DESSERT CUPS: The Perfect Dessert for Dessert Day!

Today is National Dessert Day! Every day is Chocolate Dessert Day here on DyingforChocolate.com, but for today's holiday, I'm reposting a post from the Queen of Chocolate Decoration and Innovation, The Chocolate Addict, Katreece Montgomery, for Chocolate Dessert Cups, dishes you can eat. Katreece makes chocolate decorating videos for the home chef. Visit her at: TheChocolateAddict.com.

THE CHOCOLATE ADDICT:
Chocolate Dessert Cups, dishes you can eat.

Every dessert deserves to be embellished, and presented in an elegant fashion, and most alluring is the chocolate dessert cup.

There are many ways to make chocolate dessert cups. These delightful edible containers are sure to spruce up your favorite mousse recipe, or perhaps filled with your favorite sorbet, fruit or confections. These can be in the form of cups,bowls, cylinders, boxes or any type of vessel to hold something delicious. Chocolate dessert cups are a stunning addition to a table setting for a festive dinner party, or a romantic dessert accessory for two.  Fill a chocolate container with confections and wrap in cellophane paper for a delightful chocolate lovers gift.

The easiest way to make a dessert cup is to find a food safe plastic container to use as a mold. Fill with tempered chocolate*, remove excess, refrigerate for several minutes and carefully release chocolate cup from mold. Shazam!

Your guests will be tickled pink when they find out they can eat the dishes!

*To make chocolate decorations you'll need to perform a series of steps called tempering, this will ensure your decoration with harden and look it's best. For kids projects or if you find the tempering process too time consuming, you can whip up a decoration in a jiffy with something called confectionary coating, which is chocolate flavored candy. It does not need to be tempered and is very inexpensive and convenient to use. Check out Tempering HERE.

If you love to spend time in the kitchen being creative, give chocolate decorating a try. You'll be amazed at what you can dream up with the most sensational "food of the Gods", we call chocolate.

Chocolate Dessert Charcuterie Board: Shari's Berries Guest Post

One of the best ways to satisfy your guests and introduce them to some of your favorite treats is with a dessert charcuterie board! Whether you prefer a traditional mix of flavors or bits based on a certain theme, build your board with a variety of sweets. Opt for candy such as chocolates or gummy bears or go big with brownie bites and cupcakes.

If you’re looking for a few fun ideas to put together a sweet surprise for your next party, check out this guide from Shari’s Berries on Dessert Charcuterie Board ideas.

Shari's Berries:

Before you create your dessert charcuterie board, you need to choose a theme! Your favorite flavor combinations or a certain ingredient like a specific candy or fruit can help inspire your board’s theme. Once you’ve chosen a theme, consider what ingredients will add visual interest and texture to your dessert platter. If you’re not sure what to include, these dessert charcuterie board recipes will give you a place to start!

Fruit Lover 
Enjoy fresh fruit paired with creamy melted chocolate for a sweet surprise! An assortment of dried fruits and berry kabobs are perfect to dip into a melted mound of chocolate. A side of brie and fruit crackers are perfect for pairing with tangy and bold fruit flavors. Add in a handful of hand-dipped cherries to top off this candied board.

Sweet and Salty 
Satisfy both of your cravings at the same time with this dessert charcuterie board. Compile savory snacks like crunchy bacon and salted nuts to pair with a mixed hazelnut and chocolate spread. Dark chocolate with sea salt and chocolate potato chips are also great options to wake up your tastebuds!

Charcuterie Board Styling Tips 
Using the right size boards and utensils will make assembling and serving that much easier! Before you begin, choose the right size board to display your treats on. Place the necessary bowls and utensils on before adding food to assess how much space is left over and then add in your other ingredients around this. If space allows, place extra ingredients such as sauces and dips on the outside of the board. Last but not least, make sure to add in some color! A mix of bright shades will attract the eyes of your guests, but it will be the fun flavor combinations that keep them coming back!

Experiment! Enjoy!

Bûche de Noël aka Yule Log: Where to Buy a Buche de Noel in the San Francisco Bay Area

Not everyone has the time or skills to make a Bûche de Noël (aka Yule Log) for the holidays, but there are lots of places you can buy a Bûche de Noël. Of course, you'll want to get your order in soon.

If I were in Paris, I would probably have an impossible decision to make if I were to buy only one Bûche de Noël since almost every patisserie makes a Buche de Noel. Sadly, I won't be in Paris, but if you are, here are two outstanding places.

