Thursday, June 30, 2011

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

Ingredients
 Butter 1 / 2 cup

1 / 2 cup sugar

1 / 2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

Peanut butter 1 / 2 cup

3 / 4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1 / 2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Tsp salt 1 / 2

1 cup chocolate chips




PREPARATION: 

Beat butter and sugar. Beat eggs well. Mix peanut butter, sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture. Stir in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a little upwards.

Pour into a greased and floured 2 1 / 2 to 3 quarts of souffle dish or mold gallon (which is suitable for slow cooker). Place a small tripod in the slow cooker, place the dish on the trivet, then cover the dish with 4 layers of paper towels.

Cover to allow steam to escape and cook on high for about 4 hours. Test with a toothpick for cooking. Cool in pot until dish is cool enough, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.




 

Tag,Chocolate Brownie,Chocolate Cake,Chocolate Recipes,Chocolate Sweet,Hot chocolate,white Chocolate Cake



Buttermilk Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing

Prep Time:
30 Min
Cook Time:
30 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr 
 Ingredients
* 1 cup buttermilk

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 2 cups white sugar

* 2 eggs

* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Vegetable oil * 1 / 2 cup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 cup boiling water

2 cups all-purpose flour

*

1 cup white sugar

In powder * 1 / 2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Milk * 1 / 4 cup

* Butter, 1 / 4 cup

* 1 vanilla extract

Directions


 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, mix butter and baking soda. Aside in a warm place.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups sugar, eggs, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons oil and vanilla until blended. Stir in boiling water, then gradually beat in the flour. Add the buttermilk mixture.

3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

4. To make fudge frosting: In saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 / 2 cup cocoa powder, milk, butter and a teaspoon of vanilla. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, beat icing for 3 minutes or until thickened to spreading consistency. Pour over completely cooled cake.

Tag,Chocolate Brownie,Chocolate Cake,Chocolate Recipes,Chocolate Sweet,Hot chocolate,white Chocolate Cake
 

Ritter Sport: Crunchy Stuff

Ritter Sport is evidently quite proud of their milk chocolate given the number of milk chocolate based bars that went into their mini chocolate bar sampler pack. At least they weren’t all boring or standard. I mean, sure, plain milk chocolate and milk chocolate with nuts are both great. Just not anything original.

Now milk chocolate with cornflakes? Say what? Let me take a look at that.

The bar has a nutty and creamy aroma, and the sweet chocolate features cream and powdered sugar flavors. The cornflakes, which were visible on the backside of the bar, were kind of different.

The flakes were quite crisp and offered a satisfying crunch, the chocolate was soft but just a bit dry; nonetheless, the texture contrast was pleasing. The overall effect is much like that of a dressed-up, high quality Kit-Kat bar, and I was generally impressed and enjoyed the bar.

Was I sad to see that crunchy little bar go? A little. But the milk chocolate with butter biscuit was there to console me.

The bar had a creamy aroma, but the chocolate was just a bit grainy despite the clear addition of cream to the mix. It was certainly a step above Hershey’s and the like, but not as outstanding as other Ritter Sport chocolates.

The biscuit, as you can see, was a bit sparse, but was crisp. It added very little flavor, but did offer some texture contrast. Overall, the effect is similar to that of a chocolate covered graham cracker.

And who can’t get behind that?

Have you had chocolate covered cereal before? What kind?

Butter icing chocolate

 Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients


2c flour

C. 1 Tea. salt

C. 1 Tea. yeast

2 c. Tea. baking soda

3 / 4 c. Hershey Cocoa

2 C. sugar

Oil of C.

C. 1 hot coffee

2 eggs

1 C. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the ingredients well. Pour into well greased 9x13 inch and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
Combine powdered sugar 1 box 'in a small jar of Jif peanut butter. Add the milk slowly, until the composition is suitable.




