Quenching our passion for chocolate in winter

It is January, the coldest and longest winter month (remember winter did not start until Dec. 21 and March often heralds the start of spring, so January wins this cold, dark distinction). The TV will be blasting ads for chocolate.

For those of us who live for that bite of chocolate, chocolate is a necessity of life, a pleasure beyond comparison. There is no food on the planet that elicits more passion than chocolate; the rich, silky texture, the deep, nuanced flavors, the aroma that announces its presence and makes the mouth water and the eyes glaze over. There is nothing like it for the true chocaholic and even for others who love the popular confection.

Chocolate is truly a wonder of nature that originally grew in South and Central America in large pods hanging from a small tree called Theobroma Cacao, which translates to, “food of the gods.”

It was ignored for, perhaps, thousands of years because the large pods contained a pulp that was noxious to the human palate, though monkeys and other animals loved it. They would break open the pods, eat all they could of the pulp and throw the cocoa laden seeds on the ground. Soon forests of Cacao trees flourished. I wonder what prompted some brave individual to pick up one of those discarded seeds and bite into it for the first time, thus discovering the joys of chocolate! Whoever it was, THANK YOU! The rest of the story fills books and encyclopedia articles and is chock filled with mythology and intrigue. You can read the history of chocolate in a wonderful book called, The True History of Chocolate, by Sophie and Michael Coe.

Harvesting the cocoa seed is still a labor-intensive process. The trees are too thin and fragile to climb, so men with long machetes cut down the pods which are opened by hand. The seeds are carefully extracted and placed in large wooden vats, covered with banana leaves, and left alone to ferment.

Soon, the light seeds turn dark brown, the sugars turn to acids and a chocolaty smell begins to emanate from the fermenting seeds. Once fermented (good quality seeds take a few days, poorer quality seeds up to a week or so) the beans are laid out in the sun for several days to dry. Once dried, the beans are divided by fermentation times, packed, and shipped to chocolate companies all over the world for processing into cocoa powder and all kinds of chocolate confections.

Chocolate can be a healthy food (if you avoid milk chocolate and highly sugared chocolate treat) or indulge sparingly! The more cocoa solids in the confection, the healthier it is. 80% cocoa solids is better than 56%; less sugar and more flavonoids that contain the health giving properties.

Dark chocolate is heart-healthy and boosts those feel-good hormones we all have — the same ones that get a boost from exercise! Chocolate is a treat for all the senses, from the first whiff of chocolate cooking in the kitchen, to the satiny texture, the sight of your favorite chocolate treat and the delicious taste of your favorite flavor, from white, to extra dark, deliciousness!

It is winter. We all need a little boost, so indulge in some chocolate and enjoy a moment with a little bit of “food of the gods.”

Rich Pareve Semisweet Chocolate Fondue or Sauce (Pareve)

I never thought I could find a chocolate fondue that was pareve and delicious. This is both!

Fondue is a fun dessert for the kids. Use fruit and maybe simple angel cake and the kids will have a fun activity and delicious dessert.

Ingredients

1 lb good quality pareve bittersweet chocolate (broken into chunks 60-70% cacao)

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

3/4 to 1 cup light corn syrup

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Creamer or Pareve Coffee Creamer (up to 1 pint)

1 to 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. pure almond extract or mint extract

OPTIONAL: Add your favorite liqueur (2 to 3 or to taste) such as crème de menthe amaretto, cassis, Chambord, cherry or banana. You can also add some espresso powder to the chocolate as it melts.

Directions

Melt the chocolates and the corn syrup over very low heat in a large heavy saucepan, stirring almost constantly.

When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and the almond milk or pareve creamer until a smooth, thick consistency is reached. Add any liqueur flavoring you like and mix well.

Pour into a fondue pot and keep warm over very low heat to avoid burning the chocolate. Serve with fruit, cookies, or even over ice cream. If you like it sweeter, omit the unsweetened chocolate.

If the fondue thickens too much, add more almond milk or creamer and mix well. Makes about 4 to 6 cups.

Triple Chocolate Treat (Dairy)

This is a fun, easy to make treat that kids love to make.

Ingredients

10 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate 60 to 70% cacao solids

10 oz. milk chocolate (you can leave this out and double the dark chocolate

10 oz. white chocolate

OPTIONAL: 1 cup of any of the following: Pistachio nuts, peanuts, cashew pieces, or chopped toasted walnuts; and/or 1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries; and/or 1/2 cup toffee candy bits

Place a piece of foil or parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Mark off a large rectangle, about 12x10 on the foil.

Melt the semi to sweet chocolate in a metal bowl set over a small pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until just melted. Set aside to cool.

When warm to the touch, 100 to 105 degrees if you have a candy thermometer, pour the chocolate into the middle of the foil, and lightly spread to the edges of the marked area. Refrigerate on a flat shelf to set for 15-20 minutes. Remove the now hardened semi-sweet chocolate from the refrigerator. Place one kind of nuts evenly over the hardened chocolate.

