Steel Cut Oats with Apples, Cinnamon, Flax and Walnuts

Ah, the smell of cinnamon and apples in the kitchen. Am I baking?  No, I just realized I have not enjoy breakfast yet.  Cooked some steel cut Irish oatmeal with chopped apples and cinnamon.  Topped it with some ground flax seed, walnuts, cream and butter and I have myself a feast.  Quite good.  Tastes like a crumble without the sugar.

As usual, I digress.  I can always work the conversation back to food.  What can I say?  When I’m passionate about something, I’m passionate about something.  I wonder if there’s a world record for someone talking non-stop about food?  Will have to contact the Guinness Book of World Records.

Now for the ninth day of this chocolate cookie extravaganza…I present a new classic to your Christmas cookie repertoire… ta da!  The Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookie.  The kids squealed in delight when they bit into one and found there was peanut butter in the middle.  My nephew asked why it wasn’t called a peanut butter cup cookie.  Indeed.  It truly is a peanut butter cup cookie, but that’s really a whole other cookie all together with a mini peanut butter cup on top.  Plus, Hershey might get mad.  I think Hershey developed that cookie…

OXO Cookie Scoop

From my pastry chef days, I use professional cookie scoops to make my cookies.  They are cheap and you can use them for ice cream too.  Invest in a few.  For these cookies, I use two different scoops to keep the cookies consistent – I use a small (2 tsp) cookie scoop and a medium (1 1/2 Tbs) cookie scoop. I purchased mine from OXO and so can you!

Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

(Adapted from an old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

Makes 24 Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (to flatten cookies with)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl beat together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can. Stir in remaining flour mixture. Form the chocolate dough into 32 balls** about 1 1/4″ in diameter (This is where I use the medium 1 1/2 Tbs cookie scoop, and they’re not exactly 1 1/4″ in diameter). Set aside.

For filling, combine powdered sugar and 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32** balls about 3/4″ in diameter (This is where I use the small 2 tsp cookie scoop – as with the chocolate dough balls, these are not exactly 3/4″ in diameter).

On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball; top with a peanut butter ball. For each cookie, shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball.

Place balls 2″ apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.  ( I like to use a silpat.) Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until just set and surface slightly cracks. Let stand 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks and cool.

Note: Using the Small and Medium cookie scoops, I usually only get about 24 cookies from this recipe. Make sure that you have the same number of chocolate dough balls as you do peanut butter dough balls.

Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Until tomorrow!  May your day be filled with chocolate!

Annmarie Kostyk

It’s that time of year…. Christmas and Hanukkah  items have replaced Halloween items on the store shelves.  I’m not quite certain what happened to Thanksgiving here in America this year.  It seems to have disappeared.  If there weren’t end caps of boxed stuffing, bags of marshmallows and cans of cranberries, I would have thought I slept through it.  I cannot begin to tell you how the thought of boxed, convenience foods for Thanksgiving makes my skin crawl.  Take the time to plan your meal and put some love and thought into it this year.  I beg you.

With Christmas a mere six weeks away, I thought I would give you some ideas for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts and main event gifts for the chocolate lover in your life.  These are all things I would love to have myself, so please feel free to send good cheer my way!

From the King Arthur Flour Catalog for the chocolate baker:

Black Cocoa

Black Cocoa, 12 ounces for $8.95 This is as deep, dark and decadent as you can get.  It’s really too strong completely on its own.  I suggest mixing it with a bit of dark cocoa to mellow it out a bit.  If you like deep, dark and a bit bitter… go ahead and try it alone.

Chocolate Chipper, $9.95 Large chunks of chocolate don’t stand a chance with this tool, plus you can save your fingers from harm with that big kitchen knife too.

Revolation Chocolate Temperer, $429.00 For the hard core, but not quite professional chocolate makers.  It does it all for you.  No guess work.

Chocolate Chipper

Semisweet Pain au Chocolat Sticks, 8 ounces, $7.95 A great addition to a cup of coffee and over the top in a mug of hot chocolate or hot cocoa.  Children like to just munch on them solo.

Chocolate Spatula Thermometer, $18.95 (on sale for $7.00!) Genius.  Enough said.

Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Onyx Wafers

Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Onyx Wafers, 16 ounces, $9.95 melt these down or use them as monster chips in cookies.  Either way, no one will be disappointed.  I like them right out of the box.  Nice bitter taste without the acid.

