Let's Get Delectably Decadently Decadent!

I think it's time we had a little indecent fun, don't you? After all, it is the weekend. I'll stop "Reaching Out To The City Lights" long enough to drool over some rich chocolate dessert. I'm having a very lazy weekend. At the moment my appetite is being drastically teased by the aroma of my shoulder of pork with its accompanying vegetabes roasting away in the oven. Drooling, my thoughts turned to chocolate cake and other disgraceful goodies, not that I'm guilty of making the following. I'm just guilty of the thought and posting my thoughts. If I'm going to get into trouble, you may as well come along with me on the ride!

All's fair in the love of chocolate, I believe!

Rich Chocolate Brownies:

6 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 large eggs
3/4 cup plain/all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Grease 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate chips and stir until chips are melted. Set aside. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the flour, cocoa, sugar and baking soda . Stir in the melted chocolate, then the nuts and white chocolate. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping with melted dark chocolate or dark chocolate icing, cutting into squares to serve.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen bars.

Chocolate Caramel Tart:

Serve with cream or ice-cream. Serves 12-16

1 cup (150g) plain flour
½ cup (80g) icing sugar mixture
1/3 cup (40g) almond meal
125g chilled butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup (80ml) golden syrup
100g butter, extra
200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Gold leaf*, to decorate

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the flour, icing sugar mixture, almond meal and chilled butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and process until mixture just comes together. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Use a rolling pin to roll pastry to a 3mm-thick disc. Line a 22cm round (base measurement) fluted tart tin with removable base with the pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Line pastry with baking paper and pastry weights, rice or dried beans. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove paper and weights, rice or beans and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Combine the condensed milk, golden syrup and half the extra butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes or until golden in colour and caramel thickens. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the pastry case. Use a small palette knife to smooth the surface.

Place the chocolate and remaining extra butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water and stir with a metal spoon for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is glossy. Pour over the caramel and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Decorate with gold leaf and cut into wedges to serve. "A hint of gold adds a decadent touch to desserts. Packets of edible gold leaf are available from specialty food stores and delicatessens. Use tweezers to arrange pieces of gold leaf on the chocolate before it sets. Silver leaf can be used as an alternative."

Now, wasn't that fun?

I hope to have Chapter Thirteen of "Reaching Out To The City Lights" written and posted tomorrow or the following day.