Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ Cookery School in Firies gives four recipes involving chocolate which are sure to be a hit…
First, a few tips on chocolate…
• Always store chocolate in dark, cool & dry place.
• Never store chocolate near strong smelling foods as the chocolate will take on the flavour.
• The best way to melt chocolate is over a pan of simmering water. Break into pieces and place in a heat proof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. DON’T OVER HEAT THE CHOCOLATE!
• To make grating chocolate easier, place the chocolate in the fridge overnight.
• Always buy good quality chocolate for cooking and remember the higher the cocoa % the darker the chocolate will be.
• Milk chocolate usually has a cocoa content of 27%-35% and when using a dark chocolate choose one that has at least 60% cocoa content.
• White chocolate strictly speaking isn’t really chocolate. It contains no cocoa mass and is made with cocoa butter, sugar and oil. If using white chocolate buy a good quality chocolate as cheaper brands can be hard to melt.
Continued below…
Chocolate truffles
These indulgent chocolate treats are great served with coffee after a meal.
Ingredients
185g good quality dark chocolate (at least 70%)
50g Good quality semi dark chocolate (40-45%)
85g unsalted butter
3 tbsp cream
A little melted chocolate for dipping
Coatings- cocoa powder, crushed pistachio, desiccated coconut
Method
• Gently melt the chocolate , in a heat proof bowl, over a pan of simmering water.
• Take of the heat and stir in the butter a little at a time, then add the cream.
• Put teaspoonfuls onto baking paper. (or pipe)
• Place in the fridge to set (approx 1 ½-2 hours).
• Once set, have the melted chocolate and coatings ready.
• Take a little of the melted chocolate in the palms of your hands, and lightly roll each truffle.
• Toss the truffles into a bowl with your chosen coating.
• Place back onto some baking paper and store in the fridge.
Home made Ferreo Roche inspired chocolates.
Ingredients
14 malted milk biscuits
25g rice krispies
200g Nutella
200g milk cooking chocolate
25g butter
Method
1. Blend up the malted milk biscuits and put them into a big mixing bowl. Fold in the Rice Krispies and the Nutella.
2. Take a big pinch of the mixture and roll into balls using your hands. Place the shaped mixture on to some baking paper and chill for 1 hour.
3. Break up the chocolate and microwave it for 30 seconds, then stir. microwave for another 30 seconds stirring again, add the butter and stir until you have a smooth mixture.
4. Dip the Nutella balls into the chocolate coating them generously and place back on to the baking paper. Chill for a further 30 minutes to 1 hour
Rocky Road
Ingredients
200g digestive biscuits (Rich Tea can also be used)
135g butter
200g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa works best)
2-3 tbsp golden syrup
100g mini marshmallows
Icing sugar, to dust
Optional add 100g of any of the ingredients below
raisins, dried cranberries or any dried fruit
nuts
popcorn
honeycomb, broken into pieces
Method
• Grease and line an 18cm square brownie tin with baking paper.
• Place 200g digestive biscuits in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or just the side of your fist until they’re broken into a mixture of everything between dust and 50p-sized lumps. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan melt 135g butter or margarine, 200g dark chocolate and 2-3 tbsp golden syrup over a gentle heat stirring constantly until there are no or almost no more lumps of chocolate visible, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool.
• Take the biscuits, 100g mini marshmallows and up to 100g of additional ingredients (dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, honeycomb), if you like, and stir into the chocolate mixture until everything is completely covered.
• Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin, and spread it out to the corners. Chill for at least 2 hrs then dust with icing sugar and cut into 12 fingers.
Toblerone chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows
Ingredients
For the fruit skewers
handful grapes
handful strawberries
handful pineapple chunks
Marshmallows
For the chocolate fondue
50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
100g Toblerone, broken into pieces
100ml double cream
Method
• For the fruit skewers, thread pieces of the fruit, with some marshmallows alternately onto three wooden kebab skewers. Set aside.
• For the chocolate fondue, bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a pan. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the pan (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate pieces and Toblerone, and stir until melted.
• Add the cream and honey and stir until well combined and heated through.Stir in the
To serve, transfer the chocolate fondue to a serving bowl. Serve the fruit skewers on a plate alongside.
Triple Chocolate muffins
Ingredients
100g cooking chocolate
300g self raising flour (sifted)
1tsp baking powder
100g dark muscovado sugar
250ml milk
50g melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
50g dark chocolate chips
50g white chocolate chips
Method
• Preheat the oven to 200 c / 400 f / gas mark 6. Break the chocolate into a bowl and heat over a pan of simmering water untill melted.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. In a separate bowl add the muscado sugar, melted chocolate,butter,milk and eggs and mix well. Carefully fold in the flour, taking care to not over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spoon the mixture into paper muffin casesand bake for 25 minutes or until muffins have risen and are firm to touch. remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. serve warm or cold