Tag,Chocolate Brownie,Chocolate Cake,Chocolate Recipes,Chocolate Sweet,Hot chocolate,white Chocolate Cake

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Firecracker Dessert Cups: The Chocolate Addict

My chocoholic friend, Katreece Montgomery aka the Chocolate Addict, is the Queen of Chocolate Decorating and Creativity! A professional videographer/editor and a lover of chocolate, she makes instructional chocolate decorating DVDs for the home chef, conducts workshops, and so much more!

Her Fourth of July Chocolate Dessert: Firecracker Dessert Cups made with Transfer Sheets is a Star-Spangled dessert!  These firecracker chocolate dessert cups are easy to make and even easier to eat! You can fill them with chocolate mousse, fruit, ice cream or confections. I like stuffing them with whipped cream and blueberries and raspberries for the full Fourth of July effect!

Enjoy the Chocolate Addicts following videos and then buy her DVDs: The Chocolate Garden and Chocolate Decorating with Transfer Sheets.

Firecracker Dessert Cups from The Chocolate Addict
  
Part One: Make the Chocolate Dessert Cup

Part Two: Make the Chocolate Flames

Part Three: Make the Chocolate Confetti Curls

The Chocolate Addict: Simply Spectacular Chocolate Projects to Swank up your Soiree







Ritter Sport: Nutty Bars

The Ritter Sport mini chocolate bar box I received from one of my swimmers had two nutty bars in it. I love nuts in chocolate – except walnuts, which I sometimes like but usually don’t – and was excited to start with the 30% cocoa milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts.

The aroma of this bar is, fittingly, nutty. The melt, unfortunately, is not as smooth as that of the plain milk chocolate, which was very creamy.

In this case, the melt is a bit grainy, meaning that the crunch nicely toasted nuts is the texture highlight here. They aren’t very flavorful, and the dairy flavor of the chocolate dominates. The chocolate is alright, but not wonderful. I’d stick with the plain milk chocolate.

How about a praline? I do rather love that sugary paste, but generally prefer it with strong dark chocolate to balance the flavor. Still, the 30% cocoa milk chocolate with praline looked promising.

The aroma was nutty and creamy, and the interior and exterior melded together exceptionally well, to the point that it was difficult to tell where the couverture ended and the praline began. No flaking here.

The couverture was just a bit grainy, and was fairly sweet with nutty and caramel flavors. The interior was buttery in texture with a strong nutty flavor, and was the highlight of the bar.

It’s a very nice praline. Not as nice as what you can pick up at Teuscher, but it isn’t $80+ per pound, and you can find this bar at Target.

Have you had a praline-filled chocolate bar before?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

T is for Tequila Truffles

T is for Tequila Truffles. Months of Edible Celebrations is going on a Picnic, and I have the letter "T".  Remember the picnic game? A is for Apple, etc... Since I'm a chocoholic and last year I took Chocolate Picnic Cake (I had the letter "C") to the virtual picnic, this year I decided to take Truffles, and since I have "T" --Tequila Truffles are Totally Terrific! Be sure to check out the links to all the other letters (24 different bloggers participating) of all the other food posts at the virtual picnic at the end of this post!

Now you might say that taking Chocolate Truffles to a picnic is a bit daft. Surely the chocolate will melt? Well, not really, if you're prepared to do a little bit of prep. Depending on how many people you'll be serving, I suggest transporting the truffles in a small insulated lunch bag. Put the truffles in a container and put the container in the Insulated Lunch Bag. Yes, truffles can go in the cooler, but they might absorb other odors, get smashed, get too cold or worse. The insulated container shouldn't be freezing--no ice or ice packs. Truffles are best served at room temperature, but if 'you're going on a picnic', you don't want a gooey mess, either.

The truffles in my photo are Tequila Truffles, and I dunked them in more chocolate to form a hard coating. I sometimes roll Tequila Truffles (the ganache part) in cocoa, but you can also dip them in dark chocolate and sprinkle with course sea salt. Talk about the perfect Tequila Truffle!

This recipe is adapted from Divine Chocolate. I probably didn't need 100 or more truffles as in the original recipe :-) I must admit that I'm a bit haphard in measurements when I make them. I adhere to my grandmothers's a pinch of this, a pinch of that method. I daresay, though, that my grandmother would never have made Tequila Truffles.

