Chocolate covered coconut macaroons

The world is going mad for macarons, the multi-coloured garish almond based meringue confections popular for afternoon tea around the world. Since I started working in London, I've seen swathes of tourists clutching pastel paper bags from the likes of Laduree. They're not the kind of thing that you find in Somerset! 


I'm partial to the odd macaron; they're cute, (dare I say) girlie and wonderfully bite-sized. However, they are a bit of a pig to bake. Achieving that light and fluffy texture is rather unpredictable, much like the somewhat troublesome meringue. If you're in need of a tasty sweet snack, maybe it would be better to by-pass the chichi and look a little closer to home. 


Macaroons (note the double 'o') are easy to throw together and provide the same deliciously sweet hit without the kitchen faff. According to the wonder that is Wikipedia, English macaroons and French macarons share the same Italian word maccarone or maccherone which derives from ammaccare meaning to crush or beat. Don't run away in horror; this refers to the crushed nuts that are the main ingredient of both recipes. Both are cousins of amaretti, the crunchy Italian almond biscuit. It's a very European affair.


I adore this recipe because it really is so simple. Bung the ingredients together, shape and pop in the oven. Decoration is optional but I like any excuse to mess around with chocolate. I've made these several times and they're an ideal mid-week bake because they're quick and easy to make out of ingredients that tend to lurk in the back of the larder. Oh and they're naturally gluten free too! 

Coconut macaroons
Makes 16 – 20

2 egg whites
300g unsweetened grated coconut (or the same of desiccated coconut)
3 tbsp runny honey (omit if using desiccated coconut)

To decorate
150g dark chocolate
10 glacé cherries (optional)

 - Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking tray with a silicon or greaseproof paper.
 - Whisk together the egg whites and honey (if using).
 - Add the coconut and stir until coated.
 - Scoop out tablespoon dollops of mixture, compact slightly and evenly space on baking tray.
 - Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.
 - Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool.
 - Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water.
 - Meanwhile, halve the cherries so that they’re ready to garnish.
 - Dip the flat base of each macaroon into the chocolate and place on a tray covered in silicon or greaseproof paper. If you want a particularly luxurious macaroon, allow these to cool and dip again.
 - Drizzle the top of the macaroons with melted chocolate and garnish with a half cherry, dipped in a little chocolate to act as glue.

Lemon muffins with caramelised white chocolate frosting

Add a hint of Springtime freshness to your tea break with this yummy lemon muffin recipe. They’re a sure fire hit with colleagues, family or friends. The basic recipe is quick to make and bung in the oven while you’re making other things. The zingy lemon flavour means that they’re not too sweet and they’re incredibly moist for a butter-free recipe. Add a tablespoon or two of poppyseeds if you’d like to add some bite if you wish.

Keep them naked or swathe them in a creamy topping of caramelised white chocolate frosting. This takes time but is well worth it for the sweet, butterscotch flavour. I'm not usual a fan of cloyingly sweet white chocolate but when Rachel over at What Rachel Ate praised it, I had to give it a try. A lower fat alternative to traditional buttercream, this icing uses soft cheese or quark to give it a silky texture without the added calories.

Lemon muffins with caramelised white chocolate frosting
Makes 12

For the muffins:
200g self-raising flour
150g Demerara sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
180g low fat plain yoghurt
150ml water
75ml sunflower oil, plus a little extra for greasing
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 egg, beaten

For the frosting:
100g white chocolate
1 tsp sunflower oil
100g low fat soft cheese or Quark
40g icing sugar

- Preheat the oven to 120c.
- Break up the chocolate and coat with oil. Spread out on a silicon non-stick sheet on a baking tray.
- Place in the oven for ten minutes. When you remove it, the chocolate should have started to melt. Mix it thoroughly, working the chocolate on the outside to the inside of the sheet, and then spread out again and repeat. You’re aiming for a golden brown caramel colour and a crumbly texture. Keep a close eye on it as it’s easy to burn.
- Once golden brown, set aside to cool and turn the oven up to 190c. Oil or line a muffin tin.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add water, oil, lemon and egg. Mix everything together to form a light moist batter.
- Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 12 – 16 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
- Blitz the caramelised white chocolate with the icing sugar in a food processor until combined.
- Beat the soft cheese to break it up then add the sugar and white chocolate and stir well.
- Once the muffins are completely cool, dip the top of each one into the frosting or add a dollop of the mixture onto each muffin and smooth with a pallet knife.

