Dark chocolate, known to have a lush, velvety texture and a deep flavor, is often enjoyed on its own. However, it also forms a fine canvas to showcase other ingredients. In the following unique dessert recipes, you'll find the versatility of pure dark chocolate paired with very unexpected ingredients.
Orange Blossom and Bournville Panna Cotta
This creamy panna cotta is enhanced with the sweet perfume of orange blossom water, and topped with a lush dark chocolate glaze.
Ingredients:
- 300 ml cream
- 145 gm granulated sugar
- 3 tsp orange blossom water
- 200 gm Bournville dark chocolate
- Dried orange wheel (for garnish)
Method:
- Combine heavy cream, granulated sugar, and orange blossom water in a small saucepan, and cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Then, remove it from heat, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Fill individual cups with this mixture, and let it chill in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
- Next, you'll have to melt dark chocolate in a double boiler.
- Once the panna cottas are set, you can pour warm chocolate over them, and refrigerate for another 2 hours.
- Serve the panna cotta with a piece of dried orange wheel as garnish.
This rich, creamy ice cream stick, inspired by the Indian frozen treat Kulfi, is filled with crunchy pistachios, and pure dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
- 230 gm pistachios
- 200 gm sugar
- 2 tsp cardamom powder
- 500 ml milk
- 145 gm cream
- 260 gm Bournville dark chocolate
Method:
- Roast the pistachios in the oven and let it come down to room temperature.
- Next, combine the roasted pistachios, granulated sugar and cardamom powder in a blender, and make a fine paste.
- Then, combine whole milk, heavy cream and the pistachio mixture in a medium saucepan, and bring it to a simmer on a medium flame, while stirring it occasionally.
- Take it off of the heat after 15 minutes, and let it cool down.
- Then, pour the mix into kulfi moulds and stash it into the deep freezer for 8 hours or overnight.
- Melt dark chocolate chips in a double boiler, and dip the frozen kulfis in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle bits of toasted pistachios on top while the chocolate is still melted, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before serving.
Bournville and Raspberry Galette
This pastry boasts a jammy, sweet and tart raspberry filling topped with dark, rich chocolate.
Ingredients:
- 250 gm pastry dough
- 200 gm fresh raspberries
- 120 gm Bournville dark chocolate
- 180 gm caster sugar
- 2 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
- To make the raspberry coulis, drop your fresh raspberries with water and sugar in a thick-bottomed pan, and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes on low to medium heat. When the raspberries disintegrate entirely into the water and turn into a sludge, take it off the heat and let it cool down.
- Crank your oven to 180°C.
- Alongside, roll the pastry to 3 mm thickness.
- Spread raspberry coulis over the surface of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border.
- Then, crimp the edges of the pastry on top like a half-opened envelope over the filling. Brush the edges with a mix of egg yolk and vanilla essence.
- Transfer it to the oven, and bake for around 40 minutes.
- During this while, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
- Once the dish is out of the oven, you need to drizzle it with melted chocolate.
- Before serving, you can add a side of fresh cream as a garnish.
You can make this dish with any berries of your liking, or those available in your region. You can also make mango coulis with frozen or ripe mangoes.
This rich, dark chocolate tart shell with a gooey salted caramel inside will definitely become the favorite among most people in your gathering.
Ingredients:
- 251 gm pastry dough
- 202 gm Bournville dark chocolate
- 203 gm cream
- 104 gm sugar
- A pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough to 3 mm thickness and gently press the dough into a tart pan.
- After that, you need to let it bake for 15-20 minutes with a stack of tart tins on top as weights.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler and pour the melted chocolate into the baked tart shell.
- To make the salted caramel, combine heavy cream, sugar and sea salt in a medium saucepan, and heat them over medium, stirring occasionally.
- After that, you will pour the caramel mixture into the tart shell, and serve it warm.
You can easily amaze your guests or treat yourself to the desserts. In either case, your taste buds will thank you for the delights.