Whittaker's - a passion for chocolate

RRP: $36.99

16 November 2012

Hardback - Random House NZ

Voted New Zealand’s most trusted brand in the annual Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Survey, Whittaker’s is a much-loved brand with a huge fan following (including over 160,000 on Facebook).

New Zealanders have long loved Whittaker’s but the company reached cult status with the origin of the Peanut Slab in the 1950s. Whittaker’s is a genuine family owned business which has been operating in New Zealand since 1896, going back four generations.

Beautifully packaged, the book includes a brief history of the company, as well as details on how the chocolate is made — did you know that Whittaker’s is the only chocolate maker in NZ who imports whole cocoa beans from Ghana and roasts them at their factory, giving them the best control over the quality of their chocolate? The book also includes a guide on choosing and cooking with different types of cocoa contents, as well as recipes from guest chefs that will leave your mouth watering — Annabelle White, Martin Bosley, Ruth Pretty and Steve Logan to name a few. There is also a great range of beautifully photographed, everyday recipes from Whittaker’s Facebook fans which are just perfect for the home cook.

From marbled chocolate meringues and cinnamon cardamom blondies to white chocolate and macadamia cheesecake, Whittaker’s peanut butter chocolate and caramel brownie and a range of delectable hot chocolate drinks, this luscious book will leave you wanting more.

And here from the book is a recipe for you to try.

Chocolate Orange Cake

½ cup (115g) butter, softened

1 cup (225g) sugar

2 eggs

1 orange, washed

1 cup (approximately 160g) chopped dates

¾ cup (180ml) water

½ tsp baking soda

2 cups (250g) plain flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

pinch of salt

250g Whittaker’s Dark or Creamy Milk chocolate

whipped cream or Greek-style yoghurt, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan bake). Line a 23cm round cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each egg.

Cut the orange into small pieces (rind and all), and place in a blender with the dates, water and baking soda. Blend until there are no large lumps of orange.

Add the orange mixture to the butter mixture and fold in the flour, vanilla and salt. Pour into the cake tin.

Break the entire chocolate block into 2 square pieces and poke it into the cake mix. If you place the chocolate pieces vertically and evenly around the cake, you will be able to slice in between the chocolate and it will ooze out dramatically as diners cut into their slices. Smooth the cake batter over the chocolate.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes. 

Cool a little on a wire rack before serving warm with whipped cream or Greek-style yoghurt