chocolate

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies – The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook – Dr Will Bulsiewicz

The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook

Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Vermillion

Penguin Random House

ISBN: 9781785044175

RRP $45

If you have been following along with my blog you will have realised how important I think gut health is for everyone. This book is another great resource on gut health, I hope you find it helpful.

“Brownies made from black beans . . . sign me up immediately! Mexican hot chocolate is known for its spices. In this recipe, you get cinnamon and cayenne pairing with the cocoa powder for a fiesta in your mouth!“p 294-295

4 Plant Points

Makes 12 brownies

One 400 g can black beans, drained and rinsed

125 g peanut butter

55 g almond or oat flour

25 g cocoa powder

120 ml 100% maple syrup

1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil

1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

120 g chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 175℃. Lightly oil an 20 × 20 cm pan (or line with baking

parchment) and set aside.

2. In the base of a food processor, place the beans and pulse 5 or 6 times until well

chopped.

3. Add the peanut butter, flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, avocado oil, vinegar,

vanilla, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Process until

creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

4. Remove the lid and stir in 80 g chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking dish (the

batter will be thick) and spread it out evenly. Top with the remaining 40 g chocolate chips.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This is an extract from The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook by Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Published by Penguin Random House Australia, RRP $45. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-fibre-fuelled-cookbook-9781785044175

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Roast Nut and Goji Berry Chocolate Bark -The 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle Plan by Jamie Rose Chambers

Just in time for Easter is this fabulously easy chocolate recipe. Your welcome 🙂


The 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle Plan by Jamie Rose Chambers,

Published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $34.99,

Photography by Rob Palmer

 

“When you have visitors, this is a sweet treat that can be rustled together from pantry items. It takes
no time and can be setting in the fridge waiting to be devoured within a few minutes. I keep a big jar
of nuts and goji berries at home for snacks, so if I have chocolate on hand, it’s a super-quick
sweet solution.” p189

 

 

Makes 16 pieces

200 g good-quality dark chocolate (I like Lindt chocolate)

1½–2 cups roasted mixed nuts, coconut flakes and goji berries

1. Line a baking tray or chopping board with baking paper. Break the chocolate up into a microwave-safe
bowl and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted.

2. Add the nuts, coconut flakes and goji berry mix to the melted chocolate ½ cup at a time and stir until the
mix is completely covered in chocolate. You can make it as chunky as you like. You can keep adding
the nut mix until it’s jam packed or you can keep it lighter – I make mine super chunky with nuts so I
keep adding them until there’s only just enough chocolate to cover everything before laying out to set.

3. Spoon the chocolate mixture onto the lined tray or board, then use the back of a knife, spoon or spatula
to spread it out in an even layer. At this point, I like to sprinkle a couple more handfuls of nut and berry mix
over the top of the chocolate bark for decoration.

4. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to set, then break or cut into pieces and dive in! If there is any
left over, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge

 

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Just Desserts: Raspberry and Chocolate Tart – Fruit – Bernadette Worndl,

fruit-9781925418446

Edited extract from Fruit by Bernadette Worndl, published by Smith Street Books, $55. Photography © Gunda Dittrich. Out November 2018

 

RASPBERRY AND CHOCOLATE TART

 Chocolate and raspberries really, really like each other!

 

Raspberry and chocolate tart

Pastry

100 g (3½ oz) cold butter

200 g (7 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg

splash of milk, as needed

 

Chocolate filling

300 g (10½ oz) bitter dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

pinch of salt

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of finely grated orange zest

125 g (4½ oz) thickened (whipping) cream

½ teaspoon orange-flavoured liqueur

 

Topping

1–2 tablespoons raspberry jam (jelly)

250 g (9 oz) raspberries

1–2 teaspoons honey

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (conventional). For the pastry, chop the butter into cubes. Place the butter in a large bowl, along with the flour, icing sugar and salt. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and knead into a smooth dough, adding milk if the dough is too dry. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to 3 mm (⅛ in) thick. Line a large pie dish or 4–6 small flan (tart) tins with the pastry and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

 

Cover the pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or baking beads and blind bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 10–15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake the pastry for a further 10–12 minutes, until the edge begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

 

For the chocolate filling, chop the chocolate and place in a bowl with the salt, cinnamon and orange zest. Heat the cream in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate mixture and allow everything to melt together for 2–3 minutes. Stir until smooth, then stir through the liqueur.

 

Spread the jam over the pie base. Pour over the chocolate cream and leave at room temperature until set. Top with the raspberries and serve drizzled with the honey.

 

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Review: The Catalan Kitchen – Emma Warren

The Catalan Kitchen

The Catalan Kitchen

Emma Warren

Smith Street Books

ISBN: 9781925418842

RRP $ 55

 

Description:

The Catalan Kitchen is a celebration of one hundred authentic and traditional dishes from Spain’s culinary heart.

