Double Chocolate Shortbreads

You're only five ingredients away from a double chocolate melt-in-your-mouth delight

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 12 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  290

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  31g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  15g

• Salt

  0.22g

Ingredients

• 175g butter, softened
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100g chocolate chips, milk or dark

Directions

1. Mix the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour and cocoa, followed by the chocolate chips-you'll probably need to mix it together with your hands at this stage. Halve the dough and roll each piece into a log about 5cm thick. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hr or for several days. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice logs into 1cm-thick rounds, transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 10-12 mins. Cool on the tray.

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Chocolate Fondant

A gooey prepare-ahead dessert that's perfect for entertaining - it's all a matter of timing...

• Cooking Time Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 9 fondants

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  581

• Protein

  9g

• Carbs

  52g

• Fat

  40g

• Saturates

  21g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  30g

• Salt

  0.55g

Ingredients

• 50g melted butter, for brushing
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 200g butter, in small pieces
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs and 4 yolks
• 200g plain flour
• Caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream or orange sorbet, to serve

Directions

1. First get your moulds ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with 1 the next mould.
2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
5. Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the moulds. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
7. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.
8. Starting from the middle of each plate, squeeze a spiral of caramel sauce-do all the plates you need before you go on to the next stage.
9. Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. Using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a 'quenelle' of ice cream.
10. Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.

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Angelas Lighter Chocolate Tart

A chocolate tart with a rich taste and moussey texture - but with two-thirds less fat than the classic version

• Cooking Time Prep 35 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 8 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  243

• Protein

  4.4g

• Carbs

  25.8g

• Fat

  13.4g

• Saturates

  7.3g

• Fibre

  1.3g

• Sugar

  13.7g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• For the pastry
• 140g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 medium egg yolk
• half-fat crème fraîche, to serve (optional)
• For the filling
• 100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra ½ tsp for sifting
• ¾ tsp coffee granules
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• 2 medium egg whites
• 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
• 85g half-fat crème fraîche

Directions

1. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and remove 2 tsp (the cocoa will replace it later). Add the butter and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sift in the cocoa and icing sugar, then, using a round-bladed knife, stir in the oil, egg yolk and 1½-2 tbsp cold water, until the dough comes together. Gently gather into a ball, then roll out on a lightly floured surface, big enough to fit a 20cm round x 3.5cm-deep loose-bottomed flan tin. Ease the pastry into the tin, leaving a slight overhang. Lightly prick the base with a fork, then chill for about 10 mins.
2. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Sit tin on a baking sheet. Line the pastry with foil and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15 mins or until set. Carefully lift out the beans and paper, then bake the pastry case for another 10 mins or until the base is cooked. Remove, carefully trim off the overhanging pastry with a sharp knife, to give the pastry a flat edge, then leave until completely cold.
3. To make the filling, put the chocolate in a large bowl that will fit over a pan of simmering water without touching it. Mix the cocoa, coffee and vanilla with the milk. Pour over the chocolate. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stir, then immediately remove pan from the heat, with the bowl of chocolate still over the water, stirring occasionally, to check when melted. Stir the melted chocolate-it will be quite thick. Stir in 2 tbsp boiling water and the chocolate will immediately thin down and become silky smooth. Take the bowl off the pan and leave to cool slightly.
4. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar until thick and glossy. Fold the créme fraîche into the cooled chocolate. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a large metal spoon, then very gently fold in the remaining whites, a third at a time, until evenly mixed in. Remove the pastry case from the tin and place on a serving plate. Spoon the filling into the case, then spread out gently and evenly. Chill for about 3 hours, or overnight, before serving. Serve with a sifting of cocoa and half-fat créme fraîche, if you like. Please note, pregnant women, the elderly, babies and toddlers, and people who are generally unwell, should avoid eating raw or partially cooked eggs.

