Recipes from Meath's Restaurants

Fairyhouse Cookery School

Chocolate Amaretti Cake - Fairyhouse Cookery School 

(serves 12 or 8 chocoholics or 1 depending on the mood!)

50g amaretti biscuits

175g sugar

100g butter, softened

4 eggs

100g almonds (ground)

150g dark chocolate

Zest of 1 orange

 
Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4, grease a 20cms spring release tin and line the base with parchment paper. (Spray oil is great to coat the tin instead of greasing with butter.)
Break the chocolate up into a bowl and stand over a saucepan of just simmering water until melted (or melt in the microwave), allow to cool slightly
Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until fine.
Using an electric beater, cream the sugar and butter together until creamy and smooth (a good 5 minutes!), add the eggs (one at a time) and mix through.
Add the melted chocolate, almonds and orange zest, then use a spatula, mix through.
Pour the batter into the cake tin.
Bake for about 35 minutes - when ready the cake would have risen and would have started to crack at the top and round the edges.
Leave to cool for 5 mins then run an eating knife round to separate it from the tin, then release the clip. When cold you can transfer it to a plate.
Serve dusted with cocoa powder and lots of whipped vanilla cream.

Vanilla Cream (Serves 6)

250mls Double Cream

2 Vanilla Pods

Option: Cointrea or Brandy

Slice the vanilla pods in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds into a large bowl containing the cream. Whip the cream until slightly stiff. Serve with the cake.