Almost everyone loves chocolate, we all have our favourites. But what about cooking with chocolate? Here are some quick chocolate recipes that are delicious, indulgent, and easy to make.
We love chocolate – it’s our go-to comfort food and one of life’s pleasures. But as well as the bars of chocolate that we know and love, there are so many different and delicious chocolate cakes and desserts to be enjoyed too.
If you’ve never cooked with chocolate before, don’t worry – it’s not difficult. Follow a few simple rules and you will be confident enough to work with chocolate in no time!
Chocolate Rules
When melting chocolate, you can use a microwave. But in my experience, it’s easy to get the timing wrong and burn the chocolate.
The best way is to put some water into the base of a pan, bring it up to a gentle simmer and sit a bowl over the pan. Make sure that the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. The water should be just bubbling. Allow the chocolate to melt without stirring, then give it a good stir once it’s melted. But keep an eye on it, and remove it from the heat as soon as it’s melted.
The quality of the chocolate is key; it must be at least 72% cocoa solids. I use Lindt or Green & Blacks, their chocolate is very good quality and the cocoa beans used to make the chocolate are Fairtrade, which is very important. I have tried making these recipes with commercial chocolate bars but the taste and texture are not the same.
Chocolate Amaretto Torte
This is very rich, so serve it in thin slices. Serves 8 – 10.
450g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
5 tablespoons liquid glucose (available in tubes from supermarkets)
5 tablespoons of dark rum or orange liqueur
570 ml whipping cream
100g amaretti biscuits, crushed
Cocoa powder for dusting
Break up the chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl. Add the liquid glucose and rum and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt for about 10 minutes, then stir well and leave to cool slightly.
Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add half of it to the melted chocolate and stir well, then fold in the rest of the cream with a large metal spoon, getting as much air into the mixture as possible.
Take a 23cm round cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking paper. Lightly oil the sides of the dish. Sprinkle half of the amaretti crumbs into the base of the tin, allowing them to come up the sides. Pour in the chocolate filling and give the tin a gentle shake to even out the mixture. Top with the remaining amaretti crumbs.
Cover and chill overnight.
To serve, dust lightly with cocoa powder and remove the torte from the tin by standing it on a tin and pulling the edge of the cake tin down and away. Carefully slide the torte onto a serving plate and remove the base. You can leave the circle of paper there if it won’t come out easily. Serve with some chilled pouring cream and decorate with fresh berries if you like.
Quick Black Forest Trifle
This has all the elements of a black forest gateau; chocolate, cherries, and cream. But as it’s made with some ‘cheat’ ingredients, it’s very quick to make. But it tastes so delicious, anyone would think it had taken you hours to make it! Serves 8.
3 double choc-chip muffins
200g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
1 x 680g jar of morello cherries
75 ml dark rum
2 heaped tablespoons cherry jam or conserve
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
400g carton of fresh custard
275 ml double cream
Chocolate flake bar to decorate
Start this the day before you want to serve it. Drain the cherries and put them into a bowl with the rum. Stir well and leave to marinate for 24 hours in a cool place.
Slice the muffins in half through the middles and spread each half with the cherry jam or conserve. Stick the halves back together then cut each muffin into 4 pieces so that you have slices about 2 cm thick. Arrange the muffin slices in a glass bowl then pierce them several times with a skewer, drain the cherries in a sieve set over a bowl and drizzle the rum over the muffins. Top with the cherries.
Break up the chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow it to melt, stir well and leave to cool slightly.
In another bowl, beat the mascarpone with an electric whisk to soften it, then add the custard. Beat again then stir in the melted chocolate. Pour this over the muffins and cherries and shake the bowl a few times so that the chocolate custard runs down into the gaps in the cherries.
Whip the cream in another bowl until it forms soft peaks. Spoon it over the trifle and swirl it with a fork. Crumble the chocolate flake over the top and cover it with clingfilm. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
Melting Middle Chocolate Puddings
These little puddings are surprisingly light in texture, but when you break them open you’re treated to a flood of hot, molten chocolate sauce. Best served warm with some chilled pouring cream or your favourite ice cream. Serves 8.
200g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
200g butter, diced
2 tablespoons of dark rum
110g caster sugar
4 large eggs + 4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g plain flour
Icing sugar for dusting
Put the broken-up chocolate, butter, and rum into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow to melt very slowly. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir.
Put the whole eggs and extra yolks into a large bowl with the caster sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture has doubled in volume. This will take up to 10 minutes, so use an electric whisk. You should have a thick mixture almost like a mousse.
Pour in the melted chocolate and sieve the flour over the top. Use a large metal spoon to gently fold the chocolate into the egg mixture. Don’t be tempted to rush it, you’re aiming to get as much air into the mixture as possible to ensure the puddings are light and fluffy.
Butter the insides of 8 ramekins or pudding moulds and pour in the chocolate mixture – it should almost reach the top of the dishes – then place the dishes on a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to gas 6/200C/400F and cook the puddings for 12 minutes. They don’t need to cook right through, the centre must still be liquid. Press the top gently with your finger and if it feels firm then the puddings are done.
To turn out the puddings, run a palette knife around the edges of the ramekin, put a plate on top and flip it over. Give the dish a little shake and you should have a perfect, upside-down pudding on your plate.
Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar. With double cream, just to up the calorie count!
Easy Chocolate Mousse
This can be made in moments and tastes like a rich chocolate truffle. Decorate each serving with a spoonful or two of softly-whipped cream flavoured with vanilla extract or orange liqueur. Serves 4.