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Hot Chocolate Souffle

Gordon Ramsay creates melt-in-the-mouth souffls to impress a crowd

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr
  Cook 15 mins - 17 mins
• Skill Level For the keen cook
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  433

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  45g

• Fat

  25g

• Saturates

  14g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  38g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• For the dishes
• 25g unsalted butter, for greasing
• finely grated chocolate
• For the creme patisserie
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp cornflour
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 medium whole egg
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 25g good-quality dark chocolate preferably 70% cocoa solids, broken in pieces
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• For the egg whites
• 6 medium egg whites
• 85g caster sugar
• single cream or ice cream, to serve
• For the ganache
• 4 tbsp double cream
• 50g good-quality dark chocolate preferably 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
• 1 tbsp cocoa

Directions

1. Take four 200ml soufflé dishes and brush them completely with softened butter. Chill the dishes for 5 mins, then, as an insurance policy so the soufflé doesn't stick to the dish, apply a second coat as before. Tip a little grated chocolate into each dish, roll the dish around tilting it as you do so it is evenly lined all round.
2. For the crème patisserie, mix the flour, sugar and cornflour. Put egg yolk and whole egg into a bowl, stir, then beat in half of the flour mixture to give a smooth paste. Tip in the rest of the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Pour the milk and cream into a pan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and beat until it is melted and smooth with no lumps.
4. Gradually stir hot chocolate mix into paste. Return to pan. Cook, stirring, over a medium-low heat for 5 mins to a smooth, thick paste. Remove from the heat. Leave until cold, beating occasionally with a wire whisk.
5. Make the ganache: slowly warm the cream in a pan. Just before it boils, take off the heat and add chocolate. Beat constantly to a velvety texture, gradually sprinkling in the cocoa as it dissolves. Allow to cool.
6. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with an electric whisk. Sprinkle in the sugar as you are mixing. Keep whisking to give stiff, firm peaks to give volume to the soufflés.
7. Mix crème patisserie and ganache in a large bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp of egg white. Carefully fold in a third of the rest, cutting through the mixture. Fold in another third (take care not to lose the volume); fold in the rest.
8. Spoon the mixture into the dishes to fill them by three-quarters, then gently press a spoon in to make sure it fills all the gaps. Fill the dishes to the top with the mixture, then bang each dish on to the surface so the mixture fills the sides.
9. Take a palette knife and pull it across the top of each dish so the mixture is completely flat. Take a little time to wipe any splashes off the outside of each dish, or they will burn on while cooking.
10. So mixture won't stick to the top of the mould, and to give a straight finish, go around the top edge of the mixture with your finger. Sprinkle a little grated chocolate in the centre, then bake the soufflés for 15-17 mins.
11. The soufflés should have risen by about two thirds of their original height and jiggle when moved, but be set on top. To serve, make a small dip with a spoon in the centre of each, then pour in single cream or add a spoonful of ice cream.

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Triple Ginger Cheesecake

A no-cook cheesecake, topped off with seasonal fruit, from Good Food reader Jacque Smith

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6 - 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  638

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  42g

• Fat

  51g

• Saturates

  31g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  25g

• Salt

  0.84g

Ingredients

• 200g ginger biscuits
• 100g unsalted butter
• 400g full-fat soft cheese
• 50g icing sugar
• juice ½ lemon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 100g Greek yogurt
• 50g crystallised ginger, chopped
• roasted rhubarb or other seasonal fruit, for the topping

Directions

1. Whizz together the biscuits or crush in a sealed bag until you get fine crumbs. Gently melt the butter, then mix into the crumbs. Press evenly into a 20cm loosebottomed round cake tin. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
2. Put the remaining ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Spread over the base, then smooth the top with a knife. Leave in the fridge overnight to set. Remove the cake from the tin and top with roasted rhubarb (recipe, below) or your choice of fruit.

