Archive for the ‘Recipes – Chocolate’ Category

This recipe was adapted from our Speedy Chocolate Mousse recipe. In creating a Banting-friendly dessert, we used xylitol to replace the refined sugar in the recipe.

Chocolate that contains sugar (used in chocolate desserts), is difficult to replace in a Banting recipe – since there will generally be sugar present in any chocolate, unless you add a chocolate containing 100% cocoa or an artificially sweetened chocolate. For our recipe, we used Lindt’s Dark Chocolate with 85% Cacao (70% Cacao chocolate has been mentioned on the ‘Sometimes‘ list in Lose It! Magazine).

Ingredients:

300g Dark Chocolate, chopped (above 70% cocoa) 3 Eggs 1/4 cup (55g) Xylitol or use Stevia to taste 1 Tbs. Cocoa Powder 300ml Whipping Cream

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (place a bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently heat the bowl using the steam) and stir the chocolate until melted; or melt the chocolate on high in the microwave – checking every 30-60 seconds for overheating – stir the chocolate when the chocolate blocks are soft but still hold their shape. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Place eggs and xylitol in a large bowl and beat for 5 minutes with an electric beater, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream. Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible. Spoon or pipe the mixture using a piping bag into serving glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, and serve with fruit salad / berries and cream.

We rimmed our serving glasses with Yellow Star Confetti (although they contain sugar and are not Banting-friendly, we decorated the glasses for a bit of fun!)

Using vegetables in cakes is currently all the rage; so we tried our hand at making our own chocolate avocado frosting. Umm… yum. We inadvertently discovered a guilt free chocolate pudding in the process! We used our frosting to ice animal inspired mini cakes, perfect for a child’s 1st birthday.

As 1st birthday parties are an important milestone, and often a baby’s first taste of cake, Mothers are now opting to introduce their children to healthier cakes that are less loaded with refined sugar. 1st Birthday cakes are often referred to as “Smash Cakes”, since that is what is going to happen in the first 5 seconds of letting your child loose on their own birthday cake!

We used a basic chocolate cake recipe and cut out layers to assemble the mini cakes.

Frosting –

1 x Avocado 50g Dark Chocolate, melted 1 Tbs. Cocoa Powder 3 Tbs. Plain Yoghurt, Double Cream 4 tsp. Honey (add to taste)

Blend the avocado till smooth; add the melted chocolate and remaining ingredients; and blend till combined. Refrigerate until use.

We created faces for various animals out of Nicoletta Ready to Roll Fondant and Marzipan, and created eye balls using Nicoletta Soft Pearl Balls. Lion face (we used a fork to spread out the frosting for the lions mane; we used marzipan and mixed red + yellow fondant to create an orange face; black fondant was used for the nose; and we mixed black + white fondant to create a grey mouth; lastly for the eye balls we used black soft pearls); Fox face (we used white fondant for the eyes, and for the eye balls we used black fondant and cream soft pearls; we created a black fondant nose; and we mixed red + yellow fondant to create orange ears); Monkey face (we used marzipan for the face and ears; black fondant was used for the nose; we mixed black + white fondant to create a grey mouth; white fondant was used for the eyes, and for the eye balls we used black soft pearls).

While adopting the Noakes/Banting lifestyle, we came up with this very velvety chocolate fudge recipe to satisfy the after dinner chocolate cravings. This recipe makes approx. 10 sizable fudge bars, and can be kept in the fridge for a sweet snack when the need arises.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. Coconut Oil 2 Tbs. Butter 2 Tbs. Macadamia Nut Butter (or any nut butter) 100g Dates, pitted and finely chopped 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder (good quality) 2 tsp. Honey (optional for extra sweetness) 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract Pinch of Salt 1 Egg, lightly beaten 2 Tbs. Flaked Almonds

Heat the dates with a small amount of the butter (approximately a teaspoon) in a saucepan until the dates are gooey and melted – this will take some time, don’t be hasty. Mix in the oil, butter and nut butter. Take the mixture off the heat and mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla, honey and salt. Combine the lightly beaten egg into the warm mixture (make sure the mixture is not too hot or the egg will scramble). Stir the mixture on a low heat until it is smooth and velvety, and the oil has become incorporated. Stir in any inclusions – we added flaked almonds for crunch.

