Chocolate Food Combos

[sharonsiff]

I have a fabulous book called The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit and now we have a fab food forum thought I'd share some of the combos...you can cook instead of crave ;)

 

Chocolate & Alomond:

 

Christopher Tan's Chocolate Soup with salted Almonds:

Melt 1 tbs unsalted butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, add 45g flaked almonds and sauté them with care for 4-5 minutes,until they are golden brown. Set aside. Whisk 250mls water, 100mls whipping cream, 25g caster sugar and 40g sifted cocoa powder in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture bubble gently for 2-3 minutes, then add 100g chopped dark chocolate containing at least 60% cocoa solids. Stir with a whisk until smooth, then pouring into little bowls, top with almonds, divide into 4-6 bowls and serve straight away.

 

It also says....it works because a wealth of nutty flavour notes are formed when cocoa beans are roasted during the chocolate making process. Similarly, the flavour of almonds is intensified by toasting, which helps them stand up to the chocolates strength of flavour.... Just think delicious Toblerone ;)

[sharonsiff]

Chocolate & Cardamom:

 

Prepare and bake a 23cm sweet pastry case. Slit open 10 cardamom pods, grind up the contents with a mortar and pestle, add 300mls of double cream in a pan and scald. Remove from the heat and add 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, and 25g unsalted butter. Stir until melted and well mixed. When cooled a little (don't let it set!) , pour into the pastry case and place in the fridge for two or three hours. When it has hardened, sift a little cocoa powder over it and serve with a modest dollop of creme fraiche.

 

She says it works because...if you use cardamom in sufficient quantities you can pick out its enigmatic citrus, eucalyptus and warm , woody floral quantities. She finds adding a pinch of cardamom can make even the most ordinary dark chocolate taste expensive ;)

[sharonsiff]

Chocolate & strawberry:

 

I wrote this one as it just made me laugh out loud...and it might make you too ;)

 

Not all it's cracked up to be. Strawberry's heart like shape and colour have been unimaginatively match made with a default love token, chocolate. But doesn't a strawberry dipped in chocolate just look like a fruit wearing big knickers/ big girl pants? And aren't they they the sort of thing asset-strippers feed to call girls in a cream coloured hotel room? I'd take chocolate and hazelnut over these two anyway.

 

Although I have to say I do enjoy melting Galaxy chocolate and dipping in strawberries, then setting in the fridge. Although I do laugh a bit now when I pop them in my mouth as I think of the knickers comment ;)

[sharonsiff]

Use chocolate and plain Ryvita and turn them into fabulous home made Ferraro Rochers ;)

 

This is from my Takeaway secrets book and I make these all the time, saves a fortune and they taste just the same! The reason being the makers of Nutella are the folk behind Ferraro Rochers. You can also add some very finely chopped hazelnuts to the mix, but my girls are not fans of the texture of nuts so I haven't done this myself yet.

 

Makes 12 chocolates

 

6 crispbreads, recommended brand Ryvita.

4 tbs of Nutella

 

Crush the crispbreads in a blender or with a rolling pin.

 

Gently warm the Nutella in the microwave for around 10 seconds.

 

Pour the blended crispbreads into a large mug/bowl and add the Nutella and mix really well.

 

Spoon into petite four cases and pop into the fridge for a couple of hours..job done!

 

Once in the fridge I find leaving then in works even better, you get a certain type of crunch texture that if you closed your eyes you really would think you had just eaten the real thing.

[sharonsiff]

Found a picture of the homemade Ferraro Rochers...and strawberries in knickers..dipped in crushed nuts and white chocolate drizzle. Bring on the Summer and good old tasty English strawberries. Just to say the only reason I have so many pictures is I used to run. FB food page...where folk would be taking selfies I'd be taking foodies ;)

 

 

[Leanna]

*Drool*

[scottinpa]

... I used to run. FB food page...where folk would be taking selfies I'd be taking foodies ;)

" foodies " lol... I like that!!!  :laugh2:

[Colleen]

Chocolate & peanut butter...oh yum

[scottinpa]

Chocolate & peanut butter...oh yum

 

I am going to try to make home made Reese's Peanut Butter Cups   :D

 

Except mine are going to be made gluten corn dairy and soy free... and I am going to use almond butter for the filling  :huh:

 

trying to do it for Easter.. I will let you know how it goes... so far I am at the "scooping up some almond butter on a spoon and dipping it into the chocolate bits" stage.. lol!... tasty!!