| Friday, March 30, 2007 |
| Desserts Worth Trying |
by Jolene Ketzenberger
Star correspondent
Janie Maurer, who has won numerous Indiana State Fair awards for her baked goods, noted that all of the following Passover treats can be made ahead and frozen for later use.
The brownies should be cooled and cut into squares before freezing, she noted. If freezing the cake, glaze it after it has thawed.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Cocoa powder for dusting pan
4 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat over to 300 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round or springform pan and dust with cocoa powder.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate with the butter. Remove from heat and stir in rest of ingredients. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
Glaze
1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1. Bring cream just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Stir until smooth. Cool 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over cake and let drip down sides. Chill until set, about 30 minutes. Top with berries or flowers.
Everyone's Favorite Brownies
10 tablespoons (11/4 sticks) unsalted butter
13/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
11/8 cups vanilla sugar (or regular sugar plus1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
11/2 teaspoons water (if using vanilla extract, use only 1/2 teaspoon water)
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup matzo cake meal (can use regular flour when not celebrating Passover)
3/4 cup pecan pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Melt butter. Add 1 cup chocolate chips, and stir until they are melted. Whisk in sugar and water. Remove from heat and let cool. Test the temperature of the chocolate to make sure it is at room temperature.
3. Whisk in eggs until well blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the matzo cake meal (or flour), nuts and remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Blend well and spread in prepared pan. Place in oven and bake 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a moist crumb.
4. Cool completely on wire rack. Loosen sides with a spatula and invert brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into nine pieces.
Cook's note: This brownie recipe, made with regular flour, was a 2002 Indiana State Fair award winner.
Passover Mandel Breit
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cups matzo cake meal
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup potato starch
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon crushed anise seedCinnamon-sugar mixture
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with 2 cups sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift matzo cake meal, salt and starch. Fold into liquid. Add chocolate and nuts. On a greased cookie sheet, form dough into two 2-inch wide loaves. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 30 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Dip ends into melted chocolate, if desired.
Cook's note: Mandel breit, or mandel bread, is very similar to Italian biscotti.
from http://www.indystar.comLabels: chocolate brownies, chocolate cake |
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| Wednesday, March 28, 2007 |
| Who knew barley, chocolate made such a great food pair? |
By Joannah Hill - The Baltimore Sun
Not too long ago if someone had told me chocolate and barley were natural companions, I would have had my doubts.
But two books spotlighting baking with whole grains have made a believer out of me.
“King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking” by King Arthur Flour (The Countryman Press, $35) and “Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book” prove there is more to whole-grain baked goods than wheat bread and bran muffins.
With nutrition experts encouraging us to consume three servings of whole grains every day, these recipes are a great way to incorporate more fiber into your diet. (While these recipes pump up the volume on grains, butter, eggs and sugar are also plentiful in a number of them, so these goodies are not entirely guilt-free.)
The kitchen wizards at King Arthur Flour have produced a work so comprehensive and accessible that it could be used as the definitive source for whole-grain baking.
The book is packed with information on the varieties of grains, baking techniques, nutritional information, a glossary of terms and entertaining asides, such as the difference between sticky buns and cinnamon rolls and the nuances of Marshmallow Fluff. The only thing missing is an index of specific grains to recipes.
If, for example, you have committed to an entire bag of millet, it would be helpful to have included a quick reference for all the recipes using that grain.
The recipes cover a broad and ambitious range. There are whole-wheat croissants and eclairs, and the humble chocolate-chip cookie gets a whole-grain makeover in both chewy and crunchy versions. Taste and texture are a determining factor in any baked treat and, for a dedicated refined-flour baker, these recipes were a revelation.
A honey cake with whole-wheat flour was tender and ambrosial. Chocolate-chip cookies made with barley flour had a mild, slightly nutty flavor.
And a luscious lemon-raspberry layer cake with whole-wheat pastry flour would be welcome at any fine table.
As with all cookbooks, it is best to read these recipes completely before beginning. A number of recipes require the dough or batter to rest overnight, to help soften the grain.
So be forewarned – if you’re craving a batch of snickerdoodles, you’ll have to wait at least 24 hours.
“Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book” by John Ettinger and the Bob’s Red Mill Family (Running Press, $29.95) takes a less academic, more laid-back approach to whole-grain baking. Produced by the people behind Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, this easy-going, informative book covers all the basics and is even slightly more adventurous in including several recipes for less well-known grains such as triticale, teff and Kamut.
Brownies made with barley flour were a hit with kids and adults. The light, mild-tasting brownies were pleasingly chocolaty with an ever-so-slight nuttiness. The Apple Bundt Cake combines whole-wheat pastry flour and white flour for a rich, moist treat.
The whole-wheat piecrust was a smashing success. I can’t wait to try this tasty, rustic crust on a fresh peach pie.
Barley Brownies
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup barley flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, cream together the eggs with the cocoa, sugar, oil and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the barley flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the walnuts, incorporating them well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Makes about 16 brownies.
Per serving: 186 calories, 3 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 136 milligrams sodium.
From “Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book”
Labels: chocolate brownies |
| posted by All About Home @ 2:18 AM |
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| Tuesday, March 27, 2007 |
| Chocolate aniseed ice-cream cake |
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Cooking Time 45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 9)
* Melted butter, to grease
* 1 vanilla bean
* 250g (1 punnet) strawberries, washed, hulled, finely chopped
* 2 tbs Annisette liqueur (Baitz brand)
* 1 tsp aniseed essence
* 1L good-quality vanilla ice-cream
* Cocoa powder, to dust
* Good-quality chocolate sauce, to serve
* 250g (1 punnet) strawberries, washed, halved, extra, to serve
chocolate aniseed cake
* 160g (1 cup, lightly packed) brown sugar
* 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 4 eggs, at room temperature
* 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
* 1 tbs aniseed essence
* 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
* 50g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
* 1 tsp Chinese five spice
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with the melted butter to grease. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides.
To make the chocolate aniseed cake, use an electric beater to beat the sugar and butter in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the milk and aniseed essence. Sift the flour, cocoa and Chinese five spice over the bowl and fold in until well combined.
Pour the cake mixture into the lined pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, use a small sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds and place in a large bowl. Add the strawberries, liqueur and aniseed essence, and toss to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes to macerate.
Use a potato masher or fork to mash the strawberry mixture until roughly crushed.
Wash and dry the cake pan. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides. Place the ice-cream in a large bowl and set aside for 10 minutes or until it softens slightly. Fold the strawberry mixture through the softened ice-cream until well combined. Spoon into the lined pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or until firm.
Use a large serrated knife to cut the cake in half horizontally.
Place one half of the cake cut-side up on a chopping board. Top with the frozen ice-cream. Sandwich with the remaining cake half. Use a serrated knife to cut evenly into 9 squares. Place on serving plates. Dust with cocoa and drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Serve immediately with the extra strawberries.
Notes & tips
To freeze (for up to 1 month): Wrap the chocolate cake and ice-cream separately in several layers of plastic wrap. Label, date and freeze.To serve: Remove the chocolate aniseed cake from the freezer 2 hours before serving to thaw. Continue from step 8.
Source
Australian Good Taste - January 2002 , Page 56
Recipe by Cherise Kosh |
| posted by All About Home @ 8:21 PM |
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| Monday, March 26, 2007 |
| So Healthy With Dark Chocolate |
DARK chocolate may help reduce blood pressure and boost the body's ability to metabolize sugar from food, according to a study. Investigators from the University of L'Aquila in Italy found that after eating only 100gms of dark chocolate every day for 15 days, 15 healthy people had lower blood pressure and were more sensitive to insulin.
Dr Claudio Ferri and co-investigators explained that flavonoids help the body by neutralizing potentially cell-damaging substances known as oxygen-free radicals, which are a normal byproduct of metabolism. Despite dark chocolate's apparent benefits, Ferri urges caution when interpreting the results. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, but also a lot of fat and calories, Ferri said, and people who want to add some chocolate to their diet need to subtract an equivalent amount of calories by cutting back on other foods, to avoid weight gain.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
www.medical-explorer.com |
| posted by All About Home @ 3:40 AM |
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| Friday, March 23, 2007 |
| Real Hot Chocolate |
Preparation Time 2 minutes
Cooking Time 5 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
* 1L (4 cups) milk
* 100g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
* Marshmallows, to serve
Method
Place the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside for 1 minute.