Spoon the mixture into a small baking tray (or similar) and place in the fridge for 3-6 hours to set (it will not set hard).

We opted to sprinkle our brownie flavoured fudge with Nicoletta Nonpareils (and although made from sugar, added a good crunch to the smooth fudgy bars). These sprinkles are obviously not ‘Banting’ and are optional extras for decoration, but we think they are totally worth it as they offer that finishing touch. For a non-dairy version – the dairy component of the recipe (butter) can be replaced with cocoa butter or nut butter.

Everyone attempting the Banting-type lifestyle, needs something sweet and satisfying during their health kick at some point.  This recipe was a revelation, arising during a time of need, while living according to the “Noakes Diet”. The recipe has been altered from one of the greats: Nigella’s Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. Don’t be put off by adding the olive oil, it gives the cake a wonderfully moist texture, and does not dominate the flavour in the cake.

The xylitol used to sweeten this cake in place of sugar is a polyol, which contains 40% of the calories of sugar; although it exhibits a much lower glycaemic response than sugar and is considered low GI. It is the only sugar substitute recommended by Patrick Holford, and is on the list of acceptable sugar substitutes in Tim Noakes recipe book “The Real Meal Revolution”.

6 Tbs. Cocoa Powder (good-quality, unsweetened) – we used Organic Dutch Process Cocoa from CocoáFair ½ cup boiling Water 1 ½ cups Almond Flour 150ml Olive Oil (plus more for greasing) – we used Mount Cedar Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract/ Paste ½ tsp. Bicarbonate of Soda 1 pinch of Salt 1 cup Xylitol, powdered – we ‘blitzed’ the xylitol so that it became fine like castor sugar – we used Sweet Nothings Xylitol 3 Eggs

Add the boiling water to your cocoa powder and mix to form a paste. Beat the sugar, olive oil and eggs in an electrical beater for 3 minutes until your mixture is creamy and thick. Mix in the cocoa mixture and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and mix gently into the batter.

Pour the batter into greased 23cm tin (line the base with baking paper)/ silicone cake mould. Bake at 170°C for 45 minutes, the cake tester should come out with sticky crumbs attached, but no wet batter.  Allow the cake to cool in its mould. Leave to cool completely before slicing.

We served ours with fresh cream drizzled with our tart berry compote, and fresh raspberries dipped in metallic silver and gold Nicoletta Shimmer / sprayed with silver and gold Nicoletta Graffiti for Cakes

Unsweetened berry compote – We made a sugarless berry coulis using mixed frozen berries, which we heated and boiled in a saucepan for 30 minutes, till the right sauce consistency was reached.

 

This is a “new breed” of cheesecake – this baked chocolate cheesecake has the rich and smooth fudginess of a chocolate torte, and although baked, it does not create that dry peanut-butter mouth feel synonymous with baked cheesecakes.

Ingredients

Crust –

240g Chocolate coated digestive biscuits, crushed 125g Butter

Filling –

500g  Cream cheese 250g Mascarpone 175g Castor sugar 2 Eggs (extra-large), beaten 300g Dark chocolate

Heat oven to 180°C. Mix together the biscuit crumbs and butter (melt the butter if you are mixing by hand or blitz the biscuits and unmelted butter together in the food processor). Press the crumbs evenly into a 24cm spring-form cake tin/ deep tart dish. Bake the base for 10mins to crisp and then let it cool while you make the filling.

Turn oven down to 150°C. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Beat the cream cheese and mascarpone until smooth (use a mixer – it’s easier).  Add the sugar and eggs to the cheese, then add the melted chocolate and mix well, be careful not to over mix as the mixture might curdle.