Snapshot: Christmas is over...

Into the bargain bin go the mince pies, brandy cream and fruit cake. No more brandy truffles or turkey until next year. But no need to be sad! You can stock up on Easter eggs instead. It's not even 2012 yet!

Dark Chocolate and Bitter Cherry Brownies with Salted Caramel Glaze

Now that I’m London-based and taking the train every day, I’ve taken to reading the free papers and after a month, it’s now firmly in my commuting routine. Metro in the morning, Evening Standard during the post-office dash – day in, day out. But on Tuesday evenings, something beautiful happens. For Tuesday’s are the day that Stylist magazine is handed out at choice locations across the UK. It’s a fantastic free women’s weekly magazine aimed at city ladies with, well, style. As one of my lady friends described it, “Stylist rocks. I’d pay for it – it’s that good! But I don’t have to.” Even better.

I don’t pass any of the distribution points on my normal route so I am forced to divert in order to pick up my copy and get my weekly hit. This week, I didn’t manage to detour on my way to a dance class so I ended up coveting a fellow Tube travellers copy for a good twenty minutes – looking lovingly at the cover across the aisle – before she alighted and – RESULT! – left the object of my affections behind. 

This week’s copy was edited by Nigella Lawson and featured a rather emotive image of the lady herself dripping with salted caramel. This would normally be a complete turn-off for me as I can’t really stand the woman (The Boy and I have bonded over our joint disgust of her visibly sexual imagery, la-de-da tones and smug smile) but I turned the page as usual. Surely Stylist wouldn’t fail me, I thought. And I was right.

I liked the entire issue but in particular, it discussed a long-standing point of curiosity for me. Salted caramel. I’ve never been sold on the concept of sweet and savoury combined in this form, which I suppose is pretty strange when you consider that I like sweet chilli sauce, cheese and pineapple on sticks and sweet and sour stir-fries. Nigella wrote some predictably filthy prose about “her obsession” (honestly, the poor girl can’t even write one ‘clean’ page – who else could include “saliva-spurting lips” and “ménage-á-trois” in a food column?) with the stuff but the idea festered with me until I was drawn to try it out. We’d both enjoyed a hint of saltiness in  Source’s Cherry and Salted Caramel Brownie so I thought that I would attempt my own recipe.

Don’t be under any illusion about just how bad these are for you. But the odd occasional indulgence can’t do you any harm. They’re seriously gooey and sticky but can still be eaten with fingers (Nigella-style sultry digit-licking compulsory). Make them a day ahead of time to let the caramel soak in.

Dark Chocolate and Bitter Cherry Brownies with Salted Caramel Glaze
Makes 16 – 20 brownies

For the brownies
100g unsalted butter, softened
150g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
75g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk (or cream!)
75g dried sour cherries
50g dark chocolate, chopped

For the caramel (adapted from Nigella's version)
40g unsalted butter
25g soft light brown sugar
25g golden caster sugar
25g honey
60ml double cream
1 tsp sea salt (fleur de sel if you have it) or to taste

-          - Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 20cm square tin with greaseproof paper

-          - First, it’s time to make the caramel. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat with the sugars and honey, stirring occasionally to encourage the sugar to dissolve.

-          - Once it is smooth, raise the temperature and let the caramel gently bubble up. Keep a close eye on it at this point as it can burn easily; I like to remove it from the heat every minute or so to and give it a good stir to stop it catching. It’s ready when it starts to thicken and darken.

-          - Remove from the heat and add the cream, stirring constantly to combine into a smooth sauce. Once you have done this, take a little caramel on a spoon and set it to one side to cool – if it completely solidifies, add a splash of milk as you want the caramel to be semi-liquid at room temperature.

-          - Scatter the salt over the caramel and stir well to combine. Taste to check the salt levels and add more if you fancy it. Beware that the caramel may be very hot so don’t burn your mouth! Set aside.

-          - Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy and then add one egg at a time, whisking well between each addition.

-          - Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and then gently stir in. Add the milk to loosen then fold in half of the cherries and all of the dark chocolate.

-          - Spoon into the prepared tin and level. Using half of your prepared caramel, add dollops to the brownie batter in the tin. Loosely swirl the caramel into the batter but don’t overdo it as it’ll just mix in.

-          - Bake for 25 minutes or until the top has puffed up a little and has set.

-          - Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes then stud with the remaining cherries (I like to squidge them right into the soft brownie but be more decorative if you wish) and then glaze with the remaining caramel.

