MAKES 8
100g dark chocolate with chilli (about 50 per cent cocoa) broken into pieces
125g unsalted butter, diced
50g light muscovado sugar
50g ground almonds
½ tsp ground ginger sifted
3 medium eggs
crème fraîche to serve
icing sugar for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and have ready a nonstick friand tin (which will give you the oval shape), or alternatively you can use muffin cases in a muffin tin. Gently melt 90g of the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water. Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor, then add the ground almonds, ginger and eggs one at a time. Trickle the chocolate through the funnel with the motor running. You should have a smooth runny batter.
- Half fill the friand tins or muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes until risen and just set on the outside, while slightly moist in the centre. Leave to cool; they will sink in the middle. Drop a teaspoon of crème fraîche on the centre of each one. Finely shave the remaining chocolate into splinters and scatter over. Chill for an hour and dust with icing sugar before serving.
PERFECT PAIRING
Sherlock Holmes Tea by Chash, £10 for 50g loose leaf, chashtea.co.uk
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