Melt the white chocolate in the same manner as the semi-sweet. When almost cooled, about 100 degrees, add the toffee candy, raisins, dried cranberries, or cherries, and mix quickly. Pour the white mixture over the solid semi-sweet chocolate and smooth over the top so that the white covers the dark evenly. Place back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until solidly chilled.

Melt the milk chocolate as above. (You can use another layer of dark chocolate if you like.) When cooled to about 100 degrees, pour over the white chocolate and spread to evenly cover the white chocolate. Immediately sprinkle the other kind of nuts over the chocolate and refrigerate to chill.

Remove from the refrigerator and bring to almost room temperature. Use a very sharp knife and cut the chocolate into triangles or squares.

VARIATIONS: For nut-free homes, use broken pretzel bits or cereal pieces, like Cheerios.

For fun, melt (separately) additional white and dark chocolate. Pour the cooled chocolate into a plastic bag and snip a tine corner off the bag. Drizzle a design over the chocolate. Repeat with the other chocolates. You can use red chocolate if you like, and even bitter chocolate in a thin drizzle for added chocolate depth.

Mocha Chip Cookies (Dairy)

Mocha Chip ice cream is my favorite so I guess Mocha Chip cookies would also fall under the same category. Delicious with hot coffee on a cold day.

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 60 to 70% cacao solids

1 stick butter

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 plus 1 (scant) tsp. espresso coffee powder or decaf espresso or coffee powder

2-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1-1/3 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup chopped, blanched almonds or toasted, chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the chocolate and the butter together over very low heat. Mix often. When just melted, remove from the heat to cool. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a small bowl.

Place the eggs and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium to high until pale and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the coffee powder and the vanilla. Blend well. Turn off the mixer and remove the bowl from the stand.

Fold in the flour mixture until well blended and then add the chocolate chips and (optional) almonds. Mix well. Set aside in a cool place for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Place tablespoon sized dollops of the dough on the cookie sheet at least two inches apart to allow for spread.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 9 to 12 minutes per batch. The cookies will look shiny and cracked on top.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets. Then remove to a wire rack or plate. Makes about 28 to 35 cookies.

NOTE: You can drizzle these with dark or white chocolate.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes (Pareve)

Perfect for any time of year — including Passover!

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (weigh and then chop)

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted if very lumpy

1 stick plus 2 pareve margarine or vegan butter, completely softened, plus extra for ramekins

1/4 tsp. salt (ONLY IF THE VEGAN BUTTER WAS UNSALTED; otherwise, omit)

6 large egg whites at room temperature. Reserve the yolks for another use.

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting ramekins

OPTIONAL: 1/2 to 3/4 oz. chunks of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; and/or confectioner’s sugar for dusting; and/or blackberries or raspberries for top of cakes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven. Use extra vegan butter or pareve margarine and coat 8 (6-oz.) or 12 (4-oz.) ramekins, dust with granulated sugar, shake out any excess into the next ramekin and continue until all are buttered and sugared. Set aside on a rimmed baking sheet.

Finely chop the 10 ounces of chocolate and place in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 15 second intervals until almost, but not completely, melted. Remove from the microwave and mix to melt any remaining pieces. When melted, whisk in the cocoa powder, the margarine, and the salt. Mix until completely smooth. Set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium until frothy. Increase speed and, as the egg whites begin to turn very white, slowly add the sugar. Beat on high until medium firm peaks form that slowly fold over.

Take 1/3 of the whites and add to the chocolate. Whisk until blended and the chocolate is a bit frothy. Add half the remaining whites and gently fold into the chocolate until no streaks are seen. Repeat with the remaining whites. Spoon into the prepared ramekins. If using, place the chocolate piece in the center just under the batter. Do not push to the bottom.

Place in the oven for 8 minutes for the larger ramekins and 6 minutes for the smaller ones. Take out one ramekin and insert a fork. It should come out wet. If the top collapses, place it back in the oven for 1 minute. If overbaked, you will have a fudgy cake, not a molten cake. But you can serve that with sorbet and berries, and it will be delicious. Unmold using a thin knife around the edges.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with fresh berries. Makes 8 to 12.

Gooey Chewy Super Simple Chocolate Cake (Dairy)

This is such a simple cake that even kids can make it. One pot, no mixer and delicious beyond words.

9 (1 stick plus 1) butter

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (generous; I use triple blend plus 2 black cocoa to make 1/2 cup)

1-3/4 cups sugar

1 cup MINUS 3 unbleached flour

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch spring form pan and line with parchment. Grease the parchment and the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan until barely melted. Remove from the heat. Add the cocoa, sugar, flour, and vanilla and mix just a few strokes to blend. Add the eggs and mix completely.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the top is set but the center is still very moist and gooey. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Run a thin knife around the edge and release the ring and between the paper and the pan to loosen the cake.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate and garnish with whipped cream and berries. Serves 6 to 10.