White Chocolate Strawberry Marquise Recipes

Steps:

• Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Heat white baking chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted.
• For each strawberry, poke fork or toothpick into stem end, and dip three-fourths of the way into melted chips, leaving top of strawberry and leaves uncoated. Place on waxed paper-covered cookie sheet.
• Heat semisweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips are melted. (Or place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute; stir. Microwave 2 to 3 minutes longer, until mixture can be stirred smooth.)
• Drizzle melted semisweet chocolate over dipped strawberries, using small spoon. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until coating is set.

Steps:

• Line a 1.2 litre loaf tin with a double layer of cling film allowing it to overhang the edges. Arrange rows of sponge fingers, widthwise, across the base. Sprinkle evenly with 3 tbsp orange juice.
• Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Microwave on Medium for 1½-2 mins, gently stirring halfway through. Whisk cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar until it just holds its shape. Fold in the melted chocolate until evenly mixed.
• Select 8-10 even sized strawberries. Spoon half the chocolate mix into tin, then put selected strawberries down the centre of the tin, pressing down gently. Spoon over remaining chocolate cream and smooth the top. Fold overhanging cling film over marquise. Chill for at least 24 hrs, preferably 2 days in the fridge until set.
• Weigh out 250g of the remaining strawberries, roughly chop them and put in the food processor with 2 tbsp icing sugar and 1 tbsp orange juice. Blitz until smooth, then press through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Chill until needed.
• To serve, unmould marquise and cut into thick slices. Serve with strawberry sauce and a few reserved strawberries.

Steps:

• Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until very finely ground and powdered in texture. Alternatively, place in a resealable bag and crush with your hands or a rolling pin until very finely and evenly ground and powdered in texture. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the confectioners' sugar until combined. Set aside.
• Pour the crisp rice cereal squares and honey whole-grain oat cereal into a large bowl. Put the chopped white chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until just melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture, then gently toss with a rubber spatula until evenly coated. Pour the strawberry-sugar mixture over the chocolate-coated cereal, then toss again until every piece is nicely coated and pink. Stir in the candy-coated chocolate and sprinkles. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Line bottom of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan (with 7-to 8-cup capacity) with aluminum foil, extending foil over shorter ends. Puree strawberries in processor. Transfer 1 1/4 cups puree to small bowl; reserve remaining puree for another use. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted. Remove pan from over water.
• Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until candy thermometer registers 250°F, tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer and occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add boiling syrup to whites, beating until firm peaks form and meringue is cool, about 5 minutes. Fold white chocolate into meringue.
• Beat cream and vanilla in large bowl until medium-firm peaks form; fold into white chocolate mixture. Transfer 4 cups white chocolate mousse to medium bowl. Fold 1 1/4 cups strawberry puree and Grand Marnier into 4 cups mousse.
• Spread half of strawberry mousse in prepared pan. Chill remaining white chocolate mousse and remaining white chocolate mousse and remaining strawberry mousse. Freeze strawberry layer until almost firm , about 15 minutes.
• Spread white chocolate mousse over strawberry layer. Freeze until almost firm, about 25 minutes.
• Spread remaining berry mousse over white chocolate layer. Cover terrine with plastic and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
• Uncover terrine. Cut between foil and pan side to loosen terrine. Invert onto platter. Lift off pan and peel off foil. Serve with Dark Chocolate Sauce.
• To make chocolate sauce:
• Combine half and half, sugar, cocoa, butter and espresso powder in heavy small saucepan. Whisk over low heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Increase heat to medium and whisk until sauce just begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla. Cool sauce.

Steps:

• Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Then assemble a bain-marie - do this by pouring a little water into a saucepan and placing the bowl over the water (making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl). Set the pan over a gentle heat and warm the water until the chocolate has melted. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little.
• Meanwhile, place the butter and half the sugar into another large bowl. Using a tabletop mixer or electric hand whisk, beat until the mixture is really light and creamy, then beat in the cocoa powder.
• Separate the eggs (the whites can be frozen for another time) and put the yolks in a third bowl. Tip in the remaining sugar, then beat together until pale and creamy. To check if it's ready, make a figure-of-eight shape in the mixture with the beater - it should hold its shape for a moment. In a fourth bowl, whip the cream until thickened with soft peaks.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the butter mixture, and carefully stir through until it is well combined. Gently fold in the egg mixture. When this is amalgamated, stir in the whipped cream. Now line a 6.5 x 22cm tin with 3 layers of cling film, leaving a 10cm overhang.
• Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a large nozzle attached (see Gordon's steps, far right). Pipe a layer over the bottom of the tin, then cover this with a layer of After Eights (cut some in half to ensure they fit). Pipe over another layer of chocolate cream, followed by a layer of After Eights. Continue until you have 4 layers of chocolate mints and the tin is full, finishing with a chocolate cream layer. Fold over the cling film, then chill overnight or up to 2 days.
• Just before serving, place the marquise in the freezer for 10 mins to make it easier to slice. Place the tin, bottomside up, on a serving plate, slide off the tin, then peel away the cling film. If you have a blowtorch, quickly run the flame over the surface of the marquise to give it a glossy sheen. Alternatively, dip a palette knife in boiling water and smooth the surface that way. Use a serrated knife dipped in boiling water to cut the marquise into slices.