Chocolate Time Recipe Selections

These are a few recipes taken from the 2010 chocolate enthusiast doujinshi Chocolate no Jikan -CHOCOLATE DROPS- by the circle Cosmic Forge. A few simple ideas for Valentine’s or simply treating yourself.

BASIC CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Chocolates fascinate anyone who likes sweets. We recommend this recipe to start since it can be made with readily available ingredients, in a short amount of time. Whether it's for a gift or entertaining guests, these are always popular. Let’s start with truffles, which are easy to make but have an authentic taste!

Ingredients (10~12 pieces)
100g Chocolate
50ml Heavy Cream
Unsweetened cocoa powder

★ Note
This chocolate recipe can be made with confectioner's semi-sweet or milk chocolate (which is milder), or commercial chocolate bars. Bar chocolate is easy on the palate but is sweeter and has a slightly milder scent. If you want to go all-out, try using confectioner's chocolate.

1. Boil the heavy cream
   Finely chop the chocolate. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat to boiling.
2. Mix the heavy cream and chocolate
   Once the cream is boiling, turn off the heat. Add all of the minced chocolate at once and mix slowly until it is completely melted.
3. Cool
   Once the chocolate has melted, let it cool while stirring occasionally until it starts to firm.
4. Roll into rounds
   Once the chocolate is hard enough to roll, use two spoons to separate the chocolate into bite-sized rounds. Roll each piece between both hands to adjust the shape.

★ Note
・ "I want to make pretty shaped chocolates!" In this case, you can use a piping bag (these are sold at dollar shops as well!) to control the size and shape of the chocolates.
・ The key is to heat the heavy cream until it boils. You won't get the full richness of the cream if you don't heat it enough!

5. Coat and complete!
   Spread the cocoa powder in a shallow tray and roll each piece of chocolate on it until it’s coated on all sides. All done!

CHOCOLATE & BISCUIT BARS

These bars lets you enjoy plenty of crispy, crunchy texture. You can choose whatever flavor of digestive biscuits you like. Wrap them up nicely and these make a wonderful gift.

Ingredients (10~12 pieces)
150g Chocolate
80g~90g Digestive biscuits
30g Almonds

1. Finely crush the biscuits and almonds
   Put the biscuits into a vinyl bag and use a rolling pin to break them into fine pieces. Use a knife to finely chop the almonds.
2. Melt the chocolate
   Place the bowl with the finely chopped chocolate inside another bowl with 60°C (140°F) water to melt it. Slowly stir as it melts until it reaches a smooth consistency.
3. Blend the chocolate and ingredients
   Once the chocolate is melted, blend with the ingredients from step 1.
4. Spread the chocolate flat
   Pour the chocolate mixture into a tray covered in aluminum foil, and spread it flat to a thickness of about 1cm. Cover in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 1 hour or until it firms. Use a knife to cut it into whatever size you prefer. All done!

★Note
・ Never heat chocolate over direct heat. Place the bowl of chocolate into a bowl of hot water and melt it slowly.
・ The best temperature for the hot water is 60°C (140°F). Once the water boils, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to naturally reach 60°C. If the water is too hot, the steam may hit you and you’ll be in for a rough finish, so be careful!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

With a light and fluffy mouthfeel, this dessert is perfect for when you want a little something sweet after a meal. Using a little bit of orange peel as garnish will make a remarkable difference in aroma and taste.

Ingredients (4 x 120ml portions)
75g Chocolate
1 Egg yolk
150ml Milk
50ml Heavy cream
40g Sugar
A bit less than 1 tsp Gelatin
2 Tbsp Water

For the toppings
50ml Heavy cream
2 Tbsp Sugar
Orange peel, shaved chocolate

1. Melt the chocolate
   First, add the gelatin to 2 Tbsp of water and let it soak. Next, chop the chocolate and put it into a bowl, and put that into a bowl of 60°C water and stir slowly until it melts.
2. Mix egg yolk and sugar
   Add the egg yolk with half (20g) of the sugar and mix thoroughly.
3. Simmer the milk, cream and sugar and add the gelatin
   Add the remaining sugar, milk, and heavy cream into a small saucepan on low heat. Once it starts to simmer, add the gelatin.
4. Add the egg yolk
   Once the mixture returns to a boil turn off the fire and mix in the egg yolk mixture, half at a time.
5. Add the chocolate
   Add the melted chocolate and mix everything together until it reaches a uniform texture.
6. Chill until firm
   Pour the mixture into 4 small cups or containers of your choosing. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
7. Decorate
   Before eating, whip the heavy cream and sugar together to make a whipped cream topping (using a piping bag to apply the cream will make it prettier). You can also add julienned strips of orange peel and sprinkle on shaved chocolate to finish.

★ Note
The key is to measure out the ingredients exactly, and to add them in the right order and at the right time.

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