I made this chocolate ganache as my family Christmas dessert last year. I was in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, my hometown for 2 weeks. Spent great deal of time having fun and catching up with family members there. I was very thankful to my dad and my brother for sending my daughter and I back to Singapore. I was also in particular happy to see my dad enjoying himself with the company of my daughter, his grand-daughter.. My dad is a man with few words and sometimes all of my siblings including me have difficulties in understanding his thoughts and feelings. But we know he is a kind and responsible man and infact too responsible until sometimes cause headaches in the family :) Whatever it is we love him and we know he loves us too!
I was cooking 2 of my favourite dishes; the Indian curry chicken and a simple roasted chicken with lots of garlics, rosemary and butter for a simple family gathering. Decided to cook these dishes as I didn't have much time to prepare as I reached Singapore only 2 days before Christmas. So thought of doing something that I am familiar with. As for the dessert, I must admit that I am ambitious and daring to try on the new recipe for an important family gathering! Praise the Lord! Everything turned out find.
I got the 2 Christmas figurines when I was attending a baking workshop so they have become the centre pieces. Frankly the cake did not look appealing in the picture but it really tasted wonderful!. Take a small bite of the cake and let it sit in your tongue for a moment. Let your natural enzymes did the rest of the work... dissolving the cake bit by bit and you will enjoy the strong and smooth chocolaty punch flowing slowly from your mouth to your throat before ending in your stomach!! The berries cut the sweetness of the cake and create great balance of this dessert!
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Ingredients
1/3 cup / 35g cocoa powder
1/3 cup/ 80ml hot water
150g dark eating chocolate
150g butter, chopped
1 1/3 cups (300g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup / 125 g almond meal
4 eggs, separated
240g fresh blueberries
chocolate ganache
200g dark eating chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (160ml thickened cream)
1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C. Grease deep 22cm round cake bine, line the base and side.
2. Blend cocoa powder with hot water in small bowl until smooth.
3. Combine chocolate and butter in medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa mixture, sugar, almond meal and egg yolks
4. Beat egg whites in clean small bowl until soft peaks form, fold into chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
5. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stand cake in pan for 15 min before turning onto wire raxk to cool.
6. Arrange berries on cake, pour ganache over cake to partically cover berries. Stand at room temperature until set.
Method to make the ganache:
1. Combine chocolate with cream and stir over lower heat until smooth.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Grease and baseline an 8inch cake pan.
Notes :
1. This cake can make up to 3 days in advance. Store it in air tight container
2. The actual recipe called for raspberries. I am sure the cake looks much better with raspberries on top than blueberries as the latter did not bring out the colour of the cake.
3. Top with berries and chocolate ganache when you are ready to serve.
4. I find this recipe easy to make and fast but you need to plan ahead as the baking time is quite long.
5. It is suitable for special occasion due to the exotic chocolaty taste and also its gorgeous look, only if you able to find the right ingredient to decorate though!
I got the 2 Christmas figurines when I was attending a baking workshop so they have become the centre pieces. Frankly the cake did not look appealing in the picture but it really tasted wonderful!. Take a small bite of the cake and let it sit in your tongue for a moment. Let your natural enzymes did the rest of the work... dissolving the cake bit by bit and you will enjoy the strong and smooth chocolaty punch flowing slowly from your mouth to your throat before ending in your stomach!! The berries cut the sweetness of the cake and create great balance of this dessert!
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Ingredients
1/3 cup / 35g cocoa powder
1/3 cup/ 80ml hot water
150g dark eating chocolate
150g butter, chopped
1 1/3 cups (300g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup / 125 g almond meal
4 eggs, separated
240g fresh blueberries
chocolate ganache
200g dark eating chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (160ml thickened cream)
1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C. Grease deep 22cm round cake bine, line the base and side.
2. Blend cocoa powder with hot water in small bowl until smooth.
3. Combine chocolate and butter in medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa mixture, sugar, almond meal and egg yolks
4. Beat egg whites in clean small bowl until soft peaks form, fold into chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
5. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stand cake in pan for 15 min before turning onto wire raxk to cool.
6. Arrange berries on cake, pour ganache over cake to partically cover berries. Stand at room temperature until set.
Method to make the ganache:
1. Combine chocolate with cream and stir over lower heat until smooth.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F. Grease and baseline an 8inch cake pan.
Notes :
1. This cake can make up to 3 days in advance. Store it in air tight container
2. The actual recipe called for raspberries. I am sure the cake looks much better with raspberries on top than blueberries as the latter did not bring out the colour of the cake.
3. Top with berries and chocolate ganache when you are ready to serve.
4. I find this recipe easy to make and fast but you need to plan ahead as the baking time is quite long.
5. It is suitable for special occasion due to the exotic chocolaty taste and also its gorgeous look, only if you able to find the right ingredient to decorate though!
This recipe was extracted from The Australian Women's Weekly.
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