Each year the festive season spawns one or two ultra-glamorous
desserts that catch the eye or, better still, delight the palate.
There is a
plethora of rich, dark chocolate desserts but in this simple though sumptuous
sweet, white chocolate comes into its own.
The semi-frozen dessert is really a
cross between a soufflé and a mousse. Cool, light and incredibly luscious, it is
perfect for celebrations on balmy days. Serve in silky scoops with glossy
puddles of sweet, dark chocolate sauce and await the groans of ecstasy from your
guests. 
INGREDIENTS:
250
g white chocolate
4
tablespoons milk
1
vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla essence
4
large eggs, separated
7
tablespoons granulated sugar
1
cup cream
Serves
6
You will need: 2
small heavy-based saucepans or a double boiler, a
set of bowls,whisk
or electric beaters, soufflé
dish or bowl, wooden
spoons, spatula
STAGE
1:
Break
chocolate into pieces. Place in the top of a double boiler with milk (or in
a bowl that fits snugly in a pot of gently simmering water - make sure the water
level is below the base of the bowl).
Stir
continuously over simmering water until chocolate has melted, then stir in
vanilla. Vanilla
essence can be used but the paste of a vanilla bean adds to the fragrance,
flavour and texture of this dessert. Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla
bean and scrape out the seeds. Remove from the heat.
STAGE 2:
Add 2 teaspoons egg mixture to
the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Adding
a little whisked egg mixture first to the warm chocolate tempers the mixture
and avoids curdling.
Add all the chocolate mixture to
the rest of the egg mixture. Beat for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly blended.
STAGE 3:
Fold
in whites, lightly but deeply, cutting through the chocolate mixture to the
base of the bowl. Use a spatula or metal spoon. A wooden spoon is too heavy
and could deflate the whites.
STAGE 4:
Lightly
whisk the cream until soft peaks from and fold into the chocolate mousse.
Spoon into a soufflé dish (or small, individual dishes) and freeze at least 6-8
hours until just frozen but not entirely hard. Serve icy cold in
smooth spoonfuls. To make these, first dip a dessertspoon into boiling
water. Remove souffle from freezer 15–20 minutes before serving in shallow,
wide-rimmed plates with chocolate sauce.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Melt 125 g dark chocolate in a saucepan together with 4 tablespoons
fresh cream and 4 tablespoons milk. Stir gently until melted. Add one
teaspoon butter to add gloss. About 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce per
serving should be enough.
TO DECORATE:
Either stud with sugared violets or add soft patches of edible
silver or gold leaf, (sometimes available from specialist food stores). The simplest
decoration is streaking the top with fine threads of chocolate.
COOK'S CLASS