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Recipes: 3 mouth-watering chocolate treats

Mark World Chocolate Day on July 7 with these utterly delicious treats

'Chocolate First' Pot
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients
60 gm dark chocolate
1 tbsp corn starch
500 ml double cream milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp hazelnut syrup, optional
1/4 cup double cream
1 tbsp butter

For garnish:
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp mixed berries
Few leaves of basil
Gold leaf

Method
Melt dark chocolate in a dough boiler.
Mix corn starch with 1/4 cup milk and boil the rest of the milk with sugar on medium-low heat.
Once it starts boiling, add the corn starch mixture and keep stirring in order to avoid lumps.
Add vanilla extract, hazelnut syrup (optional) and double cream.
Remove from heat and add melted dark chocolate and butter; stir well till combined.
Set aside to cool slightly before pouring the mixture into a serving jar or bowl of choice.
Cool completely and chill in the refrigerator for about 4-8 hours.
Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with mixed berries, basil leaves and gold leaf.
Serve cold.

Chocolate Bundt Cake With Berry Coulis
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup roasted almonds or pecans, crushed
1/2 cup laban

For berry coulis:
1 cup mixed berries, frozen
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest

Method
Pre-heat oven at 180°C and fill a baking tray (9x9 in) with water.
Grease two small bundt cake moulds.
Mix butter with sugar in the stand mixer bowl. Add cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix again.
Add almond flour, corn starch, roasted almonds or pecans and laban or butter milk.
Mix well and pour into the prepared cake moulds. Place the moulds into the tray and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Heat berries and sugar in a pan; stir and add orange zest. Cook for 4-5 minutes till it combines. Cool and pour over the prepared cakes. Serve.

Chocolate Banana Pecan Bread
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 50 mins

Ingredients
2 tbsp flaxseed powder
5 tbsp water
2 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats, slightly roasted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup laban
1/2 cup pecan, roasted and roughly crushed
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method
Pre-heat oven at 180°C.
Make flax eggs by mixing flaxseed powder with water, and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Mash bananas in a stand mixer bowl. Add sugar and oil and mix well.
Add the flour, oats, cocoa powder, coconut, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and add prepared flax eggs to the mix.
Keep stirring; add laban to the mixture and most of the pecans, followed by add vanilla extract.
Grease one bread tin or silicone mould (5x9 in). Arrange 5-6 pecans at the bottom of the mould, then pour the batter into this.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely. Dust off with icing sugar and serve with tea or coffee.