Chocolate Delice

Chocolate delice is a fancy layered dessert with a cookie-like base and a chocolate topping, often made with a glaze or ganache on top. The layers in between generally feature a chocolate mousse or a similar creamy filling. Chefs have different techniques for making chocolate delice that highlight particular flavours, such as caramel, rum or coffee, in addition to the taste of chocolate.

Base:
unsalted butter (50g)
golden syrup (50g)
muesli with nuts (250g)

Chocolate Mousse:
milk (325g)
double cream (140g)
2 eggs
70% dark chocolate (400g)
seeds from 1 vanilla pod

Chocolate Glaze:
caster sugar (75g)
water (60g)
cocoa powder (25g)
whipping cream (45g)
1.5 leaves gelatine, soaked in water until soft and squeezed dry

For the Base:
Melt the butter with the golden syrup, stir in the muesli until it is well combined and sticky. Turn this mixture into a loose bottomed cake tin and press it down firmly with the back of a spoon to cover the base of the tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

For the Chocolate Mousse:
Place the milk, cream and vanilla seeds into a pan and heat but do not allow to boil.

In a clean bowl, whisk the eggs until they are pale and fluffy.

Over a bain marie, melt the chocolate then add the milk and cream mixture. Stir well to combine the chocolate with the liquid.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs until a nice even colour and consistency has been achieved.

Pour the mousse onto the muesli base and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until the mousse has firmed.

For the Chocolate Glaze:
Bring to the boil the water and caster sugar and simmer for 4 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and the cream, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further three minutes. Take of the heat.

Add the gelatine and dissolve. Pass through a sieve and cool to room temperature. Pour evenly over your delice and leave to cool in the refrigerator.

To Serve:
Run a hot knife around the inside edge of the cake tin to release the mousse and lift out your delice.