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White Chocolate & Ricotta Cheesecake

This mouthwatering cheesecake is the perfect way to finish a large Sunday lunch, as it's incredibly light despite being made with chocolate

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 6 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  484

• Protein

  15g

• Carbs

  47g

• Fat

  28g

• Saturates

  15g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  33g

• Salt

  0.79g

Ingredients

• For the base
• 50g butter, melted
• 150g digestive biscuits
• 50g amaretti biscuits
• sunflower oil, for greasing
• For the filling
• 200g white chocolate, chopped
• 5 leaves gelatine
• 6 tbsp milk
• 500g tub ricotta
• 300ml pot double cream
• 50g icing sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• To decorate
• white chocolate curls
• pomegranate seeds
• icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in a pan or microwave. Very finely crush the biscuits together, stir with the butter, then press very firmly into the base of a 20cm round loosebottomed cake tin. Bake for 6 mins. Cool, then wipe around the inside of the tin with a little oil on kitchen paper.
2. Soak the gelatine in water while you make the filling. Tip the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of simmering water, then add the milk. Gently heat until melted, then stir together. Squeeze the gelatine dry, add to the chocolate mixture and stir to dissolve.
3. Beat the ricotta, cream, sugar and egg yolks together. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites.
4. Stir the chocolate and ricotta mixtures together, then gently fold in the egg whites. Carefully pour onto the cooled biscuit base. Cover the tin with cling film, then chill until firm, preferably overnight.
5. To decorate, very generously top the cheesecake with the white chocolate curls, then remove from the tin, scatter with the pomegranate seeds and dust all over with icing sugar, if you like.

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Lemon Quark Cheesecake

This light and luscious lemon cheesecake tastes as good as it looks

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  279

• Protein

  12g

• Carbs

  37g

• Fat

  10g

• Saturates

  6g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  31g

• Salt

  0.59g

Ingredients

• 80g digestive biscuits
• 50g melted butter
• 200g light soft cheese
• 500g Quark
• 200g icing sugar
• zest 2 lemons, juice of 3
• 4 gelatine sheets

Directions

1. Crush the digestive biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Press into the base of a 20cm springform tin. Chill to firm.
2. Whisk the light soft cheese with the quark and icing sugar, then fold through zest 2 lemons.
3. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water, then melt in the juice 3 lemons over a low heat. Beat into the cheese mix, then spoon on top of the biscuit base. Chill until set.

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Pink Strawberry Cheesecake

An impressive centrepiece for a dinner party dessert

• Cooking Time Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  519

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  40g

• Fat

  38g

• Saturates

  15g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  21g

• Salt

  0.78g

Ingredients

• For the base
• 200g digestive biscuits
• 100g unsalted butter, melted
• For the filling
• 3 sheets of leaf gelatine
• 142ml carton single cream
• 300g full-fat soft cheese
• 100g golden caster sugar
• finely grated zest of half a lemon
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 300g strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 142ml carton whipping or double cream
• 1 medium egg white
• For the sauce
• 250g strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus about 200g/8oz extra to decorate
• finely grated zest of half a lemon
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, or more to taste

Directions

1. Seal the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them to fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter, mixing thoroughly so that all the crumbs are soaked. Now tip the mixture into a loose-bottomed 24cm round cake tin, at least 5cm deep, and press down with the back of a metal spoon to make an even layer over the bottom of the tin. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
2. Submerge the gelatine leaves in a dish of cold water, and leave to soak and soften for 5 minutes. Pour the single cream into a pan and bring just to the boil, then take off the heat. Take the gelatine leaves out of the water, give them a good squeeze to get rid of excess water, and stir one by one into the cream (they will dissolve instantly). Leave to cool for a few minutes.
3. Beat the cheese in a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth and creamy. Mix in the cream and gelatine mixture and the chopped strawberries.
4. In another bowl, lightly whip the whipping or double cream so it falls in soft peaks, then fold it into the strawberry mixture. Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until it forms stiff peaks, then fold gently into the cheese mixture. Pour into the cake tin and smooth down lightly. Chill for at least 21?2 hours until set.
5. To make the sauce, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Taste and add more sugar if needed, then pour into a jug and keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve. (Both cheesecake and sauce can be made a day ahead.)
6. To serve, run a knife between the cheesecake and the tin to loosen it, remove it from the tin, then take it off its base and put it on a serving plate. Halve the extra strawberries lengthways, pile them in the middle and serve with the jug of sauce.

