Chocolate University Online Blog
You have the freedom in selecting the way you make your chocolate brittle. In this particular recipe, we will be using semi-sweet chocolate, but you can always opt for white, milk, or dark chocolate. It’s all up to your liking, or the one you plan on giving it to. Especially now that it’s December already, you can make some of these to give as a holiday gift.
But don’t stop here, you can modify the recipe by using other dried fruits and nuts available in your kitchen or fridge. And always keep in mind, the quality of the chocolate brittle will be as good as the quality of the chocolate you will be using, so see to it that you use quality chocolate!
Chocolate Brittle
• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound sugar
• 1 pound almonds
• 1 pound walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 cup whole walnuts
In a saucepan cook butter & sugar, boiling 5 minutes. Stir in almonds and cook 10-20 minutes or until nuts begin to pop & turn brown. Pour into a shallow pan & let cool. Melt chocolate & pour over mixture in pan. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. After mixture hardens, turn over and sprinkle bottom side with walnuts. Break candy into pieces. |
Better yet, get some other chocolate recipes from the previous posts and try to make all you can. Then put them together in gift baskets to give away to your friends and loved ones. This is one surefire way of making their Christmas merry!
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate dessert, chocolate gifts, Christmas, holidays
“There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles.” This chocolate quote surely makes sense to all the chocolate lovers out there.
Chocolate truffles are an immensely delicious treat any time of day and any day of the year. But did you know that they are named after the fungus, the fruiting bodies of underground mushrooms, because of their resemblance as it looks a lot like the dirt?
Chocolate truffles are typically made with ganache which is a mixture of chocolate and cream, but can also be made with centers such as mints and walnuts then served in variety of ways such as covering it with crumbled nuts, shredded coconut, or confectioner’s sugar. These may look intimidating but actually are very easy to prepare, the only difficulty you’ll ever have here is the dilemma of whether to grab another bite or not!
Chocolate Truffles
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
For centers: pecans, walnuts, whole almonds or after-dinner mints
For coatings: coconut, crushed nuts, powdered sugar
Cream butter in large mixer bowl. Combine 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and the cocoa; add alternately with cream and vanilla to butter. Blend well. Chill until firm.
Shape small amount of mixture around desired center; roll into 1-inch balls. Drop into desired coating and turn until well covered. Chill until firm. |
Try making some and giving it us a gift and it’s certain you will be appreciated. You might even be asked for the recipe!
Categories: chocolate gifts, chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate dessert, chocolate gifts, chocolate truffles, cocoa powder
Do you know the feeling of the idiomatic expression “hitting two birds with one stone”? That’s what you get when you eat this yummy confection. Chocolate per se is heavenly, but try incorporating it into caramel and you are sent beyond heaven.
Just so you know, the milk products are the most important ingredients since it is the primary source of fat in caramel, which gives it that delightful texture. Milk is known to have a lot of nutritional benefits such as calcium which is good for the bones, and chocolate contains antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage. Suffice it to say, you are really on for a healthily delicious treat!
Anyone with a sweet tooth who gets to taste this would surely ask for more of these rich, chewy, fudge-like and melt-in your-mouth goodies. Also, this treat also makes for a delightful yet inexpensive gift!
Chocolate Caramels
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 or 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups light cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chopped nuts
Combine sugar, syrup, salt, chocolate and 1 cup cream in large heavy saucepan. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a full boil. Gradually add remaining cream so that boiling does not stop. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, to firm-ball stage (248°F). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into buttered 8-inch square pan. When cold, turn out on cutting board and cut into 3/4-inch squares. |
Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate gifts, chocolate recipes
Tags: caramel, chocolate dessert, chocolate gifts, unsweetened chocolate
Brownies are one of the most popular all time favorite desserts. They are served almost everywhere. You will find them on the table at most parties, displayed on the tray at bakeries, and wrapped in special boxes at your local store.
Brownies are not only baked for the whole family to enjoy but they can also be considered as tasty gift items and give away on special occasion. They may not be as lavish as a multiple layered cake or as sophisticated as brulee, but the simplicity of brownies makes them special. A square of thick, rich, chocolate flavored brownie that softens in your mouth can definitely bring a taste of perfection!
Brownies are easy to prepare. If you want to make one, here’s a tasty recipe that’s definitely rewarding.
Best Chocolate Brownies
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter or margarine and unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating just till blended.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add to chocolate mixture along with the vanilla, mix well. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13×9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and chocolate pieces. Bake in oven at 325° about 45 minutes or till done. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. |
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: brownies, chocolate dessert, chocolate gifts
This week kicks off the Chinese New Year – Feb. 3, 2011 – or year 4708 according to the Chinese calendar.