Place 20g of the chocolate in each of four heatproof serving glasses. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Top with marshmallows and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate. Serve immediately.
Notes & tips
White chocolate variation: Use 100g of good-quality white chocolate instead of the dark chocolate in this recipe.
Source
Australian Good Taste - July 2003 , Page 63
Recipe by Sarah Hobbs |
| posted by All About Home @ 7:25 AM |
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| Thursday, March 22, 2007 |
| Chocolate Bombe Alaska |
Ingredients (serves 4)
* 400g chocolate sponge roll
* 75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
* 3 eggwhites
* 1 cup caster sugar
* 4 Blue Ribbon Chocolate Sundaes
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut 4 x 2cm-thick slices of sponge roll. Place onto tray, leaving space between each for easy removal. Spoon chocolate onto each sponge slice.
Place eggwhites into a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Add sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating continuously until all the sugar is added. Beat for a further 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
Turn a frozen ice-cream onto each sponge slice. Spread meringue evenly over each, making sure ice-cream and sponge base are completely covered.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until meringue is light golden and firm to touch. Serve immediately.
Notes & tipsNote:
You will find boxes of 6 Blue Ribbon Chocolate Sundae ice-creams in the freezer section of the supermarket. You can replace them with a scoop of chocolate ice-cream if preferred.
Source
Super Food Ideas - June 2003 , Page 81
Recipe by Dixie Elliott |
| posted by All About Home @ 2:38 AM |
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| Wednesday, March 21, 2007 |
| Three confections revel in chocolate |
by Kathie Smith
Dazzle holiday revelers with a classic chocolate dessert that will leave a lasting memory.
Real chocolate desserts don’t have to be difficult to make. With the help of convenience items, careful planning, and elegant presentation, pick from three intensely chocolate creations.
Think trifle, strudel, and truffle cake.
An English trifle consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers doused with spirits usually sherry, custard, whipped cream and a garnish of fruit.
Triple Chocolate Trifle is made with a package of cook-and-serve chocolate pudding mix and one layer chocolate cake or three large chocolate chip muffins. Optional flavor comes from creme de cacao liqueur. Garnish with red, green, and black seedless grapes.
Strudel is a type of pastry made with many layers of thin dough spread with a filling, then rolled and baked until crisp and golden brown, according to the Food Lover’s Companion. Popular in Germany, Austria, and much of Central European, it is most commonly featured as apple strudel.
For intensely flavored chocolate, bake Chocolate Walnut Strudel. Smooth melted chocolate is combined with crunchy, chopped walnuts.
The recipe is easy enough. The microwave can be used to melt the chocolate. The thawed pastry sheet is rolled to a very thin rectangle and then spread with the chocolate mixture followed by the sprinkled walnuts. There’s less chocolate in this recipe than other such as the Chocolate Truffle Cake, but the thinness of the puff pastry layers showcases the flavor in a big way.
The baked strudel is pretty and flaky. One strudel yields 12 servings.
A chocolate truffle is a rich confection made with melted chocolate, butter or cream, sugar, and various flavorings such as liquors, spices, vanilla, coffee, and nuts. After the mixture is cooled, it’s rolled into balls and coated with coverings such as unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, or crushed nuts. Some truffles are dipped in melted white or dark chocolate, which becomes a hard coating, when cooled.
Chocolate Truffle Cake is a recipe from the American Dairy Association which uses some of the same principles as the chocolate truffle candy. It’s an awesome presentation, easy enough to make, but a little time consuming. The secret is to make it in steps. Make the cake in the morning and the ganache later in the day.
Or the intensely chocolate, moist cake layer can be baked ahead and frozen for up to 2 months, then awed prior to frosting.
Ganache is a rich icing/filling made of semisweet chocolate and whipping cream, heated and stirred together until the chocolate has melted. The cooled mixture is poured over a cake or torte. It can be used to glaze cakes, pastries or tortes.
