CHOCOLATE & ORANGE DELICACIES

Recipe from "Le Petit Larousse du Chocolat"
(edition November 2008)
www.larousse.fr

Ingredients

Makes 12 little cakes

Preparation

The day before, prepare the orange compote:
1- peel the orange and cut into segments.
2- Place in a saucepan and add the 2 types of sugar and the honey.
3- Cook the whole mixture for 25 minutes on a low flame until it forms a compote. Refrigerate overnight.

The same day, prepare the cake mix:
1- Chop up the chocolate and melt in a bain-marie. Take a bowl and work the soft butter with a spatula until thick and creamy, then gradually add the melted chocolate.
2- In a blender, mix the powdered almonds with the sugar. Gradually add the whipped eggs and mix to obtain a smooth, creamy paste, then add the honey.
3- Little by little, work in the chocolate-butter mixture, then the Cointreau. Keep on mixing to get a smooth and creamy consistency. Refrigerate for one hour then pour into a pouch fitted with an even nozzle.
4- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (thermostat 6). Butter a mini-muffin silicone mould.
5- Place a layer of mix, about ½” thick, into the mini-moulds. Take a tea-spoon and spread a ¼” coat of orange compote on top (keep the rest for decoration). Spread the rest of the pasty mix on top, filling the moulds to two-thirds.
6- Oven bake for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 160°C (thermostat 5-6) and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
7- Leave the chocolate and orange cakes to cool then remove from their moulds.
Place a little orange compote on the top of each one then, if you wish, sprinkle on a little icing sugar.