The Chocolate Festival, London

You may already be aware of my love affair with chocolate but if you’re not, needless to say that I am a big fan. I won’t go into detail (it’s best not to get me started) but there was a time when I couldn’t go a day without some form of the good stuff. I’m reformed now but it’s still my weak spot. I’m heartened that I’m not as bad as The Boy who can’t sit still if there’s an open box of chocolate on display.

With this in mind, you can imagine my frustration about the fact that on a weekend when I’m schlepping oop North (to visit a friend who lives on an organic farm – post to follow) the capital will be hosting a festival devoted to my vice. The Chocolate Festival runs from today until Sunday and will be a melting pot for over 40 mouth-watering exhibitors. There will be demonstrations from some of the world’s best chocolatiers will be taking place throughout the weekend so I’m truly missing out. 

If you’re unlucky enough to already have plans, do not despair. They have already confirmed dates in March next year in Brighton and London to spread the chocolatey goodness.  

The Chocolate Festival runs from Friday 9th until Sunday 11th December 2011 from 11am - 8pm Daily (6pm on Sunday) at Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

I like to think that this recipe is slightly more virtuous than your average cheesecake. Whether it actually is or not is neither here nor there... It’s made up of reduced fat cream cheese and a dairy product called Quark, which is far less alien than it sounds. It’s virtually fat free and doesn’t have any of the bitter, grittiness than you often get with fat free yoghurt or cream cheese. These two ingredients alone won’t solidify so to this you add the naughtiest ingredient – white chocolate. I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate on its own but it certainly makes this cheese cake for me. Fold in some raspberries (fruit therefore healthy) and spread over a base of reduced fat biscuits and crushed nuts (also good for you).


When I was looking for a heavenly cheesecake recipe without the sinful calorie or fat, I came across lots of baked cheesecake recipes but none that involved chilling to set the cake. I've tried baked cheesecakes and they're great but they do add another level of complication to the process. They're temperamental; if you don't bake them a certain way, they can crack which doesn't affect the taste but does make them look a bit unsightly. This cheesecake is pretty much fool proof and is a great dinner party dessert that can be made in advance.

I think this would also work with dark chocolate and cherries if you’re looking for a variation. I would use the darkest chocolate possibly to ensure that the cheesecake doesn’t set a strange grey colour. Swirl in some kirsch or maybe Bailey’s for a more adult version.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake
Makes 12 servings

300g reduced fat cream cheese
500g Quark
300g white chocolate 200g British raspberries
2 tsp vanilla extract
55g butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
50g reduced fat digestive biscuits
30g mixed nuts

- Preheat your oven to 180c. Prepare a 25cm spring form tin by lining the base with parchment and the sides with clingfilm.
- Melt the butter gently over a low heat or in the microwave.
- Pulse the biscuits and mixed nuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, chop the nuts as finely as you can and bash the biscuits, wrapped up in a clean tea towel, with a rolling pin.
 - Stir the cocoa powder into the butter and add the biscuit and nut crumbs.
 - Press into the bottom of the tin with a flat bottomed tumbler as evenly as possible and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
 - Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water then leave to cool slightly.
 - Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese and Quark together until combined then add the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Beat together and then add the raspberries.
 - Pour the mixture on top of the biscuit base and level with a spatula. I like to push any raspberries that have ended up on the surface to the bottom and smooth the creamy mixture around them to give a smooth top.
 - Chill for two hours or until firm.

Liverpool Adventures

Liverpool means many things to many people. To some, it’s the music and the infamous Beatles. To The Boy and his family, it’s football – his Dad has supported LFC since he was little and still hedges his bets on the ballot for tickets. To my family, it’s art and the new Tate.

My first visit to the city was primarily orientated around a visit to Anfield with The Boy but we decided to make a weekend of it. Here’s our pick for food and rooms...

View from our room

Where we stayed: Hope Street Hotel, 40 Hope Street, Liverpool

When looking up nice places to stay, one of my prerequisites was a huge bath. This might seem strange but I’ve become increasingly addicted to epically proportioned bath tubs since staying the Langdale Chase Hotel at on the banks of Windermere. After a few searches, we found the Hope Street Hotel which had good Tripadvisor reviews with mixed reviews on their breakfasts.

