Category Archives: Chocolate

Peppermint Bark: Christmas Goodies #3

Posted on by Sugar Beats

This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. And, pretty darn tasty too.

I always love making Christmas candies, because then I feel the need to turn on the Christmas music and boogie away. I even created a Christmas list on youtube that I’ve been adding to constantly.
If you have any suggestions for songs, just let me know! I know I have a couple of repeats, but I think they’re still worth listening to. :)

Peppermint Bark
Will need double broiler

Ingredients:

24 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (about 2 bags of chips)
24 oz white chocolate (about 2 bags of chips)
8 candy canes, processed into pieces (or smashed)
1¼ tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

1.) Your first task will be to crumble the candy canes. You can do this by either putting them in sealed plastic bag and smashing them with a rolling pin, or by putting them into a food processor. You want a good mix of large and small pieces. Be careful if you’re using the bag method, because the sharp pieces of candy cane can pierce the bag and allow your crumbs to fall out.

2.) Get a large jelly roll or cookie sheet pan (11X17) and cover with tinfoil or parchment paper. I prefer parchment paper as it leaves less of mess for me.

3.) Heat the water in your double broiler, making sure that no water touches the bottom of your other pan. Melt semi-sweet chocolate, stirring constantly so you don’t burn it. Once fully melted, pour into lined cookie sheet and spread out evenly.

4.) You can either wait until partially cool, or you can freeze it. Freezing it will speed up your time, but it may cause your peppermint bark to weep (condensation) which can affect the look of you bark.

5.) When it’s slightly cooled (cool to the touch, but still melty), go ahead and melt your white chocolate. Pay more attention to the white chocolate, because it burns a lot easier. Once it’s melted, add peppermint extract. Stir until smooth again. The extract will cause the chocolate to seize, but you can simply stir it out.

6.) Add 1/4 of the candy cane crumbles into the white chocolate mixture. Stir until blended, and then pour over the other chocolate in the cookie sheet and spread as evenly as possible.

7.) Swirl your chocolates together with a butter knife, so it looks like this:

8.) Sprinkle remaining candy cane pieces evenly over the swirled chocolate, and press down lightly to embed them in the chocolate. (If you don’t do this, they’ll most likely fall out when you’re breaking the bark into pieces. )

9.) Allow to sit until hardened and cooled, or place in fridge/freezer to do so. Once hard, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Then enjoy!!!

YUM!!!
Baker: Tessa
Source: Home

August Baker’s Challenge: Candies

Posted on by Sugar Beats

My first Baker’s Challenge was the August Challenge: Candies!

Every Christmas, my mom and I make our Christmas presents rather than buying them: baklava, toffee, fudge, truffles, Kahlua nuts,  and whatever else catches our fancy that particular year. So candies are really nothing new to me. The requirements of this challenge was you had to make two candies. One had to be of a chocolate truffle nature, and the other could be of your choosing. When I saw the recipe for honeycomb, I was so excited!

In my tiny town, there was only one place that I used to be able to get these honeycomb candy bars from. They had a purple wrapper, and were pure crunchy deliciousness. The shop closed at some point and I’d never been able to find the candy since. Until now!

Beginning Honeycomb

The worst thing about this recipe is waiting for the syrup mixture to boil. Then again, it let me get my kitchen clean so I suppose it wasn’t really that bad. Once the mixture gets to 300 degrees, you take it off the heat and add the baking soda, and then dump it in your cookie sheet. I would recommend NOT trying to spread it out. The areas that I spread it out in were not so crunchy.

Cooling Honeycomb

Once you dump it in, you’re going to let it cool. Don’t let it set too long, otherwise it’ll start to get sticky. When it’s cool, break it into pieces, dip into chocolate and let dry on some wax paper.

Chocolate Honeycomb

Some delicious chocolate dipped honeycomb!! So crunchy and sweet and delicious!

Chocolate-Dipped Honeycomb
300 degrees on a candy thermometer
1-1.5 hours cooking and cooling time

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp honey
1/3 cup corn syrup
4 tsp baking soda, sifted
1 bag of dark chocolate melts

Directions:

1.) Combine sugar, water, honey, and corn syrup in a medium or large saucepan. Heat to 300 degrees, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn.
2.) Take off of heat and add baking soda, stirring quickly. Empty contents into greased cookie sheet (or use a silicone pad).
3.) Let cool.
4.) Break into pieces.
5.) Melt chocolate melts in double broiler or with microwave. Dip honeycomb pieces in melted chocolate, and let harden on wax paper.

Baker: Tessa

Source: Food Network

SECOND RECIPE

The next recipe I found on almost a whim. I didn’t really want chocolate (shocking!) but it was something that the challenge required. And then I remembered a delicious little treat that I’d have whenever my boyfriend was working at his old job: Raffaello. The thought that I could recreate these was amazing!

Raffaello: Stage 1 & 2

There are 3 stages for these delicious little treats. The 1st stage involves melting white chocolate with almonds, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla (or coconut if you have it). You chill this mixture, and then freeze them for a little while. Stage 2:  Once they’re a little harder, you’re going to roll them in crunched up wafers and freeze them again. For the 3rd and final stage, you’ll melt some more white chocolate. Dip the wafered balls into the chocolate,  roll in coconut, and let chocolate harden again on some more wax paper or foil.

Finished Raffaello

And then you’ll have some delicious, homemade Raffaello! You can keep them in the freezer for a frozen treat, or keep them out as a creamy sweet treat.

Homemade Raffaello

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup white chocolate
1 tsp vanilla or coconut extract
1/2 cup crushed wafers
the rest of the 12 oz bag of white chocolate
1 cup (or more) coconut

Directions:

1.) Melt 1/2 cup chocolate. Once melted, combine almonds, extract, and sweetened condensed milk. Put into fridge to chill.
2.) Take out mixture and roll into small balls. Put onto foiled cookie sheet and freeze.
3.) Take balls out of freezer and roll in crushed wafers.  Put back into freezer.
4.) Melt remaining chocolate. Dip wafered balls into melted chocolate, and then roll in coconut. Place on wax paper and place back in freezer. Once hard, they’re good to eat!

Baker: Tessa

Source: My Food Obsession

Overall, both of these were extremely successful and tasty!

Easy Oohey Gooey Brownies

Posted on by Sugar Beats

Brownies

My hubs LOVES chocolate.  And about once a month so do I!  These brownies are beyond easy and more delicious than any box mix I have encountered.  This recipe is a go-to for week night sweet tooth.  The best part of this recipe is that you can make it as is delicious OR play with the chocolate types and quantities for extra richness or gooieness!
INGREDIENTS:
  • 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
  • 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, semisweet
    chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or
    white chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish, preferably glass.

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in the chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out almost completely clean, about 30 minutes (longer if using a metal pan). Do not overbake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

Makes 9 large brownies.
CHEF NOTES:
I generally add a combination of bittersweet, dark and milk chocolate chips after mixing and before cooking.  I have never measured quantities of these I just eyeball it based upon my level of chocolate craving!
Recipe: Williams Sonoma
Baker: Angie