Prep: 30 mins – 40 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Plus overnight chilling
Skill level: Moderately easy
Servings: Serves 9 – 10
For the decadent supper party – this rich chocolate dessert is made for serious chocoholics only
Ingredients
300g chocolates, use 70%, high-quality, for instance Valrhona or Green & Black’s
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
6 tbsp powered cocoa
6 eggs
450ml double cream
300g box After Eights
Video
Directions
1. Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof bowl. Then assemble a bain-marie – try this by pouring just a little water right into a saucepan and placing the bowl above the water (making certain the water doesn’t touch the bottom from the bowl). Set the pan spanning a gentle heat and warm the stream until the chocolate has melted. Take off the high temperature and leave to cool somewhat.
2. Meanwhile, placed the butter and half the sugar into another large bowl. Using a tabletop mixer or electric hand whisk, beat before the mixture is absolutely light and creamy, then beat inside cocoa powder.
3. Separate the eggs (the whites may be frozen for an additional time) and hang up the yolks within a third bowl. Tip inside remaining sugar, then beat together until pale and creamy. To check if it’s ready, produce a figure-of-eight shape within the mixture with all the beater – it will hold its shape briefly. In a fourth bowl, whip the cream until thickened with soft peaks.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into your butter mixture, and thoroughly stir through until it really is well combined. Gently fold inside egg mixture. When this is amalgamated, stir from the whipped cream. Now line a 6.5 x 22cm tin with 3 layers of cling film, leaving a 10cm overhang.
5. Spoon the mixture to a large piping bag that has a large nozzle attached (see Gordon’s steps, far right). Pipe a layer in the bottom from the tin, then cover this that has a layer of After Eights (cut some by 50 percent to ensure they can fit). Pipe over another layer of chocolate cream, then a layer of After Eights. Continue til you have 4 layers of chocolate mints along with the tin is full, finishing having a chocolate cream layer. Fold on the cling film, then chill overnight or around 2 days.
6. Just before serving, placed the marquise from the freezer for ten mins to make it easier to slice. Place the tin, bottomside up, with a serving plate, slide away from the tin, then peel away the cling film. If you have a blowtorch, quickly run the flame within the surface on the marquise so it can gain a glossy sheen. Alternatively, dip a palette knife in boiling water and smooth the symptoms that way. Use a serrated knife dipped in boiling water to take the marquise into slices.