(When used as a filling, the cooled ganache needs to be of spreadable consistency. If it is cooled too long, it becomes thick enough to be rolled into truffle bonbons, according to Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From my home to yours (Houghton Mifflin, $40.)
What makes this cake so dazzling is the garnish of white chocolate drizzle made by melting white chocolate baking bars or white chocolate chips in the microwave. Using a pastry bag with small round tip, pipe horizontal lines of melted white chocolate evenly space on top of the cake. Then draw the tip of a small knife or wooden pick vertically across the horizontal lines to form a design. Your guests will think you been to cake decorating classes or pastry school.
Then press chopped pecans along the side of the cake and garnish with fresh raspberries. Store this cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Note that if you don’t want to use the white chocolate garnish, there are other options.
• Completely cover the frosted cake with chocolate curls. To make the curls, use a vegetable peeler to shave off pieces of chocolate from the chocolate bar, which should be at room temperature. Greater pressure forms thicker, more open curls; lighter pressure makes tighter curls.
• Using a pastry bag with a large tip, pipe dollops of whipped cream along edges of cake and plate. Top each dollop with a single raspberry and mint leaves.
• Garnish the cake with truffles or chocolate covered strawberries.
by KATHIE SMITH, BLADE FOOD EDITOR
Contact Kathie Smith at food@theblade.com or 419-724-6155. |
| posted by All About Home @ 2:39 AM |
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| Tuesday, March 20, 2007 |
| Rich Chocolate Cake |
Rich chocolate cake
Ingredients (serves 12)
* 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
* 200g butter, softened
* 1 cup dark brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 eggs, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
* 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup milk chocolate curls or shavings (optional), to serve (see note)
Chocolate icing
* 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup thickened cream
Method
Make chocolate icing:
Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes or until thick enough to spread.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line base and side of a 6cm deep, 22cm (base) round cake pan.
Place chocolate in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add melted chocolate. Beat until well combined. Sift flour and cocoa together. Fold half the flour mixture into butter mixture. Add half the milk. Stir gently to combine. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand cake in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Spread icing over top and side. Top with chocolate curls, if using. Serve.
Notes & tips
To make chocolate curls, run a clean potato peeler down the side of a block of chocolate, allowing curls to fall onto a plate.
Source
Super Food Ideas - May 2006 , Page 76
Recipe by Alison Roberts |
| posted by All About Home @ 3:04 AM |
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| Monday, March 19, 2007 |
| Cuisine quest: Chocolate sandwich cookies |
By Kathy Stephenson
The Salt Lake Tribune
from http://www.sltrib.com
Melanie Lindford has fond memories of the bakery inside the downtown ZCMI department store.
"I grew up going to that bakery and my whole family misses it," she wrote. Lindford especially yearns for the chocolate cookie with mint-flavored center. Colleen Scott, who worked in the ZCMI advertising department, remembered those cookies with their frosting colored either red or green. She sent in a version of the recipe she thought was similar. It was found on the Web site www.cdkitchen.com. With a mint-brownie-like texture the cookies are easy to make, but can quickly become dry if overcooked.
Requests: Robin Schick wants an apple bread recipe, similar to what is sold at Great Harvest Bread, which does not give out recipes. Michelle Crowther would like a recipe for chocolate brownies like those made by Kneaders Bakery in Midvale. Owners Gary and Colleen Worthington won't give out their secrets.
--- * Send requests or responses to Cuisine Quest, c/o The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, or kathys@sltrib.com.
Chocolate sandwich cookies
Cookie:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
Filling:
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
Red or green food coloring
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium-size bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg, then vanilla and mint extract. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide dough in half; shape each into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each log into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost firm. Do not overbake. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
To prepare filling, beat together confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and mint extract in a medium-size bowl until a good spreading consistency. Tint frosting with food coloring. Spread flat side of half the cookies with filling. Top with a plain cookie. Chill until set.
Makes 2 dozen.
