Chocolate Cranachan Recipes

Steps:

• To toast the oatmeal, spread it out on a baking sheet and grill until it smells rich and nutty. It will not darken quickly, so use your sense of smell to tell you when it is nutty enough. Cool the oatmeal.
• Make a raspberry purée by crushing half the fruit and sieving. Sweeten this to taste with a little caster sugar. Whisk the double cream until just set, and stir in the honey and whisky, trying not to over-whip the cream. Taste the mix and add more of either if you feel the need.
• Stir in the oatmeal and whisk lightly until the mixture is just firm. Alternate layers of the cream with the remaining whole raspberries and purée in 4 serving dishes. Allow to chill slightly before eating.

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of the sugar until pale and fluffy, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the cornflour to a paste in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the milk. Put the cornflour paste, the remaining milk, and the ground almonds into a pan, and bring to a boil over a low heat. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes, take off the heat, and then gradually add the egg and sugar mixture a little at a time, whisking continuously.
• Return the mixture to a simmer and cook, whisking continuously, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the mixture aside to cool.
• Heat a dry frying pan over low heat, and add the porridge oats, and toast, stirring regularly, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
• In a food processor, blend a handful of the blackberries, the lemon juice, and the remaining sugar to a puree. Stir in the remaining blackberries until well combined.
• dd 1 tablespoonful of the whipped cream to the reserved milk and almond mixture, and stir until well combined. Fold in the remaining whipped cream, the cooled porridge oats, and the whisky.
• To serve, spoon layers of the almond cream mixture into 4 or 5 serving glasses, then spoon over layers of the blackberry puree, and then sprinkle over a layer of the flaked almonds. Repeat the process to create more layers until all of the ingredients have been used up. Garnish with any remaining flaked almonds, and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.