Chocolate Soup for Two !! Sounds lovely !

Chocolate Soup for Two

Valentine's day is exactly one month away and I'm elbow deep in chocolate recipes. I've been searching for ideas and inspiration for sweet, edible tokens of affection. Recently while watching a food show on TV, I saw chocolate soup being served at a popular chocolate bar/buffet. Patrons were proclaiming their love (between slurps of soup) for the warm, velvety smoothness and rich chocolaty flavor. I got out a pen and paper and wrote:

In my search I've found so many variations on chocolate soup, I didn't know which one to try! They all sounded so rich and almost too heavy. (Does anyone really want a heavy dessert on date night?) After a few trial runs, I decided to make my own.

RECIPE:
Soup :
- A cup of skim milk
- A cup of fat free half and half
1/3 cup fat free sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- A cup of bittersweet chocolate chips OR 6 oz. bar chocolate chopped.
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cold water Garnish
- 2 oz. low fat cream cheese
- 2 heaping tbsp marshmallow cream

Soup:
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, stir together the
skim, half and half , sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract.
Bring the mixture altmos to a boil.
Put the pan on low heat, add the chocolate and whisk, until the
chocolate start to melt.
Combine the cornstarch and water to a form a slurry.
Add a slurry a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the soup is thik
and smooth.
You will know it is ready when the bubbles are gone and the
chocolate has thikened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Carefully pour into two bowls and garnish.

Topping
Microwave the creamcheese at 10 sec. intervals
or until it can be stirred smooth. Add marshmallow cream
to the cream cheese and mix welll.
Dollop on top of the soup, or transfer mixture to pastry
bag and pipe design.


I wanted to lighten the soup without compromising the richness or velvety texture. I mixed skim milk with fat-free half and half to maintain the creamy texture. I also found that I could not tell the difference (in the completed soup) between the fat-free and regular sweetened condensed milk. One of my favorite elements of this dish is the marshmallow & cream cheese garnish. It provides an interesting and needed flavor contrast.

I used Ghiradelli semisweet baking chips, but the variations on this recipe are as numerous as there are varieties of chocolate. I would imagine an orange infused chocolate bar would pair well with a little Grand Marnier in this soup. I also think a big fat biscotti crouton (or many of them) would be a delicious addition.

This dessert should be served warm. I have a jar of gourmet ice cream topping called "chocolate crunch" that I used for further garnishing. Completed, the soup is rich and velvety just like the full-fat version. The flavor is a bit like a rich chocolate pudding. If I could describe where chocolate soup lives, it's somewhere between rich hot chocolate-ville and chocolate pudding city.


I think this would be an excellent Valentine's day dessert to share with someone special, even if that someone special is your Grandma. I view the holiday as a celebration of all kinds of love, and not just the romantic variety. I'm hoping to share more chocolaty recipes with you before V-day arrives, and I can't wait to see what everyone else will be cooking up!

Fonte/source: http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/01/chocolate-soup-for-two.html

RED WINE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE

Red Wine Chocolate Truffles

When I began working on these I had something else in mind altogether. I wanted a simple red wine ganache that could be chilled, balled, frozen, and rolled in cocoa powder. I even found a recipe (on a blog that shall remain nameless) that laid claim to this possibility. Sounds simple right?
Well, it wasn't simple. Not with the recipes I had, and with the information I had collected.

Ganache recipes are quick to put together, so this afforded me enough time to try out a few recipes and variations. One thing seemed certain time and time again. This ganache would have to be molded. The more red wine added, the more flavorful the ganache became and unfortunately, the more loose it became.

I'm not going to lie, tempering sounds a little above my aptitude. I'm not a Chocolatier, so for now I'll be using dark chocolate meltable candy wafers. They make a pretty truffle, and they don't take away from the main attraction: The Ganache. I didn't use a standard candy mold either, I used the Wilton mini hearts silicone pan and it worked beautifully!












When preparing to make these, you'll want to put together the ganache first. (Scroll down for printable recipe.) I think a dry red wine imparts the best flavor. A Chianti would work very well.

You'll need 2 to 3-1 lb. bags of dark chocolate meltable candy wafers. Melt them in batches as you need them. I found that I used about 1/2 bag at a time. You'll need a clean (preferably new) small craft brush with sturdy bristles.

Fill the molds about 1/4 of the way up with melted chocolate, and begin brushing the chocolate up the sides of the molds, coating the mold completely. When finished, put the mold in the freezer for about two minutes. After taking it out, check for thin spots in the hardened chocolate by holding the candy mold up to a light source. Paint on more chocolate until the chocolate cups are no longer transparent. Return to freezer. Repeat these steps until chocolate is completely opaque. (I think mine took about 3 times.)

