Whisked cream recipes: From coffee mousse to spanische windtorte

Whisking cream is an essential skill when it comes to making some of the best puddings.

Spanische Windtorte by Karen Burns-Booth

Meringue

6 large egg whites
350g of caster sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar

Filling

450ml of whipping cream
4 tbsp of icing sugar
1 tbsp of cognac, Brandy or liqueur of choice
500g of mixed berries, or soft fruit
25g of chocolate, shaved or grated

Preheat oven to 140°C/gas mark 1 and line two baking sheets with baking paper. Draw around a 19cm/7” round cake tin on to the baking paper to make four circles.

Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar together in a large clean bowl or in a food mixer until they hold firm peaks. Spoon or pipe the meringue onto the marked baking paper to make four discs of meringue.

Bake them in the oven for 1 hour, turning the heat off after the hour and allowing them to continue to dry out in the oven for half an hour or overnight. When you are ready to assemble the Spanische Windtorte, place the bottom meringue layer onto a serving plate, and whip the cream with the icing sugar and cognac until it is stiff enough to spread.

Divide the cream between the layers, adding fruit as you go, making sure you have some cream and fruit left for the topping. Finish off with a final layer of cream and fruit and then scatter the chocolate shavings over the top. Slice into wedges to serve (suitable for short-term freezing).

Coffee mousse pots by Karen Burns-Booth

4 large eggs, free-range, separated
150g of golden caster sugar
4 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water
2 tbsp of instant coffee granules, mixed with 2 tbsp hot water to make a paste
3 tbsp of coffee liqueur, optional
110ml of hot water
220ml of whipping cream, whipped until stiff
6 tbsp of double cream
chocolate sprinkles

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they are stiff. Remove the gelatine leaves from the water and squeeze out any excess moisture, then add to a bowl along with the coffee, coffee liqueur and the hot water. Mix well until the gelatine has dissolved completely.

Combine the coffee mixture with the egg yolks, then fold in the beaten egg whites and whipped cream, alternating between the two, using a large metal spoon to gently fold them in together. Spoon the mousse into small glass bowls and allow to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Top with double cream and chocolate sprinkles to serve.

Chocolate tart by Dominic Chapman

Chocolate tart base

155g of butter, plus more for greasing the tart tin
100g of icing sugar
75g of hazelnuts, finely chopped
200g of flour
1 egg, beaten
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp orange zest

Chocolate tart filling

365g of 70% dark chocolate pistoles
390ml of whipping cream
25g of trimoline
85g of butter

Start by making the tart base. Cream the butter and icing sugar together, then add the flour, hazelnuts, salt and zest. Add 30g of the beaten egg and slowly mix together until it forms a dough. Lightly need to form a ball, wrap in cling film and rest for 1 hour in the fridge before use​.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and roll it out onto a flat work surface to a thickness of 5mm. Use a 23cm loose bottomed tart tin and line with great proof paper. Next, carefully line the tin with the rolled pastry.

Brush the tart base with the egg wash and blind bake until the tart is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool while you make the chocolate filling.

For the filling, place the chocolate pistoles in a large mixing bowl. In a pan, heat the trimoline with the cream until hot, being careful not to boil. Once hot, pour it over the chocolate pistoles and stir until the chocolate has melted. Once the chocolate has melted, add butter and continue to stir until fully melted​.

Spoon a little chocolate filling around the edges of the tart base to fill in any holes. Allow this chocolate to set in the fridge, then pour in the rest of the chocolate mix to fill the ring. Place the chocolate tart to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight. To serve, use a hot knife to cut the tart into slices.

Recipes courtesy of Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more chocolate dessert recipes