Barry Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Chunks, 16 ounces,$8.95 Once again, great for melting down or using in cookies as chips.  Just bigger than life chips.  Bigger is better!  Nicely balanced chocolate.

Belcolade Bittersweet Disks, 16 ounces, $11.95 When you want some really over the top chocolate chips.  I’ve never used these in anything but oatmeal chocolate chips cookies.  They were so good, I just haven’t had the heart to try them in anything else.

Nielsen-Massey Chocolate Extract, 4 ounces, $11.95 So you use the famous Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract?  It is THE vanilla extract.  The best in the world.  Ever try their chocolate extract?  Substitute for vanilla in your baking recipes for that little extra push of chocolate flavor.  I don’t think it’s ever too much.

Nielsen-Massey Chocolate Extract

Large Cookie Sheet,$22.95 Every good baker needs a good cookie sheet.  If you go cheap on your baking and cooking tools, it shows up in the finished product.  Buy one good thing instead of a bunch of low quality pieces – just like clothes.

Stackable Cooling Racks, $24.95 The Versailles of cooling racks.  Double-decker and coated so nothing will stick.

Double Boiler, $49.95 Easier than the standard two pot double boiler and it has a nifty handle and spout for pouring neatly.

Double Boiler

Fluted Tart Pan, 14.95 A standard in every chocolate lover’s, tart lover’s and Frenchman’s kitchen.

Ultimate Chocolate Doughnut Mix, $7.95 I usually don’t condone mixes.  I can taste the chemicals in boxed mixes for hours after I eat something.  This doughnut boxed mix is different.  Give it a try.  You won’t be disappointed!

Brownie Spatula, $6.95 Cut a brownie, especially the first one and it goes everywhere.  With this brownie spatula you can lift it all up in one scoop.  It’s molded differently than a regular spatula.  You will be most impressed with it.

Until next time… Annmarie Kostyk

Chocolate Graham Crackers

(from King Arthur Flour)

thirty-two 3 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch crackers

Try these deep chocolate graham crackers with Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter or try a new twist on an olf favorite – the s’more.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour, Traditional or White Whole Wheat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) honey
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cold milk

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Cut out two sheets of parchment as large as your cookie sheets.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder. With a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until evenly crumbly. In a separate bowl, combine the honey and milk, stirring until the honey dissolves. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and toss lightly with a fork until the dough comes together. Add additional milk, if necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and fold it over gently 10 to 12 times, until smooth. Divide the dough in half. Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered.

Transfer one piece of dough to a piece of parchment. Roll it into a rectangle a bit larger than 10 x 14 inches; the dough will be about 1/16-inch thick. Trim the edges and prick the dough evenly with a dough docker or fork. Repeat with the remaining dough and parchment. Place the rolled-out dough pieces, on their parchment, onto baking sheets.

Bake the crackers for 15 minutes, or until you begin to smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and immediately cut them into rectangles with a pizza wheel or knife. Transfer them to a rack to cool. Store the cooled crackers tightly wrapped.

Chocolate Graham Crackers

In the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries, England was a hub for the cocoa and chocolate trade. What does this mean for London? There was a lot of crime happening revolving around cocoa and chocolate. There is a huge collection of court documents from the Old Bailey Trial Archive which was located on the west side of London dealing with crimes of chocolate origin.

The Old Bailey Courtroom, London, England

You would think the crimes were pretty simple and very few occurred. You would be wrong. There was murder, simple grand larceny, burglary, receipt of stolen goods, shoplifting, petty larceny, highway robbery (yes, literally), assault, forgery, housebreaking, counterfeiting and fraud. People really knew the value of chocolate and cocoa! In these records found at Bailey, a total of 82 crimes by 113 different defendants were involving cocoa, cacao or chocolate. The earliest court document comes from May 31, 1693.

Cocoa Shells

But still, chocolate and cocoa cases as a whole were not violent. Most of them involved some form of theft or another. Only 2 of 82 cases were considered to be of a violent nature. One of these cases was committed by someone only named as D.P. They were charged with murder. A witness says that he and D.P. had conspired on the preceding day before the murder while drinking cups of chocolate at the Bridges Street Chocolate House in Covent Garden. D.P. was convicted, but the records did not indicate what his punishment was for the crime. I’m guessing it was not no chocolate for a year.