 

The Catalonia region is situated on the west coast of the Mediterranean and blessed with one of the richest food cultures in Europe. Although Catalonia is still geographically and politically connected to Spain, Catalans consider themselves independent with their own language, history, culture, and cuisine. Its food is considered unique in Spain, and it is home to one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.

 

Catalan cuisine does not centre around tapas, and although pintxos do feature heavily, they are not the mainstay of the region and most dishes are larger, stand-alone meals. Dishes are heavily influenced by pork and fresh seafood, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce that varies from recipes as simple as crushed tomatoes smeared on bread to hearty, slow cooked stews. Famous dishes include calcots–large salad onions cooked on a coal barbecue and then dipped into nutty and addictive Romesco sauce, a unique paella made without saffron and the addition of vermicelli noodles, myriad types of Catalan sausage served with white beans, sauces such as aioli and picada, and multiple pastries and desserts including crème Catalan (a version of crème brulee). Beautifully packaged with stunning location and food photography, The Catalan Kitchen is the ultimate cookbook for lovers of Spanish and Mediterranean food.

 

 

My View:

 I live in the Margaret River region, an area that is often described as having a Mediterranean climate and perhaps this is why when I open a cook book that focusses on fresh, local ingredients from a Mediterranean region – such as Catalonia, I embrace the recipes and the ingredients; this book is no exception. Amongst the pages I find recipes for Quince paste with Manchego cheese (both the cheese and a home made paste are a favourite of mine), Pan Fried Goats Cheese Salad (this makes fabulous shared lunch or a spectacular entrée for a gathering if you are seeking to impress), Rabbit in Chocolate (perfect for Easter in our household), Ratatouille, Sautéed Chickpeas and Silver Beet (we have plenty of silver beet growing in  our garden at the moment and we are always looking to find ways to incorporate it in our meals, fresh is best), there is a recipe for serving wild olives – we have 5 olive trees that supply us with glorious fruit each year, the recipe (p.25) for serving wild olives is flavoursome and simple, the trick is warming the ingredients so the flavours infuse (now that is something I would not have thought of).  And that is just a start…

 

The Catalan Kitchen is a great resource for your home kitchen library.

 

 

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Banana, Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Coconut Muffins: Fodmap Friendly – Georgia McDermott

FODMAP Friendly Cover

FODMAP Friendly by Georgia McDermott, Published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $34.99

“This one is for the FODMAP, gluten-free vegans – you must be going through it, because I certainly was while I was
developing this recipe. If you don’t need the muffins to be vegan, you can use regular chocolate, but otherwise, find
a brand of vegan chocolate with as few weird additives as possible.” p. 146


Banana, peanut butter, chocolate and coconut muff ins

Banana, peanut butter, chocolate and coconut muffins

Makes 7–8 muffins
55 g (½ cup) cocoa powder
60 ml (¼ cup) coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
¼ cup coconut yoghurt
60 ml (¼ cup) maple syrup
110 g (½ cup) light brown sugar
1 banana, mashed
185 ml (¾ cup) almond milk
a pinch of sea salt, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 cup fine rice flour
50 g vegan chocolate, broken into small chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 12–hole 80 ml (1/3 cup) capacity silicone muffin tray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa and coconut oil, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the peanut butter, coconut yoghurt, maple syrup, light brown sugar, mashed banana, almond milk and sea salt, and continue to whisk until combined.
3. Add the baking powder and baking soda, along with the vinegar, and stir through. Finally, add the flour and mix
until a batter forms.
4. Pour the batter into your greased muffin tray and gently press
a few chunks of chocolate into the top of each muffin. Cook for 35 minutes, or until the muffins are firm, but springy.
Immediately transfer to a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms (but take care as the muffins will be delicate fresh out of the oven). Sprinkle over a pinch of salt, if you like, to intensify the chocolate flavour.
5. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2–3 days.

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Chocolate Eggplant Cake with Pear and Walnuts: The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book – Dr Clare Bailey

clever-guts-diet-recipe-book-9781925640779_lg

Extracted from The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book by Dr Clare Bailey with Joy Skipper, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP AU$39.99  Photography © Joe Sarah

 

Chocolate Eggplant Cake with Pear and Walnuts

Serves 8

Chocolate eggplant cake with pear and walnuts

 

1 medium eggplant skin on, diced

150g dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces

60g coconut oil

60g pitted dates, chopped

½ tsp salt

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp baking powder

80g ground almonds (or 100g gluten-free brown flour)

80g walnuts, chopped

1 ½ pears, cubed

 

  • DAIRY-FREE
  • GLUTEN-FREE OPTION

370 Calories

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Steam the eggplant for 15 minutes or until it is soft. Then place it, still hot, in a bowl. Immediately add the chocolate and coconut oil and stir until they have more or less melted. Then mix in the chopped dates.
  3. Blitz with a hand blender to obtain a smooth paste. Add the salt, eggs, baking powder and ground almonds and whizz one more time, then stir the walnuts and pears into the mixture.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake it for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.

