SILKY CHOCOLATE RECIPES

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice., Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack., In a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; stir in the chocolate, Cognac and vanilla until chocolate is melted. , Transfer to a clean bowl; press waxed paper onto surface of filling. Cool filling to room temperature. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 4 hours., For topping, in a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add Cognac and confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Spread over pie. Dust lightly with cocoa.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/gas ¾. Snap the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl with 225g of the butter and a pinch of sea salt over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy, stirring occasionally. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a freestanding mixer on a high speed until light, fluffy and tripled in size. Grease a 25cm round cake tin all over with the remaining butter and line the base with greaseproof paper. Remove the chocolate from the heat, leave to stand for a couple of minutes, then pour it into the egg mixture. Whisk on a medium speed to combine, then pour into the lined tin. Give a few taps on the work surface to bring the air bubbles to the surface, then place the tin into a shallow roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiling kettle water into the tray to come halfway up the side of the cake tin. Gently slide the shelf back in and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set but with a slight wobble. Squeeze the clementine juice through a sieve into a small pan and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Carefully pour it into a bowl and leave to cool. Remove the torte from the oven and leave to cool in the water-filled tin for 1 hour. Gently loosen the edges with a butter knife, then carefully turn it out onto a serving board and peel off the paper. Slice and serve with a drizzle of clementine syrup.