Cocoa Powder

Highway robbery happened quite frequently back then – literally. This was considered as severe a crime as murder. Dec. 6, 1721, Sir Edward Lawrence was both beaten and robbed by a Mr. Butler Fox. Fox stole the contests of Lawrence’s purse as well as six pounds of chocolate. The testimony at the trail revealed that Fox and his accomplice enjoy a cup of hot chocolate made from the stolen chocolate after the incident. I did not make that up.

America

Of the 113 people brought to trial for chocolate and cocoa related crimes in 82 cases, 62 percent of the defendants were convicted. People were serious about chocolate and cocoa crimes. Remember from last week, these are commodities and they were rare at the time. Sentences ran from 6 pence to 30 shillings monetarily. Other punishments for the defendants include printed apologies, branding (ouch), whipping (ouch, again) or incarceration for one to three years in either the Newgate prison or an unspecified prison location. Unbelievably, some even received the sentence of “transportation” which meant that they were deported from England to either America or Australia for between seven and fourteen years. My guess is at that point they would rather stay in America or Australia, but who am I to judge?

Chocolate

Would you believe that some defendants were executed for chocolate crimes? You could be executed for the following: stealing manufactured chocolate, cocoa or cocoa nuts (cocoa beans), cocoa shells (shelled cocoa beans they used to make tea with – I need to research this more because it sound like a brilliant idea!), or chocolate related manufacturing or serving equipment and utensils. Basically, don’t steal anything chocolate or it could cost you your life.

Can you imagine someone getting a death sentence for stealing a case of chocolate bars today? Things were tough back then. It just shows that envy, greed and temptation follow people wherever there’s money to be made. Cocoa beans, shells and manufactured chocolate were easy to sell. Chocolate making equipment could be taken apart and sold for parts or transported for sale elsewhere. The interesting fact is that most of these crimes were reported in court to be spur of the moment crimes committed on a whim by employees and servants. Watch your chocolate and cocoa, you just never know who is after it.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons walnuts or almonds, ground
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1½ cups raw sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened
5 whole eggs
¼ teaspoon sea salt
optional:  powdered sugar and berries for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter.  Brush spring form pan with butter and dust with 1 tablespoon nuts.  In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate.  Add sugar, butter and salt.  Remove from heat.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add remaining nuts.  Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Pour into spring form pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut and serve dusted with icing sugar and berries.

Annmarie Kostyk

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

Parish Map of Grenada

Prior to the 18^th century, cocoa production spread through the Caribbean islands of Trinidad, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent and Jamaica. It was a little slower getting to the island of Grenada. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, however, Grenada became the hub of British cocoa production. In 1753, it was recorded that there were only 150,300 Theobroma cacao trees on Grenada. When the British took over control of the island in 1763, there were 42 estates that grew Theobroma cacao as well as coffee with a 3:4 ratio. Thirteen years later, more estates began growing Theobroma cacao. Just after this time, upheaval on the island in way of slave rebellion, a hurricane that devastated the island, a plague of red ants and an influx of foreign settlers limited the amount of cocoa production in Grenada.

Fermenting Cocoa in Grenada

Once the slaves were freed, the amount of cocoa produced in Grenada sunk even lower. There were no laborers for the cocoa plantations. At this point in time, Grenada was producing about a quarter of a million pounds of cocoa per year. Enter the age of the Theobroma cacao small farmer. Ex-slaves began to grow Theobroma cacao as a small-holder crop. There was an increase in acreage and production in the 1860s. Between 1856 and 1886, there was a ten-fold increase in cocoa production in Grenada all due to former slave cocoa farmers.

Rococo Chocolates Floral Bars are Made with Grenada (Photo Courtesy of Rococo Chocolates)

The Grenada Chocolate Company Team (Photo Courtesy of Grenada Chocolate)

In 1851, 1,130 acres were devoted to growing Theobroma cacao. By 1891, 12,607 acres were devoted to growing Theobroma cacao. During the year 1831, 337,903 pounds of cocoa were produced on the Caribbean island of Grenada and by the end of 1886 almost 5 millions pounds of cocoa was produced. A huge growth in rather a short amount of time. 79 percent of the cocoa was produced in the parishes of St. Mark and St. John. Theobroma cacao grew well for the farmers in Grenada and gained further momentum in the 19^th century. Today, Grenada continues to play an important role in the world of chocolate with many companies, including Grenada Chocolate Company and Rococo Chocolates using the beans of the Theobroma cacao to produce some of the world’s best chocolate and cocoa powder.

