Donal Skehan's drool-worthy desserts - chocolate biscuit cake, banoffe cake and a bougie chocolate mousse

"I still love baking, but primarily if we have guests over or for a special occasion, and most importantly when I find I have the time. That usually starts with the basics: a pantry that's actually set up properly. Good chocolate, decent butter, and I have a proper grá for vanilla bean paste from Nielsen-Massey. These kinds of ingredients don't just make things sweeter, but help make your bakes better."

"Chocolate is probably the best example of this shift. We eat more of it than ever, but most of us are pretty disconnected from what we're actually eating. There's a huge range in flavour, depending on origin and cocoa content, from fruity, bitter and nutty to even slightly acidic. A lot of that gets lost when everything is just labelled 'dark' or 'milk'. Once you start paying attention, even a simple chocolate dessert becomes more interesting."

"Take something like a chocolate biscuit cake. It's barely a recipe, but it lives or dies on the chocolate you use. Too sweet and it's flat, too bitter and it loses its appeal. Getting that balance right is what makes it addictive."

"Same goes for something like a mousse. It's simple, but make it with good chocolate you're excited about and serve it with softly whipped cream, maybe a pinch of salt, and you have a food of the gods. It doesn't need much else."

Baking is mainly done for guests, special occasions, and when time allows. Preparation starts with a well-stocked pantry, including properly set up basics like good chocolate, decent butter, and vanilla bean paste. Better ingredients improve flavor and overall bake quality. Chocolate provides a clear example because flavor varies widely by origin and cocoa content, ranging from fruity and nutty to bitter or slightly acidic. Labels like “dark” or “milk” hide these differences. A chocolate biscuit cake depends on achieving the right sweetness and bitterness balance. A mousse benefits from exciting chocolate, softly whipped cream, and a pinch of salt. A banoffee cake relies on proper caramel, ripe bananas, and controlled assembly, finished with grated or curled chocolate.

Read at Irish Independent