Melty and crispy… what a combination!
These little chocolate macaroons get baked in our house every so often. Sometimes we devour the lot in one go, and sometimes I manage to save some in an airtight container to share with friends on coffee mornings – which is usually the motive for making them in the first place. They are a perfect coffee compliment, and they contain a chocolate-coated coffee bean in the centre.
These chocolate macaroons are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. Your friends will be delighted to share them with you. If you can’t find the coated coffee beans, use a whole blanched almond as a substitute.
For an evening variation for the grown-ups, serve a couple of macaroons in a pretty bowl, drizzled over with almond liqueur or the Italian liqueur Disaronno; or spoon a little liqueur cream onto the side. Here’s another idea; simply serve with a liqueur coffee after a special meal. (Another fantastic cookie to go with coffee is this Italian biscotti di prato.)
Ingredients:
Preparation Guidelines:
Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook
Cocoa Treats: 24
Continue readingTo my palette, there’s nothing much more exquisite than the combination of chocolate and liqueur. A rich round off to a romantic candlelit meal with someone special, accompanied by a glass of cava or champagne. White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa solids and in truth is masquerading as chocolate, but we adore the divine blend of cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar. The composition of white chocolate gives it a lower melting point than chocolate made with cocoa solids, and this just serves to accentuate it’s melt-in-the-mouth sensuality. This white chocolate mousse is one of my favourites. Make it and you’ll find out why.
Ingredients:
You will also need an electric whisk.
Preparation Guidelines:
Note: Equally as pleasure-inducing are mint, raspberry or coffee liqueurs in place of the orange liqueur. Have a little experiment with the toppings too!
Time: Less than 30 minutes preparation time, plus a minimum of 1 hour chilling time
Cocoa Treats: 6
If you love this version, also try this rich chocolate mousse.
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