Grenada Chocolate Company (Photo Courtesy of the Grenada Chocolate Company)

The recipe for today is rich, colorful, sweet and tart.  It’s for Chocolate Cherry Almond Bars.  I found this recipe earlier this summer on the eCurry blog.  Chocolate, cherries and almonds work so well together.  They were easy to make and turned out most fabulously!  I promise you will be making this recipe again and again.  Everyone will be asking you for the recipe!

Chocolate Cherry Almond Bars

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For the base:
1  cup almond meal
1/2  cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1 tablespoon lemon zest

For the top layer:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup cherries, pitted and halved
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
pitted and sliced cherries for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease the base and sides of a 8 inch baking pan.

Grind the sugar. In a bowl combine almond meal, flour and lemon zest and rub the zest between your fingertips along with the flour to release the essential oils; combine the sugar along with the flour. Add the chilled butter and with your fingertips rub the butter till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, or process the flour and the butter in a food processor.
Pat the mixture onto the base of the baking pan in an even layer and gently press it down; bake for 25 minutes.

Preparing the top layer:
Heat butter along with water in a pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the salt and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs and fold in the self rising flour. Dust the cherries and nuts with flour. Pour the batter over the pre baked crust. Spoon in the cherries and the nuts from the top in small amounts as evenly as you can. Some of them will sink, but it is okay.
Return baking pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until set.
Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for for 5 minutes. With a sharp knife slice into desired number of bars.

Let cool completely and separate bars and transfer them to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and sliced cherries if desired.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Bars (Photo Courtesy of eCurry.com)

Mayan Indian Art Work

Theobroma cacao is indigenous to Central America as it falls in the cocoa belt which is an area where the chocolate tree prefers to grow and flourish. The cocoa belt falls exactly twenty degrees both north and south of the equator. Theobroma cacao can grow in other areas, but it will not flower. No flowers mean no cocoa pods. It is believed that the cacao has been grown in the country of Belize for over 3,000 years. Actual farming began in the year 250 BCE. Today, cacao is still grown by the Mayan Indians (yes there are still Mayan Indians) in the Toledo area of Belize. Interestingly enough, Hershey’s, a United States company, is working with them along with the United States government for commercial export.

Green and Black's Mayan Gold Chocolate Bar

Green and Black’s, a company of the United Kingdom, was the first to export organic cocoa out of the Belize in 1992. It was the first Free Trade commodity in the United Kingdom. Green and Black’s sold the cocoa under the label of Mayan Black. Since then the growth of cacao has diminished due to lack of government subsidies for cacao, high-cost production, improvement of job opportunities in other sectors and the damaged from Hurricane Iris in 2001 that virtually wiped out Theobroma cacao.

Map of Costa Rica

Another country producing substantial amounts of cacao was Costa Rica. Theobroma cacao was brought to Costa Rica in the 1800s by the Jamaican workers who were working on the railroads and were already successfully growing cacao. Costa Rica already had large crops of banana trees which were perfect cover trees for the Theobroma cacao as the cacao likes to be shaded from direct sunlight. The cacao plantations thrived and cacao farmers prospered. In the 1960s, pod rot hit the entire country of Costa Rica resulting in the loss of 95% of the country’s cacao.

Painting of Theobroma cacao

From the 16^th century through the end of World War I, the farming of Theobroma cacao was dominate in the Caribbean islands. During this time, the islands producing the most cacao were Jamaica, Trinidad and the Windward Islands which include Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines and Grenada. After that time, West Africa took over as the leaders in cocoa production.

Spaniards and Cacao

Theobroma cacao was introduced to the Caribbean islands by the Spanish in the early 16^th century. The Spaniards brought the tree from Venezuela and records indicate that the first planting of Theobroma cacao was in Trinidad. There is a rumor that the British burned a ship to the ground in the late 16^th century thinking the cocoa beans were sheep’s droppings. Oops! At the turn of the 17^th century, Spanish physicians noted the medicinal qualities present in chocolate, many of which are still alive today, and chocolate as medicine was brought into England. Cocoa demand increased.

