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| Snickers Mousse, decorated with chocolate and peanuts |
As far as this particular book of the whole set goes I hadn't once again cooked anything from it (I have from the other three books though). It was tricky to choose something so I did opt for two recipes. Partly because I had some soft cream cheese left over from making my last recipe of chocolate cheesecakes ('waste not want not' and all that) so had a go at the Snickers Mousse and partly because I wanted to go for something a bit more grown-up with the Boozy Chocolate and Prune Terrine. I did toy with lots of other recipes, for example the decadent Tiramisu Cheesecake (page 30) or the rich looking Baked Chocolate and Raspberry pudding (page 60). The Boozy Chocolate Terrine (page 33) was also ideal as it could be made then frozen for up to six weeks, a relief as we have indulged in a lot of chocolate recently!
With the Snickers Mousse (page 41)we have another recipe that only uses four ingredients and is a doddle to assemble. I only made three individual mousses as I only had half the quantity of cream cheese (Philadelphia), but what I did do, and I'm glad I did it, was instead using half a Snickers bar I used a whole Snickers bar thus I urge you to use two Snickers bars when making six individual mousses as opposed to the one stated in the recipe as I think it wont be sweet enough and the Snickers flavours won't come through! That's the only modification I made and they did go down very well in our household!
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| Just four ingredients! |
Snickers Mousse (copyright WI Enterprises Ltd 2003.)
Serves 6
1 bar of Snickers (Remember though I recommend two!)
300ml double cream
1 tbsp cocoa powder
200g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
Peanuts, chocolate, sifted cocoa powder to decorate
- Chop up the Snickers and place in a bowl with half the cream and the cocoa. Melt over a pan of simmering water, stirring from time to time and until the ingredients are blended together.
- Allow the mixture to cool. Whip the remaining cream until it reaches the soft peak stage. Beat the Philadelphia into the chocolate mixture and then fold in the whipped cream until it is thoroughly incorporated.
- Spoon the mousse into little dishes or ramekins and then decorate with grated chocolate, peanuts and/or cocoa powder.
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| Melted Snickers with the cream and cocoa |
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| Soft peak stage |
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| Incorporating all the ingredients |
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| Ready to chill and firm-up in the fridge for a couple of hours |
Boozy Chocolate and Prune Terrine(copyright WI Enterprises Ltd 2003)
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| I would pour on the cream first if using and then dust with cocoa to avoid chocolate -coloured cream! |
Serves 6
10 prunes, halved
40ml brandy
225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
40g butter, cut into small pieces
300ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
Single cream to serve if you like
- Place the prunes in a bowl, pour over the brandy and cover. Leave to soak for at least 2 hours - the longer the better.
- Put the chocolate and 30ml (2 tbsp) water in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the butter a little at a time, beating well - the chocolate will loosen and become glossy. Allow to cool for a minute and fold in the whipped cream carefully until all incorporated. Stir in the prunes and the brandy.
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| Prunes soaking in brandy |
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| Very glossy chocolate |
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| Gently folding in the cream |
3. Lightly oil a 450g (1 Ib) loaf tin (I used flavourless groundnut oil) and line with cling film. Spoon the chocolate mix into the tin and level the surface. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4. To serve, turn out the terrine on to a board or plate and cut into slices. Pour some single cream around each slice and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
Our verdict: this is a rich but rather delicious dessert, great to serve at a dinner party. With the prunes and brandy, it also reminded me of something you would serve at Christmas as well as any other special occasion.
Some tips: When turning out the terrine you do need to run a knife carefully around the edges in the tin to loosen it and help it come out. I did find it quite tricky slicing the terrine neatly and this was mainly due to the fact that the prunes were probably a little too large. Next time I would definitely cut them into smaller slices rather than just halving them. Also, as mentioned in the book this is one pudding that is best assembled in the kitchen and then presented to your guests.
Next time: Continuing April Chocolate Month but with possibly a rest from sweet chocolate treats and moving on to something savoury with chocolate? Watch this space!
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| 1 Ib tin greased and lined with cling film |
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| Ready to chill in the fridge |
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| Slicing up the terrine. I froze the remaining terrine for those unexpected guests that might drop by one day ;) |
Our verdict: this is a rich but rather delicious dessert, great to serve at a dinner party. With the prunes and brandy, it also reminded me of something you would serve at Christmas as well as any other special occasion.
Some tips: When turning out the terrine you do need to run a knife carefully around the edges in the tin to loosen it and help it come out. I did find it quite tricky slicing the terrine neatly and this was mainly due to the fact that the prunes were probably a little too large. Next time I would definitely cut them into smaller slices rather than just halving them. Also, as mentioned in the book this is one pudding that is best assembled in the kitchen and then presented to your guests.
Next time: Continuing April Chocolate Month but with possibly a rest from sweet chocolate treats and moving on to something savoury with chocolate? Watch this space!