 

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Heart-shaped Churros: Soulful Baker – Julie Jones

Soulful Baker

Soulful Baker by Julie Jones (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99)

 

Heart-shaped Churros

“Homemade churros are an absolute treat and they tend to be loved by all – children and adults alike. We try and make a batch during the school holidays when they are enjoyed as a mid-morning snack. They also make for a quirky and fun dessert, dipped into chocolate sauce and served with an extra pot of sprinkles for the kids. It’s best to make the chocolate sauce first so that you can eat the churros as soon as they have been fried.”

serves 6

75g (23⁄4oz/1⁄3 cup/3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter

250ml (9 oz/generous 1 cup) water

150g (51⁄2oz/generous 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) our

pinch of salt

3 eggs

1 litre (333⁄4 oz/4 1⁄4 cups plus 3 tbsp) sun flower or vegetable oil, for frying

coating 

100g (31⁄2oz/1⁄2 cup) caster

(super fine) sugar

1 tsp ground spices, such as cinnamon or allspice (optional)

sprinkles (optional)

 

chocolate sauce

50g (13⁄4oz) dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

50g (13⁄4oz) milk chocolate, broken into small pieces

1 tbsp golden syrup (light corn syrup)

50g (13⁄4oz/31⁄2 tbsp) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

180ml (6 oz/3⁄4 cup) double (heavy) cream

To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set on top of a pan of simmering water. Add the syrup and butter and allow the heat to gently melt everything. Once melted, stir everything together to fully combine, then add the cream in 3 stages, mixing well with each addition. Once all of the cream has been added and the mixture is both smooth and glossy, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

To make the churros paste, add the butter and water to a large pan and bring the water to the boil, melting the butter as it does so. Mix the flour and salt together and add this to the pan, stirring well until the flour and water form a stiff paste. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, beating occasionally to aid the cooling process.

When suitably cooled, beat the eggs together in a jug, then add a little at a time to the flour paste – mixing well between each addition. It may seem like the egg will not combine at first, but it will. Once all of the eggs are fully combined and your paste is thick and glossy, transfer it to a disposable piping (pastry) bag fitted with a star nozzle (tip).

Make the coating by mixing the sugar together with the ground spices (if using) and spread onto a large plate or tray and set aside.

If using a deep fat fryer, set the temperature to 180°C/350°F; if heating the oil in a pan carefully bring the oil to temperature. Check with a digital thermometer or test by dropping a little of the batter in to the oil – if hot enough, the batter should immediately start to sizzle.

The churros paste can be piped directly into the oil by squeezing the bag and snipping of lengths with some scissors. If you would like to make hearts, pipe the shapes out onto individual pieces of non-stick baking paper. Cooking in batches, carefully drop the churros (paper and all) into the hot oil. As soon as the churros start to cook, the paper will slip away and the piped shape will remain. The paper can then be removed with tongs. Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning once. The batter will turn golden and the exterior will be crisp when ready. Remove from the oil, allowing any excess oil to drip away, then immediately toss in the spiced sugar. Leave to cool for a few minutes before enjoying with the chocolate sauce and sprinkles, if using.

Churros

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Chocolate Fondants – Soulful Baker – Julie Jones

Soulful Baker

Soulful Baker by Julie Jones (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99)

 

Chocolate Fondants

“The trick to getting chocolate fondants right is knowing your oven as they can difer so dramatically. I recommend using an oven thermometer for all of your cooking and baking, but especially when making these. It can be quite surprising how diferent the thermometer may read to that of which your dial is set. If you don’t have a thermometer it would be a good idea to test bake one fondant before cooking the whole batch – you 
can then adjust the baking time if needs be. And remember, peering into the oven biting your nails really isn’t necessary, they will work! “

makes 8 fondants

Use 8 small 180ml (6 oz) non-stick pudding moulds

150g (51⁄2oz) dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

200g (7oz) milk chocolate, broken into small pieces

50g (13⁄4oz/31⁄2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

140g (5oz/scant 3⁄4 cup) caster (super fine) sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)

60g (2oz/1⁄2 cup) plain (all- purpose) flour

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas 7 and place a baking sheet inside. Grease the insides of each pudding mould and place a disc of non-stick baking paper in the bottom of each.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl sat upon a pan of simmering water. When melted, remove from the heat and start to make the batter.

Cream together the butter and sugar using a free-standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the eggs in a separate jug, adding the vanilla if using. Slowly add the eggs to the butter and sugar, continuing to mix as you do so, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needs be. Once all of the eggs are in, sieve over the flour and give a very brief mix, just until the our has been combined. Add the melted chocolate, then stir together using a spatula until all of the chocolate has been evenly incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Pour or spoon the batter equally between the moulds, place each on the pre-heated baking tray sheet and cook for 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the fondants in the moulds to rest for 1 minute.

To turn out, place an inverted plate on top of the mould and carefully turn over, lift off the mould and remove the piece of baking paper that will be on top of each fondant. Serve straight away.

 

 

choc fondant