Raw Cocoa Beans

Venezuela was the largest producer of cacao in the 18^th century. The Caribbean began to increase cacao in both the amount of trees they were growing as well as the amount of cocoa beans they were exporting. Spain tried to prohibit the export of the Venezuelan raw cocoa beans to create a monopoly. From 1728 through 1780, they succeeded. A group of Spanish noblemen controlled the entire Venezuelan crop of cocoa. Cocoa started coming from the Caribbean and other countries, mostly illegally, during this time. Privateers flourished in these years basically taking over control of the cocoa trade which some say lasted until the 18^th century. Pirate ships were seen all over the Caribbean waters making a lucrative living bringing cocoa to Europe. A lot of the ships carrying cocoa were often either seized or burned to gain control of the cocoa trafficking. People wanted their cocoa.

Europeans Drinking Cocoa

Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of chocolate pasta recipes.  The reason?  I had it once.  That’s all it took.  One time and I was hooked.  You see, if you’ve never indulged in chocolate pasta, it’s not sweet and overpowering.  It’s subtle and gentle to your taste buds.  There are some places that you can purchase pre-made chocolate pasta.  I’m not at all opposed to using that.  I’m bringing you the mother load of recipes today.  Three of them.  In advance, I apologize for not giving credit where credit is do.  I don’t remember where I found these recipes.  There are more, but you have to start somewhere.  The first is a recipe for Cocoa Pasta with a Vanilla Sauce. The Vanilla Sauce is fabulous served over sliced fruit, on toast or really any other dessert.  It’s even nice on oatmeal! The second isn’t an Italian pasta, it’s a Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli made with wontons.  The last recipe is a huge surprise!  It’s time consuming and has a lot of ingredients, but fantastic for a special occasion!  Chocolate Ravioli with Strawberry Tempura and Whipped Malted Cream. You could omit the malted cream, but why would you?  Who does love cream? These are all considered dessert pastas, but I don’t think you’ll hear any objections if you serve any of these for a starter course or even lunch.  Just balance it out with a salad with a salty cheese and you’re good to go!  Enjoy!

Cocoa Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs, beaten
Ice water, if needed

Directions:
Sift together the flour, cocoa and sugar. Mix the vanilla with the eggs. Add flour slowly to the eggs. Knead into a smooth ball (add small amounts of ice water if required). Roll and cut dough as desired.

Chocolate Pasta

Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients:
6 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup sherry
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (more if needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Fill the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium.

Put the egg yolks in the top part of a double boiler or in a copper or stainless steel bowl that will sit on top of the saucepan. Whisk the eggs vigorously until they turn pale yellow. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Set the eggs over the boiling water and whisk constantly as they increase in volume. Turn the bowl frequently to avoid hot spots.

Whisk in the sherry, lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to beat the mixture until it has doubled in volume and is smooth and glossy. Be sure to beat too long. If the sauce begins to deflate stop immediately and remove from the heat.

Vanilla Sauce

Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli

Serves 8

Ingredients:
16 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 cup Nutella
Vegetable oil, for frying ( I used macadamia nut oil)
16 fresh mint leaves
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Granulated sugar, for dredging
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal.

Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate.

Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Spray the top side of the mint leaves very lightly with nonstick spray. Working with 1 leaf at a time, dredge the coated side of the leaves in sugar to coat lightly.

Arrange 2 fried ravioli on each plate. Dust the ravioli with powdered sugar. Garnish with the sugared mint leaves and serve.

Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli

Chocolate Ravioli with Strawberry Tempura and Whipped Malted Cream

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For Ravioli Dough:
3 cups flour
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
6 eggs
4 Tablespoons olive oil

For Ravioli Filling:
3 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
½ pound bittersweet chocolate (I used 80%)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup tequila

For Tempura Batter:
24 ounces sparkling water, cold
1 ¾ ounces baking powder
24 ounces flour
4 Tablespoons dried ginger

For Chocolate Ganache:
½ quart milk
1 ½ quart heavy cream 40%
1 pound unsalted butter
6 pounds semi sweet chocolate, chopped (I used 70%)
½ cup tequila

For Malted Cream:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 quart heavy cream
4 Tablespoons malt powder

To Serve:
2 cups granulated sugar
Peanut oil
12 long stemmed strawberries

Directions:

For Ravioli Dough:

Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Turn out onto work surface and form gently into a mound. Make a well in mound and add eggs. Using a fork, whisk eggs into mound and make a dough, adding olive oil. Knead with hands for a few minutes, then cover with plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Roll into thin sheets using a pasta machine. Keep the sheets covered to prevent drying and cracking.

