Homemade Dark Chocolates

VALENTINES equals CHOCOLATES !

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATES equal 

I LOVE YOU !

treat your loved ones to something HOMEMADE from the heart.

chocolate CAN be a healthy indulgence.

BUT...you absolutely must

MOVE OVER TO THE DARK SIDE ! 

i am not a nutritionist, nor do i carry any reputable knowledge in the field, but I DO LOVE CHOCOLATE !  and...of course, i'm stretching it a bit to say chocolate is healthy, but it does carry a "SUPER-FOOD" status. there really are health benefits from the cacao nibs and the bitter seeds from which chocolate is made. 

DO YOU NEED A FEW REASONS TO GIFT DARK CHOCOLATE ?!

lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, lowers heart risk, helps fatigue, super high in antioxidants

blah, blah and more blah...

i find it's EASIEST TO WORK WITH, and....

CHOCOLATES MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY

MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATES !

buy some molds,  use some mini cupcake papers or pour it on a sheet pan and make some "bark".

NO ONE WILL TURN DOWN HOMEMADE CHOCOLATES

(Chip N' Chipotle Bar recipe found HERE)

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...

TEMPER YOUR CHOCOLATE!

you want your chocolates to be nice and shiny?  go buy some molds like the ones shown... do you want it to hold up and not melt in hand?...be pretty for gift giving?  TEMPERING IS A MUST.  it is NOT hard to do.  i use the microwave method explained HERE.

here are a few flavors i have made...

always starting with 1 lb. GOOD "coverture"dark chocolate

UPDATE...shhhh...i did an experiment with Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips in a bag.  it works and the flavor is great.  some, MOST, chips won't work because they have stabilizers for baking.

DARK CHOCOLATE with South African flavors....

1 lb dark chocolate...TEMPERED

2/3 cup roasted salted peanuts

1/3 cup crystallised ginger, diced

1/4 tsp powdered ginger, 1/4 tsp cayenne

So African pepper blend from Trader Joe's

sea salt and more fresh pepper blend to finish

CUMIN CHIPOTLE COFFEE TOFFEE DARK CHOCOLATE BARS

(i used Cacao Barry Mexique 66% for this one)

1/2 cup toffee chips

1/4 cup crushed crushed coffee beans

1/8 cup cocoa nibs

1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/4 tsp chili powder blend, 1/2 tsp cumin...sprinkle with black salt.

TOASTED COCONUT CURRY GINGER DARK CHOCOLATE

1/2 cup unsweetened toasted coconut

1/3 cup crystallised ginger pieces

1/2 tsp Madras curry, 1/4 tsp cayenne, lime zest, dollop of vanilla bean paste.  finish with sprinkle of sea salt and a little coconut strands.

ROSEMARY BLACK PEPPER and POTATO STICKS

(i forgot to write this recipe down...my bad)

but i always use fresh rosemary that is dried in the toaster oven.  store bought just isn't as flavorful.  i also used crushed potato sticks that come in a can from Mother's Market and fresh ground pepper with sea salt finish.

when your chocolate is tempered at 90 F degrees, add your ingredients.  i like to keep my glass bowl inside another bowl with a towel inside to cradle and keep everything warm.  have a small hairdryer handy in case you need a blast of warm air to keep your chocolate at or around 90 F degrees.  pour or spoon your chocolate into molds of choice.  try to work fairly quick or you will lose you temper...in more ways than one. 

give the molds or tray a few knocks on the counter to release any bubbles and settle the chocolate.  sprinkle with salt, pepper, your extra what-evers.  set in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes and remove from fridge.  let them come to room temp before packaging for gifts.

THIS IS A MESSY JOB for 1st timers, BUT WELL WORTH THE GRATITUDE YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM YOUR INTENDED LOVED ONE.

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Whipped Ganache "Rocher-Style" Truffle Bombs

Whipped Ganache "Rocher"-Style Truffle Bombs

crunchy salted almonds, crisp snappy dark chocolate coating with smooth fluffy  whipped ganache surprise inside.

i must admit...these where an unexpected accidental delicious truffle treat.  i had a huge bowl of dark chocolate ganache frosting in the fridge and no cake...hmmmm...chocolate will not go to waste in this house.  i'll make truffles.
the interior, as you can see, is simply the whipped ganache.  the same you might use for frosting something like the unbelievable Black Magic Cake.  by the way...do check out the cake, it's a must for chocolate lovers.  with a quick dip in some tempered chocolate, a little roll in salted almonds and you're golden.  you've conquered the ultimate truffle.

if there's someone special, someone to impress or you're just in the mood for chocolate...suit up...put your creative hat on and give these a try.  put your own flavors together and see what delicious little ball of chocolate you can create.

WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING 
or INTERIOR FOR ROCHE STYLE TRUFFLES

8 oz Guittard 70% bittersweet coverture chocolate discs

8 oz heavy cream

you could add an extract, a little cinnamon, some spice etc... if you want a different flavor other than pure chocolate.

NOTE...you can make as much as you want with a 50-50 ratio of chocolate to heavy cream.

heat heavy cream in a small sauce pan.  bring to a boil, remove from heat and pour directly into and over the chocolate.   allow to sit for 1 minute.  start to gently stir from the middle.  take your time.  you will see it magically come together with a beautiful shine.  stir until you have it all incorporated.  let sit on the counter for at least 45 minutes.  you are looking for a pudding consistency and ABOUT 70 DEGREES.  if you need to speed it up, refrigerate and stir every 10 minutes until pudding consistency.  put this in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment.  start slowly and move the speed up to high.  you will see that it forms soft peaks after one minute.  keep a close eye so you DON'T OVER WHIP.  watch it until it gets just a bit more firm. you want frosting consistency.  do not over whip or you will end up with chocolate butter.  