TEQUILA TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS
14 oz. white chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp. white tequila
1 tsp. grated lime zest
Drop of fresh lemon juice and drop of fresh lime juice or 1/4 tsp each of lime and lemon oil (natural) 

Coating
1 - 1 1/4 lbs. dark chocolate (70% cacao) for dipping, chopped into small chunks
Coarse sea salt

Directions for the Ganache:
1. Line a shallow baking pan with saran wrap or any plastic wrap, overlapping 2 or more sheets as needed, and leaving a generous overhang on two sides (enough to cover the ganache once it is in the pan).
2. Place the white chocolate in a food processor and process to a crumb consistency. Add the tequila, zest, and juice or oils.
3. Bring the cream to a boil in a small pan. With the food processor on, pour the cream through the feed tube, processing for a total of 20-30 seconds, until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Scrape the ganache into the plastic wrap-lined pan and let cool at room temperature, without stirring it.
4. Once the ganache is cool, fold the plastic wrap over it and let sit at room temperature for several hours, preferably overnight, until firm enough to scoop. You can always refrigerate, but the texture of the truffles won’t be quite as silky. Once the ganache has set, chilling won’t hurt it.
5. To shape the truffles, use a melon baller to form balls of ganache. If needed, smooth the surface with hands. (I do both)
6. Place the centers (ganache balls) slightly apart on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until the surface is dry and slightly crusted, at least 2 hours, preferably longer.

Directions for the Coating:
1. Temper the dark chocolate by melting about 75% of the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave until it reaches about 100°F. Add the remaining 25% of solid chocolate to the bowl and mix until it all melts and the temperature reaches about 90°F. Dip truffles one at a time (I use the two fork method I've posted before) in melted chocolate, let excess drip off and place on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper.
2. Sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt before chocolate begins to harden. Continue with remaining truffles, but if the dark chocolate becomes to cool, reheat a bit until it gets back up to about 90°F.
3. Let sit at room temperature. Store the truffles in a covered container at cool room temperature for up to 10 days, or refrigerate for up to a month. I don't freeze chocolate, but you can.

***

Enjoy the Picnic! What are the other "letters" bringing? Here's the list. Be sure and click on everyone. What a feast! Thanks, Months of Edible Celebrations, for putting this all together!

A is for Apricot Cobbler

B is for Banana Cream Pie

C is for Cherry Bars in a Jar

D is for Diva Doggie Bites
 

E is for Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade

F-Fingerling Potato Salad w/ Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette

G is for Gugelhopf Twister

H is for Honey Graham Roll-ups

I is for Incredible "Rabbit" Pineapple Tarts
 

J- 

K-Kirschmichel

L is for Lime Cranberry Fizz

M is for Mint Sundae Brownie Squares

N is for Nice Mini Biscuit Sandwiches

O is for Orange Nut Ring

P is for Pan-Bagnat Provencal

Q is for Quick Lemon Bread

R is for Rhubarb Rugah-Love

S is for Salmon Salad

T- Well, that's this post for Tequila Truffles!

More to come...

Ritter Sport: Plain Milk Chocolate

I spent last weekend in Seattle for a synchronized swimming meet, and though I didn’t get to do another chocolate crawl of the city, I did get to coach one very awesome young lady. Not just awesome because she made it to this NATIONAL meet after placing first in the free and technical categories at our regional meet, but also because she frequently gives me chocolate.

Including this variety pack of Ritter Sport chocolate bars.

My swimmers love me.

And do you know what I love about this chocolate? It’s accessible. Sure, I love writing about Domori and the like, but not everybody can get that. But Ritter Sport? You can get most of their bars at Target, so my review is probably useful to more people. Especially a review of this 30% cocoa milk chocolate, which is a standard offering at stores that carry Ritter Sport.

The bar has an aroma of dairy and caramel, and a creamy, smooth melt to go along with the dairy.

