Tomato » Chocolate

Home made praline cocoa nut Felchlin chocolate bunnies

Ed — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:17:23 +0000

Does anybody out there remember Suchard praline Easter Eggs? As a child and adult I was obsessed with the things eating kilos at this time of year. Sadly there doesn’t seem to be a tradition of praline eggs in Australia.

I’m forced to make my own but every shop in Melbourne – including my usual chocolate source where I find Sarah working – has sold out. Instead I’m making praline chocolate bunnies and it really isn’t too difficult to do at home.

First I make two types of praline out of the nuts and things I have in my cupboard. The first lot is made from pistachio and the other with some organic cocoa beans.

I’d bought them from a market stall and was wondering what to do with them. Apparently some people take them as a health food but it would be preferable to use them in suppository form (something not to be uttered in the same breath as Felchlin chocolate).

To make the praline I heat up an equal quantity of cocoa beans and raw caster sugar in a pan. When the sugar is melted and caramelised I pour the sticky mess onto greaseproof paper and cool in the freezer.
Later I pound the mixture into an uneven dust.

I repeat with the pistachio.
The chocolate – pretentiously, a single origin Felchlin picked-up from Monsieur Truffe at Prahran Market –is simply melted in a copper bowl over boiling water – a make shift bain marie.
With a teaspoon I drip the chocolate into each rabbit, spreading a thin coat.
The mould is now cooled in the fridge. I reserve some of the molten chocolate and mix the remainder with thick pure cream and the praline until the mixture is fairly solid.
Now the messy bit as I attempt to spoon the praline into the rabbits. With a spatula I spread the praline flat and I seal each confection with the reserved molten chocolate.
The moulds are again cooled in the fridge before I flip the bunnies out and trim the excess chocolate.
I thought the pistachio praline would be superior to the cocoa beans but actually the “chocolate chocolate” praline truffles are the best.
They are not Easter eggs. But the bunnies actually taste better than the Suchard ones I remember. And what’s more I’ve impressed friends and neighbours who currently are barricaded out of the house.

ShareThis

Sugar high Friday: Chilli chocolate truffle three ways

Ed — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:03:22 +0000

I’m probably a bit stupid trying this one. Especially after arriving home at 3am from a mammoth beer and kebab session. But alcohol is alcohol and it’s addled my brain.Here goes.Chilli chocolate leaves would have been a better, more practical choice. With the addition of cream and butter the truffle mixture melts if you look at it.But I’m trying to leave my comfort zone and with the help of the fridge/freezer I try to construct these things.I set out to make three different leaves - kaffir lime, bay and sage.I dipped each into the chocolate truffle mixture (recipe below) and left to set in the fridge until day-break. I then pealed the chocolate off the leaves, before it melted, and returned the objects to the freezer to set.The best result was from the sorrel.Next I created some dark chocolate truffle curls. For this the mixture needs to set but allowed to warm for a while. The technique is to drag a spoon across the top of a set slab of the mixture. I used my al purpose cheese slice (also useful on cold butter) to create the curls which I tossed in some nasty Cadbury’s cocoa and returned to the fridge.Next I try and manufacture truffle balls. This is about getting mucky.I tear chunks off the truffle slab and squeeze them in my hands until it melts. Balls are rolled while the silken mixture smears over my hands. As I roll the balls through more cocoa powder I reflect how sexy this molten solid is.These are also left is the fridge to set.Eat and lick your fingers clean. Or find someone else to do it. Think Nigella.RecipeTake 80ml of cream and reduce over the heat. It’s not the quantity to which you reduce it to but the consistency - as thick as you dare. Toss in 200 grams of dark chocolate in chunks. I always use Kennedy & Wilson 70 per cent, which I buy by the kilo. Finally chuck in three or four knobs of butter. As an Asian twist I add chilli oil instead of the dried spice. Keep splashing in until your tongue stands on end.Pour the mixture onto a flat plate and refrigerate until set.Then, just get mucky, as detailed above.

ShareThis

Should we be eating this chocolate?

Ed — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 15:41:53 +0000

What chocolate should we be buying? I tend to go for the 70 per cent cocoa solids stuff. But should feed my conscience as well as my waistline?Earthy types have turned to Fairtrade products, where growers are paid over and above market rates to give them something near a living wage. Tomato uses Jasper Fairtrade coffee. Coffee prices have rocketed recently and Jasper coffee is several magnitudes more expensive than Nescafe. And now pretty much every mainstream coffee company is onto this money spinning Fairtrade idea.Could Fairtrade be the next organic?If you haven’t been paying attention, organics are being hijacked by big global businesses and the money hungry. (more…)

ShareThis

Chocolate & Zucchini cake and Chimay

Ed — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 19:03:04 +0000

Here’s the scenario. A bunch of friends over. Loads of stinking blue cheese, piles of chocolate and chocolate cake. We try all the usual sweet suspects with these foods. But what are the stars of the night? One surprise for the traditionalists was how well a bold, robust shiraz can go with chocolate.
The bombshell was that stout was an even better match.
We’re not talking Guinness here. No, it’s far too rich and creamy and should really be enjoyed alone or with oysters (don’t even think of ruining it with champagne!)
And so it is for the second time in as many weeks that we are pairing a Chimay stout with food.
In honour on Wine Blogger Wednesday No.13 Like Wine for Chocolate from Chocolate & Zucchini we are matching Chimay stout with a chocolate & zucchini cake.
Okay, we know Chimay isn’t strictly a wine. But with 9 per cent alcohol it’s getting there. It’s certainly not the kind of beer we’d quaff all night but it is lighter than it looks. It tastes of treacle. with nutty, malty yeasty, and hoppy undertones. Swill it around and enjoy.
And the bonus is that monks make it. Drunkenness is next to godliness.

ShareThis