Chocolate Pasta Being Made

For Ravioli Filling:
Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape insides into medium pot. Add pod and milk to pot and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine yolks and sugar. Whip until fluffy. Slowly temper the egg mixture with the hot milk. Cook over medium heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Refrigerate. Melt the chocolate and whisk in the butter and tequila over a double boiler. Fold into chilled milk mixture.

Making Ravioli Filling

For Ravioli:
Working with one sheet at a time, pipe the filling into 1 ½ – inch rounds. Lay another sheet over and form raviolis. Cut out and freeze until service.

For Tempura Batter:
Combine all ingredients mix gently. Do not over mix. Chill until service.

Tempura Batter

For Chocolate Ganache:
Bring milk and cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate and butter. Mix, gradually adding tequila until cool. Hold at room temperature for service.

Chocolate Ganache

For Whipped Malted Cream:
Whip all ingredients together until stiff peaks are formed.

To Serve:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sugar. In a separate pan, add peanut oil and bring to 375°F. Place three ravioli per person in the boiling water. When they float to the surface they are done and can be placed (after draining any excess liquid) on warm plates. Dip strawberries in tempura batter and deep fry in peanut oil until golden, drain and place one strawberry in center of each plate. Drizzle ganache around and garnish with whipped malted cream.

Chocolate Ravioli

Sorry I don’t have a photo of the finished product.  I made this about two years ago and wasn’t taking photos of my work at the time.  I’ve made it once like it is and once without the strawberries and tempura which I think is a lot of work.  I sliced strawberries up and arranged them on top of the ravioli before adding the cream.

Today we welcome Jeff Deasy of American Feast as Guest Blogger! He’s going to tell you about Theo Chocolate.

Theo Chocolate Bon Bons and Bars

Founder and CEO of Seattle’s Theo Chocolate, Joseph Whinney, witnessed the effects of unfair, unsustainable cocoa trading as a conservation volunteer in Central America. That experience led him to pioneer the manufacture and supply of organic chocolate products as the first individual to import organic cocoa beans into North America in 1994. Over a decade later, Theo is proud to be the first to roast organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States.

Theo Chocolate Factory

Food and Wine Magazine honored Theo with an Eco-Epicurean Award for making the world “a better — and more delicious — place.” Theo also won “Outstanding Chocolate” at the NASFT Fancy Food Show in New York City.

Eco-entrepreneurs deserve kudos for the risks they take to start up companies that strive for sustainability. Joe Whinney of Theo Chocolate is among the most deserving, so it’s quite fitting that the popular environmental news site Grist named him one of its top 15 green business founders.

Theo Chocolate Factory

All of Theo’s ingredients are carefully selected to ensure they meet the company’s high standards for social and environmental responsibility. As true chocolate makers, they carefully steward cacao (cocoa beans) through the process of roasting, blending and conching in order to coax out the distinctive flavor imparted by each unique growing region. Theo’s production is guided by their passion for chocolate and their ultimate goal is to lead the industry with the excellence and integrity of their offerings.

The company is located in a beautiful, historic building in Seattle, Washington. They welcome visitors for tours of the chocolate factory at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm, seven days a week, with additional tours at 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost is just $6.00 per person. You can reserve a place on the tour by calling 206-632-5100. Tours last about 1 hour and include a thorough explanation of artisanal chocolate making and delicious samples! Theo’s factory is in the Fremont district of north Seattle at the intersection of Phinney Avenue North and 35th Avenue North.

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Cocoa Pods (Photo Courtesy of the Ghana Cocoa Board)

As I’m sure most of you know, there have been problems with the cocoa bean’s production involving slavery, child labor, and deliberate infection of the Theobroma cacao to control or dominate prices in the markets.  It turns out there is now quite a bit of smuggling going on too.  Ghana wants to make an attempt to get their cocoa production to 1 million tons by 2012.  The Ghana Cocoa Board says that up to 60% of the country’s production of cocoa is smuggled out of the country.  That’s a lot of cocoa.

Quality Control (Photo Courtesy of the Ghana Cocoa Board)

Where is this cocoa being smuggled too?  Turns out it’s going to neighboring Ivory Coast, where most of the controversy involving the slavery and child labor are happening. The Cocoa Board thinks this is happening because farmers are being told that cocoa is only boasting the destination economies not the selling/providing countries.  In London alone, cocoa prices have risen to the highest price since 1977.  Farmers want to make sure they receive top dollar for their beans.

