佳節套餐 - 甜品 Festive Three Course Dinner - Dessert

還有 12 天便是聖誕節了。家裏已開始大清潔，掛裝飾，買禮物，準備應節食品等等。孩子們很快便回家，親友們來探訪；日子在倒數中，我已逐漸為每天假期編策著不同的菜單。

It’s only 12 days until Christmas. I’ve already started cleaning and decorating the house, getting food and presents ready; the children will soon be home, friends and family are visiting. It’s counting down time, I am beginning to plan the menus for our meals for each day of the holidays. 

主菜對我來說不是大問題，因為通常都是新鮮即煮即吃，在時間掌握方面不會有甚麼困難。

甜品則不同，要在大家用餐後端出，所以上桌前不會有太多餘閒讓我籌措。是以每頓甜點最好之前一晚做好，或預備至最後階段，奉客前烘一下，放上裝飾，便大功告成！

The main courses are usually not too much trouble for me, because I’ve  always cooked them and serve them hot from the hob or oven. 

Desserts however, need to be brought out straight after dinner,  which doesn’t give me a lot of time to prepare when everybody is sat waiting for it!  Sometimes I get the desserts ready the night before or prepare the majority beforehand and just add some quick final touches before serving.

上週應朋友要求為她示範做了巧克力熔漿蛋糕後，她愛到不得了，説完全是最理常的餐後布丁! 

I showed my friend how to make the chocolate fondant last week, she loved it so much and proclaimed that was the best pudding to round off a meal!

因為之前兩三晚便可以先把巧克力奶油蛋漿混合物倒進杯模內，置冰箱內放著，待要吃只需預熱烤箱後放進烤 10 分鐘便成。

取出倒扣盤子上，伴球雪糕，加些新鮮樹莓，灑點糖粉。暖暖的小蛋糕在餐匙輕輕切開後露出軟滑流質的巧克力熔漿，每一口都是極度滿足的滋味。

I think it’s because you can make the chocolate mixture and pour into the little pudding moulds up to a couple of days before your dinner party, leave them in the fridge, and just take them out and put in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.

Take them out and wait 30 seconds before turning them over onto a plate, add a scoop of ice-cream, a few fresh raspberries, sprinkle on some icing sugar, and they’re ready to serve!  Cut into the warm and gooey chocolate fondant and taste, each mouthful offers the most satisfying taste and feeling as dessert goes.

記得去年我做了嬌小版麵包布丁後，成為我老公的至愛。他當時叫我這樣說 : 「如果你這個聖誕只做一款甜品的話，就要做這款嬌小版的牛油麵包布丁了。 」

今年我則要向大家鄭重推薦這個 「巧克力熔漿蛋糕」。超級好吃又零失敗，會給你的家人賓客意外驚喜！據說很多 Master Chef 的參賽者都過不了這個挑戰。我這食譜每次做都成功，只要你照著步驟和時間去做，其實是易如反掌的。

Remember last year my husband loved my petite style bread and butter pudding so much, he told me to say, “If you only make one dessert this Christmas, make it this petite bread and butter pudding.”

However, this year I’ve got to strongly recommend this “ Chocolate Fondant”. It's so easy to make and so delicious, it really will give your friends and family a pleasant surprise. It’s been said that even many Master Chief contestants have failed to succeed the challenge of making a fondant dessert; but my recipe is so simple, if you follow the steps and timing, it’ll be a piece of cake!

巧克力熔漿蛋糕 Chocolate Fondant

(做 6 個 ~ makes 6 )

材料: 

• 無鹽牛油 120g 切粒，另預 20g 溶了作塗抺模具之用。
• 淺棕色軟糖 light brown soft sugar 或黃幼砂糖 golden cater sugar 120g
• 可可粉 2 大匙過篩
• 黑巧克力 120g 折塊
• 中筋麵粉 1 大匙過篩
• 雞蛋 2 隻另加蛋黃 2 隻
• 小布丁模具 6 個

Ingredients:

• 120g unsalted butter, diced, plus 20g melted for greasing
• 120g light brown soft sugar or golden caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 120g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
• 6 small pudding moulds

1.)   用掃子把熔了的牛油將每個布丁模上下塗抹均勻。

2.)   每個布丁模中放可可粉，用另一個布丁模蓋著上下左右搖幌至完全給可可粉蓋滿，置冰
       箱內備用。

3.)   小鍋加水煮沸轉小火，把牛油和巧克力放進大碗中，置小鍋上熱溶然後拌勻，不要
       讓碗底接觸到沸水，完全溶化後離火待涼。

1.)  Brush the inside of the pudding moulds with the melted butter.

2.)  Then put the cocoa powder in one, cover with another and turn it round a few times to coat the
       inside completely, repeat with the other moulds. Put the moulds in the fridge.

3.)  Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over, but not touching, a pan of
      simmering water and stir occasionally until melted, allow to cool slightly.

4.)   預熱烤箱至 180C / 350F / Gas 4。把一個烤盤放進烤箱中層，用手提打蛋器把蛋，蛋黃和
       糖打發至厚軟，比原來漲起差不多 2 倍 ( 約打發 3 - 4 分鐘 )。

5.)   小心把巧克力牛油混合物加進，然後麵粉，輕力完全拌勻，注意不要把打發起的空氣攪
       走。

4.)   Using electric beaters, whisk together the whole eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and moussey,
       the mixture should almost double in volume, ( this will take 3 - 4 minutes ).

5.)  Gently fold in the melted chocolate and butter, and then the flour, being careful not to knock out
       too much air.

6.)   把巧克力混合物平均倒進 6 個布丁模內，放冰箱內放一小時以上 (或 一、二天也可以 ) ，

       然後置烤箱內的烤盤上烤 10 分鐘左右，至表面烤好而蛋糕收離邊緣少許便成。

7.)   蛋糕烤好後待 30 秒左右，用尖刀沿模具邊緣小心劃一，兩圈，便可反轉到碟上，伴以雪

       糕，樹苺，薄荷葉或洋香菜葉，灑點糖粉上桌。

6.)   Share the mixture into the prepared moulds, chill for at least one hour ( or up to 2 days ). 10

       minutes before you bake the chocolate fondant, preheat oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas 4.  Put a

       baking tray on the middle shelf, then bake for 10 minutes until the tops are set and coming away 

       from the sides of the moulds.

7.)   Stand for 30 seconds, use a sharp knife to cut around the edge of the moulds carefully, then turn

       them out onto plates, serve with ice-cream, fresh raspberries, garnish with mint leaves or parsley, 

       sprinkle with icing sugar. 

小小提示 :

1. 這甜品可以在前一晚先把巧克力奶油蛋漿混合物倒進杯模內，置冰箱內放著，待要吃時只需預熱烤箱 10 分鐘後放進烤 10 分鐘便成了，也可以放進冰凍庫內冰藏，需用之前一晚取出罝冰箱內退冰，第二天如常烤 10 分鐘便成。
2. 因每個烤箱性能不同，可以先烤 1 個作試驗用以測量在你家最理想的時間。先烤 10 分鐘，切開看巧克力的流動軟滑性以決定下一次的分秒加減調整。