Monday, March 2, 2009

Confessions of a Chocoholic

Chocolate sits teasingly on the tip of my tongue this month, literally!
As Easter closes in around us everywhere you turn you are surrounded with beautiful chocolate. Its the bride to be and a dieters most torturous time of the year testing their self restraint to the max.

When I visit supermarket's my eyes wander the aisles with child like eyes from the overflow of chocolate filled eggs. Many of my friends 'claim' to be over the Chocolate Egg even before Easter arrives. Purely due to the abundance of eggs, people are just over the humble Easter Egg! Or are they just plain old fat liars?

I used to be one of those annoying people who could take chocolate or leave it and when offered a sliver of this deliciously rich and creamy treat I would simply answer.

'No thank you, I really don't like chocolate,' I said, dis-interested.

'How could this be?' My friends asked, alarmed and highly disturbed!

Was it the fact I'd learnt too much about healthy eating and been brain washed by nutrition lecturers and do gooder dietitians!

Whatever the reason I believed I was invincible to chocolate and could very easily say no to the highly inviting packet of Tim Tams being passed around the office mid afternoon. I was truly a saint!
Now I am glad to say I have been cured! I too like my mother, sisters and the many hordes of chocolate craving woman know how to 'nurture' that craving.
Here is a chocolaty cake recipe to nurture that womanly craving!
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Makes 1 cake
the ingredients
180g Dark chocolate, roughly chopped
175g butter, softened
1/2 cup (125g) caster sugar
200g hazelnut meal
4 eggs, separated
50g prunes, macerated in brandy (for at least 20 minutes)

lets have some fun
Pre-heat oven to 150 C.
Melt chocolate in a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
Add hazelnut meal and egg yolks to the butter mixture. Add chocolate and prunes to the mixture, mix thoroughly.
Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold half the egg whites into the mixture, repeat with remaining egg whites.
Place in large cake pan or 9L non-stick stock pot.
Bake for 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, invert onto cooling rack. Ice with chocolate butter cream if you desire.
Serve with a dollop of fresh cream and some fresh berries.
Enjoy!

love amie x

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