Chocolate Mousse

A good old fashioned chocolate mousse, or chocolate fluff as my grandmother called it, with just a few simple ingredients. The light and airy texture will delight all generations!

My grandmother's recipe gives ingredients and instructions for one person but you can easily adapt it according to the number of people you are serving. Or if you're home alone, feeling wicked and want to treat yourself, just make the one. Just remember that it needs to set, so you'll need to plan ahead!

I have given ingredients for four servings.

For 4 people

4 eggs, separated

110g caster sugar

50g dark chocolate - I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate which gives a rich smooth texture.

1 tsp vanilla extract

Break the chocolate into pieces and put it in a small bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Once it has melted, allow to cool slightly.

Separate the eggs and put the whites into a large bowl. Whisk to a soft peak. This helps to get bubbles into the mousse. Add the caster sugar and continue whisking until stiff.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and add the melted chocolate, the vanilla and a tablespoon of the egg whites to loosen the mixture slightly.

Then pour this chocolate mixture into the remainder of the egg whites and fold together until combined. Spoon into individual glasses and put it into the fridge to set - about 8 hours.

Before serving, top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Chocolate chunk pumpkin cookies

If you have a pumpkin or two left from Halloween, I would recommend making these cookies to feed hungry mouths. A combination of dark chocolate, oats, and golden syrup with a hint of pumpkin.

You will need to roast and puree your leftover pumpkin - my recipe for pumpkin soda bread gives easy instructions for how to do this.

250g plain flour

150g oats

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp salt

230g butter, melted

45 ml golden syrup (about 3 tablespoons)

150g light brown sugar

100g granulated sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten

100g pumpkin puree (once all the liquid has been squeezed out)

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g dark chocolate (cut into chunks, or you can use dark chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Squeeze the liquid out of the pumpkin puree - the easiest way to do this is to put it in between 2 sheets of kitchen paper and squeeze it out over a bowl.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, golden syrup, brown and white sugars, egg yolk, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. When combined, pour into the dry ingredients and mix. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop spoonfuls of the dough onto the baking sheets (about 2 teaspoons per cookie) and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are slightly brown. I like chewy cookies but the longer you bake them, the less 'doughy' they will be - up to you!

Take them out of the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Barmbrack

Barmbrack is an Irish tea loaf traditionally associated with Halloween when a number of objects would be stirred into the mix before baking. Each item - a ring, a pea, a thimble, a piece of cloth, a stick - represented a different fortune for the coming year, not dissimilar to the charms hidden in a Christmas pudding.

It is a soft bread dotted with fruit - the Irish is bairín breac meaning speckled bread - and is often just called a brack. Today, commercial producers still put a ring into the mix but, perhaps not surprisingly, health and safety will not allow any other items. I have made it here, minus the charms but with the addition of a splash of whisky.

1 mug of hot tea – about 150ml

splash or two of whisky (optional)

1 mug of mixed raisins and sultanas

A handful of chopped dried apricots

75g light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

150g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Grease a small (450g) loaf tin and dust lightly with flour.

Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea (and whisky if using) for at least an hour but preferably overnight.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl. Drain the fruit, reserving the liquid.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg and some of the reserved liquid. Mix together until you have a soft dough, then add the fruits and fold into the mixture.

Put into your greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Serve sliced, spread with butter and a cup of tea.