Sharing a little chocolate happiness

It seems a timely occasion to launch our blog on Valentine’s Day as I get to write about one of my favourite things: chocolate. Of course Valentine’s Day is more than just the chance to indulge in a delectable chocolate treat. For the single, 30-something living in Sydney like me, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to wanting a slice of Valentine’s Day romance or a box of my favourite Lindt chocolates to come my way this Valentine’s day. Loving food the way I do, I like the idea of being wined and dined on Valentine’s Day but I expect some originality when it comes to choosing the restaurant of choice. I’ve been told I’m far too choosy in the men department but really when it comes to food there is no point in compromising and I guess the same can be said about men too.

I read an interesting article this week about Sydney’s three-chef-hat restaurant, Tetsuya’s where on Valentine’s day the mantra is ''Share the happiness - share the table''. I liked the sound of this idea as there’s nothing worse as a single person to be stuck in a restaurant surrounded by couples. Tetsuya’s have come up with a unique way to fine-dine only allowing bookings for four or more on Valentine’s Day forcing couples to share tables with strangers. Those couples that wish to dine alone, need to cough up $350/head to do so.

So in the spirit of Tetsuya’s, this Valentine’s Day I’ve decided that I will share some happiness and love of my own, by giving my friends their very own Valentine’s Day Cupcake. Based on a Nigella Lawson recipe they are extremely decadent and just too cute to refuse. For an extra special oozing chocolate centre, add a small piece of chocolate into each cupcake paper after you fill them.

Here’s the recipe if you too want to share some happiness this Valentine’s Day!


Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes from ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’
Makes 12.
Ingredients

125g soft unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
300g raspberry jam or as in original morello cherry jam
150g caster sugar – use less sugar if jam is very sweet.
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, beaten
150g self-raising flour
12-bun muffin tin and papers

For the icing

100g dark chocolate
100ml double cream
2-3 tablespoons icing sugar
12 small red sugar hearts (I bought mine at The Essential Ingredient but you could easily make them if you have a few extra hours each day)

How to make

Preheat the oven to 180?C/gas mark 4


Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the raspberry / cherry jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour.

Scrape and pour into the muffin papers in their tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out.
When the cupcakes are cool, break the chocolate for the icing into little pieces and add them to the cream in a saucepan along with a small amount of icing sugar to add a bit of sweetness to the dark chocolate mix. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then whisk – by hand or electrically – till thick and smooth. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and decorate with small sugar red hearts.

PS: If you can’t get enough chocolate just like me, then check out all the rave at Oriol Balaguer which in Sydney can be sourced from the The Spanish Pantry. If you want some more traditional Belgian chocolate, Jeff de Bruges, Sydney has lovely little boxes. Happy Valentines Day everyone!

PPS: Photos courtesy and copyright ThomasBlochPhotography