Serve these DELICIOUS and SIMPLE DESSERTS at your next party …
Almond chocolate coffee biscotti
Makes 24
115g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
80ml L’OR ristretto espresso
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
180g ground almonds
200g dark chocolate
Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas 4
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add in the espresso, orange zest and vanilla extract. Lastly sift in the flour and baking powder, and tip in the ground almonds. Mix until a dough forms.
With floury hands, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log 7.5cm in diameter. Place the logs on to a baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Leaving the oven on, transfer the loaves to a cutting board. Using a knife, cut each loaf into 1cm slices. Arrange the slices in one layer on a baking tray and return to the oven and bake for ten minutes. Turn the biscotti over and bake for a further ten minutes on the other side. Transfer the biscotti to wire racks to cool.
Place a glass bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water, and melt the dark chocolate in the bowl. Once melted remove the bowl from the pan.
Dip the biscotti into the chocolate, leaving half of the biscotti without chocolate. Leave to cool.
Chocolate coffee brownies with blueberry frosting
250g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
250g unsalted butter
4 free-range eggs
100ml L’OR espresso profundo
250g muscovado sugar
80g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60g cocoa powder
For The Blueberry Frosting
300g blueberries
400g cream cheese
300g icing sugar
For Decorating
Fresh blueberries
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and grease a 30x20cm/12x8in tin.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir gently until smooth then set aside to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Then pour in the melted chocolate and butter, and espresso. Next tip in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix until the mixture has a silky sheen.
Pour the chocolate brownie mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the surface then bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the sheet of brownies are firm in the rim but a bit soft in the middle. Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack until cooled completely.
While the brownies are cooling make the blueberry frosting. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a bowl until well combined. Blitz the fresh blueberries until smooth, then fold them into the icing mixture, until you get a lovely lilac coloured frosting. Using a palette knife, spread the icing over the cooled chocolate brownies, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out.
Cut the brownies into squares and decorate with blueberries.
Recipes created by Clodagh McKenna for L’OR coffee using new L’OR espresso aluminium capsules. www.lorespresso.com.
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