Homemade Chocolate Food

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE WITH COCONUT OIL

Steps:

• Place the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. If it's solid, microwave it for 20-30 seconds to melt it.
• Sift the cocoa powder into the melted coconut oil. Use a small rubber spatula to combine.
• Mix in the honey, then the ground almonds.
• Use a spoon to transfer the mixture into a candy silicone mold. Freeze for 20 minutes, until completely set.
• Gently release the chocolate pieces from the mold. Keep the homemade chocolate in the fridge in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
• Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
• Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
• For a Rocky Road Bar:
• Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make the batter as per cookie recipe and fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until the edges are light brown and the batter sets, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and cover surface with 4 cups marshmallows and 1 cup chocolate chips. Broil at least 8 inches from the heat until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on the marshmallows, and turn the pan frequently--they go from golden to char in a wink.) Cool, cut and serve.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX

Steps:

• For the cake mix: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, dry milk, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Store in a resealable bag in a cool dry place for up to 3 months until ready to use.
• To bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment. Coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk 1 1/4 cups water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until well mixed and slightly frothy. Add the dry mix and whisk vigorously until well combined and smooth, about 50 strokes. Divide between the prepared cake pans. Bake until set and slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack right-side up to cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired.
• For cupcakes: Place paper liners in pans for 24 cupcakes. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees F until puffed and a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool completely before frosting.

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place milk and half-and-half in a saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, stir together the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. A few teaspoons at a time, stir the hot milk into the cocoa mixture to make a smooth paste. Scrape the cocoa mixture into the saucepan with the milk and simmer 2 minutes; do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla and keep warm in a thermos.
• Pour into small serving cups and place 4 mini-marshmallows on each serving or spritz them with whipped cream. Serve immediately.
• Make the marshmallows: Combine the water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and boil to "soft-ball" stage, or about 235 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons water and let sponge.
• When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper then sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Pour the marshmallow onto the pan and spread it out. Let cool about 2 hours then with a pair of scissors dipped in cornstarch, cut out football shapes.

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Heat the milk, cocoa, sugar and chocolate in a small pan over a medium heat until steaming and the chocolate has melted. Whisk to dissolve the cocoa.
• Pour into a mug, then add the cream to float on top. Grate over a little more chocolate to serve.

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
• For individual servings, pour 1 cup whole milk into a microwave-safe mug, and microwave on high just until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix, and stir to dissolve. For a larger batch of cocoa, warm the milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, taking care not to let the milk boil; as it warms, stir in 2 tablespoons of mix for each cup of milk.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar; mix well (batter will be thin). , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, salt, milk and vanilla; mix well. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (if using nonstick pans or liners, do not use cooking spray).
• In large bowl, toss coconut with sugar until evenly coated. In a pan melt the chocolate; let cool slightly. In small bowl, combine egg whites, chocolate, vanilla and salt until blended. Add to coconut mixture; blend well with spatula.
• On prepared baking sheet, form heaping table-spoonfuls of mixture into 15 mounds, 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and tops start to brown (centers will be slightly soft). Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet; remove with spatula to wire rack; let cool completely on rack. Best served the same day, but can be stored overnight in airtight container.

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE BROWNIES RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.
• Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.
• Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
• While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
• Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
• Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You'll know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you're there.
• Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
• Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
• Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don't want to overdo this mixing.
• Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they're dotted throughout.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
• Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
• Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you're using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you're using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.
• They'll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix using an electric mixer until blended and creamy.

EASY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.
• To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto baking parchment.
• Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on baking parchment. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with baking parchment. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.
• To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to give them. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days, or frozen for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon into individual serving dishes. Chill until serving. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and M&M's.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

Steps:

• Stir together.
• Boil 2-5 minutes, stirring rapidly, until sauce begins to thicken.
• This must be stored in the fridge.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°.
• In large mixer bowl; cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter or chocolate chips.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.).
• Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely.

CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Serve with fresh fruit, crackers or pretzels.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Steps:

• Gently heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix until ingredients are combined and chocolate sauce is smooth.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour chocolate over parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Place cookie sheet in freezer. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours or until chocolate is completely hard.
• Remove chocolate from freezer and break it into chunks. You can use your hands. Then chop chocolate into small chocolate chip size pieces.
• Store chocolate chips in freezer. These can be used just like store bought chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE FROGS

Steps:

• Mix sugar, butter, cocoa and milk together in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.
• Remove from the heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Drop from a teaspoon onto wax paper or a cookie sheet.
• Allow to cool.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar.
• Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until hot. Gradually stir at least half of the hot whipping cream into egg yolk mixture; stir back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil). Stir in chocolate until melted. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Pipe or spoon mixture into serving bowls. Refrigerate until serving.