Chocolate truffle pie

As soon as I showed the pony a picture of this chocolate truffle pie on Handle the Heat, he was pretty adamant that it had to be the next thing I baked.

With a chocolate digestive base, chocolate ganache layer, chocolate mousse layer and whipped cream on top, I could kind of see where he was coming from…

It took a while to make, but only because of all the chilling stages, each individual part was really simple and the only thing that actually needs baking is the base.

Aside from about 1/10 of the pie which I ate, the pony polished the rest off in 4 days, and since he finished it hasn’t stopped going on about how much he misses it and wants it again, so I think it’s safe to say it’s every bit as good as it looks!

Chocolate truffle pie (recipe adapted from Handle the Heat)

Serves 10 people or one friendly pony

Biscuit layer

• 250g chocolate digestives
• 50g melted butter
• 1tbsp sugar

Ganache layer

• 170g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2/3 cup double cream (165ml)

Mousse layer

• 170g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups double cream (375ml)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream layer

• 1 cup (250ml) double cream
• 50g icing sugar
• chocolate shavings to decorate

Start by greasing a 9″ high sided tin (I use an oil spray for this). Blitz the biscuits and sugar in a food processor until there are no big lumps left, then gradually add in the melted butter while the mixer is running – you might need a bit more or a bit less, but it should look like wet sand when it’s ready. Press the crumbs down into the base and up the sides of the tin, then bake at 190 degrees for 8 minutes, or until crisp and a little browner.

For the ganache, heat the cream until almost boiling, then pour over the chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted, then pour over the base, spreading to the sides, and chill in the freezer for half an hour while you make the mousse.

Heat 1/2 cup of the cream (125ml) for the mousse in a bowl with the vanilla and chocolate, stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Leave to cool to room temperature (don’t try and speed this up in the fridge as it will quickly set too much). Whip the remaining cup (250ml) cream until vey soft peaks form, then fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. It might look like it’s not combining, but it will.

Spread over the ganache layer, then leave in the fridge overnight to set. To finish the pie, whip the cream and icing sugar until it can just hold it’s shape, then spread on top and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or whatever you fancy. Cut into thin slices – it’s quite rich! – and serve.

 

Frangipane mince pies

I have a confession. Until this time last year, I had never eaten a mince pie.

Sure, I had tried the odd nibble – enough to know they are something disgusting that I definitely would never like – but I’d never eaten a whole one.

That all changed last year, when my colleague Jenny brought mince pies into the office. I felt I ought to try one out of politeness, as she always tries all my bakes, but I was certain I wouldn’t like it.

Jenny’s mince pie was a revelation. It wasn’t your average mince pie, but one with a frangipane topping rather than a pastry lid. And it was delicious.

This year I decided to have a go myself and I wasn’t disappointed – frangipane mince pies are the future! Make these immediately, even if you hate mince pies!

Frangipane mince pies (adapted from A Spoonful of Sugar’s recipe, with my own recipe for the pastry)

Makes 12

For the pastry:

• 170g plain flour
• 30g icing sugar
• 80g butter
• 1 egg yolk (save the white for glazing)
• zest and juice of 1 orange

Put the flour, sugar, butter and orange zest in a food processor, then blitz until it looks like a breadcrumb-like texture. Add in the egg yolk and half the orange juice, blitz again. It should come together in a nice, soft dough, but if it looks a bit dry add the rest of the orange juice and mix again. Chill for half an hour, then roll out to about 3-4mm thick and cut into 12 rounds to line a cupcake tin, and use the leftovers to cut out 12 stars to go on top. Chill again while you make the filling.

For the filling:

• 150g-ish mincemeat
• 1 egg
• 45g caster sugar
• 45g melted butter
• 45g ground almonds

Whisk the egg and sugar together until light and airy. Add in the melted butter while still whisking, then fold in the ground almonds. Spoon about a teaspoon of mincemeat into each of the pastry cases, then top up with the frangipane mixture. Place one the star lids on each and lightly glaze with the leftover egg white. Bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the frangipane has puffed up and browned.

Serve while still warm, dusted with a little icing sugar.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I’ve eaten pecan pie once in my life, ever. It was when I was in my early teens, and I made the recipe for chocolate pecan pie from Joanna Farrow’s Chocolate cookbook.

Since then, it hasn’t been made, as my main cake eaters (first my dad, and then the aforementioned friendly pony) claimed to not like nuts, so it seemed a little greedy to make one that only I would eat.

I think the fact that I couldn’t make it made me build it up in my mind to be the nirvana of baking, the most delicious but unattainable dessert in existance.

Recently however, the friendly pony has started to come around on the nuts thing, and when asked to choose between chocolate pecan pie and nutella tart, surprisingly chose the pie.

However, after all these years of waiting, I have to say I was slightly disappointed. It had a perfectly good chocolate pastry, sticky chocolatey syrupy filling and crunchy pecans, but it was somehow just not quite as good as I remembered.

Still, at least my 10+ year craving for it has been satisfied and I can finally move on, to bigger and better baking!

Chocolate Pecan Pie, from Joanna Farrow’s ‘Chocolate’

Pastry Ingredients:

• 175g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 125g butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• cold water

Method:

• Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl with the butter, and rub together until it makes breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and egg yolks and mixx together, then slowly add water until it comes together as a dough
• Chill in the fridge for half an hour (or 10 mins in the freezer) then roll out large enough to line a 25cm. Trim off any excess pastry, then chill for another half hour. Blind bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees, then for 5 minutes normally (I have a rather novel way of doing this as I don’t have baking beans, forgot to take photos this time but will next time I blind bake).

Filling Ingredients:

• 175g caster sugar
• 150ml maple syrup
• 50g unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• 200g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

Method:

• Put the sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Leave to cool slightly thn stir in the cocoa powder and eggs.
• Scatter the pecans into the pastry base, the pour the filling on top.
• Bake at 160 degrees for about 50 mins, until slightly crispy on top but still gooey inside.
• Serve with whatever you like, I prefer ice cream, the friendly pony likes custard, would also be great with clotted cream or creme fraiche.