Chocolate and Fruits – An Unexpected Marriage
By Ryan C Wilson
We like and love our chocolates almost to death. Well, no surprise there as chocolates are the ultimate food when it comes to satisfying our sweet tooth, not to mention that it definitely makes for warm, fuzzy and mellow feelings that can either relax us or arouse us. Plus, chocolates definitely have their health benefits. But being human as we are, we must experiment with the stuff. And so, we have come up with the idea of pairing chocolates with fruits, specifically with coating various types of fruits in rich chocolate. Here then are just a few of the favorites.
Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas
Many have gone bananas over chocolate-covered bananas and we bet that you will, too. The creamy goodness of chocolate perfectly complements the natural sweetness of banana for an explosion of goodness few other chocolate treats can equal. Plus, you get the nutrition benefits of the banana, too. If you want to replicate it at home, you have to freeze the bananas to preserve the flavors and then dip them into melted chocolate. You may sprinkle finely granulated peanuts or other nuts of your choice for an extra crunch. Or you can just buy it for an instant chocolate fix.
Chocolate Dipped Pineapple
Who would have thought that the naturally tart sweetness of pineapples can be paired with the gooey goodness of chocolates? Well, whoever it was that did think up of the unusual pairing, we have so much to thank for her – yes, we are assuming that it can only be a woman and that’s a compliment – ingenuity. You can choose from milk chocolate and dark chocolate for the dipping. Either one is good in itself but it will always be up to your taste buds which one is the all-time favorite.
Chocolate Apples
And then there are the chocolate-dipped apples that are a huge hit for many kids and adults. These concoctions evoke memories of childhood summers filled with sunshine, games and friends, all of whom may be distant memories amidst a busy life. Well, you can always come back to those summers by dipping tart and sweet apples into gooey chocolate! Then sprinkle on the nuts and other favorite toppings for an extra treat that will really hit the spot – your sweet tooth, that is. Or you can order them for special occasions. Think along the lines of birthdays, baby showers and even anniversaries as sweet treats for the young and the not-so-young.
Chocolate Covered Orange Peels
Don’t throw those orange peels just yet. You can actually dip them into melted chocolate although the process before doing so can be a bit laborious. Basically, you will cut and juice the oranges, remove all pulp and pith, slice into strips, blanch the peels, make them into candy before baking. It is only after these steps that you may now dip the candied orange peels into the chocolate. If that sounds too labor-intensive for your lifestyle, then just buy them. You may then give them away as thoughtful but inexpensive gifts.
There are other fruits that make great pairs for chocolate. We can name strawberries, oranges, grapes and pears but you can always experiment with your own pairings. Buy all these super-delicious pairings of fruits and chocolate at http://www.indulgeinchocolate.com/ today.
Decadently Rick Chocolate Truffle Cake
February 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Desserts, Holidays, Valentine's Day
Chocolate Truffle Cake
Ingredients:
For Cake
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 1 large egg
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
For filling
* 1 1/2 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For ganache
* 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 pound fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.
Make base: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla and spread batter evenly in springform pan. Bake base in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just until firm, and transfer to a rack to cool.
Make filling: Arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small heavy saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 280°F. Remove pan from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.
Make ganache: In a saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Finely chop chocolate. Put chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).
Spread ganache evenly over filling. Chill cake, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. With a large spatula transfer cake to a plate and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
February 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under Desserts, How To, Valentine's Day
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients:
* 12 large strawberries
* 6 ounces package semi sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Rinse and thoroughly drain strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Meanwhile, transfer chocolate chips to a zippered sandwich bag and place in a bowl of very hot water until chips have melted.
Dry bag carefully and set into a small bowl. Spread open top of bag. Hold leaves and stem and dip strawberries, one at a time, into chocolate to coat to within about 1/4-inch of leaves.
Allow any excess chocolate to drain back into bag, then place strawberry on baking sheet. Any remaining chocolate may be refrigerated in the same bag for another use.
For best appearance, set berries aside in a cool place until chocolate is firm and serve immediately. Refrigerate for longer storage, but this may cause condensation to form on chocolate.
How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake
February 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Desserts, How To, Valentine's Day, Video
In this video, chef Kirk Leins shows you how to make a decadently rich Molten Chocolate Cake. The cake is light and moist with a molten chocolate center. Serve it warm to that special someone and you are sure to get rave reviews.
Garnish with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy!
Molten Chocolate Cake (serves 6)
Powder sugar for dusting
4 large egg yolks
4 large whole eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. high-quality, bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cake flour (plus more for dusting)
Vegetable spray
2 sticks unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using vegetable spray, grease (6) 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cake flour.
In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk in the cake flour.
Evenly distribute the batter among the 6 ramekins, and bake for 10 minutes or until the sides of the cakes are set but the center still jiggles.
Let the cakes cool for 2-3 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto plates. Garnish with powder sugar and serve with either vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
