Happy Chocolate Day 2017: Build on love with these 5 chocolatey desserts

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

By Chef Karan Kapoor – Raftaar Lounge and bar, New Delhi

Ingredients
2 tbsp – Whole wheat Flour
2 tbsp – All-purpose Flour
3 tbsp – Sugar
2 tbsp – Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
4 tbsp – Milk
2 tbsp – Melted butter or coconut oil
1 tbsp – Peanut Butter (creamy)
1/4 tsp – Baking powder
1/4 tsp – Vanilla extract
2 tsp – White chocolate chips
2 tsp – Chocolate sauce (optional)

Method
* In a small mixing bowl, take whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and mix the ingredients well.
* Add milk, vanilla extract, coconut oil (or melted butter) and whisk with a fork till smooth.
* Pour into a microwave safe mug.
* Make a well in the centre and press white chocolate chips and top it with peanut butter. Gently press down and level the top of the batter till the peanut butter is covered with the cake batter.
* Microwave at high for 1 minute. Rest for another 1/2 a min in the microwave itself. Do not take it out immediately else, the cake will sink in the middle.
* Serve warm with some chocolate sauce drizzled on top.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

By Chef Ashish Rai, Head – Culinary, Barbeque Nation, Bengaluru

Ingredients

For crust
1 and 1/2 cup – All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup – Confectionery sugar
1 cup – Butter
5 or 6g – Baking powder

For filling
500g – Dark chocolate compound
100g – Butter
1 – Egg
1/2 cup – Heavy cream
1/4 cup – Sugar
1 or 3 drops – Chocolate essence
1 tbsp – Cocoa powder (for garnishing)
1 tbsp – Icing sugar (optional for garnishing)
1 pinch – Salt

Method

For crust
* In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour and butter and process until the mixture forms a ball.
* With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides.
* Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For filling
* Melt chocolate and butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low flame, stirring until smooth, then remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
* Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, salt in a bowl. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined well.
* Pour filling into cooled crust and rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles.
* Bake until filling (1 inch) from the edge is set and slightly puffed but centre trembles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as it cools.)
* Demould it. Cool the tarts completely and sprinkle cocoa powder over it.
* Take a heart shape cutter and sprinkle icing sugar in the centre of the tart.

Strawberry Chocolate Brownies

By Chef Jitendra Upadhyay, Pastry Chef, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel

Ingredients
250g – Dark chocolate compound
250g – Butter (unsalted)
360g – Caster sugar
5 – Egg
5ml – Vanilla extracts
100g – Strawberry chocolate (chopped)
50g – Nuts (chopped)
65g – All-purpose Flour
1 tsp – Baking powder

For garnishing and plating
Fresh strawberries (sliced)
Vanilla ice-cream
Chocolate garnish

Method
* Preheat the oven
* Line a 24cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
* Melt the dark chocolate, butter into a large bowl and keep on a pan of simmering water.
* Sift the flour, baking powder, nuts and strawberry chocolate chunk into a separate bowl.
* Beat the eggs and sugar into a silky smooth consistency.
* Add chocolate mixer and all dry ingredients in egg batter and stir together well.
* Pour the brownie mix into the greased baking tin.
* Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes.
* Allow it to cool then cut into chunky squares.
* Serve with Vanilla ice-cream and fresh strawberry.

Chocolate Truffle Ganache Gateau

By Ashvini Kumar, Executive Chef, Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai

Ingredients
60g – Caster sugar
40g – Soft butter
80g – Icing sugar
80g – Self-rising flour
100g – Chocolate ganache
250g – Buttercream filling
25g – Strawberry j am
25ml – Strawberry crush
5g – Baking powder
1 tbsp – Instant coffee
3 – Eggs
2 tbsp – Refined oil
75g – Pistachio (50 g for cake & 25 g for garnish)
100 g – Fresh strawberry (cut into 1/4tr for toppings)

Method
* Dissolve the instant coffee in two tablespoons of water.
* Put the pistachios into a food processor and grind them to a fine powder.
* Add all the other ingredients and whiz until you have a lovely creamy mixture.
* Grease and flour a 7-inch sandwich tin and pour in the mixture, smoothing the top down.
* Preheat the oven to 180°C, and bake for about 25 minutes, until the cake is brown and has shrunk away from the sides of the tin.
* To make the buttercream filling, all you do is beat together the butter, icing sugar and coffee until you have a smooth cream.
* When the cake is ready, turn it out onto a rack, and when it has cooled, split it into two and sandwich it together with the buttercream filling.
* Alternatively, fill it with strawberry jam, strawberry crush and spread the buttercream over the cake.
* Finally topped it with chocolate ganache and decorate with the whole cake p istachio powder.
* Garnish with chocolates and fresh strawberries

Hazelnut brownies

By Ankit Mangla, Executive Chef — Plaza Premium Lounge

Ingredients:
250g – Unsalted butter
200g – Dark chocolate
65g – Rice flour, sifted
50g – Cocoa powder (35g for brownies, extra for dusting)
100g – Hazelnut meal
300g – Brown sugar
45g – Hazelnut (roughly chopped)
4 – Egg (roughly beaten)
1 tsp – Baking powder

Method:
* Preheat oven to 180°C.
* Place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Allow it to cool slightly.
* Add rice flour, baking powder, cocoa, hazelnut meal, sugar, hazelnuts, eggs and chocolate mixture in a large bowl and mix to combine.
* Spoon into a lightly greased cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. * Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the centre is just set.
* Allow to cool completely in the tin and refrigerate for more than 1 hour before cutting into squares.
* Dust with cocoa to serve.