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Margaret's Pages

Cooking With Chocolate
Recipes for the Chocoholic.
Chocolate and cocoa are made from the bean of the cacao tree.   Chocolate was first enjoyed as a hot drink, but later was used in baking, and even later when someone thought of combining milk and chocolate for eating, factories began in Switzerland, and in time, in many other countries.

Chocolate is more than a delicacy; it is good solid food and nourishment and is considered to be that by many nations........it appears in army rations, mountaineers carry it, and comfort is derived from a bar of chocolate when one is feeling tired.


Chocolate cake is an international favourite.  On these pages I will list various yummy chocolate recipes, divided off into sections.  On my other recipe pages, several chocolate recipes also appear.  Click on titles further down to find
Drinks, Desserts, Biscuits and Cakes.
Types of Chocolate and their uses.

DARK CHOCOLATE is semi-sweet and ideal for cooking.  Use for icings, mousse, sauces, etc.  It has a high fat content so is easy to melt and the sugar in it helps produce a good sheen.

MILK CHOCOLATE is lighter and milder than chocolate without milk added, and is used primarily as eating chocolate.

CHOCOLATE pieces mostly packed as "bits", is a semi-sweet dark chocolate and the bits retain their shape to some extent in baking, and are especially adapted to biscuit and cookie making.

POWDERED or DRINKING Chocolate was introduced before eating chocolate;  use in hot or cold milk drinks.

COOKING CHOCOLATE is semi sweet and dark.  Cheap cooking compounds are available and are suitable for use in cakes.
To Melt chocolate.

it burns very easily so it is best to melt chocolate on a plate or in a bowl over a pan of hot water -- if chocolate is overheated it scorches.
Break up or grate chocolate first so it melts more evenly and quickly.
to make chocolate caraque - this is for cake decoration...... shred 90g (3 oz) cooking chocolate and melt on a plate over hot water.  Work the chocolate with palette knife.  Spread it thinly on a marble slab or laminated benchtop.  When just on point of setting, curl it off with thin knife -- the chocolate will form long scrolls or flakes.  Place these on greaseproof paper and chill in refrigerator.
Handle carefully.  Keep in airtight container if necessary.
click these titles for the recipes.
DRINKS made with chocolate
DESSERTS made with chocolate
CAKES made with chocolate
BISCUITS/Slices made with chocolate
CHOCOLATE MINT SAUCE
Put 12 chocolate peppermint creams in small bowl that will fit over a pan of boiling water.  Melt creams, then stir in 1/2 cup cream.  Serve warm or cool, spooned over icecream.  Serves 4
HOT CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE
for a delicious hot sauce try this.
Melt 60g butter together with 120 g milk cooking chocolate in a double boiler.
Add 1/4 cup caster sugar and stir till
dissolved.  Add 1/2 cup cream and still until combined.
QUICK CHOCOLATE SAUCE
2 1/2 cups (600ml) thickened cream;  250 g dark cooking chocolate (chopped);
1 1/2 tab rum (optional).
Place all ingredients in saucepan and stir over low heat.  Heat until chocolate is melted and all ingredients combined into a smooth sauce.  Makes 3 cups.  Serve immediately.
CONFECTIONARY
WHISKEY WONDER BALLS
210 g sponge crumbs;  1 tab cocoa;  1 cup desiccated coconut;  90 g roasted flaked almonds;  3 tabs scotch
whiskey;  30 g butter;  2 tab apricot jam;  375g dark choc buttons (melted);  250 g dark cooking chocolate,grated.

Mix all ingredients, except chocolates, by hand until they come together.  Take heaped tablespoons of the mix and roll into balls, and place them on a tray in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Melt dark buttons and grate other chocolate putting it in a separate bowl ready to use.
Roll each of the balls by hand in melted chocolate, drain and then place directly into grated chocolate and have a 2nd person roll the balls to ensure an even covering.

Milk and white grated chocolate can be substituted for dark chocolate for rolling.

Makes about 24.
ALMOND SWIRLS makes 40 to 50
2 1/2 cups (330g) plain flour, sifted;
1 cup (150g) icing sugar, sifted; 1 teas cinnamon;
150g butter;  1 egg yolk;  1 tab water.

Ganache -- 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream;
2 1/2 tabs Grand Marnier liqueur or orange juice;
550 dark cooking chocolate, chopped;
100g roasted whole blanched almonds.

Lightly rub the flour, icing sugar, cinnamon, and butter together until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and water and work the mix to a dough.  Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.  When chilled, remove and knead lightly until soft enough to roll.
Roll the dough to 2 to 3 mm in thickness on a lightly floured board/bench.  Cut small circles from the rolled paste (2 to 3 cm in diameter) using a fluted round cutter.
Place biscuits directly onto lightly greased baking trays and bake 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

To make Ganache -- place cream and Grand Marnier in saucepan and bring to boil.  When boiling, immediately add chopped chocolate, then remove pan from heat and stir until combined.
Allow chocolate mix to cool slightly and then place it in refrigerator, stirring every few minutes until the mix is thick enough to pipe.

Take each biscuit one at a time and pipe a neat rosette of chocolate ganache onto the smooth (bottom) side.  Place a roasted whole almond on top of each rosette, in the centre.
MARSHMALLOW NUT FUDGE makes 60 pieces

300g plain white marshmallows;  90g butter cut in small pieces;  1 tab water;  185 cooking chocolate;  1/2 teas vanilla essence;  185 roughly chopped walnuts OR pecan nuts.

Line base of an approximately 23 x 10 cm pan with some foil so fudge will be easy to remove.
Place marshmallows into saucepan withbutter and water.  cook over very very low heat, giving them a stir every so often, until melted.  Break chocolate into squares and add to melted marshmallow mixture with vanilla essence.  Remove pan from heat.
There should be sufficient warmth to melt the chocolate.  Stir, when chocolate looks softened, add the nuts and mix through.
Pour into pan and cool, then refrigerate until set.  Remove, store wrapped in some foil and as
you wish to use the fudge, cut into strips or squares.   (keeps for about 3 weeks)
I trust all Chocoholics enjoy all the different recipes in this series - most are decandent, rich and yummmmm! Check out recipes in my other sections - Afternoon Tea Treats and Decadent Desserts and modern Irish for more Chocolate delicacies.
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Site created July 2000
Updated 3 January 2004
Painting by Linda Carter Holman