Source: www.cdkitchen.com |
| posted by All About Home @ 3:40 AM |
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| Sunday, March 18, 2007 |
| Ice cream brownie with fudge sauce |
Ingredients (serves 6)
300g dark chocolate, chopped
250g unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
4 eggs, whisked
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup (100g) Californian walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup (150g) plain flour
2 tbs cocoa powder, sifted
6 individually wrapped ice cream slices
Icing sugar, to dust
Chocolate fudge sauce
300ml carton cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (70g) brown sugar
20g butter
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line two 16cm x 26cm (base) slab pans with non-stick baking paper.
Melt chocolate and butter in microwave on Medium/50% power.
When cool, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in walnuts, flour and cocoa. Pour into the pans. Bake 15 minutes or until crumbs cling to an inserted skewer. Let cool completely.
For the fudge sauce, melt all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickens slightly.
To serve, place 6 x 8cm rectangles of brownie on each plate. Top with an ice cream slice and another brownie slice. Dust with icing sugar. Spoon over hot sauce and serve immediately.
Notes & tips
Tip: Most brownies are best eaten the day after they are made.
SourceFresh Living - August 2004 , Page 48
Recipe by Alison Roberts |
| posted by All About Home @ 4:50 PM |
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| Saturday, March 17, 2007 |
| Chocolate Wedding Favors |
by Kevin Stith
The rich, smooth texture of chocolate truffles have made them an delicate token of appreciation. The elegant simplicity of a single truffle or a cluster of three, is sufficient for a sophisticated wedding favor.
Providing chocolate as a wedding favor has been a time honored tradition for many centuries. The practice of distributing wedding favors began with the European upper classes, who had the wealth to provide elaborate gifts to their guests. Wedding favors began as small fancy boxes known as a bonboniere. A bonboniere was fashioned of crystal, porcelain or gold and were often encrusted with precious stones. The boxes were meant to hold bonbons or other confectionery delicacies, at a time when sugar was quite expensive and believed to have medicinal benefits.
Confectioneries, primarily chocolates, have continued to be a favorite wedding favor. Variations on the classic bonboniere have continued throughout the ages. Elaborate wedding favor boxes are produced from porcelain, crystal, stainless steel or pewter. Designs available from each medium vary extensively to accommodate any personal taste or wedding theme. The most affordable boxes are fashioned from white chipboard, which may have a solid color or be printed to reflect traditional wedding themes. More elaborate boxes have a foil laminate exterior and include embossed designs. Whatever the box design, they are intended to hide a secret gift of decadence inside.
The rich, smooth texture of chocolate truffles have made them an delicate token of appreciation. The elegant simplicity of a single truffle or a cluster of three, is sufficient for a sophisticated wedding favor. Truffles are affordable and easy to find at online suppliers or local candy shops.
A trend in chocolate wedding favors, has been the creation of unique labels for otherwise ordinary chocolate bars. “Branding” the bar with an unique label creates a personal statement from the bride and groom. Smaller chocolate companies that specialize in providing personalized chocolate, can create a mold that will appear to be engraved with a sentiment from the couple. Many of these same companies carry stock molds for wedding themed chocolate bars and coins. They are able to produce chocolate pops and three dimensional chocolate confections that resemble traditional wedding themes, as well as the bride and groom cake topper. The molded candies are produced from white, milk or dark chocolate. Couples can select to have the molded chocolates hand painted with edible gold and silver finishes.
A simple, fun and inexpensive chocolate wedding favor is created by filling unique, clear containers with candy coated chocolates. The popular coated chocolates can be purchased in bulk and are made in a wide range of pastels that complement any wedding color scheme. The choice of clear container includes a variety of items such as glass jars, clear boxes, organza bags and plastic tubes to make a delightful wedding favor.
The thought devoted to combining the choice of chocolate and a distinctive container, allows for the continuation of chocolate as a legendary wedding favor. The versatility of chocolate, enables a couple show appreciation to their wedding guests in a variety of ways, while delighting their guest without great expense.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wedding Favors provides personalized, homemade, cheap, and unique wedding favors, including chocolate and cookie favors, wedding favor boxes, wedding shower favors, and more. For more information go to http ://www.i-weddingfavors.com/ and/or visit its sister site at http://www.i-weddinginvitations.com/ for related information. |
| posted by All About Home @ 8:19 PM |
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| Thursday, March 8, 2007 |
| Chocolate Meets the Grill in Cake Sandwiches |
by Mitch Mariani
In the chocolate spectrum, there are individuals who like chocolate and those who cannot be without chocolate. A similar notion it the importance that there are brands that are better than others. One brand in particular is the inspiration for this week's column where chocolate finds its way to the grill.