Giving gifts of chocolate is not a major part of the Chinese New Year, but it is a growing activity.
Traditionally, red envelopes or red packets filled with money are passed out during the celebrations. These days, you may find chocolate coins in addition to cash inside the packets.
Small gifts of food or sweets are exchanged between friends or relatives when visiting their homes. Chocolate candies or cakes are becoming popular gifts during these visits.
 Firecrackers are symbolic of the Chinese New Year. I did not find it surprising to see these Chocolate Firecrackers for sale online. These are red metal tubes shaped as firecrackers with tiny chocolate candies inside.
From what I’ve read they look much better than they taste since the chocolates are made with a “chocolate cocoa substitute”!
Categories: chocolate in the news
Tags: Chinese New Year, chocolate gifts, holidays
If you are creative and crafty (as in talented in making crafts, not as in clever with intent to do evil) this may be the project for you. Spoons dipped in chocolate can make an impressive gift!
Before I get into the project, I would like to define some terminology for you.
couverture coating - this is a professional-quality chocolate coating that contains a high percentage of cocoa butter, allowing the chocolate to form a thinner coating shell than other chocolate.
viscous – thick.
temper – hardening the chocolate into a stable crystal form giving the best shine and eating properties. (For details on proper tempering see my “how to temper chocolate“ series of blog posts.)
Here’s what you’ll need for this project/recipe…
- 12 ounces chocolate, chopped
You should choose a couverture coating. Do not use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips – these will be too viscous.
- 40 heavy duty plastic spoons
- Deep glass measuring cup
- Waxed paper
- Colored cellophane or Plastic Wrap
- Thin Ribbon
Start by pouring the chocolate into a deep glass measuring cup.
Microwave the cup of chocolate at half power for one minute. Stir. Repeat in 30 second bursts until chocolate is fully. BE CAREFUL! It is easy to burn chocolate using a microwave.
Temper the chocolate coating. Once you have a good temper, dip the plastic spoons into the chocolate to fully coat the spoon’s bowl and some of its handle.
Lay spoons on wax paper to harden.
After the spoons are completely dry, take squares of colored cellophane or plastic wrap and put around the coated spoons. Tie with the ribbon.
Once you have mastered the basics, try variations!
You can drizzle white coating over the hardened chocolate dipped spoons to create a design. Sprinkle with colored sugar or jimmies. I’ve seen M&M’s, jelly beans, nuts, shredded coconut – just about anything your imagination can come up with on these spoons! Just keep in mind that people will use them in their hot coffee or hot chocolate so make the flavor combinations appealing.
Put a bundle of chocolate spoons in a coffee mug and give as a gift. Another gift idea is to tie spoons to a bag of coffee. Or, simply keep them on hand to use when serving coffee to your guests.
Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate education, chocolate gifts, chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate and coffee, chocolate gifts, couverture
Survey after survey shows chocolate as the number one flavor preferred by American adults. I admit to being one of those chocolate loving adults!
I’m a chocolate lover that never tires of chocolate as a gift, chocolate as a treat, and chocolate as part of my everyday diet. At the present, though, I am particularly fond of seeking out unique chocolate.
What do I mean by unique?
Unique can mean different things to different people but for me, unique chocolate is handcrafted, creative in design/presentation, and exotic in flavor. The chocolate truffle embodies all these characteristics for me. In my book, the chocolate truffle is the Queen of unique.
A key component of a chocolate truffle is the ganache center. Ganache is traditionally made from fresh dairy ingredients (usually heavy cream) and fine chocolate. That is the simple, classic truffle.
On the complex side, chocolate truffles can be made with every flavor or filling you can think of. The truffle is traditionally hand rolled and dusted in cocoa powder but other things like nuts, coconut, and candied fruit are used too. Some truffles are dipped in premium chocolate to form a thin, glossy coating.
A truffle is different from other chocolates, or bon bons, because of the heavy cream ganache and chocolate combination. (Just so you know, chocolates with nougat, caramel, nuts, or marzipan are considered bon bons.)
Truffles make a unique chocolate gift. You can purchase them from your favorite local chocolate shop or order from a website. Just make sure they are fresh when they’re delivered.
Do you like truffles too? What’s your favorite flavor? Please leave a comment for me. Then come back here to watch for more truffle information coming soon.
Categories: chocolate gifts
Tags: chocolate gifts, chocolate truffles, flavors
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