BLOG FOR CHOCOLATE

Blog For Chocolate

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SAN DIEGO WINE FESTIVAL

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/food-restaurants/wine-and-food-festival-video#vmix_media_id=7529233&genre_id=7245

MACARONS VS MACAROONS

What are Macarons/Macaroons? Most Americans are familiar with the coconut macaroon. I found the Macaron (with one o) in Paris all over the city. I would compare the popularity to the chocolate chip cookie of the USA. Both delicious, but very different. What is your experience with the discovery of the French Macaron?

MACARONS

Dating back to the 18th century, the macaron is a traditional French pastry, made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. This sweet pastry came out of the French courts' baker's oven as round meringue-like domes with a flat base.
Macarons, also anglicized "macaroons", are not to be confused with a similar pastry also called macaroons. Macarons are sandwich-like pastries made with two thin cookies and a cream or ganache between the cookies. Macaroons, on the other hand, are dense cookies made either with coconut or with a coarse almond paste.
Macarons come in a wide variety of flavors varying by store and season; ranging from traditional to exotic. At the Versailles Court in Paris, members of the Dalloyau family, whose descendants later founded the gastronomy house of the same name, served macarons to royalty in the then ruling House of Bourbon.
In the 1830s macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. The macaron known today is the "Gerbet" macaron, born in the 1880s in the Beleville neighbourhood of Paris. The double-decker macaron filled with cream that is popular today was invented by the French pâtisserie Ladurée.

MACAROONS

Macaroons are sweet foods made either with coconut and egg white or with a coarse almond paste formed into a dense cookie or confection. They are often confused (due to the very similar spelling) with the French Macarons which are entirely different in appearance.
The English word macaroon comes not from the French macaron, but from the word maccarone, regionally used in Italy to refer to maccherone (kind of pasta, with a hole and a larger diameter than bucatini) - because almond macaroon paste is the same colour as macaroni pasta.
Macaroon cookie biscuits often use egg whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), with ground or powdered nuts, most commonly coconut but sometimes almond. Almost all recipes call for sugar, which caramelizes and provides body and a smooth, moist texture to the macaroon. If the coconut or other fabric used is very sweet, however, the sugar may be omitted. Macaroons are commonly baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

A coconut macaroon is a type of macaroon most commonly found in the United States, although invented in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. It is a conventional macaroon with a distinct coconut flavor and containing shredded dried coconut. They tend to be closer to a soft cookie than their meringue cousins, and about as sweet.
Increasingly, coconut macaroons are dipped in chocolate, typically milk chocolate. Versions dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate are also becoming more commonly available. Nuts are often added to coconut macaroons, typically almond slivers, but occasionally pecans, cashews or other nuts.
In Australia, a blob of raspberry jam is often concealed in the centre of the macaroon prior to cooking.

THIRTEEN DAYS TO GO......

Chocolate Raspberry

We are receiving lots of interesting recipes. Chocolate can be used in any form; desserts, sauces, meat dishes, drinks etc.....

TRY THIS RECIPE

Try this recipe from the winner of the Delish.com chocolate recipe contest!

Our promotion for a Free Molinillo when you purchase $50 in chocolate is running until the end of November. Take advantage if you are purchasing chocolate for our Recipe Contest.

Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes with Raspberry Cream

From Lisak65
Serves: 4 Edit

Total Time: 30 min
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients
· 1 cup(s) bittersweet chocolate chips
· 1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter
· 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
· 1 cup(s) powdered sugar, plus additional for garnish
· 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
· 3 whole(s) eggs
· 6 tablespoon(s) all purpose flour
· 1 cup(s) vanilla bean ice cream, melted
· 1 to 2 tablespoon(s) raspberry flavored liqueur or syrup
· 1 container(s) fresh raspberries
· 4 sprig(s) fresh mint
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven 425°F. Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups; set on a baking sheet.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. (This can also be done in a double boiler.) Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in eggs and then flour.
3. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Remove from oven; let stand 1 minute. Run a knife around rim of custard cups to loosen. Invert onto individual serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar.
4. Blend melted ice cream and desired amount of raspberry liqueur or syrup; drizzle around cakes. Garnish with fresh mint and raspberries.

Chile Chocolate Lime Martini Pudding

Chile Chocolate Lime Martini Pudding


Maura McEvoy
Serves: 6 Edit
Total Time: 35 min
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients
· 1 cup(s) sugar
· 1/3 cup(s) cornstarch
· 2/3 cup(s) cocoa powder
· 2 teaspoon(s) ground Ancho Chile Pepper, also know as Dark Red Chile Powder (see Tips & Techniques)
· 3 cup(s) 2% milk
· 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
· 3 tablespoon(s) Cointreau or Citrus Vodka (see Tips & Techniques for Variation)
· 8 ounce(s) Lime or Key Lime low-fat (not light) yogurt
· 8 ounce(s) Mascarpone Italian cheese
· 1 tablespoon(s) tequila, optional
· 1 tablespoon(s) lime zest
· 8 slice(s) lime wedges, for garnish
·
Directions
1. Place 6 to 8 martini glasses or 8 small glass dessert dishes on serving tray.
2. In large sauce pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, chile, and salt; slowly stir milk to combine. Over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, cook until just beginning to thicken, 7 to 12 minutes. Add alcohol, continue to stir, and cook 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour immediately into martini glasses; cover with plastic, refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before spooning with topping.
3. In medium bowl, with large spoon, beat until smooth yogurt, mascarpone, tequila, and 1/2 zest. Spoon equally on top of chocolate pudding, cover, refrigerate for at least one hour (can be made up to this point one day ahead).
4. At serving time, top with whip cream, remaining lime zest, slice of lime, and a pinch of chile powder; serve and enjoy!

MAYAN HOT CHOCOLATE

MAYAN HOT CHOCOLATE &

MOLINILLO

Mayan Hot Chocolate

6 cups water or milk1/2 cup granulated sugar3 ounces Mélange Sucré chocolate rounds1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons vanillaStick cinnamon (for optional garnish)
In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, chocolate, ground cinnamon, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the milk is very hot. (Do not let the milk come to a boil.) Cook 2 to 3 minutes more over low heat, still stirring. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat with a molinillo or a rotary beater until it is very frothy. Pour into mugs, garnish with cinnamon sticks, and serve.
Makes about 6 (8-ounce) servings.

What do you do with White Chocolate?

What do you do with our White Chocolate Rounds? You do Trifle! This recipe is a great way to serve a dessert to white chocolate fans and also some who may say they only like dark chocolate.

Cacao Butter makes it betta!

White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle with Spiced Pears







IngredientsSpiced Pears:
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
2 cups pear juice or pear nectar
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet
4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
5 large firm but ripe Anjou pears (3 to 31/4 pounds), peeled White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse:
7 ounces high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy)
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream Trifle Assembly:
3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers,** separated
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger
White chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Send me your white chocolate recipe!

NOVEMBER RECIPE CONTEST BEGINS!