Boîte Au Chocolat Aux Fruits -

Boîte Au Chocolat Aux Fruits

Ingredients

3 eggs
4½ oz caster sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water
3 oz plain flour (sifted with pinch of salt)

To finish

3 oz plain block chocolate
2-3 tablespoons rum, or kirsch, or Grand Marnier
½ lb raspberries, or strawberries, or 2-3 fresh peaches (sliced)
Caster sugar (to sweeten fruit)
¼-½ pint double cream (whipped)

8-inch square cake tin

Method

Set the oven at 350°F or Mark 4. Grease and flour the cake tin. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks thoroughly with half the sugar and the boiling water in a bowl over hot water. When mixture is thick and mousse-like, remove bowl from the heat.

Whisk the whites stiffly, then whisk in the rest of the sugar; cut and fold this into the yolk mixture with the sifted flour and salt. Turn mixture at once into prepared tin; bake for about 25 minutes in pre-set moderate oven. Turn cake out and cool.

Meanwhile break up the chocolate and melt it over very gentle heat, but do not allow the chocolate itself to reach more than blood heat (98°F). Spread this evenly and moderately thickly over a large square of greaseproof paper and, when just set, mark into small squares (1¾ inches) with a sharp knife. Leave in a cool airy room to harden completely.

Sprinkle the cake well with the rum (or liqueur) and prepare the fruit. Then sugar the fruit and leave to stand for a short time. Spread the sides of the cake with cream. Peel the chocolate squares off the paper and press them round sides of cake, slightly overlapping. Top edge of squares should come above top of cake. Fill cake with fruit and pile more cream on top.

Related food category:

• Fresh Fruit Dessert