Treat time

I love a treat! I love to treat myself or my family because I think it is important to make a point of what is normal and what is special.  For me a treat is food, presents, holidays, spending time together (my husband just returned from a week away and just taking the kids for a quick swim put them on a high for the rest of the day).  It is a treat every night to watch my daughter toddle over to her big brother and give him a big hug and kiss before she goes to bed.

I know we indulge our kids a bit, but it’s fun, and obviously all the rest (values, discipline and what not) are what we strive to achieve as being the best parents we can be, and the special things are what make it a little easier for everyone along this journey.  And I dont think depriving them of everything that’s naughty and deliciously good is going to make them healthier.  They know that dessert is a reward or treat and hopefully they will grow up knowing that those treats alone do not make up a well rounded diet.  To be honest, a bowl of fresh berries is as much as a treat as is a lollipop to them (well almost!).

This week I treated myself to a mani / pedi.  While I do believe in personal maintenance and grooming, I still put this lovely hour of pampering into my treats basket.  Dubai is not short of a day spa; I think it must have the highest number of nail bars per capita in all of the world and that doesn’t include the day spas for the ‘notch above’ treats and the beauty /hair salons that I classify as maintenance.

Also this week, my daughter discovered that she loves ice cream!  (She also recently discovered juice – she closes her eyes when she drinks it which makes us smile).  Its over 40 degrees here each day now, so it seems an appropriate sweet for this hot weather and being the good Aussie that I am, I have found the mini Bulla Splits which remind me fondly of the beach holidays during my childhood.  So it’s so nice to be able to share this treat with my kids in Dubai!!!

I have been wanting to make this decadent cake for a while now.  I saw it on a favourite blog The Wednesday Chef and I also saw a similar recipe by a favourite tv cook Laura Calder.  It is basically chocolate melted with a few extras added to make sure when you bake it for a few short minutes that it stays together, but really it is a deliciously rich pudding style brownie cake concoction which is exactly how I like to enjoy anything with chocolate.

It is so rich that I don’t know how anyone could have more than a sliver so it would serve a lot of people, and after a big meal, is the perfect dessert to satisfy the still grumbling dessert pocket.  I love the combination of fresh rasberries and whipped or think cream to serve somehow lightens the dish.  What’s excellent is that it is dead simple to make so it makes it seem even better.  By any standards this is a true treat and this time I made it just because.

French Chocolate Cake

Definitely serves 10 people

Pre heat oven to 220 degrees celsius (230 degrees on my gas oven)

Ingredients

• 500g dark chocolate (I used the Classic Swiss Lindt, about 50% cocoa)
• 140g softened butter
• 4 eggs separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• pinch of salt

To Make

1. Line a spring form cake tin with baking paper, I think mine is about 22-24cm.  The cake is thin, it wont set if much smaller.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.  Bain marie is the technical term since this is a french recipe.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, sugar, flour, salt until well combined and butter is melted through.
4. Lightly beat the egg yolks until smooth and then stir into chocolate mixture.
5. Whisk egg whites separately until soft peaks but not stiff.  Then fold gently in batches into the chocolate making sure it is well combined and smooth.
6. Pour mix into the tin and bake in oven for 15 – 18 minutes then turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven with the door slightly ajar until the oven and cake are cool.
7. Leave the cake to cool completely before serving.  Serve with whipped cream and berries.

PS – I think this cake looks perfectly wonderful on its own, but if you want to add to the presentation, a pile of berries or even a layer of carefully places raspberries on top of the cake would make it very special.

PPS – For those of you dark chocolate lovers, I think this cake might verge on too bitter if you use the very bitter chocolate.  Since there is such a tiny amount of extra sugar added, the cake will benefit from a sweeter (gasp) chocolate.  A standard cooking chocolate will do fine.