And of course, there’s a dairy flavor, along with a vanilla after taste that trends just a bit artificial. The texture is superb, but the flavor could use some work.

There are better milk chocolates out there. Sure. But better milk chocolate at Target or CVS? I doubt it.

Have you tried Ritter Sport chocolate? Where did you get it?

Monday, June 27, 2011

Chocolate Orange Blossom Cake: National Orange Blossom Day

I have a lot of citrus trees on my property, and they do well because I live in a Mediterranean climate. Most of my trees are in pots, but some are in the ground, and I have oranges and lemons most of the year. There's nothing quite like the smell of orange blossom...except maybe if it's combined with the smell of chocolate!

Today being National Orange Blossom Day, I'm posting the following recipe for Chocolate Orange Blossom Cake, adapted slightly from Woman's Day Magazine (April 2007). It's a combination of both orange and chocolate. The recipe calls for a devil's food cake mix, but you can always make your own devil's food cake and add similar ingredients: the orange extract and extra chocolate. The frosting is a marshmallow cream with orange juice and orange zest. Of course you can make a chocolate orange frosting if you're all about the chocolate.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE

Ingredients

Cake
1 box (18.25 oz) devil’s food cake mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp orange liqueur or 1 Tbsp orange extract
1 cup mini–semisweet chocolate chips  (or chopped chocolate)

Frosting
2 cups sweet butter, softened
2 jars (7 or 7 1/2 oz) or 1 tub (16 oz) marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff or Crème)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
1/4 cup grated orange zest (from 3 to 4 oranges)
2 Tbsp orange juice
Garnish: orange slices

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 2: 9 x 2-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray.
2. Cake: Beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs and liqueur in a large bowl with mixer on low speed 30 seconds or until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Pour into prepared pans.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes, invert on rack, turn right side up and cool completely.
4. Frosting: Beat butter in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in marshmallow cream. When well blended, beat in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, orange zest and juice. Increase speed to high and beat 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy (makes 5 cups).
5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Decorate with cut orange slices.

Photo: Deborah Ory, Woman's Day

Daring Bakers June 2011 Challenge: Chocolate-Orange-Hazelnut Baklava

3…2…1…DARING BAKERS TIME!!!

This month, we got to make baklava.

Oh, and we had to make our own phyllo dough to avoid the wrath of the Daring Bakers police. It’s because Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

Of course, I made it with chocolate. And other not-so-normal baklava ingredients, like orange zest and hazelnuts.

Really, I shouldn’t say “I” because really, Beth did almost all the work after we dragged ourselves through a 5000 meter swim workout.

But I swear, I did the beginning of the phyllo dough by myself. Incorporating chocolate in the dough itself as well.

Chocolate Phyllo Dough

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder (Scharffen Berger)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine flour, cocoa butter, and salt. Mix with paddle attachment. Combine water, oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Add water & oil mixture with mixer on low speed, mix until you get a soft dough. Change to the dough hook and let knead approximately 10 minutes. Remove the dough from mixer and continue to knead for two more minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly cover with oil.Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest two hours.

Once you have this beautiful dough, roll it out nice and thin (or invite Beth over and have her do it). Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying.

Now onto the filling, which I had a blast throwing together.

Chocolate-Orange-Hazelnut Baklava

One batch of chocolate phyllo dough

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup toasted hazelnuts

Zest of two oranges

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Scharffen Berger 70%)

Juice from one orange

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

Mix together orange zest, hazelnuts, and chocolate. Take an 8”x4” loaf pan, line with phyllo dough. Brush with butter. Put down another layer. Brush with butter again. One more layer of phyllo(!). More butter. Spread half of the zest-hazelnut-chocolate mixture on top.

Repeat the process.

Slice baklava diagonally and horizontally.

Prepare syrup by mixing juice, water, and sugar over medium heat until it boils; pour over baklava.

Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, until top is crispy.

Enjoy the buttery, chocolaty goodness. It may not be traditional baklava, but it IS delicious.

