Sounds posh and it is posh! But it's so easy to make and has a definite wow factor! A rich mousse-like chocolate dessert that requires no baking. Made in a loaf tin, it is refrigerated overnight and served in slices with your choice of fresh fruit.
225g dark chocolate
100g unsalted butter
175g icing sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water
Line a loaf tin with cling film.
Sieve the icing sugar. Separate the eggs.
Break the chocolate into a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Melt and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar until pale. Add the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the coffee, and then the melted chocolate. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold one third into the chocolate mixture to lighten it (I used a metal spoon for this), then fold in the remainder making sure you combine everything together. Pour it into your lined loaf tin and spread out evenly. Put it into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Sauce
150ml water
100g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
Put the water and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Take it off the heat and allow to cool before putting it into the fridge to chill overnight.
The next day, lift the marquise from the loaf tin and invert onto a plate. Discard the cling film. Leave to stand for about half an hour and then cut into slices. Dip your knife in hot water to make slicing easier. Serve with a spoonful or two of the chocolate sauce.
The printed recipe shown here, found in my mother's book, serves this with glazed apricots steeped in rum which sounds wonderful. I just added a few strawberries for a bit of colour and to cut through the rich chocolate.
I also used a 900g (2lb) loaf tin which made the marquise quite shallow. I didn't mind this as it gave a smaller portion size which will suit some for this rich chocolate dessert.
If you want a larger and deeper slice, use a 450g (1lb) loaf tin.
Enjoy!
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