Chocolate Pavlova with fresh Raspberrys

I saw this recipe a while ago and thought gosh that looks like it should come with a warning
saying 

DECADENT & DANGEROUS
   yes it most defiantly should.

My partner and I were down the East Coast of Tasmania a couple weekends ago when we found a little road side Berry Farm selling Chocolate Pavlova and fresh Berry's, so as only we should we shared a slice and yum my mind was made up I had to try to make this myself , and you know what it isn't that hard if your organized first, but thats the key to any fun cooking get everything ready first. 

So I brought a punnet of Raspberry's and a block of Cadburys Old Gold Dark Chocolate and set myself up to make a beautiful looking Pav ...

 I used a recipe from Womens Weekly website but changed a couple ingredients when decorating to suit myself.

I found at first I was a little disappointed with the texture of this Pavlova, 
I cooked it during the day, decorated a couple of hours when cool and we ate for desert that night, But what I should have done is allow at least 8-8 hours resting time because wow the next day was such a happy taste bud surprise I would say an improvement of 100% on quality in taste and texture. 

 

INGREDIENTS

6 egg whites
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
50g dark chocolate, chopped finely (Lindt) * Cadburys Old Gold
2 cups (500g) mascarpone * I used plain Whipped Cream instead
¼ cup (60ml) milk, approximately
240g fresh raspberries (or strawberries)
dark chocolate curls, extra ( Shaved Chocolate using a vegetable peeler works well )

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Line a large oven tray with non-stick baking paper; mark a 22cm circle on paper. Grease and dust with cornflour, shake away excess.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, gradually add sugar, beat until dissolved between additions.
When sugar is dissolved, gently fold in sifted cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate.

Spoon mixture onto prepared tray inside circle, smooth the sides and top of pavlova.

Place pavlova in oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 120°C/100°C fan-forced. Bake for about 1¼ to 1½ hours or until dry to touch. Turn oven off and cool pavlova in the oven with the door ajar.
* I decorated with plain vanilla whipped Cream and Old Gold Chocolate Shavings with my Raspberries.
Just before serving, place pavlova onto serving plate. Place mascarpone in a bowl, gently whisk in enough milk to form a soft consistency. (Mascarpone varies in texture so add gradually and only if needed.) Spoon mascarpone mixture on top of pavlova and sprinkle with berries. Decorate with extra chocolate, if desired.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

Charlie's Choc Banana Bread

I Love Banana Bread,
But up until a couple of years ago had never tasted it, for some strange reason the thought of Banana Bread had never appealed to me at all, That soon changed when I was at Gloria Jeans Coffee shop one day with a friend and tried my first slice, the rest as they say is history! any excuse I could over the next couple of months I would visit Gloria Jeans for a slice of Banana Bread and you know what I don't even drink coffee ... 

I soon found that the same Banana Bread was at McDonald's too so even more Banana Bread love happiness,  But how much Banana Bread can a girl really have soon the novelty wore off and I didn't worry about it,
Then one day one of my online facebook friends Charlie was raving about a fantastic Banana Bread she had made, so I asked for the recipe and she sent me the link for this awesome creation.  Even though the recipe is really on Nigella Lawson website to me it is Charlies Banana Bread, and if you happen to have the Gloria Jeans one please share :)

 

CHOC BANANA BREAD ( originally from Nigella Lawson )

INGREDIENTS

250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

125g (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened

250g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

3 ripe medium size bananas, mashed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

175g (1 cup) good-quality dark or milk chocolate chip

                      




         

       METHOD

 

	Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and put to one side.
	Mix the butter, sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla extract and chocolate chips in a separate bowl. when well mixed Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix. if you over mix it wont rise as well.
	Pour the batter into a non-stick, or lightly greased and floured, 19 x 11 cm (7 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch) loaf tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the bread is cooked when tested with a skewer.
	Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.