Gü Chocolate Cookbook

250ml milk

100g unsalted butter

½ tsp salt

4 tbsp caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

Groundnut or sunflower oil, for deep frying

EQUIPMENT

Free-standing mixer (optional)

Piping bag fitted with a size 16 fluted piping nozzle

Large deep pan, wok or deep fat fryer

Cooking thermometer (optional)

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and pour the milk into a large saucepan with the butter, salt and ½ teaspoon of the sugar and bring to the boil.

2. Tip the flour into the boiling mix, all in one go, and beat vigorously with a spatula, until you have a thick smooth paste, and the mixture leaves a thin skin around the edges of the pan. This helps to cook the flour and dry out the mixture. It will take about 5 minutes of constant beating over the heat.

3. Leave the cooked paste to cool or if you want to speed up the process, tip it into the bowl of a free-standing mixer and beat for a few minutes to let out the steam.

4. Gradually add the beaten eggs, little by little, beating well after each addition, until you have a smooth, silky and glossy texture.

5. Spoon some of the mixture into the piping bag fitted with the nozzle (be careful not to overfill as it will be tricky to pipe out).

6. Heat the oil in the large deep pan, wok or deep fat fryer to 160 °C. If you don’t have a thermometer, the fat is hot enough when a cube of bread browns in the oil in 30 seconds.

7. Very carefully, with the nozzle end near the oil surface, pipe in the mixture, stopping when they are about 10cm long. Make 4 or 5 at a time (topping up the bag as necessary) and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until lightly golden.

8. Lift the churros from the oil onto kitchen paper to drain. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, keep warm and repeat with the rest of the mixture. They are best served warm, when they are completely irresistible.

♦ GÜ TIP To add more flavour, why not include the finely grated zest of a lemon, lime or orange with the milk or scatter the zest on top of the churros just before serving. The Citrus Dust is also a fine addition.

Chocolate Waffles

Armed with a waffle iron, these all-time popular snacks will be really quick and easy to make. They are very moreish, too, so you might find that you’re having to knock up some more batter in next to no time.

MAKES ABOUT 10

225g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder

50g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

2 egg yolks

250ml whole milk

125ml vegetable oil, plus a little extra for cooking

3 egg whites

200g dark chocolate, melted, to serve

EQUIPMENT

Electric hand mixer

Waffle iron

1. To make the batter for the waffles, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar and salt.

2. Mix the egg yolks with the milk in a separate bowl, then mix well with the oil and 125ml of water. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the liquids, whisking all the time, until you have a smooth batter.

3. Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer in a bowl until they form soft peaks. Use a metal spoon to stir in one third of the whisked egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest.

4. Preheat the waffle iron. Add a tiny amount of oil to the waffle iron and spoon in large spoonfuls of the batter, close the lid and cook for 1–2 minutes or until just set. Lift out the cooked waffle and keep it warm in the oven heated to a low temperature while you repeat with the remaining batter mixture. Serve the waffles, drizzled or brushed with the melted chocolate.

♦ GÜ TIP Serve with ice cream or Chantilly cream instead of – or as well as?! – the melted chocolate. Or scatter some of the Caramelised Nuts over the top.

A Trio of Hot Chocolates

When you settle down for a relaxing breakfast or brunch, what could be better than a homemade hot chocolate topped with cream to accompany any of the other recipes in this chapter?

Hot Chocolate

with Orange Chantilly Cream

SERVES 2

150g homemade or shop-bought Gü Chocolate Ganache

150ml whole milk

ORANGE CHANTILLY CREAM

½ orange