating
½ cup coconut oil
3 tbsp cocoa
1½ cups desiccated coconut

METHOD
For the sponge
1. Line a loaf tin with cling film.
2. Place oats in a blender and pulse until fine crumbs form.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except the jam) and pulse until just combined.
4. Press ½ the mixture into the tin. Spread with jam, then pop in the fridge for 10 minutes.
5. Crumble remaining mixture evenly over the jam and press down lightly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until set.
For the chocolate coating
1. Gently melt the coconut oil and cocoa together.
2. Remove the sponge from the tin and cut into 8 squares.
3. Dip each square into the cocoa mixture and then into the coconut.
4. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

The post No bake lamingtons appeared first on MyKitchen.

Throw together a Mexican-style extravaganza that is light and fresh with these cocoa-coated steaks with grilled Mexican peppers.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the herb butter
¼ cup butter
Zest of 1 lemon,
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
For the cocoa-coated steaks
1 cup piquanté peppers
1 tbsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp garlic flakes
2 tsp sea salt
1 kg rump steak
To serve
2 red peppers, chargrilled
2 jalapeños, chargrilled
Handful fresh parsley, chopped

METHOD
For the herb butter
1. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter with the lemon zest and chopped coriander. Refrigerate.
For the cocoa-coated steaks
1. Char the piquanté peppers in a hot pan for 5 minutes, until blistered. Allow to cool for a while.
2. Mix all the seasoning – chilli, cocoa, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, origanum, garlic and salt together. Brush the steak with oil then press seasoning on to coat.
3. Prepare a hot frying pan or grill with oil and grill the steak to your taste. Cut in slices and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving.
4. Top with parsley and serve as tapas with the peppers, jalapeños and herb butter.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Pair your feast with this traditional Mexican sangrita.

The post Budget cocoa-coated steaks with grilled Mexican peppers appeared first on MyKitchen.

Believe it or not, brown rice can make a yummy and nutritious brekkies! You can whip up a big batch of this cocoa puffed rice cereal with honey and vanilla milk to enjoy throughout the week.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp olive oil
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla essence
Pinch salt
5 cups brown puffed rice
To serve
4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Add the olive oil, cocoa, honey, vanilla and salt to a small pot.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Place the puffed rice in a large bowl, pour the cocoa mixture over and mix until all the rice is coated.
5. Tip out on to a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow rice to crisp up for 30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before breaking up.
7. To serve, mix the milk and vanilla together. Sprinkle cocoa pops into a bowl and pour over the vanilla infused milk.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimage.co.za

The post Cocoa puffed rice cereal with honey and vanilla milk appeared first on MyKitchen.