The Mexican chocolate crackle cookies, papaya , clementines and chocolate dipped figs with french vanilla ice cream ...

The menu is coming together little by little, yet the varied flavors~savory, dry white wine transitioning with the menu to end with champagne...perfect. For the recipes...

Exquisite Taste for New Years

Not sure what will go best with the menu for tonight? Me neither. I'm flipping through recipes and wanted to use The Art&Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet...some amazing ideas.
Cream puffs with cocoa nib cream, Duo-tone chocolate post de cre'me, mini-chocolate raspberry tartlets or Mexican chocolate crackle cookies...The main course is Puerto Rican crab and shrimp )a recipe from a team-building at Normandy Farms.

Check back later and let's see-I'll post it before noon after I choose so if you want a last minute idea that you know you can pull together and show off your Exquisite Taste-you can too.

Happy New Year!
The Chocolate Muse

kick-up the heat with ginger-fresh grated and with chocolate

Life is about defying gravity, balance, and The Perfect Pair...today I'm going to create gingerbread (fresh grated ginger)with milk chocolate chunks and take some to one of my favorite wine shops to see what wine they would pair with it. I'll keep you posted about The Perfect Pair

The Journey of The Pod

 

When I see these hands, dry with dirt that grew these beans, I feel the air on my face pick up and bring me to a land far away. It could be a number of places in the Rainforest Region that I arrive at, yet the reality is that the hard work, the basics, and the hardship that comes with adapting to whatever nature deals you, is what it's all about. It might be trite, yet the little flies that came in with the plants that were in the garden this summer, remind me every day that balance is a challenge. I've put lavendar springs around the top of the soil on all the potted plants, I infused black pepper in the water I watered them with, and I know I need to shower them in some soapy solution-hoping the flies can be eradicated before they totally infest every plant in the house. The plants are all part of 'The Journey of The Pod' exhibit. All some type of tropical plant-I'm nurturing them to showcase where ever the exhibit goes. They are special and as they get more mature, they take on a life of their own. This is so small compared to what Plantation owners must struggle with when the rain invites insects and molds to thrive and threaten crops of all kinds.

Can you relate to any of this? Have you entered the art contest to be part of 'The Journey of The Pod' exhibit? For more details go to the tab 'The Journey of The Pod' and print out the entry form-the deadlines coming up fast.

Happy Holidays-The Chocolate Muse, Gretchen

Dancing Gingerbread Men

The day was spend making gingerbread men as part of my gift for colleagues at work. I have a recipe I've been using for the past few years,that people like, yet it's sticky and not as 'spicy' a cookie as I like. Here the adventure begins. I began by infusing the butter, spices and molasses with real ginger while they melted. That worked pretty well-I'd go with fine grated ginger next batch for even more flavor. Then I cut back the butter and included tapioca flour as one portion of the flour this year to make it easier to digest and a lighter cookie. That worked too. Here was the ultimate challenge I've had each year-it's really a sticky batter. I put it between parchment and plastic, put it with tapioca flour to dust, dipped the cutter before making the cookie-nothing was working! Corn meal works for pizza dough, and I love the molasses corn meal combo in Indian pudding-why not? Well I'm here to say it was perfect. It mixed into the batter easily, absorbed the extra moisture and to dust with it was a breeze because it dusted off easily when you put the cookie on.
The final touch...I wanted them to dance. So they did :) Some had bent legs,some raised hands, some were even clapping-in the end, the men were having a good time and so was I. Decorated with caramel boots outlined with chocolate,buttons of white chocolate cream cheese frosting and faces of dark chocolate~Happy Holiday wishes are on the way.
For the recipe, check back to the Bucks County Chocolate Show website tonight-recipes with chocolate tab. Have a good day

Chocolate Chip and Peppermint Crunch Crackles

These are so worth the splurge over the Holidays! Have you ever had anything like it?

Chocolate Chip and Peppermint Crunch Crackles
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed red and white striped hard peppermint candies
6 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (about 3oz) semisweet chocolate chips
Coarsely crushed peppermints
powdered sugar

Combine first three ingredients in a heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolates melt and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Mix in finely crushed mints and 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Cool mixture to lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture. 1 at a time, then whisk in vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl to blend. Whisk flour mixture, then chocolate chips into chocolate mixture. Cover batter and chill until firm enough to shape, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 generous tablespoonful for each cookie, roll dough between moistened palms into1 1/4 in diameter balls, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked on top but still soft to touch in center, about 11 minutes.Let stand on sheets 5 minutes, Press coarsely crushed mints onto tops of cookies or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Transfer to racks:cool separately. These can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper in refrigerator.

Bon Appetit December 2002

The Perfect Pair

Take a sip, take a small bite of chocolate~let it warm and melt with the wine flavors, take another sip....repeat. Learning the best way to compliment wine and chocolate pairings seemed so simple, yet while Danielle was talking and making recommendations on the best wine to pair with the French Truffles or R'evillon milk chocolate pralines-she was focused and intent on the flavors she was envisioning. Try it out and let me know if you agree. Chopped smooth milk chocolate chopped and spread over French vanilla ice cream and Chaddsford Later Harvest Dessert Riesling. mmm delicious, elegant and simple~that's my idea of perfect.

Things are getting raw with chocolate

I went to the Chocolate Expo in West Nyack and to my delight and amazement, I had raw chocolate from Organic Nectars. I think raw chocolate is coming into it's own. It was rich, light and the flavor was smooth. I had the rasberry raw chocolate bar and wow it was packed with fresh in the yard real life type of rasberry flavor.

I didn't think Gnosis would be challenged because the assortment and quality is amazing -yet here you have another version of how great raw chocolate can be. They both can be commended on how they have found a way to please the palate while keeping the raw chocolate oh so purely chocolate.

Have you tried raw chocolate-really good raw chocolate yet? You have to try these two and let me know what you think. Any others that are out there, let me know.