I wouldn't consider myself a chocolate snob, but there are situations where I have fit the bill. A few years ago, I was at a birthday celebration. After many of the guest left, the host, my friend Heather, discovered that the makings of s'mores did not find its way to the patio fire pit. Although the fire was out, once it was mentioned that we could make microwave s'mores, we set about making them.
The chocolate we used would probably be considered the classic American milk chocolate. After the first bite of my s'more, my senses told me that although it tasted all right, the chocolate was disappointing. It was grainy, too sweet and lacked any real chocolate flavor. Heather and I came to the conclusion that the chocolate of our childhood was disappointing. I mentioned that I heard about a locally made chocolate was supposedly very good. I could not remember the name. I first found out about the chocolate from the show "Bay Area Backroads." Fate stepped in. The same episode I saw a year earlier happened to be on the day after the party. I had the name: Scharffen Berger. It was a sign. A visit to the factory was planned for later in the week.
Heather, our friend Tasha and I set off for the factory one late morning. As we arrived and opened the car doors, the smell of chocolate was thick in the air. It was difficult not to salivate and we knew we were in for some very good dark chocolate. The hour-long tour educated us about the process of growing cacao, its on farm processing and the processing once it is in the factory. In the final 15 minutes of the tour, we had the opportunity to walk through the factory and see the machines at work.
When visiting the Scharffen Berger Web site a little more than a year ago, I was surprised to learn that they had recently opened an on-site dining facility called Cafe Cacao. The lunch menu features a Chocolate Sandwich. After a little further investigation, I found out that the sandwich consists of two pieces of bread with a piece of melted chocolate. It is grilled on a Panini press, toasting the outside of the bread and melting the chocolate inside.
After reading about the grilled chocolate sandwich and seeing the photos, I knew that further research and an experiment was in order. I came across a few different chocolate sandwiches, all with the same premise: chocolate placed in between two buttered pieces of bread and placed on a griddle or a grill. For my experiment, I used two pieces of sliced French bread with a little bit of chocolate. I was very pleased with the results. The texture of crispy bread pairs well with the melted chocolate. This is good for a snack, or a rustic style dessert.
I thought about how the chocolate sandwich could be made a little more elegant. Instead of using the sliced French bread, I opted for a butter pound cake. For my first attempt, I replicated the procedure for the first sandwich. The results were a little disappointing. With the introduction of butter, the pound cake was not strong enough and fell apart too easily. For my second attempt, I did not butter the outsides. It was better, but needed an extra touch. In the third attempt, I started to go through some spices and though ground cinnamon would add a nice touch. The combination of melted chocolate and cinnamon reminded me of Mexican hot chocolate and the taste was rich and sinful.
Of course, you don't have to use Scharffen Berger chocolate for fantastic results, but it's important to use a premium chocolate. In the last two months, I conducted two chocolate tasting and Valrhona was also a clear winner for their dark chocolate. If milk chocolate is your favorite, you can't go wrong with another local favorite, Guittard. I used a grill press, but they may be done in a grill pan too.
Chocolate Sandwich
(Adapted from the Cafe Cacao Menu; Serves 1)
2 slices of French bread
1 to 1-1/2 rounded tablespoons premium chocolate
1 teaspoon butter, softened
Step 1: Preheat a grill press to medium high heat. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small pieces, about 1/4 square inches.
Step 2: Butter one side on each piece of French bread and add the chocolate to the unbuttered side. Place the other unbuttered side of bread on top of the chocolate.
Step 3: Place the chocolate sandwich in the grill press for about 90 seconds or until the bread on the outside has become crisp and golden brown.
Step 4: Remove the sandwich from the grill press and allow it to cool for 60 seconds. Slice the sandwich on the diagonal and serve with a cold glass of milk.