125g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
250g mascarpone
2 tablespoons of icing sugar
150 ml double cream, lightly whipped
50g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids to decorate
Break up the chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Allow to melt and stir well. Beat in the mascarpone and some icing sugar to taste, then spoon into serving dishes. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour, until set.
Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Spoon on top of each serving of chocolate mousse. Melt the remaining dark chocolate, allow it to cool slightly, and then use a teaspoon to drizzle it over the cream. Serve immediately.
Chocolate Brownies
These are very moreish; squares of moist, chewy chocolate with a soft centre and a crispy crust on top. Some people think that they can’t make brownies, but the trick is to stop thinking of them as if they’re a cake – they are supposed to be soft in the middle. If you cook them for too long, they will go dry. Makes 20.
225g butter
450g caster sugar
140g dark chocolate, minimum 72% cocoa solids
5 medium eggs
110g plain flour
55g cocoa powder
Line a 20 x 30 cm square tin with non-stick baking paper. Melt the butter and sugar gently in a large pan until the butter is melted. Take the pan off the heat and add the chocolate, stirring. The chocolate should melt quite quickly.
Beat in the eggs, then add the flour and cocoa powder. Stir gently but thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven, gas 5/190C/375F, for 30 – 35 minutes. The top should feel firm but the centre should still be wobbly.
Allow the brownies to cool in the tin and eat warm or cold. They’re great on their own but even better served with ice cream.
Chocolate Risotto
When you think of risotto, you imagine a savoury rice dish. But it works just as well as a sweet dish. Here, Arborio rice is combined with butter and dark chocolate to create an indulgent – and very different – dessert. Serves 6.
750 ml full-fat milk
50g soft brown sugar
50g butter
Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
125g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
100g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids, chopped
A pinch of sea salt
Put the milk and sugar into a heavy-based pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Melt the butter in a separate pan and stir in the rice, cinnamon and sea salt. Cook for 1 minute, then add half of the sweetened milk. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining hot milk and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is soft and all of the milk has been absorbed.
Scatter the chopped dark chocolate over the risotto, stir until the chocolate starts to melt and serve at once. Best served warm.
Squidgy Chocolate Torte
This is like a cross between a chocolate cake and a brownie. The centre of the cake should be moist and fudgy, while the top should be crisp. Serve warm with lots of cream, or your favourite ice cream. Serves 8.
200g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
140g butter
3 tablespoons of liqueur of your choice (Irish cream, rum, whisky)
5 large eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Cocoa powder for dusting
Put the chocolate, butter and liqueur into a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Allow to melt without stirring, then remove from the heat, stir well and allow to cool slightly.
Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand whisk until they are at the soft peak stage. With the whisk running, add the sugar a spoonful at a time, until the sugar is used up and the meringue is white and glossy.
Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate and fold in the meringue, using a large metal spoon. Put the flour and baking powder into a sieve and sift over the mixture. Fold in gently.
Line a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper and pour in the cake mixture. Bake at gas 4/180C/350F for 30 – 40 minutes, until just set.
Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then gently lift the cake from the tin, slide off the base and the baking paper and cut into wedges. Serve with lashings of cream.
A Very Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
This has got to be the fastest ice cream recipe ever! Using a carton of ready-made custard cuts the time needed for making ice cream in half. And you will have a lovely, rich chocolate ice cream to enjoy in no time. Serves 6 – 8.
1 x 450g carton of fresh custard
300 ml double cream
175g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
Ice cream cones to serve
Chill the custard well. Whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks, then gently fold in the custard with a large metal spoon. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir and allow to cool slightly.
Fold the chocolate into the custard and cream then either pour it into an ice cream maker and freeze/churn or put it into a freezerproof container and freeze for an hour. Beat the ice cream vigorously (an electric hand whisk is best for this job) and return it to the freezer. Repeat this process twice more at hourly intervals, then cover with a lid and freeze until solid.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften in the fridge for 30 minutes, then put 2 scoops into an ice cream cone, or serve it in a bowl with some chocolate or caramel sauce poured over for the ultimate indulgence!
Do you love ice cream? Visit quick easy homemade ice cream for more information and recipes.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this article and that you will make some of these recipes yourself. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
To find out more about chocolate, please visit where does chocolate originate from?
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Just reading and looking at your article makes me want to make all these nice chocolate recipes already. I never knew that the quality of the chocolate is key whilst melting it, now I know it must be at least 72% cocoa solids. Love a good chocolate brownie… Maybe a good one for this weekend 🙂
Thank you for writing this!
You’re very welcome! Chocolate is very tempting and there are so many ways to cook with it. Brownies are a delicious indulgence, I think you should definitely make some.
I’m glad that you learned about the quality of chocolate too, that is very important. I once made a chocolate mousse with dark chocolate that only had 46% cocoa solids; it just didn’t taste right!
I hope that you enjoy trying out the recipes and eating them!
Yeah, I’ve tried warming up the chocolate in the microwave and it truly is hit or miss. It depends on the amount AND the time. I am going to be looking at the chocolate quality too. I always thought that chocolate is chocolate, but it just ain’t the case it seems. Melting Middle Chocolate Puddings seems good, I should try making it.
Thanks for the article!
Thanks for taking the time to read and review the article, it sounds as if you’ve learned something from it.
I once left the chocolate in the microwave for too long and it burned. The smell was indescribable! The bowl over a saucepan method is much safer.
Those chocolate puddings are to die for! The fudge sauce oozing out and mixing with the cream is magical – please try them and let me know what you think