Meet You at the Bar! The Easter Chocolate Experience
You may be familiar with my cooking style by now – that I like to leave some of the work to you! You are the one eating it after all, so I think the creative flair should come from you. I’m only an enabler. This month let’s look at chocolate; you may have lots leftover from Easter, or the Easter Bunny will bring you some, even if that’s because you are the Easter Bunny! Get Bunny to choose a fluid chocolate like Galaxy. Not too expensive or high in cocoa. Cooking chocolate is great but you compromise the flavour, so look around and see what you like.
Melting Point
Chocolate can be overheated, so beware and go slowly. I like to use a bain marie (pyrex bowl over hot water), while others daringly toy with the microwave. Keep stirring and checking. Heat to 45-50 degrees (if you have a thermometer) and only stir with a wooden spoon. It can go suddenly wrong, so watch.
Temper Temper
Pour your melted chocolate onto a hard flat surface and get a scraper that looks like you’re going to redecorate the walls, but instead direct this tool at your beautiful brown oozing pile of chocolate and start scraping, a figure of 8 shape is effective to incorporate and scrape it all. You are trying to press out all the tiny crystals to create a gloss when it re-sets. This is the fun bit!
Throw some shapes!
I need your creative input again. You have to choose a shape. Polycarbonate moulds are best but lets face it we don’t all have those to hand. Ensure your mould isn’t cold (that rhymes!) as this can cause a greyish surface effect. Brush your chocolate into the mould then chill for 20 minutes and repeat the ‘brush and chill’ process again. Then carefully pop out your shapes.
I want more
Here’s some other ideas: put your melted chocolate in a bowl and dip a small balloon in to create a cup shape, then chill and pop your balloon! You can always brush again it it’s not perfect. Fill the cup with fruit and cream or whatever you fancy. You can use silicon moulds and ice-cube trays. Be careful if they are too deep and try to ensure it doesn’t spill over – you want perfect shapes. If you are filling a mould completely then chill for longer before you pop out. Scrape any excess away cleanly before you chill.
Cookie cutters can be pressed into small bars (let it firm up a little first). You can even go straight to dipping fruit, like strawberries into your glossy gorgeous goo. You can pipe your mixture onto grease proof paper or special acetate sheets and make wibbly wobbly straws or beautiful butterfly shapes to decorate with. You’ll be surprised how long you have before the chocolate sauce sets.
Melting Pot
Why not try mixing white chocolate to create a ribbon effect, or dip your balloon moulds in colourful sprinkles before it sets? Once you are more confident you may be able to try food colouring and metallic sprays to add that ‘je ne sais quoi’. If you want to create filling, remember to brush your mould first a couple of times before adding a filling like caramel then cover to complete a full treat.
Easter is good. Post Easter is even better!