Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Double Chocolate Pudding

Creamy, thick, can be super intense if made with bittersweet chocolate or mild if made with milk chocolate. Works well as cupcake/ cake filling or just by itself, in a bowl. Adapted from Martha Stewarts recipe of the same name.


500ml milk
140g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
20g cocoa
25g cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla essence
125g chopped chocolate
50g chopped butter

Whisk the yolks, cocoa and cornstarch together in a medium sized metal bowl with a splash of milk.
Combine remaining milk with sugar and salt and heat on medium till it simmers.
Temper the egg yolk mixture, then incorporate and cook till thickened, whisking well towards the end.
Simmer for 30 seconds to cook out the starch.
Place the vanilla, chocolate and butter in the metal bowl, pour the pudding over and whisk till chocolate is dissolved. Press plastic wrap and chill till cool. Thickens overnight.



Chocolate Cupcake

Moist chocolate cupcake without venturing into gummy, mushy territory. Also good as layers.  Heavily adapted from the Hersheys recipe thats so popular.


1200g sugar
135g dutched cocoa
636g flour
4.5 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vanilla essence
1 tbsp orange essence
1 3/4 cups oil
3 cups water
6 large eggs
500 ml milk

Place all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl and paddle till combined.
Add all the wet ingredients and paddle till batter is smooth.
Portion and bake at 350F.
Batter can be made and held up to 2 days ahead.

Monday, September 12, 2011

"Snickers" Bars

Here's the link to the recipe: "Snickers" Bars: bonappetit.com


Just going to copy and paste the recipe from the website, just in case the link expires


Ingredients
Base
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 1/2 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, or Lindt), chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup puffed rice cereal

Peanut Nougat
1 large egg white
1/8 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup toasted salted peanuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream
4 tablespoons whole milk, diided
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (see above), melted
Chocolate Coating
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
Base
Coat an 8x8x2" metal baking pan with nonstick spray; line with plastic wrap, pressing to smooth out any wrinkles. Place chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from saucepan. Stir in peanut butter, then cereal. Transfer to prepared pan; press over bottom in an even layer. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Peanut Nougat
Line a baking sheet with parchment; coat with nonstick spray. Place egg white in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add 1/8 teaspoon sugar; beat until peaks begin to form. Bring honey to a boil in a small saucepan. With mixer running, gradually add honey to egg white. Set aside.
Stir 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat; boil until mixture reaches 275°, 5–7 minutes.
Return mixer with egg white to medium speed. Gradually add syrup to egg white, allowing it to drip down sides of bowl. Beat until glossy and stiff, about 5 minutes. Fold in peanuts and salt. Spread nougat over prepared sheet into an 8" square (about 1/4" thick). Let cool for 1 hour.
Invert nougat over base in pan; peel off parchment. Spread over base in even layer.
Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream
Place 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand to soften, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring remaining 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 cup cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks and sugar in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to same pan. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer registers 175°, about 3 minutes. Add gelatin; whisk until dissolved.
Place melted chocolate in another medium bowl. Pour cream mixture through a strainer into chocolate; whisk until smooth.
Beat remaining 3/4 cup chilled cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding just to blend between additions. Pour Bavarian cream over nougat, spreading in an even layer. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
Chocolate Coating
Place chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invert 8" pan onto a work surface; remove pan and peel off plastic. Turn over. Cut into 6 slices, then halve each slice crosswise. Transfer pieces to prepared baking sheet, base side down. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate over tops and sides of bars. Freeze to set, 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil; freeze. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.






Saturday, September 10, 2011

Chocolate pate choux



I don't know why this is not done more frequently. But judging from the availability of the images, maybe I just haven't looked hard enough, earlier. I know someone filled theirs with chestnut cream, which sounds kinda nice, like a mont blanc.