Eggless Chocolate Cake

Cake:

3 cups all purpose unbleached white flour 

2 cups powdered/icing sugar 

1/2 cup chocolate/cocoa powder 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 cups cold coffee 

1 cup melted bittersweet dark chocolate 

1 cup pure vegetable oil

1 teaspoon melted butter 

Preheat oven to 350 F

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Set aside. Blend all the wet ingredients together and fold into the dry.

Pour into a lined 8" round cake pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a stick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup chocolate chunks (60%) or similar 

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Bring heavy cream in a saucepan on medium heat to simmer (don't boil). Pour over chocolate chunks and whisk until chocolate mixture is smooth and shiny. Pour over the cake. Decorate with fresh berries.

Raspberry Walnut Bark

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate

12 ounces milk chocolate

1 cup chopped raw walnut

2 cups fresh or dried raspberries

3 tablespoons orange zest

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small pot of hot water on a low heat. 

Line a 10 by 10 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate over and spread a even layer over the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with walnut, raspberries and orange zest and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). Cut bark into 3 inch square pieces to serve.

Double Chocolate Raspberry Black Bean Brownies

(No Sugar Added! No Wheat! Gluten Free!)

3 eggs

2 bananas

1 cup honey

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 cups black beans

1 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup good quality cocoa

1 cup melted chocolate 

1 teaspoon high quality espresso powder (instant)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 400 F

Blend all the ingredients in a blender (except raspberries) until smooth. Pour batter in to a mixing bowl, gently folding in the raspberries. Fill a lined 12 cup muffin pan to 3/4 full. Bake for 30 minutes or until set.

Serve warm or cool on a cookie rack and store in an air tight container (very moist).

Summer Fruit Tart

Crust:

1 1/2 cups plain cookies of choice, crumbed

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Pre heat over to 350 F. 

To make the crust, combine cookies and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with your hands. Bake for 8 minutes, then allow to cool.

Filling:

16 ounces (454g) sour cream

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered/icing sugar

3 tablespoons lemon rind (grated)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Blend all the ingredients together and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Take out of the oven and let completely cool before you decorate with summer fruit of choice. Glaze fruit with preserve of choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

   

Mixed Berry Cobbler

3 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup sugar (use up to 1 cup if a sweeter taste is preferred)

1 egg, room temperature

8 tablespoons butter (226g), room temperature

1 cup milk

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons raspberry preserve or preserve of choice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Using a pastry knife, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. 

Mix milk, vanilla and egg in a separate bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Add more milk if dough is too dry.

Combine blueberries and preserve.

Pour half the batter into a 8x8 in (20x20 cm) greased cake pan, spreading evenly to coat the bottom of cake pan. Add fruit mixture and spread evenly. Add the rest of the batter on top making sure to cover all the berries (refer to picture).

Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.