Pour the filling over the baked base and bake for approx. 30 – 40 minutes. Bake the cheesecake until all but the very centre of the cheesecake is set (don’t worry about the wobbly bit in the middle as it will carry on cooking as it cools). Cool completely on a rack before chilling overnight.

TIP: Put a dish of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven – this will stop a skin forming on top of the cheesecake.

TIP: Run a knife around the edge of the tin to free the filling from the sides, do this as soon as you take it out of the oven. As the cheesecake cools and sets, it also shrinks, if the mixture is stuck to the side of the tin it will split in the middle.

We decorated our sublime cheesecake slices with polka-dots of white Heart Cake Confetti.

You can do this with a normal brownie recipe – just bake in mini tins. Alternatively, bake your brownie in a tray and use cookie cutters to cut the desired shapes. We used loose bottom mini cake pans, the brownies came out perfectly yummy, and were baked with a gooey centre.

Ingredients

225g Butter 140g Cocoa powder 4 Eggs 450g Castor sugar 140g Flour 1 tsp. Vanilla extract 2 Tbs. Coffee, brewed strong and black 115g Nuts (optional)

Whisk the eggs and sugar until light in colour and fluffy in texture. Melt the butter and mix in the cocoa; fold the cooled cocoa mixture into the egg mixture. Mix in the vanilla and coffee. Sift dry ingredients and lightly fold into the egg mixture.

Spoon the mixture into mini cake tins – if you don’t line the tin ensure the tin is well greased or else the mixture will stick to the tin! Bake at 180°C until the mixture has risen and is firm – approx. 30 minutes. Remove from the oven a few minutes sooner if you want a gooey center.

The brownie mini cakes were sliced in two layers and a Almond Marzipan filling was added, we topped them with nutella (yum) and red Heart Cake Confetti. A few were decorated with Red & White Ready to Roll Fondant Icing; and we wrapped some in parchment paper – fit for a picnic or lunchbox.

A mousse that is really “speedy” to make, and “speedy” to eat. This recipe is courtesy of the Australian “Delicious” magazine, and makes a rich, fluffy, chocolatey mousse.

Ingredients:

300g dark chocolate, chopped 3 eggs 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 1 Tbs. cocoa powder, sifted 300ml whipping cream

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (i.e. place a bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently heat the bowl using the steam). Stir the chocolate until melted. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat for 5 minutes with an electric beater, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in cooled chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream (do not over-beat!). Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible. Spoon or pipe the mixture into serving glasses or ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, then top with Nicoletta nonpareils, extra whipped cream or chocolate popping candy.

This recipe makes 6 large servings.

In the spirit of molecular gastronomy, we have created a dose of fizzing, popping and titillating chocolate cake bars. Have your guests eyes popping with joy when they discover what’s hidden in this yummy chocolate slice.

You can add chocolate popping candy to any dessert, although mainly as a topping, or incorporated into a cool mousse/ jelly/ frosting/ ganache, since popping candy will melt if it’s heated. Popping candy is very sensitive to air – that is why ours is coated in chocolate – to preserve the precious “pop”. In this recipe we used it as a topping.

Ingredients:

190g Butter 1 1/5 cups (300ml) Castor Sugar 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 4 eggs (separate yolk from egg white) ¾ cup Self-Raising Flour 1/3 cup Cocoa ¾ cup Plain Yoghurt 1 Tbs. Espresso / strongly brewed Coffee

 

Start by creaming the butter, sugar and vanilla in an mixer. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sifted flour, cocoa and yoghurt and stir in the coffee. Beat the egg whites separately until stiff, and gently fold into the mixture. Spread the mixture into a silicone cake mould or small tray (25cm). Bake in at 180°C for approx. 40 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

Mocha Frosting

120g Dark Chocolate 2 tsp. Espresso / strong brewed Coffee 120g Butter (softened) Icing Sugar – to taste, approx. 2 Tbs.

