Bake it better

Renowned Australian food editor and author Donna Hay shares four comforting, chocolatey recipes from her mouthwatering new cookbook

Donna Hay’s indulgent chocolatey treats

Anyone who knows me will tell you baking is my therapy – it’s my form of mindfulness meditation. Plus, it’s the way I nurture the people I love. When I can’t sleep, I often tiptoe into the kitchen and, in the calm quiet of early morning, will begin to measure and mix – maybe a batch of oat cookies for my boys, a cake for my girlfriend’s birthday or some raw caramel slices for my team at the office. Surely it’s good for the soul? After all, is there anything better than curling up with coffee and a freshly baked brownie, warm from the oven? Or the way the comforting smell of muffins fills the house on a cold, rainy day? So I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do. They’re my favourite sweet things to make in my kitchen right now.

Modern Baking: Cakes, Cookies and Everything In Between by Donna Hay (4th Estate, £30) is out now. Buy yours for £25 at books.telegraph.co.uk or call 0844-871 1514

Chocolate mousse slice Makes 20

— 135g rolled oats

— 80g desiccated coconut — 120g ground almonds

— 15 soft fresh dates (300g), pitted

— 80g unsalted butter, melted — 50g raw cacao or cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

For the chocolate mousse topping

— 2 x 400ml cans coconut cream, refrigerated overnight (don’t shake before opening) — 35g raw cacao or cocoa powder, sifted

— 40g icing sugar, sifted Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2½. Line a 20cm x 30cm traybake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place the oats, coconut, ground almonds, dates, butter and cacao in a food processor and process for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture comes together.

Press into the base of the tin, using the back of a spoon, and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm. Set aside in the tin to cool completely.

To make the chocolate mousse topping, scoop the firm coconut cream from the top of the cans into the bowl of an electric mixer, discarding the liquid. Add the cacao and icing sugar and whisk for one minute or until combined and firm.

Spread the mousse topping on to the cooled base and refrigerate for one hour or until set.

Remove from the tin, dust with extra cacao and slice to serve.

This will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

Upside-down chocolate, hazelnut and pear cake Serves 8 — 60g light brown sugar

— 5 Corella or rosy-skinned

pears (550g), halved

— 250g unsalted butter,

chopped

— 250ml unsweetened

almond milk

— 2 eggs

— 160g sour cream

— 225g plain flour

— 25g cocoa powder

— 1½ tsp bicarbonate

of soda

— 330g caster sugar

— 100g ground hazelnuts

— single cream, to serve Preheat oven to 160C/gas mark 2½. Line a 22cm round springform tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving 2cm paper above the rim.

Place two tablespoons of the brown sugar on a small plate. Dip the cut side of each pear in the brown sugar. Place a large nonstick frying pan over high heat.

Add the pears, sugar-side down, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until caramelised and golden. Arrange them, cut-side down, in the base of the tin.

Place 25g of the butter and the remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar in the pan and cook for one minute or until thickened slightly.

Pour the butter mixture over the pears.

Place the almond milk and the remaining 225g of butter in the pan and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted.

Transfer to a large bowl and add the eggs, sour cream, flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar and ground hazelnut. Whisk until combined and pour into the tin.

Place on an oven tray and bake for one hour 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.

Remove from the tin and place on a cake stand or plate. Serve with cream.

Banoffee cheesecake Serves 8-10

— 160g almonds

— 6 soft fresh dates

(120g), pitted

— 1 tbsp raw cacao or

cocoa powder

— 60g white rice flour

— 2 tbsp light-flavoured

extra-virgin olive oil

— 2 tsp vanilla extract

— 2 bananas, peeled and

halved lengthways

— natural Greek-style yogurt,

to serve

For the chocolate cheesecake filling

— 480g fresh firm ricotta

— 280g natural Greek-style

yogurt

— 3 eggs

— 90g coconut sugar (available in the health-food aisle of supermarkets)

— 35g raw cacao or cocoa

powder, plus extra to serve

— 2 tsp cornflour

— 2 tsp water

For the coconut caramel sauce

— 70g coconut sugar — 2 tbsp coconut milk — 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Line a 20cm round springform tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place the almonds, dates, cacao, flour, oil and vanilla in a food processor and process for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture comes together. Using the back of a spoon, press into the base and sides of the tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until dry to the touch.

To make the cheesecake filling, place the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, sugar and cacao in the cleaned food processor. Place the cornflour and water in a small bowl, mix to combine and add to the processor. Process for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.

Pour the filling over the base and bake for 35 minutes or until just set (the centre will still have a slight wobble). Allow to cool in the tin for two hours. Refrigerate until chilled.

While the cheesecake is cooling, make the coconut caramel sauce. Place the sugar, coconut milk and vanilla in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for two minutes. Cool completely.

Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a plate. Top with the banana, coconut caramel sauce, yogurt and cacao.

Chocolate salted caramel cookies Makes 15 large cookies

— 200g unsalted butter,

melted and cooled

— 175g light brown sugar

— 165g granulated sugar

— 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

— 2 tsp vanilla extract

— ¼ tsp baking powder

— ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

— 1 tsp water

— 300g plain flour

— ¼ tsp table salt

— 35g cocoa powder

— 2 tbsp milk — 300g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

— 200g store-bought thick caramel or dulce de leche — sea-salt flakes, for sprinkling Preheat oven to 160C/ gas mark 2½. Line two large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Place the butter and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for 6-8 minutes or until sandy in texture. Add the egg, extra yolk and vanilla, increase the speed to high and beat for two minutes or until pale and creamy.

Place the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and water in a small bowl, and mix to combine. Add the baking powder mixture, flour, table salt, cocoa, milk and chocolate to the butter mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined.

Working in batches, shape 60ml portions of the dough into balls and place on the trays, allowing room to spread. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool on the trays for 10 minutes, before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Repeat with the remaining dough to make a total of 15 large cookies.

Spread cookies with the caramel and sprinkle with sea salt to serve.

You can store these cookies, without the caramel and sea salt, in an airtight container for up to four days.