Mixologists are hot for chocolate

50ml Van Ryn’s 10-yearold Vintage Brandy 35ml pumpkin purée* 2 heaped tsp NoMU Skinny Hot Chocolate Top with boiling water (leave space for cream) NoMU Vanilla whipped cream NoMU Cinnamon Rub

Build all ingredients in serving vessel. Pour brandy and pumpkin purée into a mug or glass.

Add NoMU chocolate and stir to a paste. Add boiling water and stir briskly.

Serve with a dessert spoon in a parfait glass.

Top with vanilla whipped cream and garnish with pumpkin purée and NoMU Cinnamon Rub. Pumpkin purée:

Use any dessert pumpkin (butternut works well).

Cut pumpkin in 4, remove seeds and place on a baking tray.

Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, cloves and dried ginger) and bake on 200°C for an hour or until pumpkin is soft to the touch. While baking, make a spiced syrup: 300ml water with 200g sugar and 2 heaped teaspoons pumpkin pie spice on the stove, bring to a boil while stirring and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chunks of baked pumpkin (skin removed) to a blender or food processor and add the spiced syrup.

Blend until smooth and strain through a fine strainer. Add a little water if the purée is too thick.

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days. This recipe by Hein van Tonder and shared by Checkers is low on effort and high on decadent sophistication. 200g dark chocolate 40g butter pinch of salt 4 eggs 1 egg white 15g caster sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 60g icing sugar

Set a metal bowl over a saucepan filled to a third with boiling water.

Place the chocolate and butter in the metal bowl and stir until the chocolate is smooth and glossy.

Remove from the heat and let the chocolate mixture cool slightly. Preheat oven to 230°C. Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a bowl with the sugar and whisk until the mixture is pale and thick.

Place the 5 egg whites in a clean bowl and beat them until stiff.

Add the icing sugar while continuing to beat until firm and glossy.

Mix the egg yolk mixture with the chocolate.

Add one spoonful of the egg white mixture to the chocolate and mix. Fold in the rest of the egg white mixture.

Divide the mixture between four ramekins or ovenproof dishes placed on a on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

For more recipes check out www.checkers.co.za. 25ml spiced wine syrup* 50ml Van Ryn’s 12-year-old Distiller’s Reserve

Brandy 50ml filter coffee 50ml fresh milk 50ml coconut milk 1tsp of NoMU Chocolate Bits 1tsp of NoMU Skinny Chocolate

Add all ingredients to a saucepan on the stove top and heat while stirring constantly. Do not bring to the boil. Whisk or aerate the mixture before serving. Pour into a heatproof wine glass and garnish with a toasted coconut cluster marshmallow. For the spiced wine syrup:

Add 1 cup red wine (Pinotage) and half a cup sugar to a saucepan.

Add 1tbs NoMU Decadent Chocolate Pieces and 2tbs cracked green cardamom pods.

Stir while heating until all the sugar dissolves.

Add the skin of one orange, bring to a light simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes.

Bottle and store in the fridge for up to a week (makes 200ml). Checkers has shared this spicy, zesty hot chocolate, instant indulgence with us. Best of all, it’s made with vitamin-rich citrus fruit. Serves 2 2 cups (500ml) full cream milk 1 stick cinnamon Peel of half an orange 50g milk chocolate, broken into pieces 50g 70% dark chocolate; broken into pieces 2tbs (30ml) pouring cream; to serve

(optional) Orange zest to garnish 2tbs (30ml) grated dark chocolate; to garnish

Place milk in a saucepan, and add the cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

Whisk in the milk and chocolate until melted and then strain mixture, removing cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with a swirl of cream, a little orange zest and grated chocolate. For more recipes check out www.checkers.co.za