Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Black Forest Pancakes
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
40 minutes
35 minutes
3 hours 15 minutes
Serves:
4 plates
Maddie created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. A deconstructed Black Forest gateau built on fluffy American pancakes, the plate pairs a delicate chocolate mousse, a small dark chocolate brownie, vanilla-bean mascarpone cream and amaretto-macerated cherries with a glossy cherry syrup. Judges...
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Ingredients
FOR THE AMARETTO-MACERATED CHERRIES & SYRUP:
2 cups (300 g) fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 cup (50 g) caster sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) amaretto (or kirsch, for a more traditional note)
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch, slaked in 1 tbsp water
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE (optional accent):
2.5 oz (70 g) dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (70 g) caster sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (7 g) cocoa powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped
2 large eggs, separated (very fresh)
2 tbsp (25 g) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold
FOR THE VANILLA-BEAN MASCARPONE CREAM:
1/2 cup (115 g) mascarpone, cold
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp (15 g) icing (powdered) sugar, to taste
1/2 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
FOR THE AMERICAN PANCAKES:
1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 g) caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 g) salt
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted (plus more for the pan)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
EQUIPMENT:
Non-stick frying pan or flat griddle
Mixing bowls / batter bowl with lid
Hand or stand mixer with whisk
Small saucepan
8-inch (20 cm) square brownie tin
Digital scale and measuring spoons
Palette knife / offset spatula
Microwave or heatproof bowl
Method
STEP 1: MACERATE THE CHERRIES (DO FIRST)
Combine the pitted cherries, caster sugar, amaretto and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir and leave to macerate at least 30 minutes while you make everything else; they will release a deep ruby liquid.
STEP 2: BAKE THE BROWNIE ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Heat the oven to 350F (180C). Melt the dark chocolate and butter together, stir in the caster sugar, then the egg, then the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Pour into a parchment-lined 8-inch tin so the batter is thin and bake just 12-15 minutes - pull it while the centre is still soft and fudgy; a brownie even slightly overbaked turns dull and cakey. You need only a few small cubes; freeze or save the rest.
STEP 3: MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Melt the dark chocolate gently and let it cool to just warm. Whisk the egg yolks with half the caster sugar until pale, then fold in the chocolate. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites with the salt to soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and whisk to glossy. Softly whip the heavy cream separately. Fold the cream into the chocolate base, then fold in the whites in two additions - keep it light to protect the fine, delicate bubbles. Chill at least 1 hour.
STEP 4: WHIP THE MASCARPONE CREAM
Beat the mascarpone, heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until just holding soft peaks. Do not over-whip or the mascarpone will split. Keep cold; this is the cool, light relief that balances the richer chocolate elements.
STEP 5: FINISH THE CHERRY SYRUP
Strain the macerated cherries, reserving the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisk in the slaked cornstarch and cook 1-2 minutes until lightly glossy and syrupy. Cool. Keep the macerated cherries themselves whole for the plate.
STEP 6: COOK THE PANCAKES
Whisk the dry pancake ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, then combine with a few swift strokes - lumps are fine; overmixing kills the rise. Rest the batter 5 minutes. Cook ladlefuls on a buttered medium pan until bubbles break the surface, flip once, and finish golden. You want fluffy and golden outside, moist and tender inside.
STEP 7: PLATE WITH RESTRAINT
Set two small pancakes slightly overlapping as the base. Add one neat quenelle or pipe of chocolate mousse and one of mascarpone cream. Spoon over the macerated cherries and a restrained drizzle of cherry syrup. Add at most a single small brownie cube as a textural accent - or leave it off entirely. The aim is a plate that reads as composed and intentional, directly answering the 'a bit much' note.
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Instructions
FOR THE AMARETTO-MACERATED CHERRIES & SYRUP:
2 cups (300 g) fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 cup (50 g) caster sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) amaretto (or kirsch, for a more traditional note)
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch, slaked in 1 tbsp water
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE (optional accent):
2.5 oz (70 g) dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (70 g) caster sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (7 g) cocoa powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped
2 large eggs, separated (very fresh)
2 tbsp (25 g) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold
FOR THE VANILLA-BEAN MASCARPONE CREAM:
1/2 cup (115 g) mascarpone, cold
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp (15 g) icing (powdered) sugar, to taste
1/2 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
FOR THE AMERICAN PANCAKES:
1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 g) caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 g) salt
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted (plus more for the pan)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
EQUIPMENT:
Non-stick frying pan or flat griddle
Mixing bowls / batter bowl with lid
Hand or stand mixer with whisk
Small saucepan
8-inch (20 cm) square brownie tin
Fine-mesh sieve
Piping bag with plain nozzle
Digital scale and measuring spoons
Palette knife / offset spatula
Microwave or heatproof bowl
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MACERATE THE CHERRIES (DO FIRST)
Combine the pitted cherries, caster sugar, amaretto and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir and leave to macerate at least 30 minutes while you make everything else; they will release a deep ruby liquid.
STEP 2: BAKE THE BROWNIE ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Heat the oven to 350F (180C). Melt the dark chocolate and butter together, stir in the caster sugar, then the egg, then the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Pour into a parchment-lined 8-inch tin so the batter is thin and bake just 12-15 minutes - pull it while the centre is still soft and fudgy; a brownie even slightly overbaked turns dull and cakey. You need only a few small cubes; freeze or save the rest.
STEP 3: MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Melt the dark chocolate gently and let it cool to just warm. Whisk the egg yolks with half the caster sugar until pale, then fold in the chocolate. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites with the salt to soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and whisk to glossy. Softly whip the heavy cream separately. Fold the cream into the chocolate base, then fold in the whites in two additions - keep it light to protect the fine, delicate bubbles. Chill at least 1 hour.
STEP 4: WHIP THE MASCARPONE CREAM
Beat the mascarpone, heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until just holding soft peaks. Do not over-whip or the mascarpone will split. Keep cold; this is the cool, light relief that balances the richer chocolate elements.
STEP 5: FINISH THE CHERRY SYRUP
Strain the macerated cherries, reserving the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisk in the slaked cornstarch and cook 1-2 minutes until lightly glossy and syrupy. Cool. Keep the macerated cherries themselves whole for the plate.
STEP 6: COOK THE PANCAKES
Whisk the dry pancake ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, then combine with a few swift strokes - lumps are fine; overmixing kills the rise. Rest the batter 5 minutes. Cook ladlefuls on a buttered medium pan until bubbles break the surface, flip once, and finish golden. You want fluffy and golden outside, moist and tender inside.
STEP 7: PLATE WITH RESTRAINT
Set two small pancakes slightly overlapping as the base. Add one neat quenelle or pipe of chocolate mousse and one of mascarpone cream. Spoon over the macerated cherries and a restrained drizzle of cherry syrup. Add at most a single small brownie cube as a textural accent - or leave it off entirely. The aim is a plate that reads as composed and intentional, directly answering the 'a bit much' note.
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