Have you ever made baklava with non-traditional ingredients?

Chocolate Mousse

Mousse Chocolate

Ingredients

* 4 1 / 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

* 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cubed

2 tablespoons espresso or strong coffee (decaffeinated espresso that is used from a local Starbucks)

* 1 cup cold heavy cream

* 3 large eggs, separated

* 1 tablespoon sugar

(Optional) Dog and extra whipped cream








Instructions

1 Whip cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.

2 Combine the chocolate, butter, espresso and on top of double boiler for hot water but not boiling, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab of chocolate on the lower lip. You should feel warm. If it is too cold, the mixture adheres to the other ingredients are added.

3 When the chocolate has cooled slightly, whisk the egg whites in medium bowl until foamy and begin to take shape. Sprinkle with sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

4 When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, add the yolks. Gently stir in about one third of the whipped cream. Fold half the egg whites until incorporated, then fold in remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

5 Spoon or pipe the whipped cream into a bowl or individual dishes. If desired, the layer of raspberries and whipped cream. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to one day.)

Serves 5-8, depending on the size of the portions.

Tag,Chocolate Brownie,Chocolate Cake,Chocolate Recipes,Chocolate Sweet,Hot chocolate,white Chocolate Cake

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Domori Peurtomar: It's Smaller Than It Looks

While flavored bars are all well and good, sometimes it’s best to get a good look at just how good a chocolatier is by checking out their plain bars. Since I was fairly impressed by the Domori fusion bars, both white and milk chocolate based, I wanted to see how well they could construct a plain dark chocolate bar.

And what better way to examine this than to check out their Peurtomar, a 75% cocoa bar created using the highly-regarded Criollo beans exclusively.

Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Check out how small the bar inside is.

Not cool on the overpackaging, Domori. Not cool. Be honest with us about what we’re paying for.

When I opened the puny little package, I was greeted with an aroma of almond and cherry, with a hint of smoke and cream as well.

This chocolate is immediately intense, with a bit of a coffee flavor building into a more intense cherry flavor with a bit of sitrus at the end. The strong, pleasing flavor is enhanced by a superbly smooth melt, and it’s difficult to find any fault with this bar.

Except the trickery in packaging.

Have you ever had over-packaged chocolate that was smaller than you thought? Were you mad?

National Chocolate Pudding Day: Vintage Chocolate Pudding Ads & Recipe

Today is National Chocolate Pudding Day! Jell-O brand chocolate pudding was a staple at our house when I was growing up--not the instant (in these ads), but the longer cooking pudding (5 minutes or so) that we made with whole milk. Funny. I can remember the special 'pudding' pot we used. Not quite a flat bottom, don't ask why, and it had little handles on both sides. I think it must have been the top from an ancient doubleboiler. In any case, it was a dairy pot, used only for pudding. You had to stir the pudding constantly to prevent a 'skin' forming on top. I personally liked the texture of that skin, and when I was making the pudding, I allowed it to coagulate.

Today I make pudding from scratch with high quality ingredients--always the best chocolate. If you'd like to do that, check out this Creme de la Creme Chocolate Pudding recipe from mystery author Bobbi Mumm.

Enjoy these Vintage Jell-O Pudding Ads. Be sure to scroll down through these Ads for the "official" Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie recipe.  If you want to make a sensational Silk Pie from scratch, try this recipe for Gone to Heaven Chocolate Pie. Add 'real' whipped cream.




Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie
from the Jell-O Website

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
Make It

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.; spoon half into crust.
STIR 1 cup COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spoon over pudding layer in crust.
TOP with remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Domori Lattesal: More Salted Chocolate

Since I was so impressed by the work that Domori did with the more Biancomenta bar, I was eager to try more of their fusion bars. And, given my quest to find, and stockpile, the best salted chocolate bar on the planet, the Lattesal was an obvious bar to move along to.

The Arriba cacao-based milk chocolate is accented with Guérande salt, and has a weak caramel aroma.