Our room was nicely appointed with an amazing bed – I don’t think I’ve ever had such a comfy mattress. Natural wood finishes have been used throughout the hotel and this is echoed in each room. The bathroom had the required large bath and a gloriously strong walk-in shower. The lighting in the bathroom kept me entertained for a full five minutes too – they’re controlled by a touch on/off plate but (as I read in the room guide provided) if you hold your finger 10mm or so away and slide up or down, the lights brighten or dim. Sad, I know but great for setting the mood for a relaxing bath.

The luxurious mattress made for a fantastic night’s sleep though our room was pretty hot during the night and the air conditioning in our room didn’t want to work. Still, we trooped down to The London Carriage Works, the restaurant situated in the ground floor of the hotel for breakfast. It’s a pretty stunning venue with slanting panels of textured glass acting as screens among the tables. Breakfast is expensive but it is a good meal – the continental buffet was groaning with fresh fruit, cured meats, pastries and cereals. I came away with a plate of melon and prosciutto to start with and then went on to have a cooked breakfast. They were happy to swap out the black pudding for their vegetarian alternative which was made from red onion and was very tasty. Not sure why I’m not that keen on proper black pudding – the colour is rather off putting...

Where we ate: Host, 31 Hope Street, Liverpool

While researching the hotel, one reviewer recommended Host, conveniently located over the road from the Hope Street Hotel. Curiosity may have seen off the unfortunate cat but, with so many positive reviews, we decided to give it a go.

Make sure that you arrive early and book in advance – we forgot to do the latter but the staff were very understanding and fitted us in. They were very busy with a constant stream of people coming and out – some for cocktails at the bar and others for the food. The meals themselves were absolutely delicious – quick, fresh and full of complex oriental flavours.

Quite seriously, if you're in the area, I would recommend giving Host a go. It's not terribly expensive and they offer something for everyone, whether you're a keen carnivore, a vibrant vegan or a glam gluten-free gourmet. Highly recommended.

The evening was made even more memorable when I made friends with the locals - a woman gifted me with a safety pin for my ‘friendly’ halter top which was determined to come undone. So kind!

Tasting plate and a delicious hot chocolate

Where we indulged: The Chocolate Cellar, 11 - 13 Hanover Street, Liverpool

You might be familiar with my love of chocolate. I’m not sure whether my sixth (cocoa) sense was tingling or whether fate led us but we found ourselves outside The Chocolate Cellar. Naturally, we had to sample what they had to offer. We tried a tasting plate of their chocolates and a hot chocolate each, which were fantastic. A great place to get souvenirs for chocolate lovers! They also offer workshops – we scoffed while watching a group roll and coat truffles.

Almond Brownies

You might be able to tell that I’ve had a few excuses to bake sweet things recently. I’m turning into a bit of a broken record! I’m sorry, dear reader, if you’re losing interest in my recent treats but I promise to change tack soon with some delicious savoury recipes soon.

For the moment though, I have to share one of my all-time favourite baking recipes. I have fond memories of it from the 21st birthday where I first tried it to receiving a photocopy of the chocolate smeared recipe which was cut out of the Guardian which I still treasure today.

The object of my affections is Allegra McEvedy’s Brownies. I’ve been making them periodically ever since my good friend gifted me with the recipe and they truly are a winner. Even better, they are gluten free which meant that I could make a batch for my dear Mama for Mothers Day*.

The brownie itself is pretty easy to make and doesn’t taste as nutty as you would expect from something that is mostly ground almonds. The texture is gorgeous too – very cakey and gooey with a crisp outer shell. Glorious! For my Mum’s batch, I added whole almonds, chopped pecans and chunks of chocolate but they’re just as delicious plain.

Here’s my adapted recipe from Allegra’s which can be found here...

Gluten-Free Almond Brownies

Makes 12

175g dark chocolate

2 tbsp filter coffee or espresso, optional

125g ground almonds

3 large eggs

200g caster sugar

90g unsalted butter

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

- Preheat oven to 180C.

- Break chocolate into chunks and melt with butter over a pan of boiling water then add the coffee if you're using.

 - In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until creamy. Stir the chocolate mixture in until combined.

 - Mix the almonds and baking powder and then fold then into the chocolatey, eggy mix.

 - Bake for 45 minutes until firm on top and it is piping hot throughout (sink a skewer into the middle to make sure). Sometimes this doesn't set completely when hot but firms up when it has cooled.

Tips: Delicious with chopped nuts or chocolate chips as mentioned above. I’ve made these with Green & Black’s Cherry chocolate which is gorgeous too – ring the changes by using your favourite chocolate.

