Caramel kisses

This simple dessert combines the perfect pairing of dark chocolate and rich caramel.

Ingredients

• Melted butter, to grease
• 1 x 250g pkt Arnott's Butternut Snap Cookies, broken
• 90g butter, melted
• 1 x 395g can condensed milk
• 3 tbs golden syrup
• 30g butter
• 200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 150ml pouring cream

Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 170°C. Brush 18 pans of a mini muffin tray with butter to grease. Place biscuit and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Process to combine. Divide among the pans. Press over bases and sides. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden.
2. Step 2
   Meanwhile, place condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter melts.
3. Step 3
   Divide the condensed milk mixture among the pans. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside in pans for 10 minutes to cool before transferring to a baking tray to cool completely.
4. Step 4
   Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Pour over the caramel kisses. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to set.

The ultimate chocoholic's muffin

Ingredients

• 300g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 125g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
• 1 3/4 cups (260g) self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup good-quality cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (185ml) milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 x 80g Mars bars, thinly sliced

 

Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 6-hole jumbo muffin pan.
2. Step 2
   Place half the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (don't let water touch the bowl) and stir occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl and stir in sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs, then add to dry ingredients and stir in along with chocolate mixture. Divide between muffin pans and bake for 20 minutes or until risen and cooked through. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
3. Step 3
   Place remaining chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (don't let water touch bowl) until melted. Cool slightly, place a little chocolate on the Mars bar slices, then pile onto muffins. Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate.

Hazelnut milk chocolates

It's much easier than you'd think to create personalised milk chocolates.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (45g) whole hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup (60ml) thickened cream
• 2 x 250g pkts Cadbury milk chocolate melts

Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat oven to 180°C. Scatter the hazelnuts over an oven tray. Roast in oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Place hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Finely chop.
2. Step 2
   Place the cream and half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm enough to roll into balls.
3. Step 3
   Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into balls and place on the lined tray. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
4. Step 4
   Place the remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.
5. Step 5
   Use a fork to dip a chocolate ball into the melted chocolate to coat. Tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Roll in your hands to create a rough surface. Place on the lined tray. Repeat with remaining chocolate balls and chocolate. Set aside at room temperature to set.

Lazy day chocolate cake

This chocolate cake can be semi-assembled and refrigerated up to 3 hours in advance. Pour over the room temperature ganache to serve.

Ingredients

Equipment

• You'll need 2 x 20cm springform pans.

Ingredients

• 120g unsalted butter, chopped
• 220g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 240g (1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 75g (3/4 cup) Dutch cocoa (see top tips)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Chocolate ganache

• 200g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 300ml thickened cream

 

Method

1. Step 1
   To make ganache, place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until melted and combined. Divide ganache between 2 bowls. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 bowl. Stand second bowl at room temperature.
2. Step 2
   Preheat oven to 160°C. To make cake, grease pans and line with baking paper. Place butter and sugar in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Sift over flour with cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then whisk until smooth. Divide batter between pans.
3. Step 3
   Bake, swapping pans halfway, for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centres comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4
   Remove ganache from fridge, stir until smooth, then spread over top of 1 cake. Top with second cake, then gently press together. Pour over room temperature ganache to serve.

Extreme brownies

Our version of this chocolate lovers' dessert hits all the right notes!

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids)
• 225g unsalted butter, chopped
• 100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
• 65g (2/3 cup) Dutch cocoa, plus extra, to dust
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 440g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbs vanilla extract

Method

1. Step 1
   To line pan: Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan, then cut 2 x 20cm x 45cm sheets of baking paper. Use one sheet to line the base and two sides, extending paper beyond rim. Place second sheet in pan in the opposite direction to line base and remaining two sides, also extending it beyond rim.
2. Step 2
   To chop chocolate: Using a serrated knife (for thick blocks of chocolate, it provides more traction than a straight-bladed knife), cut chocolate into rough 1.5cm chunks.
3. Step 3
   To make brownie: batter Place butter and a large pinch of salt in a small pan. Melt over low–medium heat until almost melted. Set aside to finish melting and cool slightly. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Working in 3 batches, add butter and eggs alternately to dry mixture, stirring well to combine after each addition. Stir in vanilla, then chocolate until combined.
4. Step 4
   To cook brownie: Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour or until top is risen (it might dip slightly) and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (the skewer might be slightly oily with a few crumbs attached; make sure it doesn’t have uncooked batter attached). Cool completely in pan, then, using the paper as an aid, lift the brownie with paper from pan onto a chopping board. Peel away paper, dust with extra cocoa, if desired, then cut into 5cm squares.

Notes

For extra indulgence, serve with double cream or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, for a brownie a la mode.
For a dinner-party dessert, bake these brownies in a 22cm round cake pan and serve in wedges rather than squares.
Mix-ins: Traditional brownies have no mix-ins, or simply roasted nuts. Today, anything goes. So have fun! Adaptable, this brownie is a great fallback dessert. Here's inspiration for a sophisticated affair or everyday treat. Nuts (chopped roasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios or peanuts); candy bars (chopped frozen Snickers, Toblerone or Twix); spices (cinnamon); liqueur (orange-flavoured, such as Cointreau, or Kahlua) and others (orange or mandarin zest, glace ginger, dried cherries or dissolved instant espresso).
 

Red wine & chocolate tart

The fruity red wine in this tart adds another level of flavour and richness.

Ingredients

• 300g pkt Careme dark chocolate shortcrust pastry (see note)
• 2 eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbs cocoa, plus extra to dust
• 1 cup (250ml) fruity red wine (such as merlot)
• 300ml thickened cream

Method

1. Step 1
   Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Step 2
   Roll out the pastry so it’s large enough to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Chill for 15 minutes.
3. Step 3
   Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes until dry. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Step 4
   Place eggs and sugar in a bowl and sift in the cornflour, cinnamon and cocoa. Gently whisk together until combined, but not frothy. Add the wine and 200ml cream, and stir well until combined. Pour into the tart case, then bake for 20-25 minutes until just set. Cool slightly.
5. Step 5
   Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 100ml cream to soft peaks.
6. Step 6
   Dust the tart with cocoa, then slice and serve with the whipped cream.

White chocolate and macadamia rocky road

Dazzle taste buds with this stunningly easy and delicious white chocolate rock road. It makes a brilliant Christmas food gift if you can bear to part with it.

Ingredients

• 250g packet marshmallows, halved
• 100g packet dried cranberries
• 110g packet macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 60g pistachios (optional)
• 1/3 cup (35g) desiccated coconut
• 2 x 180g blocks good-quality white chocolate,
• chopped

Method

1. Step 1
   Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.
2. Step 2
   Combine marshmallows, cranberries, nuts and coconut in a bowl. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until smooth.
3. Step 3
   Pour chocolate over marshmallow mixture. Mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, pressing down with a spatula. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Using a warm knife, cut into squares. Serve.