Heat the chocolate and coffee in a double boiler (bain-marie) and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat, and beat in the butter (small amount at a time). Add the icing sugar and mix well. Allow the frosting to cool and thicken. Spread over the cooled chocolate slices.

Decorate with Chocolate Popping Candy. The recipe makes approx. 16 squares.

 

With Father’s Day around the corner, we thought we would craft a few cake pops inspired by our Dads.

The first batch was too wet and didn’t form balls properly, so we discarded it – what a waste of good cake and icing. The second batch was delicious but messy and had tempers flaring in frustration. Then, we had our experienced friend Yolandi Heyneke of Love Life Cupcakes (a cake pop baking whizz) show us how to make cake pops the fool-proof way.  Yolandi made some awesome suit & tie cake pops, moustache shaped cake pops and original chocolate cake pops dipped in white or milk chocolate.

Yolandi’s top tips:

Use any type of cake (even shop bought sponge) and cream cheese instead of frosting. It makes them smoother! Crumble the cake with a grater or food processor. The amount of cream cheese to add is not an exact science, Yolandi knows it’s right when the consistency is the same as play dough. For the professional touch – weigh the balls of mixture to make perfectly sized pops (perfect size is 25 – 27g).

 The balls are then cooled (not frozen) – just pop them in the freezer (for 15min) or fridge (for 1 – 2 hrs) to firm up.  If they are frozen, the dipped chocolate will crack once they start defrosting. When melting the chocolate in the microwave keep the microwave on low/defrost (or melt chocolate in a double-boiler to prevent burning). Stir the chocolate frequently to prevent overheating. The chocolate should be melted but not hot. Add a few pieces of extra un-melted chocolate if it’s too hot in order to cool it down. When the balls are firm and you have your chocolate ready, dip the tip of the Cake Pop Stick in the chocolate and insert it into the balls. Dip the balls in chocolate; they should be completely covered, and then roll the stick around in your hand to let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. You will note when it starts to firm up and you can then push the stick into a polystyrene block or empty egg box to dry completely. When using sprinkles, let the excess chocolate drip off and just before putting them in the polystyrene block, sprinkle the balls. (Don’t let any sprinkles fall into your choc dipping bowl). We used our Blue and Green Nicoletta Cake Crystals as well as Nicoletta Pearl Drops  and Blue & White Ready to Roll Fondant to make the shirts and ties.

Once you get the hang of doing the balls, you can also make different shapes by using cookie cutters or moulds. These moustache cake pops are fun, not fuzzy!

Cake Pops require patience and practice. Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. Your dad will appreciate the taste more than the look anyway!

A firm favourite – these no-bake and easy to make chocolate biscuit squares (that rhymed..) make great party guests, and love to hang out with tea and coffee.

This recipe will take 15 minutes to assemble and looks sparkly with the addition of edible shimmer and silver bling. Ready, set, go….

500g butter 1 cup cocoa powder 1kg icing sugar 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 1 Tbs. Vanilla essence 1 packet Marie biscuits & 1 packet of Tennis biscuits (crushed) Shimmer and silver “Bling” Balls for decoration

Melt the butter (on the stove or in a microwave), mix in the cocoa and icing sugar in a very large bowl (don’t worry about sieving – the mixture becomes thick enough to mix out all lumps). Stir in the eggs and mix until smooth and glossy.

Add the crushed biscuits and mix into the glorious chocolate gloop until well covered. At this stage add other optional extras – glacé cherries/ rice crispie cereal/ mini marshmallows/ nuts.

Spoon out onto a pan and flatten the mixture with a spatula. (This mixture can be spooned into any container to set – asses how high you would like your squares to be and adjust by pouring into a wider lipped container). Decorate with sprinkles at will.

Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or till set, cut into squares and keep in an airtight container.