Decadent chocolate tart
(Makes 1 medium sized tart OR make 8 small individual tarts)
This is the ultimate decadent chocolate tart. It will last for at least a week in the fridge. Serve small servings as it is very rich.
Crust
1 packet digestive biscuits, crushed
100 ml melted butter
METHOD
Add the melted butter to the crushed biscuits – line a well greased pie dish, bottom and sides, with the biscuits – press firmly with a spoon to make sure it sticks to the sides OR use a loose bottomed dish so that you can lift out the tart before serving OR use 8 small loose bottomed pans to make smaller individual chocolate tarts
Leave in fridge for 30 minutes before use
Filling
300ml cream
20ml castor sugar
110g butter
450g good quality dark chocolate, broken into smaller pieces (I use Albany dark chocolate)
80ml milk
15 ml cacao powder for dusting OR 50 g chopped chocolate OR flake for garnish
METHOD
Heat together (medium heat) the cream and sugar and bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and the butter. Stir until dissolved
Cool slightly and add the milk. Whisk until smooth and leave to cool till almost cold
Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate until set. Preferably 24 hours
Dust with cacao powder OR lots of chocolate flakes or chocolate curls AND gold leave as garnish
Cake pops
(Makes about 60 cake pops)
Cake pops are very labour intensive but also very profitable to make. You can use your imagination and creativity to make delightful little treats. They are very popular for weddings and kiddies parties
Basic vanilla sponge for cakepops
750 ml cake flour
15 ml baking powder
Pinch of salt
250 g butter at room temperature
400 ml castor sugar
4 eggs
10 ml vanilla essence
250 ml milk
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 C and line one large oven tray (33 by 23 cm)
Sift together the flour, baking powder and the salt
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla well together and add the eggs one at a time
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk to the egg mixture and mix gently to make the batter
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 35 minutes. Cool
Vanilla butter-cream icing for cake pops
750 ml sifted icing sugar
200 g butter at room temperature
5 ml vanilla extract
40 ml milk or cream
METHOD
Beat all the ingredients together until light and fluffy
To make the cake pops
White melting chocolate
Powder food colouring
Vegetable oil
Lollipop sticks
Decorations for your cakepops
METHOD
Crumb the cake in a food processor and add enough icing to make it stick together – add a little at a time and refrigerate the mixture. You will not use all the icing in the above recipe – store the left-over icing in the fridge.
Make balls of the mixture – you can use a scale to make sure they are all the same size – and place on a lined baking tray. Place tray in the fridge so that the balls can harden
Melt your chocolate in the microwave oven and mix in a little vegetable oil – use about 10 ml at a time for about 200g of chocolate – to thin the chocolate for dipping. You can also mix in your food colouring now. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate
Dip the lollipop stick about 1 cm into the chocolate and then insert straight into the cake ball – pushing it about halfway through. Return to fridge to set the chocolate
Holding the lollipop stick – dip your cake balls into the chocolate, let the excess chocolate drip off and then you can stick the cake pop into a polystyrene block to dry. If you want to use sprinkles on your cake pop – you must sprinkle it on the cake pop whilst the chocolate is still slightly wet.
Now you can decorate your cake pops any way you desire.
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