Serves: 10–12
Preparation: 1½ hours
Cooking: 8 minutes
Refrigeration: 1 hour
Described as “the chocolate book to end all chocolate books”, Le Cordon Bleu’s Chocolate Bible is a must-have for chocoholics everywhere. Over 100 years of experience and expertise from the famous French cookery school has gone into the recipes… here’s one for you to try at home…
Ingredients
For the chocolate sponge
- 3 egg yolks
- 75g caster sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 70g flour, sifted
- 15g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
For the chocolate cream
- 40g dark chocolate
- 1 leaf gelatine
- 150ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 50g caster sugar
- 20g cornflour
- 200ml whipping cream
For the chocolate syrup
- 100ml water
- 100g caster sugar
- 10g unsweetened cocoa powder
For the fruit
- 200g strawberries, diced
- 1 pear, diced
- 100g raspberries
- 100g blackberries
- 1 kiwi, diced
For the decoration
- Kiwis, pears, raspberries,
- Strawberries, blackberries
- Icing sugar
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 30 x 38 cm oven tray with baking parchment.
For the chocolate sponge
1Combine the egg yolks and 25g of the sugar; beat until pale yellow and creamy.
2In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form; gently incorporate the egg yolk-sugar mixture. Fold in the sifted flour and cocoa powder.
3Pour the sponge batter into the prepared tin and smooth with a palette knife. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until firm but springy to the touch. Cool on a rack.
For the chocolate cream
1Chop the chocolate and set aside in a large bowl.
2Soften the leaf gelatine in a bowl of cold water.
3Bring the milk to the boil and remove from the heat.
4Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and creamy; add the cornflour. Slowly whisk in half the hot milk then add the remaining milk; return the mixture to the saucepan and stir continuously over low heat until thickened. Continue stirring and boil for 1 minute; remove from the heat.
5Squeeze the excess water from the leaf gelatine and add it to the hot milk mixture. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth; cool.
6Cover the surface with cling film, stir from time to time and set aside to cool.
7Beat the whipping cream until firm and gently fold into the cooled chocolate cream.
For the chocolate syrup
1Place the water, sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved then bring to the boil; cool.
Finishing
1Fold the fruit carefully into the chocolate cream.
2Line a 35 cm log mould with a piece of baking parchment larger than the mould.
3Cut the chocolate sponge into 2 rectangles, 13 x 35 cm and 5 x 35 cm. Place the larger rectangle in the mould (it will come up the sides) and brush with chocolate syrup. Fill with the chocolate-fruit cream, mounding the cream towards the top. Brush the smaller rectangle with chocolate syrup and place on the top log.
4Refrigerate for 1 hour then carefully invert the log and tip it out onto a platter. Decorate with fruit and dust with icing sugar.
Want more mouth-watering recipes? Order this wonderful book by clicking the link below!
Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible is available in hardback from Amazon at £22.75
Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible
165 Recipes From the Famous French Culinary School
Published by Grub Street
