Food and cooking articles and information:

Anthony Worrall Thompson demonstrates
. . . how to make Chocolate Mousse Cake

Thursday 15th May 2008 sees Celebrity Chef Antony Worrall Thompson launch his new cookbook The Sweet Life: 101 Indulgent Recipes with Less Sugar which contains 101 dessert recipes for the health conscious.

With eight chapters dedicated to desserts, jams and spreads, the book is aimed at those who have a sweet tooth but want to maintain a healthy diet, as all recipes use a low calorie sweetener as an alternative to sugar.

Antony decided to focus on puddings for his latest cookbook when he was told to cut down his sugar intake after being diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition. As a result he took a look at his diet and found new ways of enjoying sweet treats without using sugar as an ingredient.

Antony chose to team up with his good friend Melinda Messenger on this book to gain a mum's input into The Sweet Life. Melinda has contributed eight of her favourite recipes to the book, including bakewell tarts and carrot cake muffins.

To order a copy of The Sweet Life: 101 Indulgent Recipes with Less Sugar by Antony Worrall Thompson from Amazon - click here

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients for Chocolate Mousse Cake

50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
100g ready-to-eat pitted prunes, chopped
2 tablespoons Cointreau, Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
250g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
6 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons Splenda granulated sweetener (see below)
cocoa powder, for dusting
200g raspberries

How to make Chocolate Mousse Cake

This densely chocolatey pudding is dotted with liqueur-steeped prunes which means there's no need to add lots of sugar. For the best result, cook until barely set in the centre and serve warm with pouring cream so the flavours mingle together.

• Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F / gas mark 3. Grease and line the base of a 20cm loose base cake tin or springform tin with greaseproof paper.

• Put the prunes and liqueur in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon water and heat gently until bubbling around the edges. Remove from the heat.

• Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until melted. Alternatively, melt in the microwave for 1½ minutes at maximum power.

• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the sweetener for 2 - 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl until they hold their shape. Stir the melted chocolate mixture, the prunes and any unabsorbed liqueur into the yolk mixture. Immediately fold in a third of the whisked egg whites using a large metal spoon, then fold in the remainder.

• Scoop into the tin, spreading the mixture gently to the edges. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cake has risen and forms a soft crust. The cake should still feel wobbly underneath when the tin is shaken.

• Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a serving plate. Dust with the cocoa powder and scatter with the raspberries.

Serves 6

To order a copy of The Sweet Life: 101 Indulgent Recipes with Less Sugar by Antony Worrall Thompson from Amazon - click here

Published 15 may 2008