Gu - Gu Chocolate Cookbook

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE CHOCOLATEY WORLD OF G

Since G first entered the world in 2003, weve had a healthy obsession with all things chocolate. Our deliciously irresistible chocolate puds have become a firm favourite with dessert lovers worldwide and were always looking for ways to bring even more chocolatey pleasure to our fellow chocolate lovers.

Having made a bit of a name for ourselves in hitting the perfect chocolate spot every time, we started getting lots of requests for our recipes and tips, so we thought, why keep such a good thing a secret? Why not share the love? Couldnt we help you, our fellow chocolate worshippers, to make your own decadent treats at home when youve got a bit more time than it takes to open a ramekin or unwrap a brownie?

So here it is the first ever G chocolate cookbook, which our brilliant chefs have filled with some of our iconic G classics as well as lots of must-try new creations. From mousses to millefeuilles, sauces to savouries, crpes to cakes, brownies to blinis, pancakes to profiteroles, fondants to fondues, tarts to toppings, churros to cheesecakes, ice creams to eclairs, even white chocolate parsnips and chocolate-crusted chickens. You name it, weve gone there in the name of chocolate research (tough work ) and here in the next 200-ish pages are our favourite recipes all using this brilliantly versatile and delicious, humble hero of the store cupboard chocolate.

Were so excited to introduce you to the next generation of G chocolate decadence and trust you will delight in devouring them as much as weve revelled in creating them in the G kitchen.

Wed love to know what you think about our new ideas and hear any inspirations for future desserts, so do drop us a line at .

Seek delight. Give it a go. Give in to G you know you want to

The G team

Chocolate is one of the most irresistible of ingredients (well, we would say that, wouldnt we?), whether it is dark, milk or white chocolate. But when it comes to the quality of chocolate, the best way to judge this at home is by the cocoa solids. The higher the proportion of cocoa solids (made from roasted and ground cocoa beans, sugar and cocoa butter), the more chocolatey the taste.

Before you set about making any of our recipes, read through the ingredients list to make sure you have our suggested chocolate stashed away in your kitchen. We think that for dark chocolate, its best to use a minimum of 50% cocoa solids, but often 70% is preferable. We always give you a recommended level of cocoa solid, but if, say, we suggest 50% cocoa solids and you can only find a chocolate that contains 70%, it would be best to reduce the quantity by 1015% or the end result will be too rich. Likewise, add 1015% if you are using 50% cocoa solids rather than a recommended 70%. For milk chocolate, the minimum cocoa solids should be 34%.

White chocolate is a slightly different ingredient as it is made up of very little or no cocoa solids. However, a good white chocolate will have a maximum of 30% cocoa butter. So check out those labels.

USEFUL ADVICE

With each of our recipes we have given you a step-by-step method to show you the best way to create our dishes. However, working on the basis that we like to leave no stone unturned, here is some background information for the skills and equipment that we have used so that you can stun your friends and family each and every time you produce a G pud, snack or nibble from these pages.

SOME GENERAL INFORMATION

To kick off, we recommend you read these points before you get stuck into cooking.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: An oven takes a good 10 minutes to heat up to an average 180C/Gas mark 4, so make sure you leave enough time for this to happen. Theres no point in putting your carefully prepared cake mixture in an oven that isnt hot enough. For recipes like sponge cakes and souffls, gently close the door on your creation and keep it closed as a sudden blast of air into the oven can affect how well they rise.

MEASURING SPOONS: When a recipe calls for a measure in a teaspoon or tablespoon, bear in mind that 1 teaspoon = 5ml and 1 tablespoon = 15ml (or 3 teaspoons).

INGREDIENTS

The freshest ingredients are always the best and for chocolate to keep at its best, store it in a dark and cool cupboard.

MILK: Always use whole milk. This is what weve used for all our testing purposes. Not only does it have the best flavour, but it also adds the necessary consistency. Semi-skimmed or shock, horror! fully skimmed milk, will result in a thinner mix so, for example, pastry wont bind so easily and custard wont be so rich. Cooking might be an art form, but its a science too and we want you to have only the best results.

BUTTER: When you are baking it is always best to use ingredients that are at room temperature as this helps them to bind together better. For butter, it is even more helpful if it has also been softened slightly. If you are cooking on a hot summers day, theres every chance that your butter will be nicely softened already, but on a cooler day, you will have to help things along. The best way to do this is to put the butter in a microwave and heat it at a medium setting for 1015 seconds at a time. Check the butter between each blast because it can very easily start melting rather than simply softening.

For the majority of our recipes, we suggest you use unsalted butter as we particularly like its rich, creamy taste. Of course, if you prefer to use the salted variety, that is your choice.

EGGS: As with all fresh ingredients, you will want to ensure that the eggs you use are as fresh as possible (with the exception of ) and are at room temperature.

All eggs in the recipes in this book are medium sized, unless stipulated otherwise.

WHIPPING CREAM VERSUS DOUBLE CREAM: Our head chef Fred prefers to use whipping cream over double cream because it is lighter and not as rich. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its name, it whips well and yet is also good as a pouring cream. We like versatility. For all our recipes, weve specified our preference.

If you find it difficult to source whipping cream, you can make your own by mixing double and single cream two thirds to one third.

LEAF GELATINE: Yes, size does matter. Dont be fooled by packets of leaves as their size and strength varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. For this reason, weve given a weight of gelatine (and approximate number of leaves) for each of our recipes that make use of this setting agent.

Never boil any mixture that contains gelatine because otherwise you risk losing its setting properties.

HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE

You can either melt chocolate in the microwave (our chef Freds favoured method) or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (otherwise known as a bain marie). Whichever method you choose, first pop the chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl. Make sure that they are broken or chopped into equally sized pieces to ensure an even melting.

Fred is a big fan of melting chocolate in the microwave because you are not creating unnecessary heat in your kitchen and the worst enemy of chocolate is humidity. Put the bowl of chocolate in the microwave and heat it in short blasts of 3040 seconds on a low power setting to avoid scorching or burning the chocolate. Stir the chocolate between each bout of heat. If the bowl you are using becomes too hot for you to handle after it has been microwaved, it is also too hot for your chocolate, so pour it into a cool bowl.

While you can buy a pair of pans that have been specifically designed to nestle together as a bain marie, you can also easily make your own. Choose a heatproof bowl that just sits over a saucepan, but not too far into the pan. Heat some water in the pan to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and place the bowl of chocolate over the top. Stir it occasionally as it melts until the chocolate is smooth.