Chocolate for Chanukah

Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, starts tomorrow. When I think of Chocolate and Chanukah (Hanukah/Hanukkah/ so many ways to spell this holiday), I always think of Chanukah Gelt, those chocolate candy coins wrapped in gold foil that are given to the children.

Oh!Nuts sells a 24-Pack Elite Bittersweet Chocolate Coin Bags, a 24-pack Nut-Free Chocolate Coin Bags and a Dark Chocolate Coins case of 24 bags, as well as Milk Chocolate, a Chanukah Gelt Treasure Chest and more!
Divine Chocolate has fair-trade Milk Chocolate Hanukkah Coins.
Chocolate.com has lots of different chocolate products from wonderful chocolatiers tht include Chanukah Dreidels, Chocolate Covered Oreos w/Dreidle Design from Sweet Expertise, Coins, Bars and more.

Check with your local chocolatier and discover what they may be offering this year.

Want to bake something? You have eight days, so you can interweave some of your own chocolate desserts into traditional Chanukah fare. The Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot recipe I wrote about for Rosh Hashana would be a star for Chanukah.

And, here's a chocolate recipe the kids will enjoy--and maybe you, too. Chocolate Latkas. Note: these are not 'real' potato pancakes, but they look like them.

Chocolate Latkes from Cooking Jewish, originally from Chocolate Holidays by Alice Medrich: Yield: 2 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies

4 large egg whites
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
3 1/2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (organic and fairtrade)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla (I use Madagascar)
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil. Put some water in skillet and bring to low simmer.

2.Combine all ingredients in large heatproof mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel (ingredients heat up faster in stainless steel than in glass). Set bowl in skillet of barely simmering water and stir mixture, scraping bottom to prevent burning, until sticky and hot to touch.

3. Scoop rounded tablespoons of mixture about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with fingers to resemble miniature potato pancakes.

4. Bake until cookies feel dry on surface and edges and protruding coconut shreds are dark golden brown (despite chocolate color) and interior still looks like melted chocolate, 13 to 15 minutes. Rotate sheets from front to bake and upper to lower about halfway through. Slide parchment paper onto cooling rack. Cool cookies completely before removing from parchment. The cookies are most delicious on day they are baked – the exterior is crisp and chewy and interior soft and moist. Cookies may be stored, airtight, 4 to 5 days.

You have 8 Days to enjoy Chanukah: Add some chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Kristin King of the Norfolk Cooking Examiner has a holiday dessert after my heart. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles. What's so unique about these truffles is that they're easy, delicious, no bake and safe. I reported about the recall of raw cookie dough a few months ago, but that was more to do with processed refrigerator cookie dough. This recipe substitutes condensed milk for raw eggs, so it's definitely safe. Kristin King has a video on the Norfolk Cooking Examiner site. Always fun to watch.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (adapted from original recipe)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups flour
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed into small chunks (highest quality organic fair-trade)

2 cups 60% bittersweet chocolate chips or broken chunks (small) of a good dark chocolate you
2 tsp shortening

Using a mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt and flour; mix well. With the mixer on low, add the condensed milk until the batter is thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate this mixture for at least 15 minutes before working with it.

Using a tablespoon, shape into evenly sized balls and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. If the dough is sticky, coat your hands with either flour or cooking spray. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the balls for 3 hours, or up to overnight.

To make the chocolate coating, combine chocolate and shortening in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth. Using a toothpick or fork, dip the dough balls in the chocolate to coat. Drag the bottom across the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate coating. Place it back on the baking sheet. Once all the truffles are coated, refrigerate until firm; about 30 minutes.

Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Perfect for the holidays!

Recipe makes about 42- 1" truffles.

Photo: Norfolk Examiner. Kristin King

Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

I said yesterday I was finished with Chocolate Peppermint recipes and purchases, but I have one more handy recipe that you can make now and keep in the fridge or freezer. If you store it, just be sure to whip it up before you use it: Easy Chocolate Peppermint Ganache.

1 pint cream
1 1/2 lbs dark chocolate 60-75% cacao, organic and fair trade
1/4 tsp of pure peppermint extract

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in metal bowl Bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then start whisking from the center out, until all the chocolate is melted and uniform. Add the peppermint extract. Let it set.

There are so many uses for ganache. Here are a few: to frost cakes, cupcakes and cookies or as a filling in a layer cake. This ganache is also great for sandwich cookies and macarons. In a pinch you can make truffles with this ganache (just roll in cocoa). I've used this as a mousse: just add some whipped cream and whip it up. Who wouldn't love a Chocolate Peppermint Mousse for the holidays, served with chocolate shortbread cookies? This Ganache can also be used as a tart filling (with chocolate shells?) Crepes: make chocolate crepes with a thin layer of ganache--or stack with a layer of thinned ganache in between each crepe. So many uses. What would you do with this Chocolate Peppermint Ganache?

Fields of Cake had a great recipe yesterday for Candy Cane White Chocolate Ganache. Yummy. Looks fabulous, and you can use it in much the same way as above.

Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

I love a good trifle, and I have posted several recipes for trifle before, but since I'm on a chocolate peppermint jag this week I thought what could be more English for the Holidays than a Chocolate Peppermint Trifle.

I use two recipes. One easy and quick, the other a bit longer but very good.

#1 Chocolate Peppermint Trifle.

This one is fast and easy to make, and you can use the Peppermint Bark you've made or purchased.

1 chocolate cake cut up into cubes
1 large box of chocolate pudding (add a couple of drops of Peppermint Schnapps to the pudding). Make the pudding.
Ghirardelli (or another--Trader Joe's--or your own) Peppermint Bark, chopped into chunks
Whipped Cream (I always whip my own with a little sugar)

Layering: Cake on the bottom, then add a layer of pudding, then a layer of the chopped up Peppermint Bark, then a layer of whipped cream. Then repeat. Top it off with finely crushed candy canes or a bit more chopped up Peppermint Bark.

O.K. I'm not much for proportions, but most trifles aren't. Use what you have, and I'm sure you won't go wrong.

#2 Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

This is the longer of the two recipes, but absolutely delicious. I've adapted Martha Stewart's recipe for Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Trifle. She has a chocolate cake recipe, but you can skip it and make a good chocolate cake from a mix, then follow the rest of this recipe.

You can make the trifle components the day before you assemble the trifle. Be sure and refrigerate everything in separate airtight containers.

FOR THE SYRUP
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup chocolate flavored liqueur, such as Godiva

FOR THE MOUSSE
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (the highest quality)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peppermint candies or candy canes

FOR THE PUDDING
8 ounces chocolate 40-65% cacao, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks, room temperature

FOR SERVING
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup chopped peppermint candies or candy canes

Make the syrup: Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely. Stir in liqueur.

Make the mousse: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring 1 cup cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Place white chocolate in a food processor; with machine running, pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes.

Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to nearly stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in candies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened and almost firm, 4 to 6 hours.

Make the pudding: Put chocolate into a large bowl; set aside. Bring cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks in a bowl. Pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking.

Pour mixture back into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Set bowl in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

To assemble: Spread one-third of the mousse into bottom of a glass trifle bowl that is 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Top with a cake layer, and brush with half the syrup.

Top with half the pudding, then another third of mousse. Place remaining cake layer on top; brush with remaining syrup. Top with remaining pudding, then mousse. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12 hours.

Beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Top trifle with the whipped cream, and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy or crushed candy canes.

This recipe is divine.

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As with most recipes, you don't have to add alcohol, but a true trifle would have it.