Elegant Chocolate Sandwich
(From Mitch Mariani; Serves 1)
2 slices of butter pound cake
1 rounded tablespoon premium chocolate (less if the pound cake is small)
Dash of ground cinnamon to taste
Step 1: Preheat a grill press to medium high heat. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small pieces, about 1/4 square inches.
Step 2: Working with the inside of the sandwich, add a small dusting of cinnamon to each slice of pound cake. Place the chocolate on top of the cinnamon side and add cover with the other cinnamon side of pound cake.
Step 3: Place the chocolate sandwich in the grill press for about 60 to 90 seconds to allow the chocolate to melt and the pound cake to warm and toast a little.
Step 4: Remove the sandwich from the grill press and allow it to cool for 60 seconds. Slice the sandwich on the diagonal and serve with vanilla ice cream or a touch of whipped cream.
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Mitch Mariani
Mitch L. Mariani II is a self-taught amateur chef. Questions, comments and suggestions can be directed to him via e-mail at mixedgrillsouthvalley@yahoo.com. For tips and recipes, visit www.geocities.com/mixedgrillsouthvalley. His column runs weekly. |
| posted by All About Home @ 8:39 PM |
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| Sunday, March 4, 2007 |
| Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cake |
by chocojunkie.com
Ingredients :
-2 cups Cake flour
-2 teaspoons Baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon Salt
-1/2 cup Butter or margarine (1 cube)
-2 cups Granulated sugar
-3 Lg. eggs
-1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
-3 ounces Unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
-1 cup Dairy sour cream
-1 cup Boiling water
Filling
-1/2 cup Butter or margarine
-1 12 oz package caramels, unwrapped
-1 can Sweetened condensed milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 cake pan. Set aside. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Blend in the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the butter mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin) Divide cake batter in half. Pour one half into the prepared cake pan. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until firm to the touch, and remove from the oven. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix butter, caramels, and condensed milk in a sauce pan and melt over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the stove and pour the mixture over the baked half of the cake. Pour the remaining cake batter over the caramel mixture and return to the oven. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. When cool, serve with ice cream, whipped cream or frost with your favorite chocolate frosting. NOTE: melt chocolate in double boiler over simmer (not boiling water) Makes 12 servings.
about the author : http://www.chocojunkie.com |
| posted by All About Home @ 1:31 AM |
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| Saturday, March 3, 2007 |
| Triple Chocolate Trifle |
Ingredients :
~ 1 3.4-ounce package cook-and-serve chocolate pudding mix
~ 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, optional
~ 2 cups milk
~ 3 large chocolate chip muffins or 1 layer chocolate layer cake
~ 1 cup each red, green, and black seedless grapes
~ 2 to 4 tablespoons creme de cacao liqueur
~ ½ cup whipped cream
Directions :
Combine pudding mix with cocoa, if using cocoa. Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. Cut cake or muffins into cubes to fit individual glass dishes. Mix grapes together. To assemble individual trifles, place one layer of cake in each of four dishes, sprinkle with ½ to 1 teaspoon creme de cacao, spoon 2 mounded tablespoons pudding on cake, and top with 1/3 cup grapes. Repeat. Spoon pudding over tops of dishes. Dollop whipped cream over each serving.
Yield: 4 servings
Source: California Table Grape Commission |
| posted by All About Home @ 11:54 PM |
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| Friday, March 2, 2007 |
| Just How Is Chocolate Made? |
by James McDonald
How is chocolate made you are wondering? Chocolate is derived from a cocoa bean removed from the pod of the cocoa tree. Cocoa trees are found growing in equatorial zones in the South America region. Once the Cocoa beans have been harvested they are then placed into large shallow pans to be heated. This is also known as the fermentation process. In some regions where the climate is warm the beans may be fermented by the sun. Throughout this fermentation workers stir them often to ensure that all the cocoa beans have been equally fermented.
One of the first things that industrial chocolate manufacturers do is dry roast the beans. The process of dry roasting helps develop the flavor into what we enjoy when eating it. The cocoa nibs, otherwise known as beans are comprised of two very important ingredients: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is basically a fat while the cocoa solids are predominantly coarse cocoa powder. The seperation of the two ingredients is very crucial in producing a smooth, high quality chocolate candy.