There are beautiful Bûches de Noël by Pierre Herme (Paris). One of the Bûche de Noël is a Chuao Chocolate Buche with Cherry Accents and another is a Buche with chocolate and caramel. Alexis Mabille has created a couture Bûche de Noël for Chocolaterie Angelina. Mabille put his stamp on the traditional yule log with the pastry chef Sebastian Bauer, opting for a heart of creamy chestnuts, candied apple and a confit of yuzu and lime surrounded by milk-chocolate ganache and crisp pecans. Mabille’s bûche is not a log, but a "Cocoa" Chanel bag: quilted and studded with edible silver buttons, topped with Mabille’s signature silver bow. And, almost every patisserie has its own version.

But, since I'm located in the San Francisco Bay Area, I thought I'd post several (but definitely not all) bakeries in the area that make Buches de Noel. Get your orders in now.

Buche de Noel: San Francisco Bay Area:
 
Tartine (SF) (Genoise filled with espresso buttercream, meringue mushrooms, pistachio moss, Valrhona chocolate Glaze)
La Farine, (Rockridge, Piedmont, Fruitvale)
b. patisserie, (SF): 4: Chocolate Coffee Caramel, Coconut/Passion Fruit//Pineapple//Mango, Smore and Vanilla with Red fruits.
Bi-Rite (SF): TCHO Chocolate Buche de Noel
Miette (SF, Marin, East Bay): Traditional
Craftsman and Wolves (SF- 2 locations): Coffee, Hazelnut, Yogurt & Caramel
La Boulangerie de San Francisco (multiple locations)
Bouchon (Napa). Two sizes of traditional Buche
La Bedaine (Berkeley): Three flavors
Sweet Things (Tiburon & SF)
Fleur de Cocoa (Los Gatos)
Douce France (Palo Alto)
Tout Sweet Patisserie (San Francisco and Palo Alto)
Cafe Madeleine (San Francisco)
Arizmendi Bakery (Oakland, San Francisco)
Masse's Pastries (Berkeley)
Sweet Bar Bakery (Oakland)
Fournee Bakery (Berkeley)
Sweet Adeline Bakeshop (Berkeley)
Gerhard Michler Fine European Desserts (San Francisco)
Moonside Bakery (Half Moon Bay)

Most fine bakeries and patisseries make Bûche de Noël for the holidays. Check out your local.

And lastly, if you don't want a whole Bûche de Noël, several restaurants have Bûche de Noël by the slice on their dessert menus.  Check with your favorite French restaurant or bistro.

Easter Chocolate Desserts

So, I have my chocolate eggs and bunnies ready, but I thought I'd put together a few other ideas for Chocolate Easter desserts--or for any Springtime celebration.

Chocolate Nests. This is a wonderful recipe from Woman's Day. I particularly like this recipe because it's a mix of what else? sweet and sour. And, it looks so good. It takes 20 minutes to put together and 50 minutes to cook, and your friends and family will think you worked hours! Very artistic.

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cans (5 oz each) thin chow mein noodles
Fill with: egg-shaped Easter candies such as Jordan almonds

Preparation:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Lightly coat with nonstick spray.2. Scrape condensed milk into a medium saucepan or microwave-safe bowl; add chocolate chips. Place over low heat and stir often, or microwave on high 2 to 4 minutes, stirring every minute, until chips melt and mixture is blended and smooth. 3. Put noodles into a large bowl, pour on chocolate mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until noodles are coated.4. Drop generous 1⁄2 cups on prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray fingertips with nonstick spray. Form mounds into nests making a depression in the center to hold candies. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. Peel off of the foil; fill with candies.

Planning Tip: The nests can be made up to 3 days before serving. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Stephanie Jaworski on Joy of Baking has a yummy Chocolate Easter Cake suggestion. Take your favorite chocolate torte recipe (her recipe for the chocolate torte and the ganache is on the page) and cover it with a lovely smooth and shiny chocolate ganache and garnish with colorful sprinkles and candy. Make the torte a day ahead so it becomes dense and fudgy and doesn't break off.

Tyler Florence of the Food Network has lots of 'show-stopping" chocolate desserts for Easter, but this one caught my eye: Truffle tarts with Raspberries, and the "crust" is made with chocolate wafers or oreo crumbs, and the filling consists of truffle cream. The recipe is simple!