The Christmas period is a great time for indulging in chocolate and appreciating the wealth of possibilities that if offers.This year we have chosen to make it into a refreshing, melt-in-the-mouth dessert. This dark chocolate marquise is enhanced by a touch of flower of salt, a drizzle of plum sauce with a hint of aniseed, and a scattering of caramelised walnuts. This contrast of textures, temperatures, and flavours guarantees an elegant and refined end to a Christmas dinner!

To continue the spirit of Christmas in Provence, fill your glasses with an A.O.C. Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel. Its deep garnet colour and aromas of dark fruits and stewed plum will go perfectly with the coulis in this dessert and bring out the force of the dark chocolate. The finesse of its velvety tannins accompanies this taste experience with elegance worthy of a special occasion.

Preparation: 30 minutes / Rest time: 10 h / Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients :

For the marquise:

• 280 g dark chocolate (70 %)
• 140 g butter at room temperature
• 40 g icing sugar
• 3 pinches of flower of salt from Camargue
• 4 eggs + 1 egg white

For the plum coulis:

• 500 g plums
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 star anise
• ½ vanilla pod
• 2 tbsp of Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau Grenat

For the walnut topping:

• 60 g walnut kernels
• 2 tbsp of sugar

Preparation:

For the marquise:

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl immersed in boiling (bain-marie).
2. In a blender, mix together the soft butter and the icing sugar. Add the egg yolks one by one
3. Incorporate the melted chocolate, add the flower of salt, and mix again. Leave the chocolate preparation to cool down.
4. Whip the 5 egg whites until stiff and then delicately incorporate them into the chocolate preparation using a spatula.
5. Transfer the preparation into a silicone cake mould or a tin lined with baking paper. Leave to cool in the fridge for at least 10 hours.

For the plum coulis:

1. Cut the plums into quarters.
2. Cook them with the sugar, lemon juice, star anise, and vanilla for around 20 minutes. Midway through this cooking time, add the Vin Doux Naturel and a little water if necessary.
3. Stop cooking once the plums are sufficiently stewed. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Assembly:

1. Gently toast the walnuts in a dry pan. Sprinkle with sugar and stir regularly until the walnuts are caramelised. Add an extra tablespoon of sugar if necessary. Leave to cool.
2. Roughly chop the walnuts with a knife.
3. Transfer the marquise from its tin to the serving plate and sprinkle with the caramelised walnuts.
4. Cut two thin slices of the chocolate marquise for each dessert plate. Sprinkle with a few grains of flower of salt. Finish with a drizzle of the plum coulis and serve accompanied by a glass of A.O.C. Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel Grenat

Tip: To make it easier to transfer your chocolate marquise from its tin to your serving plate, you can place the tin in a shallow dish of hot water for a few seconds.
You can also choose to refrigerate your preparation in two smaller tins (approx. 15 x 7 cm).

Check out all our recipes and food and wine pairings !

Photo credits: Anne Faubeau for C’est Ma Food.