I wanted to created a simple but moreish dessert to take on a picnic this Friday.  The dark chocolate in the chocolate pots is balanced against carmelised orange pieces perfectly, then a few small thin ginger biscuits to round the dessert off.

Ingredients serves 4 Ramekins

200ml double cream

100ml whole milk

200g 70% dark chocolate chopped

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp vanilla sugar*

20g unsalted butter in very small pieces

Caramelised Oranges

1 Large orange

30g brown sugar

5g white sugar

50ml water

Method:

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl over hot water, beat in the egg yolks and vanilla sugar until very pale and reserve (about 5 minutes). You can use an electric hand mixer. Once it is pale and thick remove from the heat and reserve.
3. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and heat gently until it begins to simmer then turn off the heat.
4. Allow the cream mixture to cool for 1 minute then pour onto the chocolate and begin to stir. Keeping stirring until the chocolate is completely smooth (no lumps).
5. Next stir egg yolk mixture into chocolate mixture, stirring well until completely mixed in.
6. Now stir in the butter pieces a little at a time making sure they are all melted.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture into into 4 ramekins or glasses and leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
8. Cut the orange in half horizontally. Squeeze half of the orange into a small saucepan, add 50ml of water and the brown and white sugar.
9. Cut 2 thick slices horizonally from the remaining orange half, then cut these slices into little segments following the natural lines of the orange (see photos).
10. Take the remaining piece of orange and squeeze any juice into the saucepan.

11. Bring the liquid and sugar to a simmer over a medium-low heat, and stir until the sugar has melted. Now add the orange segments and baste them every now and again.
12. After 10-15 minutes, when the liquid has reduced to a syrup, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

To serve:

Serve the chocolate pots topped with the caramelised oranges and a few ginger biscuits

Chefs Notes:

*If you don’t have any vanilla sugar then you can use 1 Tbsp caster sugar plus ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Chocolate Pots with Caramelised Oranges©Kevin Ashton 2025

Thin Ginger Biscuits©Kevin Ashton 2025

Ingredients makes 20 small biscuits

120g plain flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼  teaspoon ground mixed spice

¼  teaspoon bicarbonate soda

¼  teaspoon salt

50g unsalted butter room temperature

50g dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon golden syrup or honey

1 ½ tablespoon milk

Method:

1. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour,ground ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice, bicarbonate soda and salt), then set aside. In a separate small bowl cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer until light and fluffy then mix in the golden syrup.
3. Gradually add in the dry ingredients until well combined then mix in the milk.
4. Bring the mix together into a ball then cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes remove from the fridge and divide into 2 halves, place one half back into the fridge.
6. On a lightly floured pastry board roll out the biscuit dough until it is 1-2 mm in thickness. You may find this easier to roll the dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
7. Now preheat your oven 160 C (320F) fan assisted
8. Use a small fluted cutter to cut out you biscuits and use a spatula to transfer them to the baking trays. Make sure you space out the biscuits.
9. Bake 1 tray of the ginger biscuits in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes then bake the second tray as the first trays cools.
10. Allow the ginger thins to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Chocolate Pots with Caramelised Oranges©Kevin Ashton 2025