Torrone molle (Italian chocolate noga)

For ➏-➑
175 g butter
175 g cocoa powder
175 g ground almonds
175 g sugar
1 whole egg & 1 yolk
175 g plain biscuits such as Petit Beurre (from supermarkets), cut into almond-sized pieces
oil, for the tin

Work the butter and cocoa together in a bowl until you have a soft paste, then stir in the ground almonds. Melt the sugar with a little water in a pan over a gentle heat and add it to the cocoa mixture. Stir in the egg and yolk, then the biscuits.
Do this gently so the biscuits do not crumble. Place in an oiled mould (such as a loaf tin or another cake tin with a removable base) and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Turn out onto a dish to serve.

Mexican hot chocolate with tequila & cayenne

For ➋ servings
70 cl milk
125 g premium dark chocolate, broken into chunks
6 tbs cocoa
2 tbs cane sugar
⅛-¼ ts cayenne (or paprika)
12 cl tequila (or white rum)
10 cl heavy whipping cream
ground cinnamon for garnish

Warm the milk in a medium size heavy saucepan on medium heat, watching carefully.
Add the chocolate, the cocoa and the sugar.
Heat until the chocolate dissolves, whisking to combine all ingredients.
Season with the cayenne pepper. Start with ⅛ teaspoon and season to your taste.
Pour the warm milk into 2 large mugs and add 2 oz of tequila.
Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle whipping cream with cinnamon.

Microwave cake with ganache frosting

For ➍-➏
10 cl sunflower oil, plus extra for pan
175 g caster sugar
140 g plain flour
3 tbs cocoa
3 ts baking powder
2 large eggs
1 ts vanilla essence
chocolate sprinkles, to serve
for microwave ganache:
100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
5 tbs double cream

Grease a 22 cm silicone microwaveable cake pan with a little oil and place a circle of baking parchment in the bottom.
Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. In a jug, whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla and 10 cl hot water until combined.
Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you have a lump-free batter. Pour mixture into the cake pan and gently tap to pop any air bubbles. Cover with cling film.
Microwave on full power (800 watts) for 7 m. Remove and check if the cake is cooked by poking a skewer into the middle: if it comes out clean it is ready. Allow cake to stand for 5 m, then remove cling film and turn out onto a cooling rack.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate on half power (600 watts) for approximately 2 m, stirring every 30 s until melted. Add the cream and mix thoroughly until smooth and glossy.
Once the cake is cool, spread over the ganache and scatter with the sprinkles.
Serve. The cake will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Mug chocolate cake @ microwave

For ➊-➋
4 tbs flour, sifted
4 tbs sugar, sifted
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa, sifted
2 tbs whisked egg*
3 tbs milk
3 tbs oil
3 tbs chocolate chips**
splash vanilla or other flavoring, e.g. peppermint or cinnamon
icing sugar

Add all of the dry ingredients to the mug and mix.
Add the egg* and combine well.
Stir in milk and oil.
Add chocolate chips** and splash of vanilla. Stir well.
Microwave for 3 m in a 1000w oven, or 4 m in a 700w oven.
It will crown over the top of the mug, but collapses once the heat stops.
Shake out of the mug. Serve warm with a dust of icing sugar. Or let it cool for about 30 m. Serve with red fruits.

*1 egg is too much, 1 egg white is too eggy, 1 yolk is too dense. Omit egg for a fudgier texture. Or replace with an extra tbs of milk.
**Or a broken up candy bar.

Zuppa Inglese (Italian trifle)

For ➍-➏
200 g Savoiardi or ladyfingers biscuits
75 cl milk
50 g flour
100 g sugar
30 g bitter cocoa powder
4 egg yolks
10 cl of rum
10 cl Alkermes or other aromatic liqueur, for example Strega or Amaretto (or use a self-made quick coffee liquor)
whipped cream & maraschino cherries for decoration

Have ready a deep, smooth-sided mold, lined with aluminum foil or oiled paper.

Put all but 10 cl of the milk in a pot. Heat over a very gentle flame.

Beat the yolks in a deep bowl with 75 g sugar, then sift in the flour, beating steadily.

Put the remaining sugar in another pot,d mix the cocoa into it, stir 2 tbs of cold milk into the mixture. Heat it over a low flame, avoiding lumps.

Gently stir the remaining cold milk into the egg mixture. Stirring constantly, add the hot milk to the cream. When the cream is well mixed, gently pour it back into the pot. Return it to the slow burner. Heat, stirring, until it barely reaches a boil, and cook for 2 m, stirring gently. Remove the pot from the fire, pour half the cream into a bowl, and gently stir the chocolate into the remaining half to obtain both pastry cream and chocolate cream.

Mix the rum and liquor with 5 cl of water in a bowl, brush the Savoiardi lightly with the mixture, and use them to line the pudding mold.

Pour the pastry cream over the Savoiardi. Cover it with a layer of brushed Savoiardi, and finish with the chocolate cream, followed by a final layer of brushed Savoiardi. Cover the pudding with aluminum foil and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 h.

Remove the foil, cover the mold with a serving dish and upend it, so the pudding comes to rest upon the serving dish. Remove the aluminum or oiled paper of the mold.

Serve it either chilled, or partially frozen. Decorate with dollops of whipped cream, and maraschino cherries cut in half.

'Zuppa Inglese' (meaning: English soup) is a close variant of an English trifle, especially common in Tuscany, because the English tourists who lived in the region a century ago often asked for it. Recipes first appeared in the towns of the Emilia-Romagna region, in the late 19th century. Some date it back to the 16th century kitchens of the Ferrara Dukes of Este, who asked their cooks to recreate English trifle.

American cocoa & Pepsi cake

For ➑
250 g flour
125 g sugar
250 g butter
2 tbs cocoa
25 cl Pepsi *
10 cl buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 ts baking soda
1 ts vanilla extract
200 g marshmallows
icing:
6 tbs butter
125 g brown sugar
100 g peanut butter
10 cl milk
100 g chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 180°C . Grease and flour cake form.

Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter, add cocoa and Pepsi. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk, beaten eggs, soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in marshmallows.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 m.

Remove cake from oven and frost while still warm.

Cream butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Add milk and stir well. Add nuts. Spread over warm cake. Place frosted cake under broiler. Broil just a few s, or until topping starts to bubble.

Let cool at least 30 m before serving.

*Coke connaisseurs insist on using an unopened can or bottle of Pepsi-Cola for this recipe, as it is believed to have a richer sparkle than Coke. Never ever use diet coke.