Chockablock Chocolate Cakes With Warm Macadamia Nut Goo Recipes

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and 3 cups flour with baking powder and salt added. Mix remaining 1 cup of flour with chopped nuts and chopped candied fruits. Mix into batter and add vanilla. Grease, flour, and line a large tube pan. Pour mixture into pan. Bake at 250 for 3 hours. Let cool for an hour. Remove from pan and place in a covered container with a glass of sherry, so the cake and wine "get to know each other". Let sit for 4 days until the sherry flavor permeates the cake. Slice thin.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour 4 (4-ounce) ramekins. Combine chocolate and butter in a double boiler and melt. Stir in cocoa powder. In a bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar. Beat whites until stiff and glossy, but not dry. Whisk 1/4 of egg white mixture into chocolate, to temper. Fold in remaining whites. Fill ramekins 2/3 full and bake until top is slightly firm but still soft in the very center, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Combine raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat until fruit is softened. Remove from heat and puree in food processor until smooth. Strain through a sieve and stir in liqueur or orange juice. Chill.
• Yield: 4 servings

Steps:

• Who can resist peanut butter? I like to add a little pizzazz to my recipes, especially meat dishes, by adding a dab or two of some good ole peanut butter. For some mouth appeal, I have added to this recipe some chopped pecans. This sauce goes great with chicken and beef dishes!
• Slightly warm peanut butter in microwave for easy incorporation. Be careful not to burn or scald.
• In medium mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients. Mix well.
• Slowly incorporate peanut butter and mix until well blended.
• Sauce will be slightly thicker than traditional BBQ sauce. Refrigerate leftover sauce in tightly sealed container.

Steps:

• Spray a 1 1/2-quart bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bowl with plastic wrap. Cut the pound cake crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half, forming 2 triangles. Line the bottom and sides of the prepared bowl with the cake triangles. Brush some of the brandy over the cake triangles lining the bowl. Reserve the extra triangles.
• Stir the chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of cream in another large bowl until it is thick and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Fold half of the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spread the chocolate cream over the cake, covering completely and creating a well in the center. Cover and refrigerate if not assembling cake right away.
• In another clean large bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of cream and almond extract. Using an electric mixer with clean beaters, beat on medium speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until firm peaks form. Fold in the nuts. Spoon the cream mixture into the center of the well of the filling.
• Brush the remaining cake slices with brandy and arrange them, brandy side down, over the cake, covering the filling completely and trimming to fit, if necessary. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Invert the cake onto a platter. Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and line 4 tartlet cases (about 10 x 3cm). Trim the excess off by rolling a rolling pin over the top of the cases to make a neat edge. Firm up in the freezer for 30 mins. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then cook on a baking sheet for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then cook for 3-5 mins more until the pastry is pale golden and biscuity.
• While the pastry is cooking, melt the chocolate, cream and alcohol, if using, in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolk and sugar until light and frothy. Briefly whisk the melted chocolate into the eggs and fold through most of the chopped macadamia nuts.
• Divide the chocolate mixture between the cases and scatter with the remaining nuts. Uncooked tarts can now be frozen. Bake for 12 mins or 20 mins from frozen. The tops of the tarts will soufflé up and they should still be soft in the middle. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.