NOTHING quite beats sweets after a sumptuous meal or a treat when friends drop by for coffee and a chat.
Roberta Muir, Moree on a Plate’s celebrity presenter at this weekend’s food and wine festival, loves cooking, eating and sipping fine wines, and she travels the world in search of all three.
She says dessert after a sumptuous meal can be a simple but inspiring treat, and a perfect way to close a long day.
“It’s nice to end a meal with a simple dessert or produce something delicious to serve with coffee when friends drop by,” Roberta said.
Roberta has shared her many recipes with Moree Online News ahead of her visit to Moree and this week we focus on her extensive desserts and sweets menu.
Travelling the globe with pen in hand has certainly paid off. Roberta’s menu covers desserts from Italy, France, Asia, the Middle East, Britian, America and of course, Australia.
Her ingredients of choice include fruits, citrus and berries, as well as coffee, cheese and eggs.
And given Moree Online News is a sucker for chocolate, we’ve chosen Roberta’s Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce to showcase this week.
“Chocolate simply makes everything better,” Roberta smiled.
“Choux pastry seems daunting until you make it and realise just how easy it is.
“It can be used for a whole range of sweet and savoury recipes, but classic profiteroles with chocolate sauce is my favourite.”
Roberta said pre-preparing profiteroles is quick and simple – just the way she likes.
“Profiteroles can be filled with whipped cream or custard, but it’s hard to beat really good vanilla ice cream,” she said.
“It’s a great ‘do-ahead’ dessert as the puffs can be made days in advance and re-crisped before filling.
“The ice cream balls can be shaped ready to assemble at the last minute,” she said.
Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
One cup water;
125g butter;
One cup plain flour, sifted;
Four eggs;
One-litre vanilla ice-cream ;
Chocolate sauce;
150g dark chocolate;
50g butter; and
One-third cup water;
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C;
Place water and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil;
Remove from heat, stir in flour, then return to medium heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about five minutes, until it stops sticking to the side of the pan;
Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for a few minutes, until cooled;
Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition;
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a further minute or so, until smooth and glossy;
Pipe five-centimetre wide balls of dough onto a baking paper-lined oven tray, leaving room for them to double in size;
Place in oven for 20 minutes or so, until lightly browned;
Remove tray from oven and reduce temperature to 160°C. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow steam to escape and return them to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, until completely dry inside; you’ll need to sacrifice one to check;
Set aside to cool on a wire rack; and
Form ice-cream into 18 small balls – about the same size as the profiteroles – and return them to the freezer.
Make chocolate sauce
Place butter and water in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts.
Add chocolate and heat for another 30-60 seconds, until it’s almost melted.
Remove from heat and stir until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Cut choux puffs in half, place a ball of ice-cream in the bottom and top with the other half.
Drizzle sauce over profiteroles and serve immediately.
Roberta’s dessert recipes, as well as links to printable PDF pages are available here: Be Inspired by Roberta’s Sweet Recipes.
Her extensive website is crammed with recipes, all in printable PDF format, cooking tips and kitchen ideas she’s gathered from around the world. Be inspired at Be Inspired.
Moree on a Plate Food and Wine Festival
When: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Where: Moree racecourse
Time: 10am until 4pm
Cost: Gold coin donation
Website: https://www.moreeonaplate.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoreeOnAPlate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moree_on_a_plate/?hl=en
Contact: moreeonaplate@outlook.com
