Vintage Hotels’ Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Who needs Cupid when you’ve got these sweet, swoon-worthy treats? Impress your Valentine this year by making one of these chocolate desserts for Valentine’s Day to show your love and affection.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day we’ve asked the teams at Inn On The Twenty Restaurant at Inn On The Twenty, and Noble Restaurant at Prince of Wales to create chocolate dessert recipes that you can make and enjoy at home with your special someone. 

Flexible Chocolate Ganache

Compliments of Pastry Chef Clyde Pereira from Inn On The Twenty Restaurant at Inn On The Twenty

Serves 6 – portions (depending on size)

Ingredients:

50 g Glucose
90 g Honey
3 g Agar agar powder
9 g Gelatin
260 g Dark chocolate 
600 g 35% Cream
2 g Salt                                        

Method:

1. Place the chocolate and gelatin in a separate bowl and set to the side.
2. Add a little cold water to the gelatin to let it bloom.
3. In a medium sized pot, add cream, honey, glucose, salt and agar and stir.
4. Place pot on the stove and bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly for two minutes in order to activate the agar.
5. After two minutes take pot off stove and add bloomed gelatin. Whisk untill melted.
6. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and combined (you can also use a hand blender if you prefer).
7. Pour the warm mixture into a clean, unlined pan and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour until firm and set.
8. Cut into strips or any shape desired and get creative with your plating.

Tips:

1. Use good quality chocolate like Callebaut or Lindt. The darker the chocolate the better the dessert.
2. You could also pour this into molds or ramekins.
3. You will know your ganache is set when it is a little firmer than jello.
4. Serve with fruit coulis and crumble for texture. Pictured above it is served with cherry confit and meringue crumble.

Dark Chocolate and Sour Cherry Crème Brûlée 

Compliments of Executive Chef Chris Smythe from Noble Restaurant at Prince of Wales

Serves 8 people

Ingredients:

12 Egg yolks
3/4 cup of Sugar
2 cups 35% Cream
½ cup Dark cocoa
1 cup Brined sour cherries

Method:

1. Whisk the egg yolks, cocoa and sugar together.
2. Blend in the cream and let stand in the fridge for 30 minutes then take it out and skim the top of the custard to remove air pockets. 
3. Ladle the custard into oven proof ramekins with about six cherries in each of them.
4. Place the ramekins in a water bath that you can slide into the oven, ensuring that the water is filled half way up the pan. Bake the Crème Brûlée for 30 minutes at 325° F or until set.
5. Cool in the fridge and serve with a little sugar sprinkled on top that has been torched.