Cocoa Loco

If there’s one time of year to opt to relax the rules around indulging, choose Easter. Let the wonders of chocolate put a smile on your face and again on those around you with homemade treats. And if you still haven’t had enough, try some stellar dessert recipes to wow guests and family.

The chocolate eggs lining the supermarket shelves are always a sight to behold – the choices are almost overwhelming. What’s more exciting is they’re certainly not just a child’s domain – ever-more sophisticated offerings are enticing the more discerning palate these days. But if you truly want to impress recipients, why not give your own sweet treats a go.

Chocolate truffles are so decadent yet are surprisingly simple to make. The first thing to do is choose the best-quality chocolate you can, with a high cocoa solid percentage – a minimum of 70 per cent. Heat 300ml of cream and 50g of unsalted butter and let the butter melt. Turn off the heat just as the cream reaches simmering point and add 300g of chocolate, roughly chopped, mixing until all is melted and the mixture is smooth. At this point, you can let your imagination run wild dividing the mixture and either keeping some plain or adding different flavourings (keep reading for some ideas). Then refrigerate for a minimum of four hours before oiling your hands and forming teaspoon-sized scoops of chocolate mix into balls – for the purposes of Easter try an egg shape – and rolling in your choice of toppings. We like: lemon zest and limoncello flavouring, rolled in dessiciated coconut; a dash of rosewater, rolled in finely chopped pistachios; orange juice and zest flavour, rolled in cocoa powder; or a coffee flavouring, rolled in chopped walnuts. Think about who you’re giving them to and come up with a flavour combination to suit each personality. A personalised chocolate gift will always be a memorable one.

But the choc fix doesn’t need to end there – finish an Easter meal with some more chocolate love. Here are some of our favourite desserts, including a health-conscious mousse and a very grown-up ice cream treat.

• Chocolate Profiteroles
• Chocolate, Cinnamon and Chilli Cake
• Chocolate, Nut Butter and Avocado Mousse (pictured above)
• Imperial Stout Floats