The chocolate is quite soft, and there is no coarse salt apparent; rather, the salt is evenly distributed and notable in every stage of the creamy melt. The salt teases out some fruity flavors, and a creamy flavor is also evident. A caramel-like taste results from the blend of these flavors, and the bar is (perhaps too) easy to snack on.

It’s an enjoyable snack. But, I do not think it’s the perfect salted chocolate. Not yet. Not quite enough salt.

The quest continues.

In salted chocolate, should salt be evident, or should it just enhance the flavor of the chocolate?

Chocolate Mint Pots de Creme

The other day I did a post on The Chocolate Garden that included Chocolate Mint. Who wouldn't want a garden that looks and smells like chocolate? I also did a post a few weeks ago on Chocolate Ice Tea that included chocolate mint (peppermint). Chocolate Mint is very easy to grow, although it can become invasive, as most mints. Keep it in a pot by the kitchen door, and you'll be a happy camper. Lots of uses.

So naturally I was excited when I picked up the latest issue of Sunset Magazine (July 2011), one of my favorite magazines for design, food and gardening, and there was an entire article on Chocolate MintBe sure and read the entire article in Sunset with recipes for Chocolate Mint Pots de CremeGrilled Lamb with chocolate mint salsa, and Moroccan Chocolate Mint Tea. Don't expect the mint to taste as intense as a piece of chocolate. The chocolate part is very, very subtle, but the mint is strong and different from the usual mint you might find at the market.

So here's the Sunset Recipe for Chocolate Mint Pots de Creme. You can make this ahead, so you have time to relax before your 'garden' party! And, since tomorrow is National Pudding Day, and Pots de Creme is really just a version of pudding, you should consider making Chocolate Mint Pots de Creme. YUM!

CHOCOLATE MINT POTS DE CREME

One of the hints from Sunset is to add all cream instead of half milk and half cream. Yes, it makes it so much richer! I've changed the recipe below. If you really love chocolate (you're reading this blog, so you must!), add a bit more chocolate on top!

Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream
3 ounces (3 big handfuls) chocolate mint sprigs, plus leaves for garnish
1 cup sugar
8 large egg yolks
Sweetened whipped cream
3/4 cup dark chocolate shavings

Preparation
1. Heat together cream and mint in a medium pot over medium heat until mixture starts to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep about 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 300°. Set 8 ramekins (4 oz. each) in a large roasting pan or baking dish.
3. Reheat cream mixture to a simmer; strain into a medium bowl. Whisk together sugar and yolks in a large bowl. Slowly add cream to yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Pour mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Fill pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up sides of ramekins.
5. Cover pan with foil and bake until custards are set and jiggle only slightly in the center, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit in hot water 30 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a baking sheet, cover, and chill at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
6. Serve with whipped cream, fresh mint leaves, and chocolate shavings.

Photo: Thomas J. Story, Sunset

Friday, June 24, 2011

Chocolate Pralines: National Praline Day

Today is National Praline Day. There are so many variations of Pralines, that wonderful 'candy' that I thought I'd post several recipes. Each one has its virtues, and none has any vices. I, of course, add Chocolate to my Pralines. No big surprise there! So all three recipes feature chocolate and nuts!

PRALINE:
1) a confection of nuts and sugar: as in almonds cooked in boiling sugar until brown and crisp
2) a patty of creamy brown sugar and pecan meats

If you associate Pralines with the South, you'd be right! The original praline was a sweet confection made of almonds and some sort of creamy sugary caramelized coating. Lots of stories about how the Praline came to New Orleans and the South. One is that Pralines were first concocted in the home of 17th century French diplomat Cesar du Plessis Praslin by one of his chefs. The name "Praslin" eventually evolved into "praline." I don't buy that story since they were already popular in Europe in a slightly different version. Another story is that pralines were brought over from France by the Ursuline nuns, who settled in New Orleans in 1727. This makes sense since Pralines were already in the French tradition. Almonds were in short supply, so cooks began substituting the nuts of the native Louisiana pecan trees, thus the modern pecan pralines were born. Praline pecans were known as individual pecans covered in the sugary coating. The new pecan pralines quickly spread throughout New Orleans and became a common confection in the area.

