Gooey Chocolate Stack Recipes

GOOEY CHOCOLATE STACK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Line the baking sheets with parchment and draw and 8-inch circle in each one with a bow or cake pan and use that to outline it.
• Whisk egg whites until stiff, then add sugar a spoonful at a time, beating in well after each addition. It takes patience. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar and fold in gently but firmly.
• Divide the meringue disks among the 3 circles, spreading evenly. Don't worry about beating the air out of them.
• Cook for 1 hour, then turn off the oven, leaving the meringues until cool. If you keep them in an airtight container in-between parchment paper they will keep for a week.
• Now for the creme patissiere: Beat the egg yolks and sugar togethe, then add the cocoa and flour, whisking well. Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan, then, whisking, pour this onto the eggs and sugar before pouring everything back into the saucepan on the heat, stirring constantly, bring it to a boil. When the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla.
• Let it cool now, but avoid putting it in the refrigerator as it will become too solid. You can stop it forming a askin either by covering it with buttered parchment paper. Another option is to stick it in a bowl of ice water and keep stirring it until it is cold.
• To assemble the cake place one of the meringues discs on a flat plate or cake stand, spread with a third of the chocolate creme, then carry on layering. Spread the top with chopped nuts of your choice.

LIAM CHARLES'S MEGA-CHOCCY STACK

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
• Make the chocolate brownie. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, vanilla, caster sugar and brown together. Add the eggs, followed by the cocoa powder, instant coffee and flour. Mix until combined.
• Pour the brownie mixture into the lined Swiss roll tin and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate pudding. Put the sugar, cocoa, cornflour and salt into a pan. Add one quarter of the milk and mix to a paste. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking until there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, whisking continuously, until thickened, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes to cook out the flour. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding in to the lined 15cm-square tin and smooth to an even layer. Refrigerate to set.
• Carefully turn out the brownie onto a wire rack. Leave the baking paper on the brownie and put in the fridge on the rack to cool completely.
• Once the brownie has cooled, remove the baking paper and use the ruler to cut it into two 14.5cm-square pieces (eat the trimmings - cook's perks!).
• Remove the pudding from the fridge and place one piece of brownie on top of the custard inside the tin and put in the freezer to set for around 5 minutes.
• Turn out the pudding and brownie onto a chopping board so the pudding is facing upwards. Use a palette knife to remove the baking paper. Place the second square of brownie on top. Carefully cut the stack into four portions.
• Make the sweet cream. Put the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to very soft peaks, then spoon into the piping bag fitted with the large closed star nozzle. Set aside until ready to use.
• Pipe kisses of cream on top of each brownie stack portion, then sprinkle with the grated chocolate to finish.

SUPER GOOEY CHOCOLATE DROPS

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)
• Put the butter and the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)
• Stir the light brown and granulated sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.
• In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and dried cherries, if using.
• Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets--a small ice cream scoop is ideal for this. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.

GOOEY CHOCOLATE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Before you've even taken your coat off, put the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler above simmering water. Whisk every now and again until melted. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until just blended. Gradually whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Set aside.
• Grease 4 (1-cup) ramekins with butter and add flour to cover the butter, tapping the ramekins to get rid of excess. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F about half an hour before you want to eat the puddings. And I'd leave cooking them until you've finished the main course. It doesn't matter if there's no food on the table for 10 minutes; and these do have to be done at the last minute.
• So, pour the mixture into the ramekins and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are firm and cracking slightly and the edges set. Serve immediately and consider providing a pitcher of cold, cold cream for people to pour into their pudding's hotly deliquescing interior as they eat.