White Chocolate Parfait with a Warm Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients:

• 125g white chocolate, chopped
• 200ml single cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 90g Sugar
• 200ml double cream
• ½ tbsp vanilla flavouring
• 3 tbsp Carolans Irish cream liqueur
• Chocolate curls, to decorate (optional)

For the Chocolate Sauce:

• 175ml single cream
• 175g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
• 45g Sugar

Time

Preparation Time is 30 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling. Cooking Time of 25 minutes

Instructions

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Place the single cream in a saucepan, bring just to the boil and set aside. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in the boiled single cream, stirring continuously.

Return to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil. The custard will be ready when the mixture coats the back of the spoon, or if a line drawn through the coating holds when the spoon is held up. It will take about 5 minutes to reach this stage.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl, and stir in the melted white chocolate. Using a food processor or hand-held electric whisk, beat at a medium-low speed for 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate mixture is cool. Whisk the double cream in a bowl until it holds soft peaks. When the chocolate mixture is cool fold in, by hand, the double cream, vanilla flavouring and Carolans Irish cream liqueur.

Pour the mixture into a 1.5 litre mould or ovenproof glass dish lined with cling film (or a terrine mould similarly lined) and cover with more cling film. Chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours, until set. To make the warm chocolate sauce, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water.

Bring the cream to the boil in another saucepan and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Set aside until warm, not hot. Stir in the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Keep warm. The sauce will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in a Bain Marie or very carefully on medium heat in the microwave. Remember, though, once chocolate has been scalded the flavour is ruined.

To serve, either turn the parfait out and slice it, or spoon out two quenelles for each person. Place a slice of the parfait, or two quenelles, in the centre of each plate and drizzle the warm chocolate sauce over. Decorate with chocolate curls and serve.

Please note: This recipe contains lightly cooked egg. Raw or lightly cooked eggs should not be served to young children, elderly people, invalids and pregnant women because of the risk of salmonella poisoning.