Ghana Seed Production Unit (Photo Courtesy of the Ghana Cocoa Board)

The Quality Control Division of the Ghana Cocoa Board has introduced border security squads to prevent the cocoa from being smuggled out of the country.  Their fear is that unless this smuggling stops, the government will no longer support the cocoa growers.  At this point, the government wants to provide the cocoa growers with the modern equipment they would need to meet the 1 million ton export mark.  Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan says the government would be “Supplying fertilizers and hybrid cocoa seedlings at subsidized prices and compensating farmers who were forced to replant due to Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease.”  The Ghana Cocoa Board said that the board planned to distribute 8m hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers in the Western Region this year.

Cocoa Beans

Also said to be offered by the Ghana government are support pension schemes, scholarship schemes and investing in rural infrastructure.  Something else the government is working on are much needed  roads to get the cocoa from the growers to delivery.  Currently, Ghana is the world’s second largest producer of cocoa in the world next to the Ivory Coast.  Last year Ghana exported 703,000 tons of cocoa.

I’ll be interested to see if Ghana reaches their goal and farmers learn to both trust and benefit from the system.  On a lighter note…about five years ago a friend came back from Paris and said, “Annie, you won’t believe it.  The French are making chocolate truffles with goat cheese. They were a life changing experience.  I have to try making some.” I couldn’t agree more.  The Whole Foods in Austin offered brie with a chocolate chipotle sauce on it for parties and it was outstanding.  Chocolate goat cheese truffles had to be even better. He made them and they were outstanding.  I haven’t had them since.

Goat Chees Truffles from France

The  goat cheese chocolate truffles from Paris were  little balls of goat cheese enrobbed in dark chocolate and then rolled in nuts.  The recipe I have provided for you here comes from Dying for Chocolate‘s website.

Goat Cheese

This recipe was adapted from Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles that Dying for Chocolate found on Epicurious. This recipe originally appeared in Gourmet Magazine, October 1993. Time to make more!

Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

6 ounces dark chocolate (70-85% cacao organic fair trade chocolate), chopped
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) room temperature fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted, for coating the truffles

Directions:

In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth, remove the bowl from the pan, and let the chocolate cool slightly.

In a different bowl whisk together the goat cheese, the confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla, and lemon juice until the mixture is light and fluffy, whisk in the chocolate until the mixture is combined well, and chill the mixture, covered, for 1 hour, or until firm.

Form heaping teaspoons of the mixture into balls and roll the balls in the cocoa powder. Chill the truffles on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper for 30 minutes, or until they are firm. The truffles keep in an airtight container, chilled, for 3 days.

Goat Cheese Truffles

I hope everyone’s having a lovely weekend! Welcome to another month.  If you haven’t signed up to receive the newsletter, make sure you do.  The first issue went out today!  It contained a recipe for Chocolate Skillet Cake!  If you sign up today and want to receive the news letter, just email me or add a comment and I’ll get it right out to you!  Today we’re going to learn about cocoa powder.  There’s a little more to it than you thought…The recipe to go with it is something for your to make for yourself, for hostess gifts or for the upcoming holiday season.  No reason you can’t start now so you’ll have less to do then!

C.J. Van Houten

In 1828, the way the world had experienced chocolate was about to change. A Dutch chemist named C.J. Van Houten, took out a patent for a process he invented to manufacture chocolate with a reduced fat content. This chocolate was made in block or cake form and could be easily reduced to a fine powder. Van Houten accomplished this by using a hydraulic press. This powdered chocolate could now be made on a large scale, meaning that it would become more affordable for the mass population. Another benefit is a lower fat content making the cocoa easy to digest and less likely to go rancid than chocolate with the usual higher fat percentage.

Cocoa Press

Today, hydraulic presses are still used in the manufacture of cocoa powder. Roasted cacao beans are cooled, then the shells are cracked by large rollers. Puffs of air are used to blow the broken bits of shells away leaving the edible part of the bean called cocoa nibs. The nibs are then crushed and ground into a fine paste. This process breaks open their cellular structure and causes the release of the cocoa butter in the nibs. Friction during this process produces enough heat to melt the cocoa butter, and the combination of crushed, ground nibs and cocoa butter produces chocolate liquor, also known as unsweetened chocolate. This chocolate liquor (which contains no alcohol) is compacted by powerful hydraulic presses so that much of the cocoa butter is pushed out of it. The resulting blocks or cakes of cocoa are crushed to make the cocoa powder.

