Caramel-filled Chocolate Cakes

Melted butter, for greasing
plain flour, for dusting
200g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
200g butter, chopped
4 eggs, separated
200g sugar
1 cup SR flour
12 soft caramel lollies


1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush 12 standard muffin tins with butter and dust with flour.


2. Put chocolate and butter into a medium heavy-based pan and stir over low heat until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stand until lukewarm.


3. Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy. Carefully stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in eggwhite. Sift over flour and fold in carefully.


4. Divide half the mixture between muffin holes, add a caramel to each and cover with remaining mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and stand on a wire rack to cool.

Little Choc-Caramel Pies

12 Pampas Frozen Sweet Pastry Tart Shells 
395 g can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
40 g butter
75 g dark cooking chocolate, melted
12 pecans


Preheat oven to 180C (or 160C fan forced). Place tart shells (in their tins) onto a baking tray and cook for 10 mins or until lightly golden. Cool completely.


Combine condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Stir over very low heat for about 10 mins, until lightly golden in colour and thickened.
Spoon caramel into tart shells and leave to set. Take care not to touch the caramel at any time, as it will be very hot.
Place chocolate into a small bowl. Place a pecan into the chocolate and use a small fork to turn and coat. Using the for, lift the pecan out of the chocolate and tap gently on the side of the bowl to drain off excess chocolate. Place on top of tart. Repeat with remaining pecans and leave to set.

Truffles

300 g dark cooking chocolate (eg: Nestle Melts)
100 g dark eating chocolate
25 g copha, grated.


Fudge centre
1/4 cup condensed milk
1 tbs orange liqueur
a few drops of orange essence
1 tbs desiccated coconut
cocoa for dusting


Melt roughly chopped chocolate and grated copha. Stir well.
Place condensed milk, liqueur and orange essence into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate mixture and stir well until the mixture becomes thick and "fudgy".
Carefully spoon just enough melted chocolate to cover the bottom of an ice cube tray. Top with approx. 1/2 tsp of the fudgy mixture. Spoon over a little more melted chocolate to encase fudge centre.
Refrigerate for 15-30 mins. Remove from tray and gently dust with cocoa.




Notes:
Store in the fridge.


Variations:
Milk and white cooking chocolate and eating chocolate can also be used. Be careful not to burn when melting.

Heavenly Hot Chocolate

170g dark cooking chocolate
300 ml thickened cream
1 tbs dark cocoa
500 ml milk
1 tbs honey
40 ml Tia Maria (optional)
20 ml Frangelico or Kahlua (optional)
Ice cream or double cream, to serve


Melt cooking chocolate. Pour over thickened cream and microwave for 3 mins. Stir until mixture is smooth.
Move mixture to a bowl and sift cocoa and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.
Place milk, honey and liqueur in a microwave-safe jug and microwave for 4 mins.
Whisk hot milk mixture into the cream mixture. Divide between glasses, top with a scoop of ice cream or double cream. 
Serve immediately.


Notes:
Light cream, milk adn ice cream can be used.
Soy and rice milk may be used.
Non-alcoholic syrups and essences are available from specialty stores and can be used as a substitute for the alcoholic version.