Choc tactics
Make it really feel like Easter with these dangerously scoffable sweet treats, says NZ House & Garden food editor Sally Butters.
Easiest ever chocolate cake
This simple cake is perfect for many occasions, so why not a lockdown? We created an Easter feel with praline eggs and chocolate pearls (from sabato.co.nz which is still taking online orders). For a deeper flavour replace half the milk with coffee.
2 cups self-raising flour
11⁄2 cups sugar 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
11⁄2 cups milk, heated to lukewarm
11⁄2 tsp baking soda
150g butter, melted
2 eggs
150g butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar 3⁄4 cup cocoa powder 1⁄4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cake: Heat oven to 160C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin.
Place all the cake ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Pour batter into tin and bake 60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool completely in tin before turning out to ice.
Icing: Beat butter with electric beaters until creamy. Add sifted icing sugar and cocoa plus the milk. Beat until thick and creamy. Add more milk if required to make a creamy, spreadable mixture.
Spread icing over the entire cake and decorate as desired.
Serves 8-10
Dark chocolate bark with pistachios, ginger & coconut
A great treat for a grown-up’s Easter – and it’s super easy. The trick to making this incredible is to use roasted pistachio nuts.
375g dark chocolate (we used Whittaker’s 72 per cent cocoa
solids)
100g crystalised ginger, roughly chopped
75g pistachio nuts, roasted*, roughly chopped 1⁄2 cup coconut chips, lightly toasted
Grease and line a baking tray.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour chocolate onto baking tray and spread evenly to make a rectangular shape, roughly
30 x 20cm.
Sprinkle ginger, pistachios and coconut chips over the chocolate, pressing them in slightly.
Place tray in the fridge until chocolate has set, about 1 hour, then cut or break into desired sizes and shapes.
* Roast nuts in a baking tray at 150C for 10-15 minutes. Cool completely before using.
Chocolate hazelnut praline fudge
This fabulous fudge is flavoured with Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur, as well as roasted hazelnuts. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will – in theory – keep for several months.
50g caster sugar
50g hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skins rubbed off, very coarsely chopped
395g can sweetened condensed milk
500g dark chocolate (50-70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into squares 1⁄3 cup Frangelico liqueur
Praline:
Line a small tray with baking paper. Place sugar in a small non-stick saucepan over a high heat. When it starts to melt around the edges, swirl pan then reduce heat to medium, swirling from time to time.
Once sugar has dissolved completely, add hazelnuts and stir to coat them thoroughly. If necessary, continue to cook until toffee is a rich amber colour.
Pour onto the baking paper and allow to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
Break praline into smaller pieces and process until you have the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Store in an airtight container until it is needed.
Fudge: Line an 18cm x 28cm slice tray with baking paper. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium power for 4-5 minutes or until chocolate has melted, stirring 2-3 times during melting.
Heat condensed milk carefully until warmed through. Add to melted chocolate along with Frangelico and half the hazelnut praline.
Pour fudge into the prepared tray and place in fridge until it is firm. Cut into squares and top each piece with a good sprinkle of praline.