Whisky and Chocolate Dessert Recipe

Geoffrey Smeddle's decadent chocolate dessert is flavoured with whisky, making it perfect for a special occasion such as New Year's or Hogmanay . The chef uses the Islay whisky Bunnahabhain in his version, but if you are unable to get this particular variety opt for a single malt with an oaky smokiness and delicate peaty taste to avoid overpowering the other flavours of the dish.

Ingredients

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Imperial

Whisky ice cream

75g of sugar
50g of glucose
155g of egg yolk
250g of milk
250g of cream
25ml of whisky

Cremeux

30g of sugar
40g of egg yolk
125g of milk
125g of double cream
115g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
20g of whisky

Chocolate caramel tuile

100g of sugar
50g of glucose
25g of water
75g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
vegetable oil, for greasing the rolling pin

Coffee foam

250g of milk
250g of double cream
2 1/2 tbsp of coffee beans
75g of sugar
50g of glucose
115g of egg yolks

Streusel

160g of plain flour
100g of caster sugar
40g of soft dark brown sugar
110g of butter
30g of cocoa powder
130g of sunflower seeds

Chocolate sugar stick

50g of glucose
50g of Isomalt sugar
50g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces

Caramel sauce

250g of sugar
350g of cream
1 pinch of sea salt

Chocolate sauce

125g of milk
65g of cream
35g of sugar
150g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
15g of cocoa powder
30g of butter

To serve

cocoa powder

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Ice cream maker
Espuma gun
Gas cartridge
Food processor

Start with the whisky ice cream. Whisk together the sugar, glucose and egg yolks in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and set to one side. Combine the milk and cream in a medium pan and place over a medium heat, gently heating until just before boiling point

75g of sugar
50g of glucose
155g of egg yolk
250g of milk
250g of cream

Remove the pan from the heat and, whisking continuously, pour the warm cream over the egg mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the pan and gently heat until it reaches 84°C and thickens to form a crème anglaise

Remove from the heat and mix in the whisky, folding the alcohol evenly through the mixture. Leave to cool, then transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until set

25ml of whisky

Meanwhile, make the cremeux. Whisk together the sugar and yolks in a bowl while gently heating the milk and cream in a clean pan as before. Pour the hot milk and cream over the egg mixture, then return to the pan and cook to 84°C until the mixture has thickened

30g of sugar
40g of egg yolk
125g of milk
125g of double cream

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and carefully pour the warm anglaise over the top, mixing thoroughly until the chocolate has melted and incorporated into the anglaise. Stir in the whisky and allow to cool slightly, then transfer the cremeux to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to serve

115g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
20g of whisky

Preheat the oven to to 180˚C/gas mark 4

To make the tuile, boil together the sugar, glucose and water in a pan until it turns a golden caramel colour. Remove from the heat and beat in the chocolate until melted and smooth

100g of sugar
50g of glucose
25g of water
75g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces

Working quickly, pour the tuile mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and leave to harden and cool. Once hard, roughly break into shards and blitz to a dust in a food processor

Using a template measuring 5cm x 18cm, sprinkle four rectangles of dust onto a silicone mat and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the dust has melted. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes

While still warm, carefully roll each rectangle around a lightly greased rolling pin to form four rings – if they harden too quickly, return to the oven for a few minutes to soften again. Slide off and allow the rings to cool before storing in an airtight container

vegetable oil, for greasing the rolling pin

For the coffee foam, combine the milk, cream and coffee beans in a pan and bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and cover the pan with cling film, leaving to stand and infuse until cool

250g of milk
250g of double cream
2 1/2 tbsp of coffee beans

Once the coffee cream has cooled whisk together the sugar, glucose and egg yolks in a separate bowl until thoroughly combined. Pass the coffee cream through a fine sieve into a clean pan and place over a medium heat until almost boiling, then pour the hot cream mixture over the egg yolks while whisking continuously

75g of sugar
50g of glucose
115g of egg yolks

Return to the pan and heat until the mixture reaches 84˚C and thickens into an anglaise. Allow to cool, then transfer to an espuma gun and charge with one cartridge, shake thoroughly and refrigerate until serving

To make the streusel, place all of the ingredients except the sunflower seeds into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sunflower seeds

30g of cocoa powder
160g of plain flour
100g of caster sugar
40g of soft dark brown sugar
110g of butter
130g of sunflower seeds

Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up

Preheat the oven to 175˚C/gas mark 4

Roll out the chilled dough until approximately 3mm thick. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes until brittle, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. Break into a crumb and store in an airtight container until ready to serve

Increase the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4

To make the chocolate sugar stick, add the glucose and isomalt sugar to a pan and heat to 150˚C until light caramel in colour. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth, then spread the mixture out on a silicone mat

50g of glucose
50g of Isomalt sugar
50g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces

Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and remove, then lie another silicone mat or sheet of baking paper over the top while the mixture is still hot. Roll out with a rolling pin to create a thin sheet, then pull long strands off with your fingers and lie these on another lined tray to harden and cool

For the caramel sauce, add the sugar to a pan and heat until dissolved. Allow to bubble to a golden caramel colour without stirring, then mix in the cream and salt until well combined

250g of sugar
350g of cream
1 pinch of sea salt

Boil the caramel until it reaches the desired consistency, then remove from the heat and leave to cool at room temperature until ready to serve

For the chocolate sauce, bring the cream, milk and sugar to a boil in a pan. Add the chocolate and cocoa powder and whisk until melted and combined. Gradually whisk in the butter until beginning to emulsify, then strain through a fine sieve and reserve until serving

125g of milk
65g of cream
35g of sugar
150g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
15g of cocoa powder
30g of butter

To serve, spread a little of the chocolate and caramel sauces across each serving plate. Place a tuile ring on top and pipe in the cremeux to three-quarters full, sprinkle over some streusel and cover with a squirt of the coffee foam to fill the tuile. Place a quenelle of ice cream alongside the filled tuile and garnish with the sugar stick, leftover streusel and a dusting of cocoa powder

cocoa powder

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Geoffrey Smeddle

Geoffrey Smeddle, proprietor and chef of The Peat Inn in Fife, started his career working for Herbert Berger at The Café Royal and for Christopher Galvin in London. He then sealed his reputation as one of Scotland’s top chefs by opening Terence Conran's Etain, in Glasgow.

Whisky and chocolate cremeux with whisky ice cream, coffee and caramel

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