CHOCOLATE PENGUIN RECIPES

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Place the butter and water in a small saucepan over a high heat and cook until the water is boiling and the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and immediately shoot in the flour, all at once. Quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and makes a smooth, thick dough. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until the egg is incorporated and the dough is thick and smooth.

Spoon 12 domes of pastry on to the baking sheet. Brush with the extra beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas 5 and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove the buns from the oven and turn the oven off. Slice each bun in half and put the buns cut side up back on to the baking sheet. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes to dry out.

Meanwhile, to make the chocolate sauce, pour the cream into a pan and heat until hot. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside in a cool place to thicken up.

Once the buns have dried out and are crisp, dip one half into the chocolate sauce and place on a wire rack to set. Repeat with 11 bun tops.

Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Place a generous dollop of whipped cream on to the remaining bun halves, then sandwich a chocolate half on top. Repeat to make 12 profiteroles.

Mary’s Tips:

Can be made and assembled up to 4 hours ahead. Unfilled buns can be made up to a day ahead.

Not for freezing.

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus chilling (minimum 2 hours, ideally overnight) • Cook time: 5 minutes

To make the base, melt the chocolate and butter in a wide-based pan over a medium heat (see note). Remove the pan from the heat, add the crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Press into the base of the tart tin and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling, place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and add the coffee and double cream. Set the bowl over a pan of just simmering water and heat until runny, stirring gently until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down a little, then mix in the crème fraîche by hand.

Carefully pour the mixture into the tin on top of the biscuit base and chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight, until set.

Remove the tart from the tin and place it on a cake stand or plate.

Serve straight from the fridge.

To decorate, spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag (if using) and pipe or dollop five large blobs of the cream into the middle of the tart. Sprinkle over the chocolate shavings or grated chocolate and serve in thin slices.

Cook’s Notes:

• You’ll need full-fat crème fraîche for this recipe to help the filling set.

• Be sure not to overheat the chocolate and butter mixture – heat it until it is just warm enough to melt.

Prepare Ahead: Can be made up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Decorate 2 hours before serving.

1. Place the double cream, sugar and a tiny pinch of sea salt in a pan and bring to the boil.
2. Break up the chocolate.
3. As soon as the mixture has boiled, remove from the heat and add the butter and chocolate. Stir until it has completely melted. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, stirring in the cold milk until smooth and shiny.
4. Sometimes this mixture looks like it has split. Allow to cool down a bit more and whisk in a little extra cold milk until smooth.
5. Scrape all the mixture into the cooked and cooled pastry shell with a spatula.
6. Shake the tart to even it out and allow to cool for around 1 to 2 hours until it is at room temperature. Dust with the cocoa powder.
7. Ultimately the pastry should be short and crisp and the filling should be smooth and should cut like butter.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4.

Cut a rectangle of non-stick baking parchment to fit the base and sides of a 30cm x 23cm x 4cm traybake or roasting tin. Grease the tin and then line it with the paper, pushing it neatly into the corners.

Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a hand-held electric mixer until evenly blended.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula to remove all of it. Spread the mixture gently to the corners of the tin and level the surface with the back of the spatula.

Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the brownies have a crusty top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes if the mixture is browning too much.

Allow the brownies to cool in the tin and then cut into 24 squares. Store in an airtight tin.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Place the butter and water in a small saucepan over a high heat and cook until the water is boiling and the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and immediately shoot in the flour, all at once. Quickly beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and makes a smooth, thick dough. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until the egg is incorporated and the dough is thick and smooth.

Spoon 12 domes of pastry on to the baking sheet. Brush with the extra beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas 5 and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove the buns from the oven and turn the oven off. Slice each bun in half and put the buns cut side up back on to the baking sheet. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes to dry out.

Meanwhile, to make the chocolate sauce, pour the cream into a pan and heat until hot. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside in a cool place to thicken up.

Once the buns have dried out and are crisp, dip one half into the chocolate sauce and place on a wire rack to set. Repeat with 11 bun tops.

Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Place a generous dollop of whipped cream on to the remaining bun halves, then sandwich a chocolate half on top. Repeat to make 12 profiteroles.

Mary’s Tips:

Can be made and assembled up to 4 hours ahead. Unfilled buns can be made up to a day ahead.

Not for freezing.