*I have a natural contempt of such ‘Halmark Holidays’ and always feel torn – I want to show my Mum that I appreciate her but don’t want to do along with something that the card companies have invented to make money. Hence, I try to go with homemade presents where I can.

Tiffin - By Royal Invitation

I’m not that big on the royal wedding. I mean, it’s always lovely when a couple in love decides to tie the knot and I’m loving the extra day off but I’m not going to be buying any commemorative mugs. My ears did prick up when I heard that Prince William is organising a biscuit cake care of McVities to accompany their traditional wedding cake.

I adore broken biscuit cake. I’m sure I ate it when I was little but it was The Boy who’s brought it into my consciousness recently. His Mum makes a mean batch of refrigerator cake (sometimes also known as Tiffin) and, after trying a slice, I decided that I had to put together my own version.

For those that aren’t in the know, it’s a seriously simple, no bake concoction which is easily adaptable depending on your tastes. Will’s cake will be made from rich tea biscuits, according to McVities Cake Design and Development head chef, but I like to use cookies. The Maryland ones are moreish but Sainsbury’s do a Basics version for a mere 45p. Don’t bother with expensive biscuits though, it’s a waste. A mixture of colours and textures can be nice. I have a vague memory that you could buy broken biscuits by the box, once upon a time, but I can’t remember where and haven’t seen them for ages.

As the name suggests, you have to break up the biscuits. I’ve tried smashing them up inside the packet which can work but sometimes the packet breaks, spraying crumbs and ricocheting chunks of biscuit everywhere. I like to add other bits and pieces, like halved glacé cherries, lumps of chocolate and marshmallows though I think this verges on becoming rocky road. It’s super tasty either way but not at all healthy...

The Royal recipe may be a state secret with McVities in direct liaisons with Buckingham Palace in order to get the recipe just right but you can always give my version a try if you’re curious.

Chocolate Tiffin (or Broken Biscuit Cake or Refrigerator Cake)
Makes 24 bite-size pieces

125g unsalted butter
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cocoa powder
250g biscuits
40g marshmallows, snipped into halves or quarters
10 glacé cherries, halved
100g dark chocolate

- Melt butter with honey in the microwave or over a low heat on the hob.
- Meanwhile, empty the biscuits into a clean tea towel. Gather up the ends and hold firmly so that the biscuits can’t escape then bash with a rolling pin to crush. You want some chunks of biscuit so don’t get too enthusiastic!
- Mix the cocoa into the melted butter and pour into a mixing bowl.
- Add the biscuits and mix so that they are completely coated in the buttery mixture.
- Stir in the cherries and marshmallows. It’s good to make sure that they are evenly distributed throughout the mix so that you get some in every mouthful.
- Spread into a 25cm round tin and put into the fridge to harden. This takes about an hour. I put a plate or second tin on top, weighed down with jars or cans to compress it and make it nice and even.
- When cooled, break the chocolate into chunks and melt in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Spread evenly over the tiffin and leave to cool again.
 - To release from the tin, run a knife around the edge of the tin and sink into hot water for a minute before turning out. Cut into bite-size pieces (it's very sweet!).

Tips: Store in an airtight container. Keeps for a few days before the biscuits start to absorb the butter and go soft (though this adds to the cakey goodness, in my opinion!). Add chopped nuts or raisins for a different texture. You could also substitute the biscuits for gluten-free ones which can be quite crumbly – the buttery mixture will hold them together nicely.

Mayonnaise Brownies

Lora Brody once said “Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty” but I find this hard. Food guilt is something that I struggle with, which does tend to clash terribly with my passion for the stuff.

It’s good, then, that there are recipes out there for those of us who would like to indulge but also want to feel as virtuous as possible. Angela Nilsen of BBC Good Food has developed a brownie recipe in her ‘ultimate make over’ series which has a reduced fat content compared to your 'average' brownie.

You will notice that the recipe contains a somewhat unorthodox ingredient. Go on, scan the list below... See anything strange? Yep. Mayonnaise. When I saw it listed, I knew that I had to give it a try which coincided nicely with my egg-induced baking frenzy. The recipe is nice and easy to follow though making brownies isn’t exactly rocket science, I know. They came out of the oven looking as you would expect any normal condiment-free brownie would. Then came the taste test. Taking a big bite (for research purposes...), I chewed and waited to see if there was any hint of strangeness to the cake but it didn’t come. It’s just nice, stodgy, chocolatey brownie. But then again, I might be biased. I tried it out on The Boy, who approved, and then my workmates. Each time, I let them take a bite and asked them what I thought of my new recipe. None of them were any the wiser and were surprised when I let them in on the secret ingredient. But as one of my colleagues pointed out, mayonnaise is pretty much just eggs and oil.

