Part of the fun of Halloween is getting super-goofy: indulging in massive amounts of sugar-bomb candy, punning it up (spook-tacular!), and generally behaving with childish abandon. So how does that translate into adult treats? I'm so glad you asked! Here are three ways to grown-upify your Halloween without feeling like an old fuddy duddy. More
Back in the spring, one of our employees at Liddabit took a trip to Seattle and was nice enough to bring us back a couple of treats from Theo chocolate. I knew I liked the company as soon as I saw that they had a Bread and Chocolate bar: dark chocolate with crispy bread crumbs and a sprinkling of salt, an homage to a popular European treat. More
When I was a kid, the simpler a candy bar was, the better. My favorite? 3 Musketeers. Soft, chocolaty, and not at all complicated—what wasn't to love? 3 Musketeers and I grew apart; and eventually, I gave up on drugstore candy bars for good. Until, of course, it became my job to know as much as I possibly could about chocolate. Between that and my penchant for new, shiny things (ooh, NEW!), I naturally couldn't resist when I saw three(!) different versions of 3 Musketeers staring me in the face at my local drugstore. More
I have to admit—I still love the already-cartoned, carrageenan-thickened, "chocolate flavor" style of chocolate milk quite a bit. But making it at home with cocoa powder will take you about 2.5 minutes and is damn tasty. A fun chocolate-geek bonus of this recipe: adding the cocoa to the hot milk "blooms" it, actually enhancing the chocolate flavor. More
What is the best way to store chocolate? It depends on the weather, of course. Here are a few essential tips and guidelines for milk and dark chocolate bars, as well as for bonbons (shelf-stable and handmade.) More
One of the most magical things I learned in pastry school was how to properly dip chocolates.There's something about it that I find very soothing; maybe it's the precision required to get them to turn out just so, or the repetitive motion, or just the fact that when you're done you have a tray with rows of perfectly formed little chocolate-covered beauties. (Not to mention the couple of inevitably funky-looking ones that end up getting eaten. For the sake of quality assurance, naturally.) More
High summer is not exactly high season for chocolate; heat tends to, you know, ruin it; and steamy days and nights don't necessarily put anyone in the mood for something rich and creamy. There are also (I know, I was surprised too) some people in the world who don't love eating chocolate anyway. So here are some of my favorite non-edible chocolate treats. More
Before I start waxing poetic, let me make a few logistical points. There will always be a place in my heart for the standard grocery-store s'mores components; Jet-Puffed, Hershey's, and HoneyMaid should be part of every kid's s'mores experience. But let's think about making them grown-up for a moment. How about homemade marshmallows and graham crackers, and a really high-quality chocolate? More
Spending as much time around chocolate and candy as I do has changed my threshold level for it. Not to say I don't still love both with a fiery passion and crave them all the time (I totally do) but the ferocious sort of "I-must-put-this-in-my-face-right-now-as-fast-as-I-possibly-can" feeling has lessened somewhat over the years. Not so with cookies. More
I know what you're thinking. "Why would I want to bother to do this? I can run down to the corner store/supermarket and just buy a pack of ready-made ice cream pops, and not have to do any work at all." Well, the first answer is that you can mix and match any flavors and coatings you want. The second answer is that you can put really nice ice cream with really good chocolate; forget about that waxy "chocolate flavored coating" stuff. More
The Sweets & Snacks Expo happens every year in Chicago, and I've watched TV shows on it, read about it, and dreamed of attending for years. Finally, this year was it. Jen and I headed to the Windy City to check out this year's chocolate trends (you can find other highlights from the show here). Of course there are loads, but what were the ones that kept popping up? More
Making fun of tofu for being hippie-food is so 20 years ago. The coffee definitely punches up the chocolate flavor here, and makes it taste a little more sophisticated. But you could just as easily add some cayenne and a glug or two of dark rum. More
Why not make some flowers for Mom this year? Out of chocolate? Chances are she'll be pretty happy with a bouquet of these. Here's a step-by-step guide to making several different kinds of flowers, which you can then use to decorate cupcakes, garnish plated desserts or just give by themselves. It's not as hard as you think! More
Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite words: eutectic. A eutectic, in confectionery terms, is a combination of fats that melts at a lower temperature than any one of the fats by itself. The eutectic you probably most often encounter on a day-to-day basis is milk chocolate. The magical power of the eutectic is particularly well (and tastily) illustrated in the center known as a meltaway. More
I'm a huge fan of David Lebovitz's fantastic recipes and entertaining writing, and have always been intrigued by his chocolate bread. What in the world would it taste like? Chocolate mixed into the bread itself? But how bready would it be? Yeasty at all? What about the sweetness level? More
There are few things in this world more comforting to me than squishy, sweet, creamy desserts, especially when they come in a ready-to-eat cup. But pudding is really easy to make at home, too. I call these Le Snaque-Paques. More
Now, I love me some old-school Oreos, and subscribe to the "if it ain't broke" school of philosophy, but was curious about two unfamiliar varieties of Oreos. Peanut Butter Creme and Double Stuf Heads or Tails. ZOMG OREOS! Ehrm, sorry. It's my professional responsibility to stay abreast in the chocolate industry and report back. Find out how they tasted. More
