I seem to be on a dark chocolate kick (who isn’t?) and this is a yummy one as well. So, pour a coffee, start this and then…..and then….when done, indulge yourself as it was soooooo difficult to make. NOT!
- 12 oz. darkest chocolate (not bitter), chopped
- 1/2 tsp. ground anise
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup salted pistachios, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (my favourite stuff)
- pinch fleur de sel
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Set aside.
In a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate until smooth. I always add a touch of warmed whipping cream with it so it will melt smoothly.
Remove from heat and add the one half of the cranberries, pistachios and ginger. Spread onto the cookie sheet and add the remaining fruit and nuts and ginger. press slightly to adhere. Sprinkle with the sel.
Chill completely for about 45-60 minutes. Break into pieces and if there is any left by the end of the day, it can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container between waxed paper for up to 4 months. You can start laughing now ‘cuz that won ‘t happen. Guaranteed.
A Valentine Quickie – Dessert Addition, That Is.
So, it’s a play on words. No harm done. This can be an addition to dinner OR because it is a very dark chocolate, eaten with a glass of perfect red wine.
- 1 lb. of good quality darkest chocolate (not bitter chocolate)
- whipping cream (1/2 cup)
- healthy sprinkle of sea salt
Chop the chocolate roughly so it will melt faster. Put a couple of inches of water in a saucepan and, using a metal bowl, add the cream. When the cream is warm (as in starting to show teeny bubbles on the edges) add the chocolate. With a rubber spatula, keep turning the chocolate around the bowl as it melts, so it doesn’t burn. When completely melted and smooth, remove from the heat.
Lay out parchment paper on a cookie sheet and pour out the chocolate, spreading it equally over the paper. Sparsely and very lightly, sprinkle some sea salt over the surface.
Now take another sheet of parchment paper and lay it on top. With your hands smooth out any high points in the chocolate. Lift the paper and sprinkle the sea salt over the top. Replace the paper, barely touching , and set in the fridge to harden. (Or outside if it is cold where you are living). This should take a couple of hours. Break up into pieces and voila…salted dark chocolate.
As I said, it is absolutely perfect with a glass of red wine….Pinot Noir, French
Merlot or Sangiovese. Yummmmmmm.
Salted Chocolate Cookie
This is a perfect addition to the salted maple dessert I put on a few days ago. It is intense chocolate flavour with a kick of the salt. This combination actually cuts some of the “sweet” of the dessert. ‘Tis true.
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 8 oz. of very dark Belgian chocolate, coarsely chopped
- kosher salt for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and shift your racks so you can rotate the trays during the baking process. I am using a convection oven.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add the salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add the egg yolks and egg one at a time, mixing well and add the vanilla. Beat this until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the dry ingredients to just blended. With a spatula, fold in the chocolate pieces.
On parchment lined cookie sheets, drop teaspoon size balls about 1 inch apart. Bake for 6 minutes and, as you rotate the pans to continue baking, sprinkle a bit of kosher salt on top and return to oven. Do this quickly so not to harm the baking process. Bake for another 6 minutes. The cookies will firm up as they cool. Let them cool just a moment on the cookie sheets and transfer to wire racks until completely cool.
These are the yummiest and stay crispy on the edges and softer in the center. These are a perfect size to accompany any dessert you have. Store these airtight at room temperature up to a week. (If they last that long, you did something wrong).