I don’t think that they’re quite as nice as my favourite Allegra McEvedy recipe for brownies but it’s good enough to warrant giving it a try. So banish your food guilt and give in to a chocolate hit!

‘Made Over’ Brownies

Makes 12

85g dark chocolate
85g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g golden caster sugar
50g light muscovado sugar
1/2 tsp coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp low fat yoghurt (Angela's original recipe uses butter milk but I had more of this to hand)
1 medium egg
100g mayonnaise (I used Sainsburys low fat)
 
 - Preheat oven to to 180c.
 - Melt chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water and then leave to cool slightly.
 - Meanwhile, line a 19cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
 - Sift together flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
 - Stir both sugars into the melted chocolate and then add the coffee, vanilla and yoghurt. Stir in 1 tbsp of warm water to loosen.
 - Beat in the egg and then stir in the mayonnaise until smooth and glossy.
 - Pour chocolate mixture into the flour and fold until combined.
 - Pour batter into your prepared tin and even out with a spatula then bake for 30 minutes.

You can find Angela Nilsen's original recipe on the BBC Good Food website here.

Irate cake

Can you guess what it is yet?

Take a look at the image above. Any smartphone users out there may find it familiar... One of my friends showed her love and affection to her boyfriend on his birthday by making him an 'Angry Birds' cake complete with complete with Tunnock's wooden beams and Battenberg stone pillars. Amazing! Each individual bird or evil pig was hand crafted from coloured icing and marzipan. He was suitably impressed.

Chocolate Orange Torte

Sometimes, just sometimes, you need to wave bye-bye to a healthy diet and indulge in a tasty (and terribly bad for you) dessert. I had an occasion, now all I needed was some afters. I perused my recipe book (where I scribble down ideas and tried-and-tested recipes) for something that wouldn't be too heavy or rich but still hit the spot. I did my very best to avoid chocolate but the inevitable happened...

Chocolate Orange Torte

(Makes around 12 ramekins)

250g dark chocolate

600ml carton double cream
2 large oranges
4 tbsp, or to taste, of Cointreau
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp demarera sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

- Break up the chocolate and put into a glass bowl with about a quarter of the cream. Melt over a pan of boiling water on a low heat.
- Zest or grate the skin of the oranges while melting the butter and sugar gently together in a separate pan. Be sure to avoid the white pith which will be bitter. Add the zest to the butter and sugar then leave to simmer gently, stiring occasionally for five minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, segment the oranges (have a look at this video if you don't know how) and place a slice or two into the bottom of each ramekin. Add a splash of Cointreau to each one if you're feeling particularly wicked.
- By now, your chocolate should be melting nicely. Add the caramalised orange peel, give it a stir and then leave to cool to body temperature.
- Pop the cream into an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on and whisk to soft peaks. If you don't have an electric mixer (I was borrowing one for this), get your whisking arm out!
- Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the cream until combined then share out between the ramekins.
- Leave in the fridge for a few hours (or ideally overnight) to firm up. Serve with chocolate shavings.

Review: Martin's Chocolatier

My lunchtime was brightened by the lovely gents in Martin's Chocolatier. I hadn't noticed them before and on speaking to the guys behind the counter, it seems that they're a new addition to the Bristol shopping experience. They've only been open for a week! They have a large selection of chocolates which you can buy by weight or they also have a variety of boxed chocolates for sale.

More importantly for me, they have a café set up so that you can enjoy the finest hot chocolates and cakes while resting your poor shop-til-you-drop feet. Now, I can't resist trying out the newest place on the block (price permitting) so I wandered in and took advantage of their Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer on all drinks. I ordered a house blend (half milk, half dark) hot chocolate to enjoy there and a dark chocolate orange hot chocolate to take away. If you "drink in", your drink is served complete with a yummy chocolate from their selection to try. Their home blend comes highly recommended by yours truly; a delicious middle ground between smooth milk and rich dark chocolate. The dark chocolate orange was absolutely devilish and is set apart from other chocolate orange drinks(a vice of mine) that I've tried as it doesn't have a synthetic edge to it.

