A rich, indulgent dessert which shows a little quirkiness. It also feels a bit restauranty, so you may want to save it for when you have guests. On the other hand, you may feel as if you deserve it yourself, so go ahead. The muesli is actually crossed with a kind of crumble, so it gives a little more crunch. If you have some left over, try it with a little natural yogurt. You can have everything ready for this dessert and assemble it at the last minute, which makes you look good with minimum effort. Adding the orange zest gives a little refreshing zing. If you make the components the day before, be sure to zest an orange freshly to serve.
SERVES 6–8
150g plain flour
75g brown sugar
100g unsalted butter, chopped
100g porridge oats
sprinkle of sea salt
juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
100g candied orange peel
450g good-quality milk chocolate, chopped
30g walnut oil
210g whipping cream, plus 100g
75g granulated sugar
50g walnuts
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.
First things first. Put the flour, brown sugar, butter, oats and salt in a blender and pulse until you have a breadcrumb texture. Or pop it all in a bowl and rub with your fingers until the breadcrumb texture is reached, just like in the old days.
Next pulse or mix in the orange juice; it will go a bit sticky but don’t worry. Don’t over-mix; stop as soon as it is mixed, because you don’t want a ball of pastry.
Take a tray lined with greaseproof paper and spread out the mix, trying to break it up as we are looking for a crumbled result.
Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown, turning every 5 minutes with a spatula so that the mix cooks evenly. Allow to cool, then break up into muesli-looking pieces and fold in the candied orange peel. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
This is the easiest part. Put the chocolate in a good-sized bowl, then in a saucepan bring the walnut oil and the 210g of cream to a boil. Pour this on to the chocolate and stir until it is thoroughly melted and combined. You can store this in an airtight container until needed; it will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
This is the hardest part. First of all, place a piece of greaseproof paper on the worktop, about 30cm long should do. Now take a frying pan and sprinkle the granulated sugar over it in an even layer. Place over a gentle heat and allow to melt, but do not stir.
Watch the sugar carefully, as it will turn quickly. When it starts to become a golden caramel colour, stir in the walnuts. Be careful, it is hot. As soon as they are coated in the caramel, remove from the heat and turn out on to the paper. Allow to cool; 10 minutes should be enough. Well done, you have made praline. When cooled, place the nuts in a bowl and hit with the end of a rolling pin to smash them up a bit. In an airtight container, they will keep until the next day, but no longer or they will go soft. (Make sure the container is airtight.)
When you are ready to serve, simply whip the 100g of cream until it forms soft peaks and carefully fold in the walnut praline.
To serve, take a bowl and add a couple of spoonfuls of muesli. Then use an ice-cream scoop that has been dipped in a little warm water to scoop a ball of chocolate on to the muesli. Add a spoon of the walnut cream and finally sprinkle on the orange zest.
