Chocolate anyone???

[France]

Chocolate, cocoa, carob, cacao.....
I bought some chocolate eggs this year for Easter, but then wanted to get the famous "Bunny" or chocolate shape and when I saw the price, I figured, I'll give the girls that money (they are at the age where they like to spend independently) and we'll make chocolate recipes today (and freeze some for later if we have any leftover, like chocolate chip cookie dough)...

So I've been going around, and of course, I'm spending more time looking at recipes than making any.

We started the day with a Hazelnut-chocolate spread (Nuttino not Nutella, less expensive and not bad at all), and banana on toast... but now, I'm stuck.

What are your favourite chocolate recipes?
I just found one I haven't tried yet, two versions of it apparently originated from Tupperware and mimics the very expensive Ferrero Rochers! (source: essentialbaby.com.au)

Ferrero Rochers

Version 1

Ingredients

375 gms milk chocolate melts
1 tablespoon copha
1 small packet hazelnuts or macadamias
1 jar Nutella
approx. 10 wafers
crushed almonds (or other nuts)

Method

Melt chocolate and copha in the microwave using the Tupperware 1 litre Microwave Jug (uncovered) on medium (approx. 2 –3 minutes), stir until melted. Roughly crush wafers and add to the melted chocolate, stir in. Place approximately ½ teaspoon of the chocolate mixture in each compartment of the Fresh N Pure ice trays (approximately 1/3 full). Place a hazelnut in each and cover with approximately ½ teaspoon of Nutella. Fill with remainder of the chocolate mixture and sprinkle with crushed almonds. Set in the refrigerator for approx. 20 – 25 minutes.

Version 2

1 bag of nestle choc melts
about 10 grams copha (optional but needed in cooler weather to prevent quick setting)
jar of nutella
whole roasted hazel nuts
crushed peanuts

Use 2 ice trays.
Sprinkle a light layer of crushed peanuts into each hole.
Melt chocolate and copha together.
Pour into each cube until about a third full.
Put about 1 teaspoon ful of nutella into the middle of each cube.
Then push one hazel nut into the nutella.
Fill to the top with the rest of the melted chocolate making sure you cover the nutella centre.
Sprinkle again with crushed nuts.
Tap trays on the bench to release air bubbles, refridgerate for about 15 mins then serve.

[France]

This cake from here is very tempting, I only have almond meal and I think it would be nice anyway... and I would forego the Ferreros on top (because I don't have any!) - I love all those nut-based cakes.

Ferrero flourless chocolate and hazelnut chocolate cake
Ingredients:

200g of hazelnut meal, toasted
60g unsalted butter
135g of dark chocolate, cut into chucks
200g of castor sugar
4 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp of salt
cocoa powder for dusting
8 pieces of Ferrero

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Butter and line a 20cm spring form tin. Set aside
Toast the hazelnut meal in the oven for a few minutes, stir every few seconds. When it is slightly brown, take it out from the oven and set aside
Put the butter, chocolate, sugar into a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. Leave about a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture separately. This will be used at the end of the process
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly to break them up. Pour into the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk as you go. Stir in the grounded hazelnut
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peak. Use a spatula or whisk, stir in 1/3 of egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten a little. Then fold the rest in. But do not over mix. A little white streaks is fine – this will make the cake lighter
Place the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes or until the centre is firm and springs back when gently pressed
Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack
When the cake is cool, invert it onto a board. Allow it to cool completely. Dust with good quality cocoa. Add a small knob of chocolate mixture to the end of a Ferrero Rocher praline and sit it on top of the cake
Have it with a nice cup of tea. I chose a red rooibos blend from T2. The cake was so moist, nutty and had an almost creamy texture. I can’t explain how good it is. I could tell you that Mister came back for second and thirds consequently.

[Joyce]

France!!
Noooooooooooooooo!!!
I have been eating too much chocolate after giving birth.
I used to be so good at resisting chocolate, but not anymore!

OMGosh, Ferrero Rocher, my favorites!!!

Eek, definately going to try these someday!!
Thanks for the recipes!!! YUM YUM!!!

[France]

sorry Joyce!! just look away!!!!

[France]

Ok, I made the flourless chocolate cake with the following substitutions
hazelnut meal: i used almond meal, didn't have hazelnut meal
dark chocolate: used milk chocolate, that's all I had
castor/caster sugar: used plain white sugar
ferrero rochers: used cadbury eggs
didn't stick with the chocolate mixture as mine never became smooth, next time I'm going to do it with dark chocolate and might get some caster sugar as it's finer and might melt quicker and give me a smoother consistency. A few of the steps where she says "whisk" I couldn't "whisk" everything was too hard, but it was YUMMY!

back tomorrow with some pics.

[kelleydq]

I huge into chocolate. Those sound soooo good! Two of my recent fave chocolate recipes are Twix brownies and Too Much Chocolate Cake. Both are sooooo good. My kids always want chocolate cakes for their birthdays, and this is our new standby for that (and for any other time we feel like chocolate cake).

[France]

I love allrecipes and allrecipesAU!
Those recipes look great. I never pay attention to recipes that say "use one box of .... mix". I don't know why. I must've had a bad experience once. but I have to admit, those two look really nice.
Also boxed mixes are so much easier for kids to work with...

[kelleydq]

I used the boxed mix for the too much chocolate cake because I have never made devil's food cake before, but for the twix brownies I made homemade brownies for the brownie layer instead of the box. I am the same way usually - I hate using boxed mixes when you can easily and cheaply make your own. That gets me thinking I need to find a recipe and try to make some devils food cake.

[France]

that's right, some cakes are hard to make, like Angel Food... funny Devil Food and Angel Food cakes are hard to make! Hmmm, food for though!
Thanks for the idea, I might make my own brownie mix and give this a whirl, I looove twixes (?)

and as promised, so no one says:

here's a slice of the cake I made yesterday (the one above, with all the modifications!)

[DoggiNo]

France, if you're stuck for more Nutella recipes ... check these out :

http://bzb-designs.com/blog/archives/434
http://www.nutelladay.com/nutella-recipes/

There is even a Nutella cookboek ... with over 300 recipes ... in Dutch though.