Tasty and Easy Recipes

Ingredients:
7 eggs, separated
7 ounces Castor sugar
7 ounces baking chocolate

Method:
Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Melt chocolate, cool slightly and add to this mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites–beat stiff.
Line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper or oil it. Pour in mixture and cook at 180°C/350°F for 25 minutes. Place a wet, squeezed out tea towel over hot cake and leave until cool.
Turn cake on to towel and spread with cream and/or sliced strawberries. Roll carefully, using towel and put onto a long platter. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Ingredients:
Cake:
6 ounces (180g) semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup (180g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180g) butter or margarine
6 eggs, separated
2-1/2 cups (180g) toasted hazelnuts, ground (see below)

Decoration:
2 tbsp. apricot glaze (see below)
3-1/2 ounces (100g) semisweet chocolate
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. water
Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

Method:
Melt the chocolate and let cool. Beat all but 3 tablespoons sugar with the butter until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks and chocolate.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Whisk in the reserved sugar. Stir 2 spoonfuls into the main mixture. Gently fold in the nuts and remaining egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the prepared 9″ springform cake pan, which has been greased and lined, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and peel off the lining paper.

Make Decoration:
Brush the top of the cake with the apricot glaze and let cool.
Melt the chocolate with the butter and water. Pour onto the cake and spread over the top and sides. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and let set.

Make Toasted Hazelnuts:
Toast on a baking sheet at 350°F until lightly browned and with flaking skins. Pour the hot nuts onto a cloth. Fold the cloth over them and rub gently to remove the skins. Cool before using, then grind.

Make Apricot Glaze:
Put 1 cup (125g) apricot jam and 3 tbsp. water in a small pan and let stand over gentle heat until the jam has melted. Pour into a sieve over a small bowl and press through with a wooden spoon. Keeps in the refrigerator, in a sterilized screw-top jar, for 2 weeks. Warm it before use. Cake keeps for about a week. Freezes for 1 to 2 months undecorated.

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups sliced almonds
5 ounces melted semisweet chocolate, cooled
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate Glaze:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine
3 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup water or coffee
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Method:
Generously brush 9″ round cake pan with 1 tbsp. melted butter. Line bottom with round of parchment or wax paper. Brush with remaining melted butter. Sprinkle generously with sugar. In food processor fitted with knife blade, cream butter. Add almonds and beat until mixture comes together. Add melted, cooled chocolate and blend well.
Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, and continue blending until smooth and fluffy. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and beat until smooth and firm. Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture to lighten and fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Bake at 400°F 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 250°F and bake 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake is crusty on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. Cool on rack. Invert onto large plate, peel off parchment paper and invert onto cake plate. Pour Chocolate Glaze over cake and spread or tilt cake until completely covered.

Make Chocolate Glaze:
In heavy saucepan, combine butter, honey, and water. Bring to boil, remove from heat and add chocolate. Beat until stiff enough to spread or drizzle over cake. If glaze is not thick enough, return to heat and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, mixing constantly.