A while back I watched Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets. It was a great show and inspired me to want to cook a few different things. The chocolate episode had two recipes I particularly wanted to try and this was one of them, Delice de Chocolate.
If you read my blog you would know I don't post many sweet treats, but actually sweets are my favourite. I love to bake and can eat the sweetest things. But I had a baby last year and gained heaps of weight :( so I'm trying to avoid lovely things like this dessert. So far I've lost about sixteen kilos and there is still a way to go until I reach my goal but sometimes you just have to treat yourself!
It is relatively simple to prepare. The base consists of hazelnut praline and bran flakes. The recipe says pre-made praline paste but on the show it says this can easily be made by blending roasted hazelnuts and toffee. I did this but only ended up with powdered praline. So I mixed this with the crushed flakes and then tried microwaving to melt the toffee and make it sticky - didn't really work, so i added a little melted butter and pushed it in the mould (rather then rolling it out). I used an upside down loose bottom tin. I allowed this to set in the fridge for an hour.
The filling is simply milk and cream heated up and slowly added to eggs whilst whisking constantly. Then whisk in the broken up dark chocolate until you have a beautiful smooth mixture. I let this cool for a while before pouring in to my mould. I left this in the fridge for about 8 hours. To release the tart I blow torched the edges of the tin and lifted it off - worked a treat!
To decorate I grated some chocolate on top and made hazelnut toffee drops, lots of fun. Just toast and peel your hazelnuts, make some toffee and then let it sit for a few minutes. Dip in a toothpick studded hazelnut a it will make a lovely toffee string.
I took it to our friends place for dessert. It was very rich and we accompanied it with some much needed vanilla ice cream. An elegant and delicious dessert.
Ohhh MY!!!!!!!! I need to lose weight too (present from my little one) hehehe but I cannot resist chocolate!!! This looks amazing! You said you have some leftover??? Can I have it please????
ReplyDeleteSounds so rich and sinful! It's real pretty too!
ReplyDeleteimpressive!
ReplyDeleteThat looks incredible! I love any chocolate dessert that there is and I would definitely love that!
ReplyDeleteWell done, it looks AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!!I'm glad I have some family birthdays coming up so that I have an excuse to make it..haha
ReplyDeleteIt looks absolutely delicious!I love it(especially the base)!Well done,dear Muppy!
ReplyDeleteFabulous job! I have his new cookbook and I have this very cake earmarked to make! Great minds think alike! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I try to steer away from sweets - my teeth like me for it and my dentist doesn't, but this looks stunning!!! How gorgeous are the drops?!!
ReplyDeleteOh muppy that looks unreal!! Thanks for explaining how to do the hazelnut toffee drops too. I've always wondered how to do them. You rule!
ReplyDeleteOh, Wow! I'm drooling!!
ReplyDeleteLooks divine!! Well Done!
ReplyDeleteIt looks SO FANTASTIC!
ReplyDeleteThat looks stunning, Muppy! So impressed with how glamorous it looks (tending more towards rustic, myself, on more occasions that I'd like). Those toffeed nuts on top are fabulous - would've been the perfect finish for a dinner party.
ReplyDeleteOh my God this looks FANTASTIC! I love how you've decorated it! I watched Raymond Blanc's show too and was so inspired with his recipes (loved the chocolate show too) and have bookmarked quite a few to try.
ReplyDeleteI love the hazelnut toffee drops- they look so pretty :) And the cake looks super delicious too!
ReplyDeleteHow pretty are those hazlenuts! Great looking dish, yumm...
ReplyDeleteThis dessert looks amazing, def goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
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