Preparation
Mix the couverture with the soft butter until smooth. Add the Cointreau and smooth. Let a crust develop over 30 minutes.

Lightly beat the batter mechanically. Squeeze bars (truffles) out onto baking paper and allow to harden in a cool place.

Dunk the truffles, one by one, in the tempered couverture and then turn them over in the chocolate shavings. Let the truffles harden.

Preparation
Turn the strips over in the cocoa powder and then place in a (flour) sieve to remove the excess cocoa powder.

Using a chocolate dipping fork (or a normal fork), drag the strips through the couverture, vibrate (or shake off), and allow to harden on the silicon surfaces.

Store in a cool and dry place.

Preparation
Melt and mix the chocolate and butter (microwaves are perfect for this).

Loosely beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla and add to the chocolate mixture.

Add the flour and the baking powder and mix.

Roughly chop the pecan nuts and add to the mixture. Mix. Pour the mixture onto a greased, square baking tin and bake at 180° C for 20 to 25 minutes (don’t let it get crisp). After removing from the oven, allow to stand for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and cut into squares of 5 by 5 cm.

Preparation
Mix the butter and the sugar and beat into a white mixture.

Add the chocolate, eggs and the pith of the vanilla stick and beat.

Mix the flour and the cocoa and mix into the batter.

Pour the batter into a greased mould dusted with flour and bake at 170° C. The cake is ready when you stick a needle into it and it comes out clean and dry.

Remove the cake from the mould and allow to cool on a grate.