Gluten free Chocolate Cake

This is so easy and too delicious for words, so don't talk about it - get eating!!

Serves: 12  (midgets)

• 250g plain chocolate, chopped (preferably fine Belgian)
• 1 1/2 (400g) tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder (surely all baking powder is gluten free?)
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method
Prep:15min  ›  Cook:40min  ›  Extra time:15min  ›  Ready in:1hr10min  

1. Preheat the oven to 180º C / Gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm round cake tin, line with parchment and then grease again.
2. Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.
3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
   

Agrodolce or Chocolate Venison Stew

The following recipe is for me, unless you or Quorn come up with an alternative to Venison. I need this recipe and want to store it somewhere safe so I don't have to spend weeks looking for it again!!

Agrodolce or Chocolate Venison Stew

1.5kg venison, cubed or cut into long strips

Marinade
400 ml/14 fl oz red wine;  3 Tbl red wine vinegar;  3 Tbl olive oil;  1 carrot, chopped;
1 lg onion, sliced;  1 celery stalk including leaves, chopped;  3 cloves garlic, crushed;
sprig rosemary, thyme; 4 sage leaves; 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed;
1/2 (!) tsp black peppercorns, crushed

Casserole
3 Tbl olive oil; 100 gr/3 1/2 oz pancetta or streaky bacon, diced;  1 medium onion, very thinly sliced;  1 Tbl plain flour;  1 Tbl raisins;  1 tsp ground cinnamon;  1/2 tsp grated nutmeg;
salt & pepper;  1-2 Tbl pine nuts;  2-3 sq dark chocolate, min 60% cocoa

Put all the Marinade ingredients into a large bowl and stir well. Add the prepared venison, stir and leave in a cool place overnight, PREFERABLY TWO NIGHTS!

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/gas mark 3.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish and gently fry the pancetta until the fat runs and it browns a little.  Remove and set aside. In the same oil, brown the venison in batches to avoid overcrowding.  Remove and set aside.  Add the onion, season lightly and cook until soft.  Sprinkle in the flour until it absorbs some of the fat, scrapoing up the caramelised bits.  Add the reserved marinade and the raisins, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and stir until the sauce thickens and no longer smells of alcohol.

Return the pancetta and venison to the casserole, leave it to bubble up, then add the spices, the salt and pepper.

Cover and cook in the over for 1 hr 30 mins, until the meat is soft enough to cut with a spoon. Add a little hot water every now and then if it looks as though it is drying out.

Toss the pine nuts in a dry pan over a low heat to toast.

When the meat is tender, stir in the dark chocolate and leave it to bubble up again until the sauce is thick and shiny.