Chocolate and Hazelnut Roulade with Raspberries

Ingredients:


butter, for greasing

½ cup of plain chocolate

4 eggs
½ cup of caster sugar (plus extra for dusting)
2 cups of fresh raspberries

FOR THE FILLING:
½ of a vanilla pod
1 tbsp Coole Swan liqueur (adjust to your taste)
1 ¼ cup of cream
½ cup of Wicklow fine food luxury chocolate and hazelnut spread
icing sugar (to decorate)

Method:
Grease a 33 x 23cm (13 x9in) Swiss roll tin, line with greaseproof paper and then grease the paper. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Separate the eggs and whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and pale in color. Beat in the egg whites until stiff, and then fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch.

Turn the sponge out onto a sheet of greaseproof generously sprinkled with caster sugar. Carefully peel off the lining paper. Cover the roulade with a warm, damp tea towel and leave to cool.

To make the filling, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the cream in a bowl and stir in the Cool Swan liqueur and vanilla seeds. Gently whisk with an electric mixer until stiff, and then spread the chocolate and hazelnut spread over the cold roulade, followed by the cream mixture. Using the paper to help, roll up the roulade to enclose the filling.

To serve, transfer the roulade on to a serving plate and dust with icing sugar, then cut into slices and arrange on serving plates with the raspberries.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries

Yield:  About 20 cupcakes Cupcakes: 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 2 eggs 3/4 cup hot water 3/4 cup heavy cream 3 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil 2 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside. Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Add eggs, water, heavy cream, oil and vanilla.  Mix with a hand held mixer until smooth.  Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each half full.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool before frosting. Frosting: 2 sticks softened butter 4 cups confectioners' sugar 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together sugar, cocoa and butter; beginning on low speed then increase to high.  Beat until fluffy and lightened in color.  Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.  Frost cupcakes. Strawberries: 18-24 Strawberries - you'll need as many as you have cupcakes Vodka, rum, or your choice of liquor 80 proof or higher (use Bacardi 151 for fail-proof results) Hollow the strawberries carefully.  If you pierce the side of the strawberry accidentally, start with a new one.  Since you'll be setting the liquor aflame, it is important that your strawberry is leak-proof. Set one strawberry atop each frosted cupcake.  Fill strawberries with liquor just before lighting (see tips).  If you need to light them all at once, (say, for a party) use a turkey baster to quickly fill all the strawberries and a grill lighter in lieu of matches. Notes for flaming strawberries: Any alcohol below 80 proof will not light well.  I used 80 proof and got a nice blue flambe'. Note: some have had trouble getting 80 proof to ignite - lots of people are recommending Bacardi 151 as a fail-safe.   You can add a little sugar to the inside of the strawberry to sweeten things up. However, the flame seems to last longer without the addition of sugar. Make sure to use a liquor that you like.  Vodka is a good choice if you want very little flavor. Alcohol evaporates, so light the strawberry soon after you spoon the liquor in.  Do I have to say it?  Probably not, but my conscience will not let me go without.  Do not attempt to eat a flaming strawberry.  It's a relatively short burn time, lasting about 30 seconds to 1 minute. So, enjoy but be careful.  Use your noodle. www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/01/chocolate-cupcakes-with-flaming.html