Fill chocolate painted molds with the red wine ganache. DO NOT fill completely to the top. Transfer to the freezer for a couple of minutes. Remove, and top ganache with additional melted chocolate candy to enclose. Be sure it comes to the top of the mold and makes a flat surface. You want your truffle to seal properly and have an even surface to rest on when unmolded. Return to the freezer until set. Gently unmold truffles by pressing from the bottom of the mold upwards. Embellish as desired.

My truffles have a little lustre dust applied with a damp soft-bristled brush. I think it makes them look extra special. I also decided to button them up with a little bit of red melted candy coating (applied with disposable pastry bag). I think these turned out beautiful and best of all...

...rich and delicious!

Here's the (very easy) recipe for the red wine ganache, if you'd like to make them too!

This ganache sets up better than any I've tried, and gives a mild boozy aftertaste. I didn't include this tidbit in the recipe, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of red wine in place of the 5 Tbsp. The ganache will be loose, and you have to be VERY careful when sealing your truffles or you'll have a big leaky truffle mess. The version I've posted seemed to seal the best and still retain the red wine flavor. I think my next experiment will be adding a red wine reduction to a basic chocolate ganache.

Rainy days make the best baking and candy making days, but I'd really like some sunshine! I think Biscuit would too. The weather has been so dreary and unfortunately the forecast includes possible snow flurries tomorrow! So, I'm predicting a 100% chance of baking with accumulation of cookies and an increased chance of a little Pug being underfoot.

He doesn't go outside in inclement weather. (Spoiled!)

Fonte/source: http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/01/red-wine-chocolate-truffles.html

Piece, Love & Chocolate

by Sue Ann Gleason on June 28, 2011 in Chocolatiers

Enter Piece, Love, and Chocolate, in Boulder, Colorado, and you feel like you are walking into a scene from the movie, Chocolat, only better. This is no ordinary chocolate shop. It’s a magical chocolate boutique with more chocolate than you can imagine, both edible and fanciful.

Sarah Amorese (aka Madame Chocolat) owns and operates this chocolate boutique. Sarah’s mission is to enchant and entertain you and I was, indeed, enchanted. So enchanted, that I found an excuse to return the very next day—just in case there was something I missed.

Chef Sarah is a professional chocolatier and pastry chef. She creates all of the house-made recipes based on experience, trends, art, and the science of chocolate. There is always something to sample and savor.

Genevieve Fetherston (aka Cocoa Coordinator) manages the kitchen and schedules the production of house-made chocolate goodies. Chef Genny tickled my chocolate lovin’ palate with chocolate yummies as I sat in rapt attention watching her create a Salted Caramel Truffle Torte.

Heidi Lewis (aka Gift Guru) purchases merchandise and manages the chocolate boutique. Heidi has an uncanny knack for procuring unique and beautiful gift offerings.

In addition to their own special confections, Piece, Love and Chocolate showcases the crème de la crème of chocolatiers. They proudly offer an extensive and eclectic array of fine chocolates from around the world. I sampled more than I can count.

In honor of Father’s Day, and because my dad lives for lemon, I started with a lemon souffle truffle from Robin Chocolates of Longmont, Colorado. If truffles could sing, this one would be an aria.

But I didn’t stop there. . .

The Masala Turtle from Desiderio was to live for: Venezuelian chocolate, organic pistachio, cardamon, clove, pepper—and those were just some of the flavors I detected in that tasty little turtle. Vanessa, of Desiderio, has some beautiful vegan chocolates as well.

I sampled a Sweet Heat by The Art of Chocolate—organic Ceylon Cinnamon plus their very own organic spice mix in a milk chocolate ganache. Divine.

The mice are from Moonstruck Chocolatier, almost too cute to eat, but I had to sample one. I was, indeed, moonstruck. Be sure to check out their website for the summer sweet ‘n’ tart collection.

And finally, the orangette (orange rind stick) from Michel Cluzel—a burst of flavor that lingers long after the candy leaves your teeth. (literally)

And, because I follow directions, I couldn’t leave without sampling the sipping chocolate and a decadent dessert from the display case: the RaspBeverly Tart, a flourless chocolate cake like no other. I dream about that cake.

—one of the many reasons Piece Love and Chocolate will be my top chocolate destination spot in the country, maybe even the world!

Do you have a favorite chocolate boutique to share?

FONTE : http://www.chocolateforbreakfast.com/piece-love-chocolate/