Another beauty from Princess Lottie:
Another dinner party, another reason to try a new recipe. This is made with thanks to Mr D’Arcy who bought me the most fabulous book titled Decadence and it doesn’t disappoint.
Rich, velvety chocolate, soothed with crème anglais combined with crunchy almond tuiles. Simply divine.
Chocolate marquis
200g unsalted butter, diced
300g chopped good quality dark chocolate
500ml double cream
220g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
6 egg yolks
85g cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons CointreauMelt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Whisk the cream with 4 tablespoons of the icing sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the egg yolks with the remaining icing sugar until thick and pale. Add the cocoa powder and Cointreau and mix well to combine. Fold into the cooled chocolate mixture, then the whipped cream.
Rinse a 25 x 12cm loaf tin with water and line with cling film, allowing a 4cm overhang around the sides. Pour the chocolate marquise mixture into the tin, then tap the tin lightly on a work surface to settle the mixture.
Gently cover the top with the cling film overhang and refrigerate overnight, or until set.
Now make your tuiles and crème anglais.
To serve, turn the cold chocolate marquise out of the loaf tin onto a chopping board. Using a hot knife, cut it into slices of around 1.5cms and place in the centre of the plate. Spoon the crème anglais around, serve with the almond tuiles, dusted with extra icing sugar.
Tuiles – Makes about 20
25g unsalted butter, softened
55g caster sugar
55g plain flour
2 egg whites
55g flaked almondsPreheat the oven to 160C. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and pale. Add the flour and egg whites, beating until smooth. Refrigerate the tuile mixture for 1 hour before using.
Draw three 10cm circles on baking paper, turn it over and place on a baking tray. Repeat with another sheet of baking paper and tray.
Smear a thin layer of the tuile mixture onto each circle with a spatula and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake for 3-5 minutes, or until brown at the edges and golden in the centre. Remove from the oven and working quickly using a palette knife, carefully remove one tuile and gently roll into a cigar shape. Repeat with the second and third tuile – if they harden then return the tray briefly to the oven to soften. Repeat with the remaining batter. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container until required.
Crème anglais
3 egg yolks
55g caster sugar
½ vanilla pod, split lengthways
250ml milk
250ml double creamLightly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together.
Place the milk and cream into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add the seeds and the pod to the mixture. Bring almost to the boil. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then return to a clean saucepan over medium heat.
Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil. Strain through a fine sieve, allow to cool to room temperature with cling film placed directly onto the surface of the mixture. This prevents a skin forming. Once cooled, refrigerate until cold.
A second helping the next day. We couldn’t resist.
