Deep Dark Chocolate (28 page)

Crispy Dark Chocolate Easter Eggs

makes
12 2
¹
/
₂
inch eggs

HERE’S TO THE KID IN EACH OF US—EVERYONE’S FAVORITE
no-bake rice cereal treat wrapped in a great-tasting chocolate. Use the dark chocolate of your choice, and forget about hide-and-seek. Nestle the eggs in your Easter basket or serve them as a brunch delight on the prettiest plates you own.

8 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

20 large, fresh store-bought marshmallows (about 3 cups)

2 cups crispy rice cereal or crispy cocoa rice cereal

Decorative icing and candies (optional)

Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place the chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl and set in a pan or wide skillet of hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes, stirring 4 or 5 times, and allow it to melt completely. Stir until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the melted chocolate, and stir until blended. Pour the cereal over the chocolate mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula just until the cereal is coated.

Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and lightly press to evenly distribute. Let cool. To make each chocolate egg, firmly press a 2½-inch-long egg-shaped cookie cutter into the cereal mixture. Run
your fingertips around the top perimeter of the cutter to make sure the cutter touches the bottom of the pan. Wriggle the filled cutter free, and slip the egg out of the cutter onto the parchment. Pat it back into shape if necessary. Repeat with the remaining cereal mixture. Any leftover cereal mixture is the cook’s reward. If desired, decorate the eggs with icing and small candies. Store eggs in layers, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an airtight container at a cool (60° to 70°F) room temperature. The eggs taste best if eaten within 3 days.

Variation

What could be better than two gifts in one, especially on Valentine’s Day? For
Bittersweet Sweet Hearts
, follow the main recipe, using ten 2¼-inch-wide Valentine cookie cutters, one for each heart. After forming the heart, leave it in the cookie cutter and proceed as directed. Place each no-bake treat with its Valentine-shaped cookie cutter inside a small cellophane bag and secure with ribbon. After the chocolate heart is eaten, the cookie cutter can be used over and over again. To make your gift even sweeter, write out the recipe on individual cards and slip one into each gift bag so your friends can make their own.

Bittersweet Caramel Honeycomb

makes
about
¹
/
₂
pound

YOU’LL FIND THIS SCRUMPTIOUS CANDY SURPRISINGLY
easy to make—and a little magical, too. It’s the candy of my childhood. My brother and I would get big chunks of it at the little blue store on the corner of our street. Each piece was covered with dark or milk chocolate. I marveled at all those wonderful, tiny holes. How did they get there?

Now I know. It happens when the baking soda comes in contact with the hot sugar syrup. The mixture foams, creating sponge like holes that give the candy its heavenly crunch once it’s cooled. Be sure to follow the instructions, word for word, and don’t worry if you don’t have a candy thermometer (I never use mine for this recipe).

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ cup water

4 ounces premium dark chocolate, melted

Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. To remove the candy with ease, line the pan, lengthwise and widthwise, with two 12-by-7-inch-wide sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil (shiny side up) and use the overhang as handles. (Since the paper tends to fall inward towards the hot candy, you may want to use a clothespin to secure the parchment on each edge.) Place the pan next to where you will be cooking. In a small bowl, stir the baking soda to get rid of any small lumps.

In a heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook until the mixture becomes a
very pale straw color (300°F, hard-crack stage), swirling occasionally, about 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture get any darker. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda. The mixture will foam and expand.

Using a silicone spatula and working quickly, stir in the baking soda until it is blended and the color is even. Do not overwork. Pour the foaming syrup into the prepared pan. Do not spread, although you can tip the pan slightly to “move” the syrup a little toward each edge. Let set for 10 minutes. Pour the melted chocolate over the candy, tilting the pan to spread the chocolate over the surface. Let the candy rest at room temperature until it is set, about 3 hours. The cooler the room, the faster the chocolate will set. (You can speed up the process by placing the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, but no longer.) Once the candy is set, use the parchment or foil on both edges to lift from the pan. To cut into uniform pieces, turn the candy over. Using a metal ruler and a knife, score one length at a time, then bend. The candy will break along the score line. Continue in this fashion to cut the desired number of pieces. If you prefer, you can use the dull side of a heavy knife or cleaver to break the candy into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Variation

To make
Caramel Crackers
to use as a garnish for other recipes in this book or as a treat all on its own, follow the main recipe, substituting a lightly oiled baking sheet for the baking pan. Pour the foaming syrup onto the prepared pan and let it spread. Do not coat with chocolate. Once the candy is set, use the dull side of a heavy knife or cleaver to break it into bite-size pieces.

Sip-It or Shake-It Dark Chocolate Drinks

HOT CHOCOLATE IN A HURRY

A QUARTET OF DRINKING CHOCOLATES

espresso float with dark chocolate ice cream and vanilla-bean whipped cream

CLEAN-CHIC CHOCOLATE MARTINI

THE ITALIAN STALLION

Hot Chocolate In A Hurry

serves
1

WHETHER YOU HAVE FRIENDS FOR THE WEEKEND OR AN
after-school houseful of kids, there’s no better treat than a rich cup of hot chocolate for each and every one. Here’s a recipe that lets you make one cup or a team’s worth in a hurry. After you prepare the rich chocolaty base, you can refrigerate it for up to 10 days. When the mood strikes, making a cup is as simple as scooping out 2 or 3 heaping tablespoons of the chocolate base and stirring them into a mug of steaming milk.

2 to 3 heaping tablespoons Hot Chocolate Base

Miniature marshmallows or bakery-style handmade marshmallows for topping (optional)