Chocolate and Orange Crèmes

Chocolate? Meet orange. Orange? Meet chocolate. I think you two will really hit if off. And by god they do!

To tell you the truth, chocolate is like the dessert world's lethario (or dare I say it, chocolate is a hussy?). It pretty much loves everything and pairs beautifully with an array of flavours. You'd be hard pressed to find something that doesn't taste good with added chocolate!

One of my favourite combinations is chocolate and orange. Words cannot describe the pleasure I get when these two flavours - seductively good in their own right - combine for maximum tantalisation. And you can't get sexier than these chocolate crèmes - ultra smooth, soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth and eaten with a spoon...the sexiest eating utensil hands down.

Ingredients

Makes 2 large / 4 small ramekins or glasses (or 1 bowl if you're in one of those moods!)

1 orange, washed
100g caster sugar
4 x 100ml cold water, plus extra to refresh
150g good quality chocolate, chopped - (I always go dark but by all means, use milk or white for something different)
2 egg yolks
1 Tbl liquid glucose / glucose syrup
2 Tbl warm water
150ml double cream

Method

With a paring knife or zester, pare the zest off the orange into fine strips.

Place in a saucepan and cover with the first 100ml of cold water and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Take the pan off the heat, refresh with cold water and drain. Place it back in the saucepan and repeat this process twice more.

Place zest back in the saucepan, cover with the last 100ml of water and the caster sugar. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for a minute then turn off the heat and allow the zest to cool in the sugar syrup. Drain when it has completely cooled.

Leave aside about a third of the zest strips for garnishing. Finely chop the remaining zest and set aside.

Chocolate Créme

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water).

Mix the glucose, chopped orange zest and the 2 Tbl warm water to the egg yolks, then mix into the melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it has reached ribbon consistency and gently fold into the chocolate mixture, without overmixing.

Pour into the glasses or ramekins and garnish with the remaining zest strips. Refrigerate for about an hour berfore serving. If it has chilled for too long, sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes prior to serving.