Chocolate Covered Fruit
Most people love chocolate and fruit, so any chance to combine the two and have chocolate covered fruit is a wonderful taste experience. In the past, chocolate, which originated in Central America, was a luxury that only royalty and the wealthy were able to enjoy. Nowadays almost everyone has the opportunity to indulge him or herself by enjoying the wonderful taste of chocolate.
One way to enjoy chocolate covered fruit is a chocolate fountain, which is always a huge hit at functions such as dinner banquets, weddings, a family gathering, birthday parties or even a night hanging out with your friends. Not only is it an elegant, unique way to serve fruit and chocolate but people of all ages love to watch warm chocolate cascade over each tier of the chocolate fountain until it reaches the bottom. There are chocolate fountains made for smaller gatherings and home use and commercial fountains that are available to rent for large gatherings. Most places that rent or sell chocolate fountains also sell the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and many mixtures, formulated especially for using with a fountain so it streams down the tiers properly.
Another wonderful thing about a chocolate fountain is that your imagination is the only limit to what you dip into that river of luscious chocolate. Avoid foods that crumble or fall apart and air-dry any fruit you dip, as a lot of excess moisture could cause problems. Chocolate covered fruit is as easy as making a fruit platter for dipping, using fruits such as grapes, whole strawberries, pineapple chunks, whole raspberries, banana chunks, melon, kiwi chunks, dried fruit, apple slices, and fresh cherries. This is sure to be a hit with all age groups. Other great dipping items and popular choices are rice crispy treats, biscotti, meringue cookies, pretzels, cheese, orange slices, marshmallows, and assorted cookies.
Another way to enjoy chocolate covered fruit is a chocolate fondue, which is easy and makes a decadent, fantastic dessert. Here is an easy recipe for the chocolate.
Ingredients
· 1 cup sifted premium cocoa powder
· 1 ¼ cups of water
· ¼ cup of corn syrup
· 1 ½ cups of sugar
· ½ cup plus 5 tablespoons of heavy cream
· 5 ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Place the sugar, water and corn syrup into a saucepan and bring this to a boil, allowing it to simmer for up to fifteen minutes. You want this to reduce by thirty percent, then remove from the heat. Gradually add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, slowly adding the heavy cream, until it reaches boiling point. Turn the heat down and simmer for an additional five minutes. Remove this mixture from the heat, stir in the chocolate pieces and then pour it into your fondue pot. Serve bite size pieces of fruit for delicious chocolate covered fruit.
February 28, 2007
Chocolate Brownies
During the Columbian Exposition in 1892, the chef of the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago invented the brownie. Bertha Palmer wanted a dessert that women could eat without getting their hands dirty when put into box lunches. Sears and Roebuck published the first chocolate brownie recipe in their 1898 catalogue.
Just the mention of chocolate or a chocolate brownie has most people’s faces light up and their mouths water. Often referred to as ‘America’s favorite dessert’, chocolate brownies, named after their rich brown color, are popular not only across America but are known and eaten around the world. Many like their chocolate brownies covered with fudge icing, or with chips such as chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch, while others prefer nuts or a combination of both. People also love fresh, hot chocolate brownies served with toppings such as vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream or hot fudge. In most fine dining establishments, country diners or other restaurants, brownies are often the most popular dessert item.
For people that love to cook, there are thousands of recipes for chocolate brownies, which are available in cookbooks, magazines and on the internet. You can even experiment to create a chocolate brownie recipe all your own or try different ingredients in a recipe you already have. Here is a brownie recipe with nuts that is not only delicious but also easy to make.
Ingredients
· One cup flour
· One cup sugar
· One cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans etc.)
· One teaspoon vanilla
· One teaspoon baking powder
· One quarter cup of cocoa
· One stick or four ounces of butter or margarine
· Three eggs
On low heat, melt cocoa and butter in a small saucepan and then remove this from the heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs until foamy and then slowly add in sugar and the melted cocoa and butter mixture. Sift together the baking powder and flour, and add half of this into the cake batter. Mix the nuts into the remaining flour mixture and then add this to your cake batter, being sure to blend it together well. Stir in the vanilla and then spread the batter evenly into an 8 x 8 inch greased and floured baking pan. Place this into a preheated 350-degree oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
You can make a quick and easy chocolate icing by sifting two cups of powdered sugar and four tablespoons of cocoa together. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and stir in enough half-and-half or heavy cream, until you get the desired spreading consistency. Make sure the brownies are cool and then apply the icing.
Taking a delicious plate of chocolate brownies to any gathering is sure to be a big hit. Be sure to make lots, as it is almost impossible for most people to eat only one chocolate brownie.