9- Chocolate tahini and baharat pots
The woody spices in baharat (a Middle Eastern spice blend) work beautifully with dark chocolate and nutty tahini. This is a really rich dessert so you only need a small amount.
Ingredients
250ml double cream
200g 70% dark chocolate
3 tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp tahini
1⁄2 tsp baharat, plus extra to serve (see cook’s notes)
sea salt
2 egg yolks
Method
STEP 1
Warm 200ml of the cream in a small pan over a low heat until just starting to simmer.
STEP 2
Smash the chocolate into small pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Pour over the warm cream and add the honey, 2 tbsp of the tahini, the baharat and a pinch of salt. Leave for 1 minute and then gently stir together until glossy and smooth. Stir in the egg yolks. Divide between six small serving glasses and set in the fridge for 1 hour.
STEP 3
Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before serving to come to room temperature. Stir the remaining cream with the tahini and spoon over the pots, with a pinch more of baharat, to serve.
10- White chocolate panna cotta with stewed rhubarb
This classic, creamy dessert is enriched with white chocolate, which provides a perfect contrast to the sharpness of the rhubarb.
Ingredients
4 leaves fine leaf gelatine
400ml double cream
300ml whole milk
70g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out, or vanilla bean paste 1 tsp
150g white chocolate, finely chopped
STEWED RHUBARB
400g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
50g caster sugar
1 lemon, juiced
Method
STEP 1
Soak the gelatine in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10 minutes until very soft. Meanwhile, put the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds into a pan along with a pinch of salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
STEP 2
Once simmering, take off the heat (remove the vanilla pod, if using), add the chocolate, then stir to melt. Drain the gelatine in a fine sieve, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Add the gelatine to the cream mixture and mix really well. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug. Leave for 5-10 minutes until thickened slightly, then mix really well and divide evenly between six pudding basins or moulds. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
STEP 3
For the stewed rhubarb, put the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice into a pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb has released some juice and is very tender but not collapsing. This can be made ahead and then chilled.
STEP 4
To serve, carefully dip the bases of the moulds in hot water for 3-4 seconds to loosen the panna cottas, then invert onto plates. Reheat the rhubarb until just warm, then spoon around the panna cottas to serve.