I have a confession to make, dear readers. Until just a few days ago, I had no idea that this week was American Chocolate Week. It seems to me a perfect opportunity to go learn something about chocolate that you didn't know before; or try a new kind of chocolate; or test out that chocolate recipe you've been staring at for the last few months. Now, you can celebrate however you want, but in the slideshow are just a few of my suggestions. More
Gail Ambrosius seems to have it all figured out. She turned a tough situation (getting laid off after ten years at the same job) into a glorious opportunity by doing what so many of us chocolate geeks long to do: head to Paris and study under the masters. With technique and experience under her belt, she launched Gail Ambrosius Chocolates in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2004 and has since been garnering praise for her wide range of offerings and unusual bonbon flavors—shiitake mushroom truffle, anyone? More
Where exactly in Philly did this cake come from? Who named it Philly Fluff? And why wasn't it the least bit fluffy in texture? More
I had an insane hankering for chocolate chip cookies the other day, so I decided to bust out my copy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking and make a batch. But something caught my eye: a sidenote about how she prefers to chop chocolate from a block instead of buying premade chips. This called for a chopped vs. chips vs. chunks comparison. More
Oh, Valentine's Day. As a chocolatier, I can certainly wear the cynical hat. I have nothing against the holiday, per se. It's just all the gifts people get each other tend to be saccharine, tacky, and/or cliché—and tend to cost an unnecessary amount of money. Accordingly, here's a list of five non-lame things you can whip up at home. They're quick, easy, and only as cutesy as you want to make them. More
How did Jeff get into chocolate? He accidentally bought some unfermented, washed cocoa beans at a farmers' market in Belize thinking they were almonds. More
@mtgall - it would definitely be sweeter with bittersweet chocolate; though I've never tried it, I doubt it would taste terrible! You wouldn't be able to sub cream in the same amount, since the viscosities of cream and sweetened condensed milk are so different; if you decide to try that, I'd suggest also adding a tablespoon or so of light corn syrup, to get it closer to the consistency of the original recipe. Good luck!
Tried these a few years ago & keep seeing them pop up here and there. Delightful. LOVE the Betty Jo and love the owner. Congrats, Jennifer!
@redfish they should bring back the original three-flavor package! I'd totally give that a whirl. @Amandarama ditto.
@cdp no snark taken! I suppose I should have specified that they were new to me; not necessarily to all candy fans.
There seems to be a general consensus that the Now Richer Chocolate taste is yucky. What a shame...
@Taylor - Robyn is in fact a staff member at SE. She does great work!
Apologies for all the confusion; the bun is from Fay Da bakery, as covered in Robyn's blog (thanks to @lululunacy for the link) - a chocolate chip walnut bun. Clearly I should try and track down that recipe...
@kestrel I never even thought of that! man, immersion blenders are good for everything.
@scalfin planning on dipping a D&D die? (mmm, plus two deliciousness points.) I just meant anything that would rest comfortably on a fork without rolling off, more or less.
@sugarchef @lemonfair excellent points all. When I used to work at Roni-Sue, I believe Rhonda would let the ganache rest unrefrigerated (in a cool place) right after she made it; but we stored it in the fridge, wrapped airtight, and it never suffered any degradation of texture. just my two cents.
@jutes this technique would actually work for bacon (with steady hands and sturdy bacon); perhaps that's for a future post...
@seriousb - completely different. This mousse is less mousse-like in that it's not super-airy; if you want, after it's chilled you can whip it a bit with a whisk to fluff it up a little. But it's got a nice creamy texture, and is best served cold. The water mousse firms up a little more like a ganache, and is better served around cool room temperature (or at least not straight out of the fridge).
@pinklady this recipe actually does call for silken tofu - that was a typo on my part, thanks for the correction! It does need to be firm, however, or the mousse won't hold its shape.
It should actually be specified as silken tofu - thanks for the catch!
@Fluffydog - they wouldn't necessarily melt in heat/humidity; but they would get oozy and sticky. I'd keep them wrapped airtight in the fridge until the last possible second, and transport them as quickly as possible.
hey guys - it was really on a whim! what can I say? after I decided to sub out the butter for coconut oil, I realized I had some lonely soymilk in the fridge too, and figured I'd add it to the experiment. I guess the reason I pointed out that it was almost dairy-free is for folks who might be interested in a dairy-free recipe - easy enough to leave out the milk chips. Sorry I didn't make it clearer!
I still maintain that whatever you decide to sub in or out, it will almost certainly be delicious.
@hmgreen - I TOTALLY agree. can't believe this is the first time I've made pudding at home. definitely won't be the last.
@Teachertalk - thanks! I'm kind of a pack-rat with reusable containers; guess it comes in handy once in a while...
@seriousb - it's the flavor, the consistency, and the two-kinds-in-one-recipe-that-you-can-layer component that I consider to be the most snack-pack-ish. The containers I put it in are little glass jars I had left over from yogurt and jam; I suppose those are as portable as any (and reusable is better than disposable in my opinion).
