500 Chocolate Delights

Book: 500 Chocolate Delights
Author: Lauren Floodgate
Available: Struik

The description on the title page of this scrumptious little book about chocolate boldly states that it's "the only chocolate compendium you'll ever need".

I'll say. With 500 different ways of using chocolate, you'll sure have more than enough desert ideas to last you a good long time.

Now if only one could become a terrific cook by reading...

Donning my baking cap, I set out to try and recreate one of the chocolate wonders displayed in the mouth-watering pictures. Ignoring the fact that I've never tried my hand at making shortbread, I dug in bravely...

Flour and cornflour. Check.

Castor sugar… grab hold of the dictionary. Check.

Unsalted butter… does that even exist? Check.

Choc chips 85 grams… stuff that, I'll throw in the whole packet. The more the merrier, right? Check.

Mix it (effort), bake it (overpowering aroma), and cool it (patience boet, patience!) Check, check and check.

And then on to the big test: the taste test. Fail. Miserably. Lesson learned.

One thing is certain though: I'll definitely be trying out the other 499 recipes — I didn't even know one could do some of these things with chocolate and I'm simply salivating at the prospect of trying these out.

But next time, I think I'll go a tad easier on the choc chips and stick to the recipe. Clearly I have not yet reached the culinary heights I thought I had. Check.

Recipes to try yourself:

Triple chocolate terrine

Keep this on standby in the freezer and you'll never be stuck for dessert again. But beware! It is very rich, so slice thinly and let guests come back for seconds if they dare!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Place the three chocolates in three separate saucepans. Put a third of the cream into each saucepan and heat gently. Remove the saucepans from the heat, stir until smooth and set aside to cool completely.

Line a one-litre loaf tin with plastic wrap. Transfer the white chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Spoon into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Beat the milk chocolate in the same way and spread the mousse over the white chocolate layer. Return to the freezer. Repeat with the plain chocolate and layer the moose as before. Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Invert onto a serving plate, remove the plastic wrap and serve immediately. Run a knife under hot water before slicing.

Ultimate hot chocolate

A deeply indulgent drink to enjoy on a cold, dark winter's night.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Combine the milk and chocolate in a saucepan and heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth, then heat until almost boiling. Set aside.

Beat the cream with an electric whisk until soft peaks form.

Divide the marshmallows between two mugs and pour the hot chocolate milk over them.

Divide the whipped cream between the two mugs, add a dusting of nutmeg and serve each drink with a chocolate flake.