Chocolate Pie topped with Meringue

Crust

200g chocolate cookies

4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

3 tablespoons caster sugar

Place crackers in a large plastic bag, with a rolling pin crush into fine crumbs. Place into a large bowl, and mix in butter and sugar. Shape into pie dish, then cover and leave in refrigerator until ready to use.

Filling

250g 70% dark unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup butter softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Gently melt chocolate. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat until combined. Add 1 egg to the mixer while it is beating and beat for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides, return the mixer to medium speed and then add the other egg to the mixer as it is working.  Beat for another 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.Pour into the prepared pie shell and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the pie to set. 

Meringue

1 cup of sugar

4 egg whites

Use an electric beater to beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Spoon over the chocolate mixture and spread to the edge of the pastry, use the back of a spoon to create peaks, or pipe into place. Place under a griller or blow torch until peaks are golden. Set aside to cool completely. Serve.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Triple Swirl Buttercream

Chocolate Cupcakes

370g  softened butter

200g dark chocolate chips (preferably the ones that hold their form when baked)

1 cup of warm brewed coffee

1 1/2 cup of caster sugar

3 cups of self-raising flour

1 cup of  cocoa powder

6 eggs

Place 12 cupcake liners in each in two cupcake pans. Preheat oven to 180.

Cream butter and sugar then beat in eggs. Sift in dry ingredients alternately with coffee, mixing vigorously until you have a thick smooth mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill each cupcake liner halfway and bake for around 25 minutes.  Allow to cool and ice.

Vanilla Buttercream

150 grams of egg whites

300 grams of granulated sugar

450 grams of room temperature unsalted butter 

2 Tbs vanilla bean paste

Juice of one lemon

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites and the sugar into soft peaks. Place over a water bath until sugar is dissolved and you can draw a figure 8 in it with your whisk. It will look like light marshmallow. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

Bring bowl to the electric mixer and whip until stiff peaks form and the bottom of the bowl feels cool. 

Then add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping. It might look like it is curdling at one point but continue to whip until it comes together.

Add vanilla and lemon and mix until incorporated.

Triple Swirl

Split butter cream into three and colour each portion as desired, fill three separate piping bags with each mixture. Into a new piping bag, pipe one strip of each colour as evenly as possible, being careful not to overfill. Using a star tip pipe a swirl onto each cupcake.  

Giftbags 

A plastic tumbler

Clear cellophane bag and tie

Assorted lollies and small toys
Cupcakes

Place each tumbler into a bag. Fill tumblers halfway with lollies and toys, place cupcake on top and tie.

An easily transportable cake and gift bag in one, perfect for an outdoor party.