Ingredients
- 3½ oz (100 g) bar milk chocolate
- 5 oz (150 g) soft butter
- 3 oz (75 g) golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, separated
- 3½ oz (100 g) self-raising flour
For the Filling
- 10 fl oz (284 ml) double cream (1 medium pot)
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 handfuls blueberries
- 2 handfuls blackberries or raspberries
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 110°C (225°F/Gas 1). Break up the chocolate onto a plate, and pop it in the oven to melt for 15 minutes. Remove the chocolate and turn the oven up to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Set the chocolate aside.
- Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until it becomes pale. Beat in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and then the egg yolks followed by the melted chocolate. Lastly, quickly beat in the flour. Set the mixture aside.
- Clean the whisk and then whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they are stiff. Using a large metal spoon, slowly fold two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites, trying to keep them as fluffy as possible. Don’t be tempted to over mix as you will lose the air.
- Line two large baking sheets with tin foil. Plop the chocolate mixture in four large round dollops onto the foil two on each baking sheet. Don’t put them too close together as they will expand. They will look a bit like little cow pats at this stage.
- Place them in the oven. After 10 minutes, cover with foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by whisking the cream with the sugar and vanilla extract until it is fairly stiff. Once all your cakes have cooled, remove them from the foil by wiggling a metal spatula underneath them. Put aside until needed.
- Spoon the filling onto the flat side of two of the cakes. Scatter with fruit and then cover each with the remaining cakes. Dust the top of the pies by putting cocoa powder in a sieve or tea strainer and shaking it over the top.