CHOCOLATE + BLACKBERRY MONTE CARLOS

MAKES 8 | 10 MINS PREP TIME | 20 MINS COOK TIME

If you’re familiar with my Quick Monte Carlos, let me introduce you to their richer, darker relatives - and oh boy, it’s possible that they’re even more delicious. If you’re into baking on Valentine’s day, then these will win you some serious brownie points, pun intended. Or just get indulgent and romance your beautiful self. For me it’s the combination of chewy, salty, dark coconut biscuits and the soft and subtle flavours from the blackberries and cream that makes these so heavenly.

georgia-barnes-chocolate-monte-carlos

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Coconut Biscuits

  • 3/4 cup self-raising flour

  • 1 cup organic desiccated coconut

  • 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder

  • 3/4 cup rapadura sugar

  • 1/2 tsp natural salt

  • 100g pure butter, melted and cooled

  • 1 free-range egg, lightly whisked

  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla bean extract

Blackberry Jam

  • 200g blackberries, fresh or frozen

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • ½ cup rapadura sugar

Blueberry Cream

  • 300ml pure cream

  • 2 tbsp organic blueberry powder [optional]

  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or purevanilla bean extract

Garnish

  • 8 fresh blackberries

  • Icing sugar [optional]

  • Edible flower petals [optional - dianthus pictured]

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170*C.

To make the biscuits: Place flour, coconut, cocoa, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Add melted butter, egg and vanilla and mix well. Place even spoonfuls of mixture onto a lined baking tray and place in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a tray.

Meanwhile, to make the jam: Place blackberries, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until blackberries have released their juices. Add a splash of water if the jam is catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue cooking until blackberries have broken down and mixture has reduced. Transfer jam to a bowl and set aside to cool.

To make the blueberry cream: Place cream in a bowl and whisk to form soft peaks. Add blueberry powder and vanilla. Stir until just combined.

To construct the monte carlos: Spread a small amount of jam on half of the cooled biscuits. Top with a dollop of blueberry cream. Sandwich the filling with the remaining biscuits. Garnish by securing a blackberry to the top of the Monte Carlo with a small amount of cream, add an edible flower petal and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve and enjoy!