Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! Brian Fantoni, Head Chef at The Gallery at The Westbury has created a couple of special chocolate desserts in celebration of Chocolate Week 2011. This includes a Baked Tart with Chuao chocolate, one of the rarest and finest chocolates from Venezuela.

The new brasserie launched this summer in the heart of Mayfair adjacent to The Westbury Hotel in Conduit Street. Fantoni heads the kitchen, bringing with him expertise from Cantina del Ponte, Claridge’s and The Savoy.

Here are a couple of Brian Fantoni’s best kept secrets for you to recreate some chocolate indulgences at home!

Valrhona Caraibe Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake

Ingredients:

1tsp ground almonds
300g Valrhona Caraibe dark chocolate
275g caster sugar
165g unsalted butter
A pinch of salt
5 whole medium eggs
Lemon zest

Method:

Melt the dark chocolate in a suitably sized bowl over a bain-marie. Melt the butter in a separate pan, combine together and put aside.

Whisk together the eggs, ground almonds and caster sugar.

Combine the two mixtures until smooth. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a 20cm cake tin and bake in oven at 180*C for about 30 minutes. If you like you can also test the cake by placing a knife in, if it comes out hot to the touch and the top of the cake is crusty, then it is ready.

Valrhona Ivoire White Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1l whole milk
200ml double cream
200g egg yolks
150g caster sugar
55g milk powder
400g Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate pellets

Method:

Boil together the cream and milk. Whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until doubled in size. Once the cream has boiled, pour onto the whisked egg mixture and stir until fully combined. Add the milk powder and proceed to cook out until you achieve an anglaise consistency. Pour this mixture over the white chocolate pellets and combine well, melting the chocolate as you go. Chill for at least 12 hours and then churn in an ice cream machine.