Need to find a chocolate desert that will impress but is not too RICH!

[mrspink27]

Its my FIL 70th on Sunday and we are having a big family get together, I have been charged with making a desert of the chocolate variety, but my SIL has said she doesnt want a rich desert! (she is organising BTW) contradiction in terms really but there we are... have drawn a complete blank... there will be birthday cake (fruit), pavlova and a raspberry, cream yoghurt thing...

Any ideas?

TIA

[suzywong]

get your sister a bar of Dairy Milk and then make something rich and wicked

Hasn't Cod done a desert, chocolate mounds or hills or grassy knolls or something, that everyone is raving about. It will be in recipes

[SueW]

You could try Waitose's \link{http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/recipesearch/recipe/0508049-r06.asp\Avocado Choc Mousse}. I haven't done it yet but was inspired to find it by Sadie Frost on TV the other evening.

[Greensleeves]

make her a rice crispie cake

[mrspink27]

Funnily enough rice crispie cakes did cross my mind! thought about a Jamie chocolate tart to, does the mousse not taste of avocado??

[Monkeybar]

If you have to make it yourself, I can't help, but I have just discovered the 'Gu' chocolate puds, whihc are yummy and come in GLASS ramekins, so you might get away with pretending you've made them. Need leaving at room temp for an hour (apparently, I didn;t read that until after I'd eaten them!) then oven for 10 mins or microwave for 30 secs get them in Tesco and Sains etc. Or M&S choc puds are yummy, but maybe a bit rich. I know it's cheating, but it's probably what I'd do!

[SueW]

Avocado choc mousse tastes like choc mousse with an undercurrent of avocado and a slightly fibrous texture, she says having made some this afternoon in the interests of research :)

Not unpleasant, just very different to one made with whipped cream (which would perhaps have a similar firmness) or eggs (which IME is always v light and fluffy.

[Blu]

Nigellas little choc puddings - hardly not-rich, but how else can chocolate be?

Homemade Choc ice cream?

[zippitippitoes]

delia's chocolate log..

[MamaG]

errr why does your SIL make all the rules? Tell her to bog off, if somebody doesnt want rich choc pud, they can have cream yoghurt thing

I think she's trying to get you to make a rubbish pud so hers looks better! MAke a nice rich pud, thats what chocolatei s for!

[Twiglett]

may I suggest delice du roy chocolate mouse cake .. from waitrose .. its truly delicious and quite light

but you'll have to do something to it to make it look home-made ..

[Twiglett]

\link{http://www.ocado.com/webshop/getProductDetails.do?sku=18258011&parentContainer=101017\chocolate mousse torte .. sorry}

(have never been able to make a light chocolate mousse

[Twiglett]

fruit cake, pavlova and yogurty thing all sound light .. but 2 of them are already mushy .. maybe you need a firmer thing

hang on will check my green & black's book

[spacedonkey]

I'd be inclined to make nigella's little pots au chocolat - very rich but in tiny portions

what is the point of a chocolate pudding that is not rich?

[Twiglett]

ok from g&b cookbook

oo .. there's a really nice lemon drizzle cake with sunken chocolate bits (I've made this a couple of times and its easy and yummy)

what about tiramisu .. but again its creamy

hey there's a chocolate sorbet (sounds yuk) but might work

chocolate flapjacks?

chocolate dipped fruit?

vodka chilli chocolates? (I made these .. but they're an acquired taste IMO .. ie I didn't like them but others did)

chocolate apple cake

chocolate and orange mousse tart (Moorish tart)

chocolate, pear and ginger tart

[SoupDragon]

SoupDragon's Pot au Chocolate : 1 tub mascarpone, 1 bar plain chocolate, melt together and pour into individual ramekins. Add brandy as an optional extra.

[SoupDragon]

If you want it less rich, do half and half plain and milk chocolate.

[CountessDracula]

how about choc fondue with fruit to dip in eg strawberries, raspberries

[zippitippitoes]

moist vanilla and orange sponge with cream filling topped with chocolate fudge icing made with condensed milk

[mrspink27]

Thanks everyone they are fab suggestions. Have decided to do Soupys pots and a chocolate mousse tart thing.

MamaG - you don't know how close to reality you are with your post! You could almost know her! But thats a whole different story!

[MamaG]

we must share a SIL

[mrspink27]

does everything have to revolve around her?

[MamaG]

Ohhh yes, so much so that DH and I haven't spoken to her for 10 years. She's met my DD once (age 6) and never met my DS who is 2. DH is not the most forgiving person...

DH has 3 sisters. My FIL was 70 two years ago. Another SIL doesn't speak to this SIL either (her sis) IYKWIM but we still included her in preparations for his meal (via other SIL!!) the day before, she phoned the only sister she speaks to, and said see you Sunday (meal planned for Sat) - when nice SIL said don't you mean Sat she said she was busy on the Sat and we had deliberately told her the wrong date AS IF!

So she managed to ruin FIL's day, the cow...grrr.


OH, we have invited her and her family (second DH and two step children and her own 2 kids) to every birthday party we have had for DD AND we invited her to our wedding 3 years ago and she didnt bother to turn up to anything. So now we don't bother.

I could go on......

[mrspink27]

ouch! mine is just very tactless and very thick skinned and and and,,,,, i.e "ooh you've managed to lose a little bit of weight ... you've obviously got a very long way to go...." and "let me take you shopping for some NICE clothes" the insinuation being that mine arent! nothing quite as extreme as yours but as irritating as heck!

[Greensleeves]

Haha my older sister is exactly like this - she'll walk into your house and say "Oh, yes, you've really made the most of the space - it hardly feels pokey at all, really" or "you know, you're lucky, you're one of these people who can really carry extra weight" and one of her favourite pastimes used to be to make me go shopping with her and make me try on clothes that were too small for me. Bee-atch.

That'll be why I haven't seen her for five years.

[MamaG]

Haha greensleeves, we are obviously far nastier than Mrs Pink who still talks to her bee-atch!