New In Now From Le Creuset

Ingredients

225g butter, plus extra for greasing 

250g dark chocolate 

1 tsp instant coffee 

5 medium eggs 

75g caster sugar 

75g plain flour, sieved 

175g fresh raspberries 

A little icing sugar, for dusting 

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/ Fan 140°C /Gas Mark 3 

Grease the inside of the heart casserole and line the base with baking parchment. 

Put the chocolate, butter, coffee and 1 tablespoon of water into a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and melt together, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat until thick and pale in colour. (This may take 4–5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.)

Using a metal spoon, gently fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar, followed by the flour.

Pour the cake mixture into the casserole and sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 40–45 minutes or until the cake is well risen and springy to the touch.

Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes and then ease around the edge of the casserole with a spatula before turning the cake out onto a large serving plate.

When cool, remove the baking parchment and turn the cake over so that the raspberries are on the top. Dust with the icing sugar to serve. 

Cook’s Notes 
Frozen raspberries can be used instead. Thaw them thoroughly and drain off any excess juice. 

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp cocoa powder 

85g chocolate 

½ tbsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs, separated  

2 tbsp sugar 

Pinch salt 

Pinch of cream of tartar 

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/ Fan 160° / Gas Mark 4 

Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease the 4 ramekins. Coat the inside of the ramekins with the cocoa powder, tapping out the excess and re-using to coat the remaining ramekins.

In a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and remaining butter. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until smooth. Set aside.

In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the sugar, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Using a metal spoon, gently fold the egg-white mixture into the chocolate. Divide the mixture between the 4 ramekins.

Bake until puffed and set, this will take about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.  

1.4L chicken stock 

1 small leek 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into pieces 

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

3 tbsp butter, cubed 

200g short grain rice (arborio or carnaroli) 

240ml dry white wine 

3½  tbsp horseradish 

45g Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated 

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 

Method

In a saucepan, heat the stock until barely simmering. Keep it hot. Meanwhile, remove the tough green tops and white ends from the leeks and halve lengthwise. Rinse thoroughly under running water and dry. Slice very thin, crosswise. 

Blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water for a few minutes, then chill.

Set the cast iron heart casserole over a medium heat, add the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the leeks and cook until translucent, being careful not to brown them. 

Add the rice and stir to coat it in the oil and butter. Let it cook until fragrant, about 3 – 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine is almost all absorbed.

Begin adding the warm stock one ladle at a time. Stir and shake the pan every few minutes until the stock is absorbed. Repeat with more ladles of stock, stirring frequently until it is absorbed each time. After 30 – 35 minutes, most of the stock should be used up.

Turn off the heat and mix in the horseradish, remaining butter and cheese. Use a wooden spoon to stir while shaking the pan. Gently fold in the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. 
 

Cook’s Notes 

Risotto should bubble slightly as it cooks, but not boil. Do not let it cook dry. The rice should be plump with a nice creamy consistency, and cooked through but not mushy. You may not use all of the stock, but if it is all used, you can use water or more stock if needed to finish cooking the rice. 

Ingredients

For the Dough:

160ml warm milk

5g instant dry yeast

25g white sugar

250g cake flour, plus extra for rolling

3 ml salt

6ml vanilla paste

100g good-quality raspberry jam

100g fresh raspberries

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the dough in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead in the mixer for about 8-10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed. Add a little extra flour if necessary. Cover with a tea towel and prove in a warm place until doubled in size.

Grease the Le Creuset 20cm Signature Heart Casserole.

Knock the dough back, then divide it into six equal pieces. Roll each dough portion into a rectangle, measuring 3 x 40 cm. Place one strip on your surface, spread evenly with raspberry jam and scatter with torn raspberries. Top with another dough rectangle and more jam and raspberries. Cover with a third dough strip and set aside. Repeat the process with the remaining three dough rectangles.

Pick up the two stacks of dough, twist and spiral them into the heart casserole. Cover with a tea towel and allow to prove again until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.

Bake for 40 minutes, then turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until browned. Remove from the oven and brush with warm raspberry jam and allow to cool in the casserole.

Remove from casserole and serve warm with butter and more jam.

This loaf can even be made into French toast and served with fresh berries, plain yoghurt or crème Fraiche and honey.

Ingredients

200g white couverture or chocolate 

50g of whipped cream 

30g unsalted butter, cubed 

Optional 1 tbsp rum or orange liqueur 

Decoration (optional)

Sugar sprinkles 

Desiccated coconut 

White chocolate flakes, chopped  

Chopped nuts (optional)  

Icing sugar (optional) 

Method

Begin by roughly chopping the couverture/chocolate and butter into small sized pieces. 

Bring the cream to the boil, remove from the heat, add the chopped couverture/chocolate and the butter, stir until everything is melted. Allow the creamy mixture to cool a little and then stir in the orange liquer.

Put the mixture in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, shape the truffle mixture into small balls (approx. 2.5 cm in diameter) and roll them in either the coconut flakes, chocolate flakes, chopped nuts or icing sugar. Mix and match your flavours here to create different truffles.

The truffle mixture will warm up very quickly and stick to the hands. Therefore, shape quickly and rinse your hands in cold water between shaping.

Once all truffles are made serve them in a Le Creuset heart ramekin.  

 
Cook’s Notes 

Store the white chocolate truffles in refrigerator for a 3-4 days. 

Ingredients

3 cardamom pods 

100g white chocolate 

1 large egg 

25ml caster sugar 

125ml cream, whipped 

To Serve
 
125ml cream, whipped 

Fresh raspberries 

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

Hold a cardamom pod over a pestle and mortar and gently squeeze the pod between your thumb and forefinger to crack it open. If the pod is green and difficult to crack, place it into your mortar and gently crush it open with the pestle. Crush the seeds with the heavier, rounded end of the pestle. A firm, slow grinding motion is all that is needed to pulverize the seeds.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place together with the crushed cardamom seeds in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Stir until melted. Remove and leave to cool slightly.

Beat the egg and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and thick. Fold in the cooled chocolate until combined. 

Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the mousse into two heart ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Top the mousse with whipped cream and decorate with fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.