The process of removing the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids is to convert the nibs into a non alcoholic liquid called liquor. Once this is done the liquor is then sent into high pressure to press and squeeze the butter from the solids. What remains is a cake of solid cocoa. After the butter is removed it is then refined for future use, such as use in the cosmetic industry. Once the cocoa solids have been extracted and ground into a coarse fine powder it is then mixed together with other ingredients to become the chocolate candy we enjoy today.
To produce the bitter sweet dark chocolate the powder is mixed with cocoa butter and some sugar. Milk chocolate is made by mixing the powder with a minimum amount of cocoa butter, sugar and milk. White chocolate is produced by combining all the ingredients and by adding real vanilla flavoring as an emulsifier.
Once all the ingredients are combined they are all stirred together under heat to make a molten chocolate. The mixture is then placed into larger vats where it will be conched. The conching process is done by large smooth granite rollers that keep the chocolate mixture stirred and continue to grind the powder into relatively small pieces. To make the smooth velvety texture, the mixture is conched by very small granite rollers. The conching process takes several days at a time.
After all these steps have been completed the chocolate is then poured into molds where it is then allowed to cool and then removed and placed in a wrapper. Then the famous candy treat is ready to be dispersed to enjoy.
About The Author
James McDonald writes for www.findsweetsonline.com where you can find Hershey gourmet chocolates and many other types of sweets. Enjoy our selection of treats and other recipes.
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| posted by All About Home @ 1:39 AM |
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| Thursday, March 1, 2007 |
| Recipe: Devil’s Food Cupcakes With Fluffy White Filling and Chocolate Icing |
Adapted from "Vegan With a Vengeance," by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Marlowe, 2005)
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 tablespoons black cocoa powder (see note) or more Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING:
1/3 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, such as Earthbalance
1/3 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
21/2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the chocolate icing:
1/3 cup plain soy milk
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or confectioners’ sugar
For the royal icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons plain soy milk.
1. For the cupcakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners, and spray lightly with nonstick spray. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a mixer, combine the soy milk, oil, syrup, sugar, vinegar and vanilla. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add half the dry ingredients and mix to blend. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute.
2. Use a standard ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
3. For the filling: In a mixer, beat margarine and shortening until combined. Add 21/2 cups confectioners’ sugar and beat until very fluffy, about 10 minutes. Taste for sweetness and add remaining 1/2 cup sugar if desired. Add vanilla and beat for 1 minute more.
4. For the chocolate icing: In a small skillet, bring soy milk to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low and stir in the chocolate and maple syrup, stirring until just melted. Turn off heat.
5. For the royal icing: Using an electric mixer or by hand, sift sugar into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon soy milk. Mix, adding up to 1 more tablespoon soy milk until consistency is like stiff toothpaste.
6. To assemble: Prepare two pastry bags, one fitted with a large plain tip, and one with a small writing tip. Fill large-tipped bag with filling, and the small-tipped bag with royal icing. (Instead of pastry bags, thick resealable plastic bags may be used. For filling, cut off one corner of bag so the opening measures a scant 1/2 inch across. For icing, opening should be just large enough to pipe a thin line.)
7. Using your pinkie, poke a hole in center of each cupcake top about an inch deep. Push tip of pastry bag with filling into each hole, firmly squeezing in filling and slowly drawing tip up and out. When all cakes have been filled, wipe off any excess that sticks out from holes; tops of cupcakes should be flat.
8. Place cupcakes on a baking sheet or tray that fits in refrigerator. Rewarm pan of chocolate icing over low heat if necessary, stirring constantly. Dip top of each cupcake into icing, swirling to coat completely. When all cupcakes are dipped, refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes to set. When set, use royal icing to make squiggles across center of each cupcake. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, up to 1 day.
Yield: 12 cupcakes.
Note: Black cocoa, which gives the cake its characteristic dark color and bittersweet flavor, is available from King Arthur Flour, (800) 827-6836, kingarthurflour.com
This recipe is from the Web site of The New York Times : www.nytimes.com |
| posted by All About Home @ 11:28 PM |
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