Exclusive: chocolate recipes for Valentine's Day from Chococo

This unusual mousse makes an impressive finish to any Valentine’s night dinner for two.

Using an aged balsamic vinegar with fresh raspberries gives a wonderfully rich fruity tang to complement the intensity of the chocolate. Serves 2

Ingredients:

125g dark chocolate (65-70% cocoa solids) - chopped

15g unsalted butter

2 large eggs – separated

1 dessertspoon of fine quality aged balsamic vinegar

100g fresh raspberries

25g golden caster sugar

Icing sugar to serve

Optional:

Almond thin biscuits to serve

Method: To make the fruit compote, wash the raspberries, reserve several for decoration & mash the rest using a fork with the sugar.

Put the fruit compote into the bottom of 2 glasses.

Melt the chocolate & the butter in a bowl sitting over a pan of barely simmering water – the water in the pan shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.

Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly before adding the beaten egg yolks.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites into firm peaks with an electric whisk.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites very carefully with a metal spoon.

Add the balsamic vinegar once the mousse has blended together.

Carefully spoon the mousse on top of the fruit and chill for at least an hour.

Bring back to room temperature before serving.

To serve: put the reserved fresh raspberries on top of each mousse & dust with icing sugar.

Almond thins or butter biscuits would also be a lovely accompaniment to provide a contrasting crunch.

Chocolate Fondue

This is a deliciously simple yet indulgent pudding to share on Valentine’s Day and can be flavoured according to your mood or kept simple – either way, happiness guaranteed with this luxurious combination of warm melted chocolate and delicious treats to dip into it!

For the fondue:

150g dark chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa solids)

150ml double cream

50ml milk

Optional flavour ideas:

Infusions:

1 vanilla pod

A cinnamon stick

A bunch of fresh mint

or

Flavours to add once the chocolate fondue is made:

1 tsp of vanilla essence (if you don’t have a pod to infuse)

Pinch of dried powdered chilli, cinnamon, mixed spice

1 tbsp of your favourite tipple – grand marnier, brandy, drambuie, whisky & rum all work well with chocolate

Suggested goodies to dip into the fondue:

Fresh fruits: Strawberries, bananas, grapes, pineapple, cherries, figs

Other: marshmallows, sponge fingers, shortbread biscuits, biscotti, brioche chunks

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Warm the cream & milk in a pan to a rolling boil, take off the boil and then pour onto the chocolate, stirring from the centre to blend into a smooth ganache mixture.

If the mixture feels too thick, add a little more milk & stir. If it feels too thin, add a little more chocolate!

Adding optional flavour as an infusion: (a vanilla pod or a bunch of fresh mint leaves or a cinnamon stick)

Add the infusion item to the cream and let it come to the boil. Take off the boil & put to one side for 5-10 minutes depending on how strong you want the flavour.

Bring the cream back to the boil & strain the cream onto the chopped chocolate to remove the flavouring & stir the cream into the chocolate as for the basic recipe.

Once the ganache is made, add a tablespoon of your favourite tipple or a pinch of powdered chilli/cinnamon to your taste.

Note: You can make this fondue sauce ahead of time and gently re-warm it in a bowl sitting over a pan of barely simmering water before serving.

Pour the warm chocolate ganache into a fondue dish if you have one to keep it warm, or a warm bowl if you don’t, & serve on a large plate with your choice of dipping treats.

Use fondue forks if you have them, but kebab sticks or normal forks will work just as well to dunk the goodies into the sauce, and enjoy!