Pralinières were women who used to sell pralines on the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans during the mid-to-late 19th century, providing a unique entrepreneurial opportunity to les gens de couleur libres (free people of color). Not only was being a pralinière a source of income, it was a means of providing for oneself without any strings attached. This was a rare situation for economically less-fortunate, but resourceful women of that time period, who were often employed as indentured servants or forced by need and without choice into plaçage, as kept-women of wealthy businessmen. (Read more about Praline Sellers of Old New Orleans here)

Because New Orleans was a thriving port, people from all over the world came through, and the praline spread with them. Many people are unaware of the candy’s historical origin, and the praline is thought of as a southern confection not necessarily specific to New Orleans. Some believe the pecan praline is a Texan candy, whereas others assume it came from Savannah. The pronunciation of the candy is a bit of a point of contention as well. In New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, where there are many communities settled by the French, the pronunciation is prah-leen, with the long aaah sound, which is closer to that of the candy’s namesake du Plessis-Praslin. Other regions of the country, including parts of Texas, Georgia, and New England have anglicized the term and pronounce it pray-leen. Other terms for pralines include pecan pralines, pecan candy, plarines and pecan patties.

Whatever you call it, you're going to love these recipes for Chocolate Pralines. They're simple to make. The first recipe doesn't call for a candy thermometer, but get one ready for the next two recipes. Candy thermometers are easy to work with, and if for some reason you don't have one, you can always use the water test.

This first recipe is adapted from a Sunset Magazine recipe.

CHOCOLATE PRALINES I

Ingredients

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened DARK cocoa

Preparation

1. Place almonds in a 9-inch pie pan. Bake in a 300° regular or convection oven, shaking pan once, until nuts are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Coat a 12-inch square of foil lightly with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon).
2. In an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and milk. Stir occasionally until mixture is bubbly and golden, about 5 minutes. Add cocoa and stir until smooth, then stir in toasted almonds. Pour mixture onto oiled foil and spread about 1/4 inch thick. Let cool until solid, about 10 minutes. Break praline into 6 to 8 large chunks.

CHOCOLATE PRALINES II

Ingredients
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (50-65% cacao)
1 1/2 c dark brown sugar, packed firmly
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sweet butter
1 cup pecan pieces

Directions
In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar and the cream.
Heat to 240 degrees (115 C) on a candy thermometer (stirring constantly).
Remove from heat, stir in the butter and chocolate.
Cool mixture to 110 degrees F (43 C).
Stir in the pecans.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool and harden.

Want a kick with your Chocolate Pralines?  Homesick Texan has a terrific recipe for Mexican Chocolate Pralines.  Here's her recipe, but be sure and read her post about her first attempts.. and to see her sensational photos. Yes, bacon can become an ingredient!

Mexican Chocolate Pralines 
(adapted from Aprovecho)

Ingredients:
1 disc of Mexican hot chocolate (Ibarra)
2 oz. of unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups of pecans, 1 cup chopped and 1 cup whole
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of milk
6 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons fresh orange zest or 1 teaspoon dried orange zest
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In an oven set at 350 degrees, roast the pecans for 10 minutes.

In a large pot, melt together on medium heat the chocolates, sugars, pecans, milk, butter, cinnamon, orange zest, Cayenne and sea salt, stirring occasionally. Place a candy thermometer in the pot to monitor the heat. When it reaches 235 degrees, remove from fire and add the vanilla and stir the pot for two minutes. There should be a bit of shine to the candy but the candy will be a bit more thick.

Scoop pralines onto parchment paper. (If it’s too stiff, add warm water to mixture.) Let cool for an hour and remove. They will still be a bit shiny but will lose that shine after a few hours. 

Note from Homesick Texan: If you want to add bacon to these, fry up four slices, crumble them and stir into praline when you add the vanilla.

These are unbelievably fabulous!!!!

Happy National Praline Day!