I will be back with a friend to try their cakes very soon.

Martin's Chocolatier can be found at 72 Horsefair Road, Bristol BS1 3JS. Tel 0117 927 9433

The Chocolate Tart

An afternoon of chocolate making. Can you imagine anything much more heavenly? Sadly, we will not be recommending The Chocolate Tart to our friends and family. We weren't entirely sure what to expect, though the Boy was told that the doors would open promptly at 3pm and not before. This rang true as a growing crowd of chocolate lovers grouped on the road outside, clamouring to get in. A rather unwelcoming start, maybe, but I was reserving judgement.

Nether the less, first impressions were good; the class was held in the Tart's obviously recently converted modern kitchen cum office, decked out in the company's signature fushia pink on the walls with cool stainless steel benches to work on. We were offered refreshments and told to don rather unattractive plastic blue aprons. Ah well, I thought, not quite like the photos on the website but at least I won't feel guilty for getting it dirty! Our first task was rather sensual - dipping truffles in silky melted chocolate with our bare hands! We were taught the technique to truffle rolling which seemed to involve no thumbs or little fingers and slathering your palms in chocolate. Wonderful! The Boy and I were gamely chatting to the couple we were sharing our work bench with and generally having a good time at this point.

Next up, we set about choosing flavourings for the fondant to fill moulded chocolates that we would fill later. All sorts of alchemy ensued with various combinations - from the good, Raspberry and Blood Orange, to the down right ugly, Coffee and Tangerine - with varying degrees of success. We companionably swapped and bartered our precious vials of essence - making suggestions and tasting each others concoctions. Chocolate is a definite friend-maker.

So far so good but I've neglected to mention that we had a photographer in our group. Now I wouldn't have minded if it had simply been a well-meaning amateur who wanted to get some tasty photos. This, however, was different. We were introduced to Marko, an obvious friend of the proprietor/teacher, who took pride of place at the front of the class. "No one minds having their picture taken, do they?" she asks, presumptuously. Actually, it might jeopardise my modelling contract. (Joke.) It quickly becomes clear that he's taking publicity shots for the business. This makes me fume on principle - surely it is common courtesy to notify your customers in advance if you're going to be taking photos for your website? You're told if there are going to be fumbling students present at your NHS doctors appointment, for goodness sake! Here we were, having our senses assaulted by periodic bursts from the photographers enthusiastic hot shoe and paying for the privilege (remembering that these classes are not cheap at £70pp for three hours). Not exactly the relaxing, romantic Valentines experience that we'd hoped for.

We came away with around 1 kilo of chocolate each, as promised. But the whole experience left (forgive me!) a rather bitter taste in our mouths. The chocolate and other products was of good quality but it was the actual experience that left us disappointed. The hosts were inhospitable - rushing us between stages and then dropping us completely when we needed guidance. The class was obviously too big; not only was the kitchen crowded and the teachers stretched to breaking point but there was not enough equipment to go around. The afternoon lacked the dynamic, professionalism and prowess that we had been expecting.

In short, try out some chocolate recipes in the comfort of your own home and enjoy the opportunity to relax. Don't bother with The Chocolate Tart.

Peter's Yard

So we'd had a chilled out morning. I'd left the boy to snooze while I popped into to work (yes, on a Saturday) to get everything started. I came back to my cute little borrowed flat to find him watching one of our lazy Saturday favourites, Saturday Kitchen. It's a nice foodie way to start the weekend and normally inspires us out of bed for breakfast.

Now it was a question of lunch. I'm living extremely close to the Quarter Mile project which is home to, amongst other establishments, a fantastic Swedish bakery called Peter's Yard. Again, its a place that people have waxed lyrical about so a late lunch seemed like a good enough excuse for a visit.
I haven't mentioned the weather yet, have I? It definitely deserves an honorable mention. It's been beautiful. Clear and sunny every day, such a treat! It's almost as if it knew I would be having a special visitor and made a real effort to be nice for us. Self-centred, eh? Anyway, it seemed natural to gravitate to the Yard's outside seating area out front. But first, we had to go in and take our picks... Peter's Yard is quietly cool inside. It's a huge dose of Scandinavian simplicity with a hint of Ikea chic. Very stylish. The food has the wow factor too. Baguettes and sandwiches laid generously thick with fillings and the most amazing cakes. I dithered. I couldn't help it! Predictably, we chose pudding first. Blueberry 'Mousse' for him and Tiramisu for I. Then the savories... hrm. I go for a turkey sandwich while the Boy goes for a cheese baguette. We managed to resist the mouth-watering smoked salmon open sandwich but only because we had a fishy dinner to look forward to. Our meal was accompanied by our usual beverage - hot chocolate!