As for dairy-free - I imagine the recipe would be completely different, thought I've never made dairy free pudding. would certainly be worth a shot with nut or rice milk, though the cornstarch amount might need to be adjusted; let me know if you try it!
wow...anyone have a good recipe for crow? or a magical potion that would eliminate burning shame?
@Agnes believe it or not, I had the weights inverted. TOTALLY my fault; it's fixed now. Can I send you some replacement chocolate for a do-over?
As for the splashing, put an extra handful of ice in the ice bath next time; or, failing that, call a friend over so they can hold one side of the bowl to stabilize it. You can promise them some mousse as a reward.
@blakea83 @Katie Potato - yes, I should have put that in the recipe. If the mixture is too loose, reheat and add a little more chocolate. If it's too thick, reheat and add a little more liquid.
@lemonfair excellent point! I was mostly being dramatic. Though chocolate that has seized is no good for tempering, it's still fine for sauces, ganache etc. Didn't know about peanut butter tho...
@seriousb seems @maztec already answered all your questions!
@cybercita there are approx. 28.7 grams in an ounce; for the video, I used 270 g water and 350 g chocolate. You can either convert to ounces, or just use the same ratio.
@maztec tea is a really cool idea - will definitely have to try it at some point. And it was Hervé This (one of my favorite people ever) who brought this to the general public's attention. another neat thing is it supposedly can be done with pretty much any fat that will set up when cool; butter, coconut oil, etc. And yes, i overwhipped it a bit and didn't have the second bowl ready to transfer it...good tips on bringing it back to life!
yes, you can absolutely use a hand mixer! you'd just want to be careful you don't overbeat. but the cool thing is, if you do, or if it sets up too much before you transfer it, you can just rewarm it in the microwave and start over. (you can actually do that indefinitely.)
I just got a couple of the frogs, and the sea turtles too! Everything she makes is just gorgeous...I'm such a fan. Gotta take a food trip to Madison one of these days...
oh my gosh. WANT. especially the foie rocher, pea dish, and the pistachio gelato...though I don't think I'd say no to a gruyère caramel, either. gorgeous slideshow, Kenji!
chocolate chip cookies are NEVER lame.
@dbcurrie - good point! you can bake them in pretty much whatever format you want, I think--it seems pretty forgiving.
@gargupie - I was thinking the same thing! Let me know if you try any other bean cake variations, I'd be interested to see what the results are like...and no, the end result doesn't taste beany at all (seems like chickpeas are one of the more neutral-tasting legumes...)
@amymreisman - you know, I'm so behind on my artisanal chocolate makers! I know Theo and I've heard great things, but I have to admit I've never tried their stuff. I'd like to put more focus this year on the makers, so definitely keep the recs coming!
@sourdough - I know for a fact that Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge sells Fine + Raw; their South End store might also.
@fingermark - they definitely shouldn't taste flat! It looks as though the Hershey's is a blend of natural and Dutched cocoa powder; the fact that it wasn't all dutch-process was probably what made it taste like that. there are a few things you can do to help ameliorate this:
-add a pinch of baking soda to the cocoa powder. Natural cocoa is acidic; dutch-processing cocoa alkalizes it, which is what makes it taste more deeply chocolatey. baking soda is alkaline, which should help release some more of the chocolate flavor. (for future reference, joyofbaking.com has a great ingredient substitution table with more precise measurements.)
-"bloom" the cocoa: instead of mixing it in with the dry ingredients, heat up some water to just below boiling and mix enough of it with the cocoa powder to make a liquidy paste. this should also help bring out some of the deeper notes. add the paste after the eggs and vanilla. (the extra water might affect the texture somewhat, but I doubt it'll be catastrophic - let me know if you try it!)
-add a little chocolate extract. Star Kay White makes a really nice version you can find for sale at lots of online stores; I'd do 1/2 tsp vanilla and 3/4 tsp chocolate extracts.
...what I really recommend for the long term is getting your hands on some really nice dutch-process cocoa; if you bake with any kind of frequency, I promise you'll get tons of use out of it. King Arthur Flour sells a lovely "double dutch" blend of dutched and "black" (think Oreo) cocoas that I use for everything. seriously, everything. it makes a huge difference.
hope that's helpful! Let me know how subsequent tries turn out...
@ohmygod do you open the oven at all during baking? I'd let the bread bake at least 40 minutes before opening the oven, and then I would just rotate it and shut it in again. If that's not the issue, maybe check the exp dates on your leaveners?
whoops! that was a typo. step 3 should just read "cream sugar and butter" -- you can use any shortening you like, but I specified butter for the recipe because...well, I like it the best :) Though I do have some leaf lard sitting in my freezer...
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@ Beagle - you can subsitute any extract; or just leave it out! It'll taste lightly coconutty, mostly chocolatey.
@ Tony and killa - solid-packed! You can also sub solid vegetable shortening.
@katz - sorry it didn't work out for you! You can always start with less extract and work up from there; if the chocolate was too bitter, maybe try a lower percentage?