NOTE...as stated...this was originally a frosting recipe that i stuck in the fridge.  i found the frosting recipe with some great visuals at Joe Pastry.com so please check out his helpful photos for the correct frosting consistency.

refrigerate until set.
these are a bit more difficult to ball up than a regular smooth ganache truffle...a little messy, but doable.  definitely worth the effort.  when ready to roll...use thin rubber gloves and a spoon or small scoop.  the ganache might seem "crumbly".  do the best you can to make a ball.  remember, the more you handle it, the more it will melt.  i like to quickly press the ball together with my finger tips.  make small balls and refrigerate while preparing chocolate for dipping.

MISE EN PLACE !!!

COVER YOUR WORK SURFACE

CHOP ROASTED SALTED ALMONDS

PREPARE COOKIE SHEETS WITH PARCHMENT

TEMPER YOUR CHOCOLATE

check link HERE for my instructions.

i use the easy microwave method similar to Alton Brown's seen HERE, but have adapted it slightly.  (Alton is thorough, but tends to complicate things sometimes.)
NOTE...i have only tempered 16 oz (1 lb.) of chocolate.  i am not a master, but any less might not come out perfect.  1 pound of chocolate will be too much for just these truffles.  SO...always have extra stuff (like nuts, cookies, chips, pretzels) or more truffles to dip and have fun with.  let no chocolate go to waste.

remove balls from fridge.  let them sit out for just a moment to take the chill off.  there is a fine line between cold and cool.  if too cold they with expand and crack after dipping and the outer layer has set.  if too warm they will loose shape.  

dip each ball in tempered chocolate.  lift out of chocolate with a fork, tap off excess and drop into bowl of chopped almonds.  carefully cover the whole thing and gently place on parchment

OR...you can place these into mini cupcake papers and sprinkle more almonds on top.

BIG NOTE...i was in a hurry so for the last few so i took a short cut.  i sprinkled a few almonds in the bottom of the mini paper cups, dropped the chocolate coated truffle in the cup and sprinkled almonds on top.  these are not shown here.  they're not quite as uniform, some almonds spill while eating, but it definitely did the trick, looked fabulous and tasted delicious.

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Coconut Curry Lime Dark Chocolate Truffle Bites

STAY-CATION?
are you stuck at home this holiday?...or know someone who isn't vacationing this season?
let chocolate take you somewhere, even if it's just for that one fleeting get-away moment.

TRUFFLES...
smooth dark chocolaty ganache...
perfect for gift exchange, dinner parties, hostess gifts or a simple quiet moment alone.

FOR THESE ASIAN TROPICAL TRUFFLES...a slight hint of coconut curry with a touch of fresh lime zest...
add a few roasted, slightly salty coconut chips from Trader Joe's and you'll have some unexpected flavors all come together for a delicious warm, yet refreshing dark chocolate bite.

please visit my index or the search box in the right hand column  and type in "truffles" for more delicious chocolate get aways.



COCONUT LIME CURRY DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BITES

8 oz dark chocolate

zest from 1 1/2 limes

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut milk

1/2 to 3/4 tsp coconut extract, depending on quality and taste

1/2 to 3/4 tsp Madras curry powder, depending on quality and strength
NOTE...these are dairy free, but heavy cream works great

prepare a square or rectangular vessel with saran or tinfoil.  see photo below for example.

these are room temperature stable, but should be stored in the refrigerator.

chop chocolate in small, small pieces.  no large chunks....set aside in heat resistant bowl.

heat coconut milk(cream) in a small sauce pan.  bring to an almost boil, stirring to keep even heating...bubbling around the sides is a good sign.

add milk(cream) mixture to chocolate. 

very gently use a fork or skewer to disperse the hot milk into the chocolate.  do not stir at this point.  just gently prod around to remove any pockets of chocolate that might be stuck together or the bottom of the bowl.  let sit for a minute.  now begin to stir from the middle.  the ganache should start to come together from the middle.  start to incorporate the whole thing.   do not stir vigorously "YET".  just gently stir around and through until combined.  when it looks like all the chocolate lumps have melted in...add in the coconut extract, lime zest and curry powder, stir well...do a TASTE TEST...do you need more coconut, more curry, more zest?
now you can break out the whisk.  important...just whisk to incorporate and emulsify.   the whisk is OK for truffles, but DO NOT WHIP or you will end up with a frosting consistency.  you want it still pourable.  do this gently by hand, not a stand mixer.  whisk until fully emulsified.  the ganache will thicken ever so slightly.    pour into prepared dish/tupperware.  tap the container on the counter a few times to even it all out.  put this in the fridge and it should be ready in about 35-40 minutes.

 UNCOVERED until it is fully set.

above is an example using tin foil in an 8" x  5" tupperware (with a flat bottom)...i now prefer using heavy saran.  NOTE that this looks grainy on top because i sprinkled this batch with flaked sea salt before it was almost set.  this recipe does not need the salt due to the slightly salty coconut chips.

the whole block should lift out of the container.  remove the saran or aluminum and cut into squares or desired shape.  you might want to clean the knife between slices.  have a small bowl of cocoa powder and coat all sides.....DONE

except the top...leave clean for coconut chips to adhere.

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