top of page

3 Masterchef-Approved Chocolate-Based Recipes By Sarah Todd

Celebrating World Chocolate Day with three chocolate-based dessert recipes by Sarah Todd!

Photo Courtesy: Sarah Todd

It's World Chocolate Day, and that means dedicating a day to one of the most loved and versatile ingredients to eat and cook with. Chocolate has been an ingredient that found its presence in almost every pastry chef's kitchen, and when all else failed, turning to chocolate never disappointed. Today, chocolate can be consumed in various forms, and quite frankly adding it to any dessert (and maybe even a savoury dish) instantly elevates the dish. Whether you prefer it as a bar, in a cake, in your coffee or even as ice cream, chocolate always makes us smile.


Photo Courtesy: Pexels

While chocolate has been a hero for many patissiers around the globe, how about channelling your inner Masterchef this year? If you are a Masterchef fan who follows the show season after season, then the name Sarah Todd will surely enliven you. Back in 2014 the chef showcased her passion for food and cooking (especially Indian cuisine) and put on display delicious sweet, savoury dishes. Shortly after Season 6, she moved to India from Australia, she started her restaurant, Antares, in Goa, and later launched The Wine Rack in Mumbai. Sarah has risen to the top of the culinary world. Her innovative cooking style showcases fresh, local produce combined with her signature flavours for simplicity and elegance. And to celebrate World Chocolate Day 2022, international chef, restaurateur, TV host, speaker and entrepreneur who earned recognition after her appearance in Masterchef in 2014, Sarah Todd shares three recipes.


Photo Courtesy: Sarah Todd


From her coveted Masterchef Shattered Rose recipe that takes inspiration from Falooda to Sarah's Chocolate and Coffee Pannacotta, Blackberries and her Black Forest Triffle; this Chocolate Day let's give in to indulgence and try our hand at her signature recipes. Brace yourself.... because ahead are recipes from the food connoisseur herself.



Shattered Rose (this appeared on Masterchef)


Shattered Rose
Shattered Rose | Photo Courtesy: Sarah Todd

Ingredients


Lychee Panna Cotta Insert

200g of lychee purée

67g of whipping cream

5g of gelatine

Raspberries

Soaked basil seeds


Raspberry Mousse

352g of chocolate, CALLEBAUT

38g of eggs

30g of egg yolk

74g of caster sugar

10g of gelatine

180g of raspberry purée

215g of whipping cream, whip soft peaks


Raspberry and Lychee Ice Cream

135g of raspberry purée

135g of lychee purée

135g of whole milk

135g of whipping cream

25g of ice cream stabiliser

13g of glycerine or corn syrup

108g of egg yolk

27g of caster sugar

1 g rosewater


Maple Vermecelli

50 g butter

50 g maple syrup

100 g Kataifi or vermicelli

20 g maple sugar or brown sugar


Velvet Spray

60% white chocolate

40% cocoa butter

Red food colouring

Melt to 45 degrees

(Dessert -18)


METHOD


LYCHEE PANNACOTTA

Place lychee purée in pan with whipping cream, bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Steep gelatine in cold water, strain and stir through hot lychee mixture until dissolved. Cool to blood temperature then pipe 15g into each silicone mini mould. Divide raspberries and soaked basil seeds evenly between and place in freezer to set. When ready, de-mould and lay onto a tray lined with silicone paper. Refrigerate until required.


RASPBERRY MOUSSE

Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every minute until melted. Place whole eggs and yolks into a food mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on a slow speed. Meanwhile, in clean saucepan, cook the sugar to 121°C. When the sugar reaches 105˚C, increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Once it reaches 121˚C, slowly pour hot sugar over the whisking eggs and continue to whisk until they reach 40°C and light and fluffy Soften the gelatine in cold water and warm the raspberry purée in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling. Strain the water from the gelatine and dissolve in the hot purée. Allow the purée to cool slightly, add to egg mixture to make a pâte à bombe. Lastly, fold in the semi-whipped cream and place directly into a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. To assemble, place the dome silicone moulds onto a tray and spray lightly with vegetable cooking spray. Fill mould 2/3 full with raspberry mousse and tap tray 3-4 times on work surface to remove air bubbles.


ICE-CREAM

Place raspberry purée in a pan and reduce on low heat until you are left with 40g. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Place lychee purée, milk, cream, stabiliser and glycerine in a pan and bring to boil. Whisk egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and fluffy Pour small amount of boiling lychee liquid over yolks while whisking to temper yolks. Add contents of the bowl back to pan to incorporate with the remaining lychee liquid. Cook over a moderate heat to form a crème anglaise, stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 83˚C. Pass crème anglaise through a fine chinoise and chill rapidly in a blast chiller. Churn in an ice cream maker. When almost set, ripple through the raspberry purée and place in the freezer to set.

While ice cream is churning, make the vermicelli. Preheat oven to 160ËšC. Line a tray with a slip mat. Melt butter and maple syrup. Make 10g bundles of kataifi and drizzle and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until golden, 10 minutes.


Chocolate and Coffee Pannacotta, Blackberries

Chocolate and Coffee Pannacotta, Blackberries | Photo Courtesy: Sarah Todd

Ingredients


200 ml milk

200 ml fresh cream

200 g dark chocolate

3 tbsp sugar

1 cup of espresso

2 sheets of gelatin

To serve: blackberries, chocolate shards, crushed hazelnuts


Method


Step 1 - Steep gelatin. In a pot, add milk, cream and sugar and bring to a simmer and pour

over chocolate, and add coffee and gelatin. Strain and pour into pannacotta moulds.

Step 2 - Allow it to be set in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.

Step 3 - Demould by dipping mould into warm water for 15 seconds


Black Forest Triffle



Black Forest Triffle | Photo Courtesy: Sarah Todd

Ingredients


1 kg sweet black cherries

100 g sugar

1 vanilla pod

1 cup water

1 cinnamon stick, broken in 2 pieces

½ cup Kirsch

4 whole cloves

Whipped cream chantilly

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

50g of white chocolate, melted

50 ml cream

200 ml whipping cream, whipped

2 tsp kirsch

250 g chocolate sponge, pre made

75 g chocolate

300 g chocolate custard

150 g cherry compote


Method


Step 1- Using a sharp knife or a cherry pitter, pit the cherries. Discard stalks and pits. Sprinkle sugar over the prepared cherries; gently stir and cover and leave overnight in a cool place. Next day, strain cherries and set aside keeping the juices. Add juices into a saucepan and add spices and bring to a boil. Spoon the cherries into the sterilized preserving jar. Take the saucepan off the heat and leave for a few minutes before straining the juices into a jug through a fine-meshed sieve. Discard the spices.


Add 1 cup of water and ½ cup of kirsch to the juices, stir well and pour over the cherries. Ensure cherries are totally covered by adding more kirsch, if required. Store in a cool, dark place.


Step 2

Arrange the triffle. Put the sponge on the bottom and pour over some of the cherry liquid. Layer the rest of the ingredients. Make all components the day before and a few hours before the guests arrive assemble the triffle.




Comments


bottom of page