BELGIUM

'A Taste of Europe' the second book in the Chef Explorer Series is 1/2 complete. Here is a recipe from the country of Belgium as discussed on my Chef & Music Explorer Show on Radio Ellenbrook 88fm.

 BELGIUM CHOCOLATE CAKE

I call this a Belgium chocolate cake simply because I use perhaps the best chocolate in the World from Belgium!

300g Self raising flour

100g Cocoa powder

1 T-Spoon Baking powder

200g Butter

200g Caster sugar

4 Beaten eggs

Creme Chantilly

20ml whipping cream

Dash  of Vanilla essence

20g sugar

1.     Sieve and well  mix dry ingredients

2.     Cream butter and sugar  until nearly white

3.     Gradually add eggs to stage 2

4.     Lightly fold into  the flour mixture

5.     Grease and line cake tin and bake at 180 c  for 30 minutes approx

6.     When cool, whip up the chantilly ingredients.

7.     Slice cake horizontally and sandwich with the chantilly

8.     Cover with a Ganache

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

200g of a *Belgium chocolate

150 ml cream

1.     Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not boil water and take off as soon as melted

2.     Bring cream to the boil in a saucepan.

3.     Remove from the heat and whisk in chocolate.

·        I used ‘The Grocer’ Belcolade Noir Collection with 55% minimum  cocoa content. $12 for 300g. I bought at ‘European Foods’ in Northbridge.