Chocolate lover's

For The Love Of Chocolate With A Twist

Lavender-Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart

The recipe states that it makes 1 9″ tart

Ingredients:

For pastry:

260g all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cardamom (I used whole cardamom that I ground with a mortar and pestle)
1 tbsp freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp water, chilled

for ganache filling:

10 oz. heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup culinary lavender + more to top
12 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
coarse sea salt

Pastry:

1. Using a food processor, pulse together the flour, cardamom, lemon zest, salt, and sugar until combined. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture has the texture of small peas.
2. Add in the egg yolk and then slowly add in the water/lemon juice just until the dough begins to form when pressed between two fingers.
3. Form the pastry into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour or stick it n the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Press the pastry dough firmly into the tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Return to the freezer for just a few minutes so the dough can harden up a bit again.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the crust has turned golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and lavender buds to a simmer. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to steep for 10-20 minutes.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and honey in a large bowl and place a fine mesh strainer on top. Set aside.
3. Add the butter to the cream and lavender and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream mixture through the sieve over the chocolate/honey. Be sure to press out all of the liquid from the lavender buds.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth. Immediately pour into the prepared crust. I also add a sprinkle of good glace orange peel to base before filling.
5. In a mortar and pestle, rub together an equal amount of sea salt and lavender and sprinkle over the chocolate.
6. Allow the tart to set at room temperature fora couple of hours until completely cool. Serve at room temperature.  (Spatche The Spatula, November 12, 2010)

 Lavender Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups lavender caster sugar

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

 To add the lavender, simply process 1 to 2 tablespoons of culinary lavender with part of the sugar in a food processor.  The longer you process it, the more pronounced flavor you will have.  If you like, you can strain the sugar/lavender mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  Then use this, along with the rest of the sugar, as the recipe calls for.

Lavender Butter cream Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 teaspoon regular or clear vanilla

4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 to 2 teaspoons culinary lavender

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy.  Place lavender and a little of the powdered sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse for 30 seconds or more.  Strain lavender-sugar through a fine mesh strainer, if desired.  Now add vanilla and all of the sugar to the butter.  Mix well; add milk and  beat on high until light and fluffy. (Cooking With The Cooks)

Marbled Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients:
125g (1/2 cup + 1tsp) butter
150g (3/4 cup + 2tbsp) light brown soft sugar
2 large eggs
3 large overripe bananas, mashed (about 350g (12 + 1/3 oz) peeled weight)
175g (1 + 1/2 cups) plain flour
100g (3/4 cup + 1tbsp) wholemeal spelt/plain wholemeal flour
2tsp baking powder
100g (3.5 oz/5 slightly heaped tbsp) smooth peanut butter, divided
2tbsp cocoa powder
4tbsp milk

Line a  (approx 4.5×8 inches) loaf tin with greaseproof paper, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Gently melt the butter in a small pan and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs and sugar together then mix in the mashed bananas and 60g (3tbsp) of the peanut butter.
Whisk together the flours and baking powder in a separate bowl then stir into the wet ingredients along with the melted butter.
Transfer half of the batter into a separate bowl. Sift the cocoa powder into one half and mix in along with 2tbsp of the milk. Mix the remaining 40g (2tbsp) of peanut butter and 2tbsp milk into the other half.
Dollop alternating blobs of batter into the lined loaf tin until you have used all of the mixture, drag a skewer or knife blade through the batter a few times to marble it then bake in the centre of the preheated oven for an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half until a skewer inserted to the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Cover with foil if the loaf starts to brown too quickly.
Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack before slicing.  (Domestic Gothess, Jan, 2015)

 

Chocolate Dipped Earl Grey Biscuits

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
  3 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves
  300g plain flour
  100g dark chocolate
  Bakers twine or ribbon
  A cookie cutter
  Baking tray lined with greaseproof paper

1. Place tea leaves into food processor and blend until dust-like.

2. Combine butter, tea and sugar into a bowl and mix until  smooth and fluffy.  

3. Add in the flour and mix (you may need your hands for this to create a dough ball).

4. Cut dough ball in half and roll into two disc shapes, before wrapping in cling film. Refrigerate to harden for half an hour. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).

5. Roll out your dough on a floured work surface . Using a square cutter (or rectangle), cut dough, and then diagonally cut the two top edges off to create the 'tea bag' shape. Using a cocktail stick, or skewer, poke a hole through the top (ensuring it is completely open) and lay onto a lined baking sheet.  Place baking trays in refrigerator for 40 min to allow dough to harden before baking.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, and bake until the biscuits are golden with a slightly crisp edge (but not too brown). Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.  ( What Olivia Did, Olivia Grace) 

I have modified this recipe as my mixture was too soft when baked and didn't keep it's shape. I also add 3-4 drops of bergamot essential oil to the mixture for a more pronounced  bergamot scent & taste.

 

Chocolate, Rose Geranium & Berry Cake

This cake is not only easy but looks & tastes sensational!

Ingredients 

Gluten free chocolate cake mix x 2 (Ingredients for packet mix- eggs, vegetable oil etc.)

Rose geranium oil

1 x 200g Plaistowe 70% cocoa chocolate

2 x 300 ml thickened cream

1 x punnet strawberries

1 x punnet raspberries

Good strawberry jam 

Method

Good gluten free chocolate cake packet mix x 2 

or your own chocolate cake recipe.  

I add a few drops of rose geranium oil  to cake mixture before baking (Tastes like Turkish delight!) 

20cm spring form pan lined with baking paper & sprayed with vegetable oil.

Follow packet instructions, add rose geranium oil, then place cake mixture into lined tin.

Tear off a sheet of baking paper & a sheet of foil for top of cake tin.  Place the foil sheet down onto a bench & the baking paper on top. Fold a 2 inch  pleat in the sheets & cover cake tin.  This will allow the cake to rise evenly.

Bake as directed.

You will need to make two cakes- one packet per cake, per layer.

 

Cake Filling 

Combine about 1/2 cup strawberry conserve ( I use Rose's strawberry) with 2 drops of rose geranium oil. 

Spread jam over bottom layer of cake.

Whip 300ml cream with 2-3  drops of rose geranium oil & a teaspoon of vanilla extract & spread on top of jam layer.

Fresh raspberries- Place fresh raspberries between two cream layers.

Place second cake on top of cream, raspberry & jam layered cake.

Spread with thin layer of ganache icing.Place in fridge for 1 hour.

Place another layer of ganache icing over first layer, top with fresh strawberries & place in fridge for another 1-2 hour.

Rose Geranium Chocolate Ganache

1 x 200g Plaistowe 70% cocoa chocolate

Thin cream 280m

Combine  chocolate & cream in a double boiler.

Stir until melted, combined & glossy.

Stir in rose geranium oil - 2-3 drops.

Fresh strawberries for top of cake

Serve with left over rose geranium cream.

Yum yum! 

 

Chocolate Matches:

Rosemary

Chilli

Fig

Pear

Nuts

Orange

Lemon

mandarin

Berries

Lavender

Rose geranium

Cardamom

Earl Grey

Violet 

Quince

 

  Happy Cooking & Happy Easter!