Chewy chocolate espresso cookies

Pairing two of the world's finest delicacies - it's an espressolate piece of heaven.

• ¼ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ Cup butter
• ½ Cup flour
• ½ Tsp. baking powder
• ½ Tsp. salt
• 4 Eggs
• 1 ½ Cups sugar
• 2 Tsp. vanilla essence
• 1 ½ Tsp. strong espresso
• 1 ½ Cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease 2 large heavy baking sheets. In a double boiler, melt the 3¼ cups chocolate chips and butter together. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a mixer with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and espresso, and then add the chocolate mixture. Mix in the dry ingredients and the remaining 1½ cups chips. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to settle.

Scoop onto parchment-lined sheet pans with a medium ice cream scoop, then freeze. Bake from frozen in an oven preheated to 375ºF for 7 minutes. You can par-bake them for 5 minutes then bake an additional 2 minutes at the time you serve them so they're warm.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

Makes 8 to 10 slices

This is a rich, dense cake, delicious as a dessert or for afternoon tea.

• Butter to grease cake tin
• 130g Unsalted butter
• 130g Caster sugar
• 7 Egg yolks
• 150g Ground almonds
• 150g Dark, bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 4 Tbsp. cooled strong coffee
• 9 Egg whites
• A pinch of salt
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180º C. Butter a 20cm round cake tin and line with greaseproof baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, then add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the almonds and grated chocolate and add to the mixture. Pour in the coffee. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form and fold into the cake mixture. Pour into the prepared cake tin. Stand the tin in a baking dish and pour hot water to come halfway up the side of the cake tin. Bake for 50 minutes or 1 hour or until you can skewer the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin completely before turning out.

To serve, dust generously with cocoa powder. This cake keeps well for a couple of days.

Chocolate Mocha Terrine

Serves 8

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Setting time: 2 hours in refrigerator

• 200g Ayrshire cream
• 2 Tbsp. ground coffee
• 1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 200g Organic milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 100g Organic dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g Organic white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g Almond flakes, lightly toasted
• 200g Vanilla short bread, crushed
• 200g Frozen berries, defrosted
• 10ml Sugar

Line a small bread tin with cling film. Place the cream, coffee and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Strain the cream and add the milk chocolate. Stir slowly until all the chocolate has melted. (Place over low heat if the cream is too cold to melt the chocolate.) Add the dark and white chocolate and stir slightly but don't allow all the pieces to melt completely. Add the almond flakes and shortbread and fold gently into the chocolate mix. Press into the lined bread tin, cover with cling film and place in the fridge. Blend the berries with the sugar to form a berry sauce. Once chilled, un-mould the chocolate mocha dessert and slice. Serve a slice with a drizzle of the berry sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine.

Coffee Chocolate Truffles

Makes ± 30 truffles

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour for cooling

• 100g Cream
• 2 Tbsp. ground coffee
• 250g Organic milk chocolate, melted
• Cocoa powder/melted dark chocolate

Bring the cream and the coffee to a boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Allow to stand. Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl slowly while stirring, while adding the warm cream. Stir gently until all the chocolate is combined and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool and shape into little balls. Roll in cocoa powder or dip in melted chocolate.

Tips Dip the cooled ganache shapes in melted chocolate, dust with cocoa or roll in chopped nuts, chocolate or crystallized ginger. Use warm ganache as an icing for cupcakes. Place a coffee bean on top for decoration.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine.

Espresso Chocolate Sauce

Serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

• The juice of 2 oranges
• The zest of 1 orange
• 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp. espresso
• 75g Organic dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the orange juice to the boil and add the orange zest. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, add the ginger and espresso and allow to cool slightly.
Add the chocolate and whisk lightly until all the chocolate has melted.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Serve with duck or venison.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine.

Flavoured Coffee Spoons

Who wants to lick the spoon? Your family and friends will. And they're so easy and fun to make!

• Plastic spoons
• Melting chocolate (dark or white)
• Flavoured extract or liquor

Melt chocolate, being sure not to scorch or burn it, until it is liquefied. Mix well. Add flavoured extract or liquor. Mix together. Take spoon, and dip up and down in mixture, until spoon and the lower part of the handle are coated in chocolate. You want the entire spoon portion filled completely. Once full, lay spoon on wax paper and allow to dry completely. Once dry, wrap in cling wrap. These spoons are now ready to be served to your guests along with their coffee.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine.

Gordon Ramsay's Coffee and Chocolate Mousse Cups

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

This easy but fabulous recipe is from Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch.
"It's a delicious, no-bake mocha desert that uses mascarpone rather than eggs as a base for the mousse."
Make the espresso strong – the coffee flavour needs to hold up against the chocolate.
Get ahead if you want to make this in advance, keep in the fridge before adding the whipped cream, grated chocolate and crushed amaretti. Then take out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving to bring them up to room temperature.

• 100g Good quality dark chocolate (about 60 to 65 per cent cocoa solids)
• 125g Mascarpone
• 2 Tbsp. icing sugar
• 4 Tbsp. strong espresso coffee, cooled
• 150ml Double cream

• 4 Tbsp. double cream
• A little grated dark chocolate
• A Few crushed ameretti biscuits

You will need: 4 cappuccino cups or ramekins

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely-simmering water. Stir until smooth and then remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool.

Using a hand whisk, beat the mascarpone and icing sugar together until smooth, then whisk in the espresso and melted chocolate.

In another bowl, whip the double cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the mocha mixture until well combined and spoon into cappuccino cups or ramekins. Lightly whip the double cream until thick and swirl it over the mousses.

Sprinkle the grated chocolate and crushed amaretti on top and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine.

Walnut Cake With Coffee Icing

Makes 8 to 10 slices

It is a luxurious version of our favourite - rich, cold and sweet – more like a coffee sundae than a drink and as such, is best served as a special treat.

Ingredients

• 150ml Cooled, strong coffee
• 250g Softened, unsalted butter
• 250g Icing sugar

• 5 Eggs, separated
• 5 Tbsp. caster sugar
• 3 Tbsp. coffee, freshly brewed
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 175g Finely-ground walnuts
• 12 Shelled walnuts, to serve
• 2 Tsp. lemon juice

Beat the cooled coffee with the butter until smooth and then add the icing sugar a Tbsp. at a time. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm slightly.

Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Butter a 20cm round cake tin and line its base with baking paper or butter 6 individual moulds. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick. Add the coffee, lemon zest and juice and ground walnuts. Whisk the whites to soft peaks and fold into cake mixture. Spoon into the cake tin or moulds, and bake on the middle shelf for 20 minutes or until springy to the touch. Remove and cool slightly before turning out. When cool, ice and decorate with walnuts.