The real revelation for me was the beautiful freshness than was obvious in everything we ate. Our lunch wasn't cheap - £10 a head for two courses - but the quality and generosity of ingredients blew me away. My sandwich contained about four thick slices of fresh turkey while the Boy's baguette was stuffed with three delicious cheeses and the bread... well, it was all fantastic. Our cakes were also marvellous.

The Blueberry M0usse (above) was in fact a very handsome cake with blueberries and cream squidged between nutmeggy sponge. Quite a revelation. The only disappointment was the hot chocolate; not sweet enough for my taste.

Quote of the Day

"Let's face it; chocolate is a mysterious, seductive yet confusing world."

The Hairy Bikers, 'The Hairy Bakers' BBC One

A heavenly day...

We have been out exploring Edinburgh. Among our wanderings around the Castle and the Royal Mile, we have also searched for Plasir du Chocolat - a chocolate shop who's reputation preceeds itself. When I mentioned I'd be visiting the fair city, the first thing that was mentioned to me was this amazing little place that does amazing hot chocolates. After wandering around Thistle Street and the surrounding lanes, I asked after this fantastical place and found out from a passing helpful person that Plasir du Chocolat has actually closed down. In it's place is a very fetching kilt shop. Sadly they don't do hot chocolate. We weren't upset for long though as we found ourselves outside Henderson's Deli. It was rather busy as it was lunchtime so the place was full of zippy professionals "just grabbing some lunch and a skinny latte" before getting back to the 9 til 5 grind. Henderson's is another of the organic+hippy=good breed of café delicatessens. This isn't necessarily a bad thing however as it seems like Hendersons have done good with the concept. Everything looked incredibly fresh and healthy - along with sandwiches and caffeine hits on sale, they offer fresh bread and organic produce too.

We chose two hot chocolates (naturellement), a piece of almond chocolate cake (gluten free - tempted to buy a whole one and send it home to ma mere) and a peach danish. The hot chocolate was mundane and nothing to write posts about though I'm happy to rave about the chocolate cake (incredibly moreish and flour-free) and danish of delights (actually the best I've tried yet)!

Green & Blacks

I have recently converted to dark chocolate. I didn't used to like it but I'm now a real fan of the its intense chocolately hit and slight tangy bitterness. I was awarded a taster pack of Green & Blacks after doing well at work and when I got around to trying the various flavours, my immediate favourite was a surprise. It was their cherry version - a bar of dark (60% cocoa) chocolate with whole dried cherries scattered throughout. The sweet and sourness of the cherries mixes with the chocolate as soon as you start to chew a piece and it compliments the smooth, bold flavour of the cocoa. Amazingly tasty! An eating chocolate rather than one to cook with.

National Chocolate Week!

I'm not usually one for the multitude of 'National Wash Behind Your Ears' Day however I have found one in particular that I can be confident and passionate about. This week is officially National Chocolate Week! I hope you don't need an excuse to enjoy chocolate however it's nice to be able to say that I'm doing it in the interests of "research". Awesome! I will be enjoying and celebrating this week of sweet treats with daily posts on the subject. In the meantime, check out the chocolate week website and get munching!

Hotel Chocolat

What better way to finish off a day of sale shopping in the cold than a nice warming cup of cocoa? Well, that cocoa might be well and truly trumped by the enormous bowls of Liquid Chocolat on sale in Hotel Chocolat at Bristol's Cabot Circus. My sister and I had shopped until we'd dropped(£100 (100% silk!) top for less than £20? Check! Bargain half-price super ideal bag? Check! Yards of Butterfly bunting for a mere £1.60? Check!) and after a lot of walking (and browsing but no grabbing; we are ladies after all), we were in need of some sustenance. I had only heard about Hotel Chocolat by drooling over the goodies available on their website after I'd been lucky enough to receive a selection one Christmas. I must admit that the experience is even better in person (though I wasn't entirely sure that was possible). Now, these hot chocolates are cheap at £3 each but you do get a big cup for your pennies and it's exceedingly good quality! We had a Valentian Orange and a Caramel Kiss; both sublime and highly recommended!