Enhance your holiday table with this rich and decadent Chocolate Terrine dessert. This amazingly delicious treat shaped like half-spheres and poured with the caramel sauce is a great party dessert idea. What’s more? It is gluten-free!
This is my first chocolate terrine dessert! Some time ago, I saw a picture of a sliced chocolate terrine on the Internet. Then, I spent some time learning about that dessert: its origin, how to make the perfect chocolate terrine, how to serve that chocolate dessert.
The classic dark chocolate terrine is usually made as a cake, then sliced and served with the caramel or raspberry sauce. Since I love to serve desserts individually, I decided to make some fun baking, shaping the chocolate dessert like half-spheres.
Jump to:
What is a terrine dessert?
Chocolate terrine is a French flourless chocolate dessert shaped into a loaf cake. It can be made with different kinds of chocolate: dark, milk or white.
What is a terrine mold?
Chocolate terrine dessert is made with a few ingredients in a special loaf-shaped container called a terrine. It is a mold with a weighted press (cover) that shapes the dessert from all sides.
You might question if there is a terrine mold substitute? You can easily use a loaf pan (the same you use to make a Banana Bread) as long as you are a first-time terrine maker. Just cover the chocolate preparation with a foil before refrigeration.
Once you master the chocolate terrine and want to try other kinds of terrine (a terrine made out of cooked meat (pork), fish (salmon), or vegetables), you might decide to purchase an expensive traditional terrine mold.
How to serve chocolate terrine
- Serve chocolate terrine with caramel (the recipe is below) or raspberry sauce to add some tangy note to the dessert.
- Thomas Keller, an American chef recommends serving the dessert with créme Anglaise.
Why chocolate terrine recipe works
- This dessert served individually makes a perfect party treat.
- Chocolate terrine is a make-ahead dessert since it needs overnight chilling time.
- The dessert is made with pure dark chocolate; no cocoa powder * is added.
- Using different silicone molds allows customizing the dessert (I even used a bunny silicone mold * to make an amazing Easter dessert).
How to make chocolate terrine step by step
To make the chocolate terrine, melt dark chocolate cut into pieces in a bain-marie/water bath and let it slightly cool. Soak gelatin sheets * in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. Break the meringues into small pieces.
Separate egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture whitens (photo 1). In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites till they are mounted (photo 2).
Bring whipping cream to a boil. Remove a saucepan from the heat, add the drained gelatin and mix. Pour this mixture over the melted chocolate and combine with a rubber spatula * (photo 3). Add pieces of broken meringues (photo 4) and gently mix.
Fold the egg yolks/sugar mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula * (photo 5). Fold the beaten egg whites carefully into the chocolate mixture (photo 6).
Pour the preparation into a silicone half-sphere mold * (photo 7), smooth, fold a plastic film * over the top and place in the freezer overnight.
To make the caramel sauce the next day, heat powdered (icing) sugar with water in a saucepan over low-medium heat to get the brown caramel. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the soft butter in pieces and hot whipping cream, constantly mixing (be careful with splashing!) Heat the mixture for a few seconds and take it off the heat (photo 8).
Remove the chocolate terrine from the mold and let thaw for 30 minutes in the fridge. Pour the caramel sauce over the chocolate half-spheres and serve immediately.
Expert tips
- Use a top-quality 70% cocoa dark chocolate: Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *.
- To eliminate concern about eating raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs. However, consuming raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women and babies.
- To make the chocolate terrine shaped like a cake, double the recipe. Pour the chocolate mixture into a terrine mold (or a nonstick loaf pan *) lined with a plastic film *. Refrigerate the dessert overnight (do not freeze it.) On the day of serving, remove the dessert from the mold/pan, cut it into thick slices and serve with the caramel sauce.
- Use a hot knife to get clean slices.
More delicious chocolate dessert recipes you will love
- French Chocolate Ganache Tart Recipe
- French Dark Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- Nutella Cake Roll (aka Nutella Swiss Roll)
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Enhance your holiday table with this rich and decadent Chocolate Terrine dessert. This amazingly delicious treat shaped like spheres and poured with the caramel sauce is a great party dessert idea. What’s more? It is gluten-free!
Ingredients
For the chocolate terrine:
- 8.8 oz (250 g) dark chocolate
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 7 tablespoons (100 ml) whipping cream
- 3 gelatin sheets *
- 1 oz (30 g) store-bought meringues
For the caramel sauce:
- 6 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- 1.5 tbsp water
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) whipping cream
Instructions
To make chocolate terrine, melt dark chocolate cut into pieces in a bain-marie/water bath and let it slightly cool. Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. Break the meringues into small pieces.
- Separate egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture whitens. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites till they are mounted.
Bring whipping cream to a boil. Remove a saucepan from the heat, add the drained gelatin and mix. Pour this mixture over the melted chocolate and combine with a rubber spatula *. Add pieces of broken meringues and gently mix.
Fold the egg yolks/sugar mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Fold the beaten eeg whites carefully into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the preparation into a silicone half-sphere mold *, smooth, fold a plastic film * over the top and place in the freezer overnight.
To make the caramel sauce the next day, heat powdered (icing) sugar with water in a saucepan over low-medium heat to get the brown caramel. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the soft butter in pieces and hot whipping cream, constantly mixing (be careful with splashing!) Heat the mixture for a few seconds and take it off the heat.
Remove the chocolate terrine from the mold and let thaw for 30 minutes in the fridge. Pour the caramel sauce over the chocolate terrine half-spheres and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a top-quality 70% cocoa dark chocolate: Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *.
- To eliminate concern about eating raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs. However, consuming raw eggs is not advisable for pregnant women and babies.
- To make the chocolate terrine shaped like a cake, double the recipe. Pour the chocolate mixture into a terrine mold (or a nonstick loaf pan *) lined with a food film. Refrigerate the dessert overnight (do not freeze it.) On the day of serving, remove the dessert from the mold/pan, cut it into thick slices and serve with the caramel sauce.
- Use a hot knife to get clean slices.
Nutrition
- Calories: 311
- Sugar: 31.2 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 16.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.3 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: chocolate terrine, dark chocolate terrine, chocolate terrine recipe, no-bake chocolate dessert
The recipe was adapted from https://gourmand.viepratique.fr/. It was originally published on April 02, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Veena Azmanov says
I am totally drooling with the presentation of this yummy Chocolaty dessert. Delicious and definitely a treat.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you so much, Veena!
Dannii says
This is such a beautiful dessert. It would be great for serving up at a dinner party.
★★★★★
Irina says
A party dessert served individually is a plus. Thank you, Dannii.
Tonje says
Yum! Very impressive dessert, but it doesn’t look too hard! Pinning this for Easter!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Tonje! Once I made this chocolate terrine in a bunny silicone mold. It was a hit for Easter!
Adrianne says
What a delicious looking dessert this is! I love how decadent it is and your step by step photos to show us how to do this. Yum, looking forward to trying. Cheers
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you so much, Adrianne! Please, enjoy it!
kim says
This recipe was fabulous! It was so easy and was so scrumptious. I’ll definitely be making again and again!
★★★★★
Irina says
Oh, Thank you, Kim! It is a pleasure to know that you loved the dessert.