FIVE MINUTE DARK CHOCOLATE COFFEE FUDGE: National Fudge Day

Today is National Fudge Day! Over the years of writing this blog, I have posted so many Fudge recipes. Well, duh! Chocolate --  Fudge! So if you're hankering for fudge to celebrate today's Food holiday, here's an incredibly quick and easy recipe for Five Minute Dark Chocolate Coffee Fudge.

This Fudge truly only 5 minutes to make and includes only three ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. Coffee really brings out the chocolate in this old fashioned silky smooth fudge. Soooo rich. Gluten-free, too!

FIVE MINUTE DARK CHOCOLATE COFFEE FUDGE

Ingredients
1-14-oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp espresso granules (or instant coffee)
1/2 Tbsp water
12 ounces dark chocolate (65-70% cacao), chopped

Directions
Heat condensed milk in saucepan over medium heat.
Dissolve espresso granules in water. Stir into condensed milk.
Add chopped dark chocolate, lower heat to simmer (be careful not to burn). Stir just until until melted and smooth.
Pour into oiled 8x8 inch pan. Chill in fridge until set (about 2 hours).
Cut into squares.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Ganache Bars: National Dark Chocolate Day

Today is National Dark Chocolate Day. What exactly is Dark Chocolate? The following is from the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine site.

What is Dark Chocolate?

Dark Chocolate is also known as "bittersweet" or "semisweet" chocolate. It contains a high percentage (60% +) of cocoa solids, and little or no added sugar. Dark chocolate has a rich, intense flavor, and is found in chocolate bars, candies, and baking chocolate.

Why choose Dark Chocolate? 

• Contains flavonoids called procyanidins & epicatechins; flavonoids are part of a group of antioxidants known as polyphenols and are found in a variety of foods including dark chocolate, tea, red wine, and various fruits and vegetables 

• Decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol oxidation 

• Reduces the risk of blood clots 

• Increases blood flow in arteries and the heart 

• May lower high blood pressure 

• Cocoa may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels because it consists mainly of stearic acid and oleic acid. Stearic acid is a saturated fat, but unlike most saturated fatty acids, it does not raise blood cholesterol levels. Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, does not raise cholesterol and may even reduce it. 

• May improve mood and pleasure by boosting serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain 

• Regular intake is associated with better cognitive performance in the elderly 

• Contains a number of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium 

***

These Dark Chocolate Cherry Ganache Bars are perfect for today's holiday or any day. This easy recipe is adapted slightly from Melissa Clark at the New York Times. I use Bon Maman Cherry Preserves. I like the slightly tangy flavor.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY GANACHE BARS

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4  cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cherry jam (whichever you like--I prefer Bonne Maman Dark Cherry Preserves)
12 ounces dark chocolate (62 percent or higher), chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp Kirsch
1/2 tsp fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions
In food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt. Pulse in butter and vanilla until mixture just comes together into a smooth mass.
Line 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Press dough into pan. Prick all over with fork. Chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 3 days.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake shortbread until firm to  touch and just beginning to pull away from sides, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in  pan for 20 minutes on wire rack.
Brush jam over shortbread’s surface and let cool thoroughly.
Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, bring cream to a simmer. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in Kirsch. Spread over shortbread. Sprinkle fleur de sel on.
Cool to room temperature; cover and chill until firm. Slice and serve.

Holiday Chocolate Barks for Santa and Friends

Just a week until Christmas, and you might still need to make a gift or have treats ready for Santa. I can't think of anything easier or more versatile than Chocolate Bark. What do you have in your pantry? Well, chocolate, of course, and you can add anything to the chocolate, and voila! instant candy! Package your bark nicely in a tin, and you have a gift for Aunt Em! Put it on the table for Santa, along with cookies and milk, and he'll love it!

So here are recipes for a variety of Holiday Barks!

One of the traditional tastes of Christmas is Peppermint! I love Peppermint Bark, and I wish it were available all year, but you can always make your own. Following are three recipes for Peppermint Bark. Do you prefer white, dark, or milk chocolate? Peppermint Bark is easy to make and great to give. As always, use the very best chocolate, and in the case of this first recipe, be sure and use 'real' white chocolate.

1. White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
1 pound white chocolate
candy canes, crushed to make 1/2 cup

Directions
Heat white chocolate in double boiler over low heat until melted.
Add crushed candy cane to white chocolate. Make sure white chocolate stays warm.
Pour mixture onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet, spreading very thinly with spatula.
Place cookie sheet in freezer until  mixture has hardened.
Take out of freezer and crack bark into small pieces.
Remove from wax paper and store at room temperature.

2. Microwave White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
1 pound white chocolate
1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Directions
Place chocolate in microwave-safe dish. Microwave on 50% power, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and of creamy consistency.
Stir in crushed candy canes.
Spread on cookie sheet and place in the freezer until set (about 20 minutes).
Break into pieces.

3. Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
12 ounces high quality dark chocolate
1/2 cup crushed candy canes
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler (or saucepan on top of saucepan of simmering water).
Remove from heat, add peppermint extract and stir.
Pour melted chocolate onto cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread out with spatula or wooden spoon.
Sprinkle peppermint candy chunks on chocolate and gently press in with hands.
Put in freezer until hardened (5 minutes).
Break into pieces. Store in fridge in an airtight container.

And, here are two recipes for festive holiday barks that feature red --and red and green--in the bark.

4. Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Ginger Bark

Ingredients
6 ounces dark chocolate (65-70% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp crystallized ginger
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tsp sea salt

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or saucepan over saucepan of simmering water.
Remove saucepan with melted chocolate from stove and stir in crystallized ginger and half of pomegranate seeds.
Line baking sheet with parchment. Pour melted chocolate mixture onto sheet. Using a spatula smooth chocolate into even layer about 1/4 inch thick.
Sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds and sea salt.
Chill 20-30 minutes (until firm).
Break into pieces and store in airtight container, separating layers with waxed paper.
Serve same day, if possible.

The following recipe is from the King Arthur Flour website. I love the innovative recipes on the website and blog, and, of course, King Arthur Flour's great products! This recipe is very festive with red cranberries and crunchy pecans...and it uses both white and dark chocolate layers. Let's face it, you can never have enough bark! Woof!

5. Cranberry Nut Chocolate Bark
from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup toasted diced pecans
2- 2/3 cups chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
2- 2/3 cups chopped white chocolate, melted

Directions
Toss cranberries and pecans together. Set them aside.
Melt dark chocolate (in the top of a double boiler--see above), and spread into 8" x 12" oval on parchment paper.
Allow chocolate to set, but not harden completely.
Melt white chocolate (in the top of a double boiler-see above) and mix with about 3/4 cup of cranberries and pecans. Spread this over dark chocolate.
Sprinkle rest of nuts and fruit on top, pressing them in gently.
Refrigerate for about 10 minutes--no more than 20-- until hardened, then break into chunks.

Happy Holidays!

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark

Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day, and what could be easier and better than some Dark Chocolate Almond Bark. Dark chocolate and almonds, both heart-healthy foods! Here's a simple go-to recipe.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARK

Ingredients
12 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao)
1 cup toasted almonds (in the oven), coarsely chopped  (some people like them whole/your choice)
Sea salt

Directions
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate until smooth in top of double boiler or saucepan placed over another saucepan with simmering water.
Set aside 6 Tbsp almonds
Stir remaining almonds into melted chocolate.
Pour mixture onto cookie sheet. Spread to 1/2-inch thickness.
Sprinkle remaining almond pieces over mixture. Sprinkle sparingly with sea salt.
Tap pan on the counter until bark is desired thickness.
Refrigerate for about 6 hours or until firm.
Break into pieces.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Amano Artisan Chocolate

In preparation for being a judge at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon on March 21, I held a mini-chocolate tasting today of three of the four 70% Dark Chocolates from Amano Artisan Chocolate.

Amano makes its chocolate from select beans (single origin) that they import from around the world, and handcraft in their own artisanal factory in Utah's Wasatch Mountain range in the Rocky Mountains. Amano is one of only a small handful of companies in the United States who manufacture their own chocolate directly from the bean.

Using vintage European equipment and techniques, Amano makes their artisanal chocolate in small handcrafted batches. Amano means "by hand" and "they love" in Italian. They source the world's very best beans and ingredients. They visit the plantations, buy from the growers, and when necessary work with them to improve their skill in properly growing, fermenting and drying the cacao beans to meet their exacting standards.

Through working with small, carefully controlled batches, they "seek not to be the largest chocolate company, simply to make the very best chocolate humanly — or heavenly — possible."

The Amano website describes how each type of chocolate bar contains its own set of unique flavor profiles. Since the cacao bean is the source of all chocolate (as grapes are the primary source of wine), its flavors come from a multitude of variables, such as topography, weather (e.g. rainfall, amount of sun, etc.), soil conditions (e.g. type, nutrient content, drainage properties, etc.), post-harvesting processing (e.g. fermenting, roasting, etc.), and of course genotypic properties. With so many variables affecting the flavor of just one chocolate bar, it's important to taste carefully so that you can extract the fullest flavor potential.


I started the Amano Artisan chocolate tasting today with the Ocumare 70% Dark Chocolate. This Handcrafted Chocolate is made from beans exclusively from the Ocumare de la Coasta Valley on the central coast of Venezuela. I found this a rich, smooth chocolate. I tasted raisin and smoke.

The next Amano Chocolate I tried was the Jembrana 70% Dark Chocolate.This is made from beans exclusively from the Jembrana Regency and its surrounding areas on Bali, Indonesia. This chocolate had a beautiful rich flavor that had a hint of berries, spice, and licorice. I didn't taste honey, myself, but my co-taster said he did.

The final Amano Artisan Chocolate I tried was the Madagascar 70% Dark Chocolate, and although I enjoyed the other two, I liked the Madagascar the best of the three. This handcrafted Chocolate is made from beans exclusively from the Sambirano Valley, Madagascar. At the end of the 19th century cacao trees from Venzuela were brought to plantations in Madagascar. Unlike the tasting notes, I found it an edgy chocolate. I tasted raspberry and raisin. Frank, my co-taster, picked up on the natural fruity flavor that this chocolate is said to possess. That would be the natural flavor component of these special Sambirano Valley cocoa beans. I can easily see myself using this chocolate in my flourless chocolate cake. Any baker will love this chocolate.

The Cuyagua 70% Dark Chocolate was not available to taste, and now I'm longing to try it. The Cuyagua 70% Dark Chocolate comes from the a small secluded valley known as Cuyagua near the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela. It is known for some of Venezuala's finest cacao. The folks at Amano have told me that there are no fruity notes in this chocolate. Rather, one will find a rich nutty chocolate with spicy notes that can be compare to white pepper.The bean from the Cuyagua Valley is one of the rarest beans in the world, so supplies are limited. I have to try it, and I will make a point to do that when and if it becomes available again.

The Amano Artisan Chocolate Factory was featured on the Food Network this month. Watch for reruns. In the meantime, have your own chocolate tasting with this amazing award winning chocolate!

February 23 an update: Just saw this article. Check out this tour of the Amano Artisan Chocolate Factory