This decadent chocolate and meringue invention is definitely a hit for the taste buds, and when made with couverture chocolate it can be surprisingly nutritious too. It is a rich melt-in-the-mouth cross between a chocolate truffle and a sophisticated brownie, with a thick and generous layer of chocolate ganache icing on top. It also has large chunks of meringue folded throughout that make it even more delicious.
The key is to use only couverture chocolate. Couverture chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter and cocoa solids than the compound chocolates sold as cooking and eating chocolate, which makes it so much more refined in taste and texture.
Chocolate is often quoted as having a certain ‘percentage’ which refers to the percentage of cocoa butter in relation to the cocoa solids. As the ‘percentage’ goes higher, the chocolate becomes less and less sweet and can be almost savoury.
I use 55% dark chocolate a lot in cooking for cakes and biscuits, for a chocolate chip pavlova, for icings etc. and I find that this is a good level of sweetness for those like me who have quite a sweet tooth. It has sweetness without being cloyingly so.
I use 70%, and sometimes higher depending on the sweetness of the filling, for making chocolates and sweets.
70%-85% dark chocolate is actually very nutritious. This high quality chocolate is rich in Iron, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese.
The addition of meringue and sugar to my Double Choc recipe definitely detracts from its afore-claimed nutritional value but as all of that nutritional stuff, while true, is merely my justification and a distraction, I say go to the gym and tuck in.
Rosie
DOUBLE CHOC BLOCK
I bake and use my own meringues but these can be substituted with purchased meringues or with the same weight of nuts, if you prefer. The recipe can easily be doubled for greedy people like me. It also freezes well.
125 gm unsalted butter
185 gm dark Couverture chocolate (55%-70%)
220 gm castor sugar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
150 gm Revenge Gluten Free Plain Flour Mix** or any gluten-free plain flour
60 gm meringues, roughly broken into chunks
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 19cm square cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
Melt butter and chocolate and stir to combine. Allow to cool. Beat eggs and add along with the sugar and vanilla. Add flour and fold in well. Add meringue chunks and fold through gently.
Transfer to prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes. It will seem undercooked but that is the trick. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin. Refrigerate overnight before removing from the tin and icing. Allow icing to become firm before cutting with a hot knife. Store in the fridge. I prefer to serve it chilled.
**See recipe in the ‘Picking Flours’ or ‘Baking Sweetly’ blogs in our Gluten Free Pantry section
GANACHE ICING
125 gm dark Couverture chocolate (55%-70%)
60 ml cream
Roughly chop the chocolate. Bring the cream to a boil, remove from the heat and add chocolate, stirring until the mixture is smooth and completely combined. Allow to cool before using.
MERINGUES
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 pinch salt
225 gm castor sugar
1.5 teaspoons corn flour
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon white vinegar
Preheat oven to 150°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick kitchen paper.
Whisk egg whites in a warm bowl with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form. One tablespoon at a time, gradually add half the sugar. Combine the remaining sugar and corn flour and gently fold into the meringue mix. Fold in the vanilla and vinegar. Pipe or dollop tablespoonsful onto the prepared trays and bake for 45 minutes. Reduce heat if the meringues begin to colour.
Allow to cool a little on the trays before transferring to a cooling rack. When completely cold, store in airtight containers. Will keep if properly stored for weeks.