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Double Chocolate Cheesecake

Cheesecake is always incredibly popular, but add chocolate and it elevates it to something with even more crowd appeal

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 16

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  490

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  29g

• Fat

  39g

• Saturates

  22g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  23g

• Salt

  0.88g

Ingredients

• For the biscuit crust
• 85g hot melted butter, plus a little extra for greasing
• 14 plain chocolate digestives, finely crushed
• For the cheesecake
• 3 x 300g packs full-fat Philadelphia cheese, at room temperature
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 tbsp cocoa, sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp Tia Maria
• 3 large eggs
• 284ml pot soured cream
• 100g bar dark coffee chocolate, melted (we used Lindt Excellence Coffee Intense)
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 284ml pot double cream
• chocolate curls to decorate (optional, see Tip below)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line the base of a 25cm springform tin with baking parchment. Mix the melted butter and biscuit crumbs until well blended, then press firmly onto the base of the tin. Bake for 10 mins.
2. Turn oven temperature up to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9. Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric whisk until smooth and creamy, then whisk in the cocoa, vanilla, Tia Maria, eggs, soured cream and half the melted chocolate. Stir enough milk into the remaining chocolate to make a sauce consistency, then set aside until ready to decorate the cheesecake.
3. Put a little melted butter on some kitchen paper and use it to butter the sides of the cake tin. Pour in the cheese mixture, then smooth the top. Bake for 10 mins, then turn the heat down to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼ for 25-30 mins. The filling should be set, but with a wobble in the centre. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, then leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 2 hrs. Chill until ready to serve.
4. To decorate the cheesecake, carefully remove it from the tin and strip the lining paper from the base. Lightly whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then swirl it on top and drizzle with the reserved chocolate sauce, rippling the sauce through the cream with the end of a spoon. Serve as is or pile with chocolate curls, if you've made them.

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Cherry Swirl Cheesecake

Swirls of cherries ensure this sublime cheesecake has a summer flavour, perfect for a sunset dinner party outside

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level For the keen cook
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  506

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  51g

• Fat

  31g

• Saturates

  19g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  41g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• For the base
• 50g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 140g shortbread biscuits
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• For the filling
• 350g cherries, 200g of them stoned
• 225g caster sugar
• 500g medium-fat soft cheese
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest 1 orange
• 200ml tub crème fraîche
• icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter a loose-based 20cm cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Break up the biscuits, then pulse to fine crumbs in a food processor. Melt the butter with the syrup, then stir into the crumbs until they are evenly damp. Tip into the prepared tin and smooth with the back of a dessertspoon. Bake for 10 mins, then leave to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
2. Tip the stoned cherries into the rinsed-out food processor with 85g of the sugar. Blend until smooth, then tip into a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-6 mins, stirring, until it forms a thick syrup. Cool.
3. Rinse out the food processor again, then tip in the cheese, cornflour, eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla, orange and half the crème fraîche. Blend until smooth. Spoon half the mix into the tin, then spoon half the cherry purée evenly over the top. Spoon the remaining cheesecake mix over this. Stir the mix gently with a fine skewer to swirl the cherry purée through it. Bake for 45 mins, then turn the oven off and leave for 30 mins.
4. Spread the remaining crème fraîche over the filling, then spoon the remaining cherry purée into the centre. Using a fine skewer draw the cherry purée through the crème fraîche to make a star pattern, wiping the skewer each time. Set the reserved cherries around the edge of the cheesecake, then dust with icing sugar. Chill until ready to serve.

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