Natural Cocoa Powder

There’s more than one kind of cocoa powder available to today’s consumers. There are variations in fat content, depending upon how much cocoa butter is pressed out of the chocolate liquor. Standard cocoa powder is listed as “10/12”, which means it has between a 10 and 12 percent fat content. But there’s also “22/24”, cocoa powder with a fat content of between 22 and 24 percent.

Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder

Originally, Van Houten processed his cocoa with alkaline salts. This alkaline cocoa powder came to be called “Dutch processed” cocoa. Dutch processed cocoa has been treated with an alkali which helps neutralize cocoa’s natural bitterness. It’s a richer, darker and slightly milder powder that is perfect for hot cocoa and other chocolate beverages. Dutch processed cocoa powder has a darker color, a more alkaline pH, and is easier to blend into liquids than non-Dutch processed cocoa (also known as “natural” or “non-alkalized”cocoa). Natural cocoa has a strong, bittersweet flavor that is great for baking. Natural cocoa is what to use when cocoa is called for in Mexican recipes. Use three tablespoons of cocoa plus one tablespoon fat (shortening, butter, etc.) to replace a one ounce square of unsweetened chocolate. Dutch processed cocoa powder also has a milder chocolate flavor. Substituting one type of cocoa powder for the other in recipes can be difficult. The acidity levels vary enough to cause them to react differently to some chemical leavenings, such as baking soda. There are a few other varieties of cocoa powder as well, including a black cocoa

Black Cocoa Powder

powder (also known as “Black Onyx” cocoa). Black onyx cocoa powder has been alkalized to the extreme, producing a beautiful dark, purplish black cocoa that when used in baking makes for an exquisite black-as-coal colored end product. Because black onyx cocoa has less fat, it does tend to create a drier texture. When using black cocoa powder, it’s best to use a 50/50 mixture of black cocoa and Dutch cocoa to add more fat. If you do want to use 100% black onyx, then be sure to increase the fat in the recipe. This will also alleviate the dryness issue. It may take you a few tries to get it right, but the outcome will be phenomenal once you do.  The first time I ever had black cocoa was from a product I had at Trader Joe’s which I highly recommend.  They are Black Cocoa Covered Almonds.  First the almonds are dipped in dark chocolate and then they are covered in the black cocoa.  A delicious snack and packed full of antioxidants!

Hershey Special Dark Cocoa

There’s also a controversy about Dutch processed cocoa these days. Perhaps a decade ago, Dutch processed saw a rise in popularity within the United States. It was all the rage among many famous chefs, and a lot of recipes called for its use and it became much easier to find. More recently, however, Dutch process cocoa has fallen out of favor. It’s been claimed that the Dutch processed is used to cover up a cocoa powder made from beans of inferior quality. I’m not sure if this is true, but currently there is no way to tell otherwise unless the company specifies the beans being used. One thing I can advise against is using the Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch Processed Cocoa. They reformulated the brand and started adding salt to the cocoa. So there’s a cocoa powder for all of your cooking, baking and confectionery needs. Experiment, learn and taste the difference each variety of cocoa can bring to your table.

Mexican Hot Chocolate in a Jar

Ingredients:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered milk

Directions:
Combine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Place in an airtight jar. For a nice added touch for a gift, add a small wooden scoop and/or a molinillo with a ribbon.  Don’t forget to attach the directions!

Attach these instructions to the jar:

Mexican Hot Chocolate:

For a frothier hot chocolate, mix in a blender or use a molinillo for an authentic creation.

Mexican Hot Chocolate in a Jar

I apologize for losing the article on Guy Ritchie, Chocolate Beer and Cocoa Beer Icing.  Never try to fix broken links first thing in the morning as you can delete an entire post before forgetting to make sure the error was corrected.  Here’s the recipe.  If you should need information about the chocolate beer, let me know.  I, unfortunately, did not save the article anywhere else, but I do have the basics. I will be doing another beer and chocolate post before you know it.

Cocoa Beer Icing

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 pound butter, softened
3-1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup beer, about

Directions:
Cream butter with part of confectioners’ sugar.  Add cocoa, salt, and a little beer. Beat until smooth. Add remaining sugar alternately with enough beer to make icing of spreading consistency, beating until fluffy.

Cocoa Beer Icing on Chocolate Sheet Cake