Chocolate Ice cream

Lets create Chocolate Ice Cream

A good, rich, dark-chocolate ice-cream is harder to achieve than you would think. The basic ice-cream mix can take only so much chocolate before its texture is ruined. Cocoa powder is the answer, allowing the ice-cream to achieve its desired richness without compromising its texture.


Here we go,,,,

Ingredients..

• 600ml/1 pint double cream 
• 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthwise 
• 8 eggs 
• 150g/5oz caster sugar 
• 100g/31/2oz dark unsweetened chocolate (preferably at least 69 per cent cocoa) 
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

How to...

Start by placing the cream on the stove over a medium heat. Add the vanilla pod, bring the cream to a simmer, then turn off the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes.

Once the cream has cooled, return to the stove over a gentle heat to warm through. While the cream is warming, place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Whisk for around three minutes or until the mixture is pale in colour.

Pour the warm cream on top of the yolks and stir well to combine. Return to the stove and cook on the lowest setting until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove, strain and allow to cool completely.

Now place the chocolate and cocoa powder in a bain-marie to melt, stirring every so often. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool before stirring into the custard base.

Pour into an ice-cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Simple Chocolate Cake

Lets create a Simple Chocolate Cake(Sri lankan way)

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 200g flour
• 50g Chocolate Powder (Motha gives a better colour)
• 250g sugar
• 250g margarine (or butter)
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of Aappa Soda (Optional - to get a better color)
• 1 teaspoon Vanila essence

You are good to go,,

Sift together flour, baking powder,Aappa Soda and chocolate Powder.

Cream butter and sugar well. Then add eggs one by one and beat well until sugar desolves. (Using a beater).

Add Vanila Essence and mix well.

Add flour gradually in small quantities and mix well. Add Milk.

Bake at 180 degree C in a pre-heated oven for 25 – 35 minutes.

Lets create a delicious Chocolate Cake

Lazy day chocolate cake

Equipment

• You'll need 2 x 20cm springform pans.

Ingredients

• 120g unsalted butter, chopped
• 220g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 240g (1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 75g (3/4 cup) Dutch cocoa (see top tips)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Chocolate ganache

• 200g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 300ml thickened cream
  
  
  

• Lets get start

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  1. Step 1
     To make ganache, place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until melted and combined. Divide ganache between 2 bowls. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 bowl. Stand second bowl at room temperature.
  2. Step 2
     Preheat oven to 160°C. To make cake, grease pans and line with baking paper. Place butter and sugar in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Sift over flour with cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then whisk until smooth. Divide batter between pans.
  3. Step 3
     Bake, swapping pans halfway, for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centres comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Step 4
     Remove ganache from fridge, stir until smooth, then spread over top of 1 cake. Top with second cake, then gently press together. Pour over room temperature ganache to serve.

Life to chocolate

Chocolate is a symbol of temptation and of satisfaction, it can be rich and bitter, or sweet and silky. However we like it, when we consider which foods truly ignite the senses and give us pleasure, chocolate surely tops the list.

From its origins as a spicy drink enjoyed by Mayan Indians to its current status as a ready and affordable sweet treat, chocolate has always carried connotations of comfort and indulgence.
The taste and quality of chocolate can vary wildly according to the ingredients used and the method of preparation. The key ingredient is the cocoa bean, which is the fruit of a tree grown in equatorial regions. The cocoa bean is processed, then combined with milk, butter and sugar to make chocolate.

The two main components of the processed bean are cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Cocoa solids are responsible for the dark, rich flavour. Cocoa butter is partly responsible for the smooth texture of chocolate, and it melts just below body temperature, which is why chocolate melts in the mouth.

Varieties

Dark chocolate

Dark (or plain) chocolate is the richest variety. Due to the relatively high percentage of cocoa solids and small amount of sugar, the flavour can be bitter. The quantity of cocoa solids differs between varieties – some are ideal for eating just as they are. Others have a higher percentage and are better suited for cooking.

Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is a popular eating chocolate. It contains less cocoa solids than dark chocolate and has added milk solids, which makes it sweeter and creamier than dark varieties. However, it is also less easy to melt than dark chocolate.

White chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, milk and sugar. It doesn’t contain any cocoa solids, therefore it is not strictly a chocolate, but the flavour is light and sweet. When purchasing white chocolate be sure to check the ingredients as some brands substitute vegetable oil for cocoa butter, which results in an inferior product.

Couverture chocolate

Couverture chocolate is a high quality chocolate intended primarily for coating or dipping. It has a higher percentage of cocoa butter than dark chocolate, so it must be tempered before use. Tempering is a specific method used to melt and cool chocolate which results in a crisp and smooth chocolate with a glossy finish.

Good-quality cooking chocolate

Good-quality cooking chocolate replaces a small amount of the cocoa butter with vegetable oil, making it easier to melt.

Compound chocolate

Compound chocolate entirely  replaces the cocoa butter with vegetable oils. This diminishes the quality and flavour but makes it easier to melt and set without tempering

Mexican chocolate

Mexican chocolate is dark chocolate mixed with spices such as cinnamon. It also sometimes contains nuts. Mexican chocolate is used primarily as an ingredient in hot chocolate. A plain, spice-free version is used as an ingredient in the traditional red mole sauce, which is served with poultry.

Cocoa powder

Cocoa powder is essentially cocoa solids in powdered form. It has an intense, bitter flavour and is commonly used in baking.

Drinking chocolate

Drinking chocolate contains chocolate powder, as well as sugar and milk powder. It dissolves easily and is used to make hot and cold drinks.

Chocolate bits

Chocolate bits (or chips) contain a balance of ingredients that allow the bits to be baked in biscuits and cakes, yet retain their shape.

Organic chocolate

Organic chocolate is made from produce harvested in a manner that maintains the sustainability of the land. In order for a product to be certified organic it must adhere to strict guidelines. Because the production of organic chocolate avoids the use of artificial pesticides and fertilisers, the result is considered by many to be a higher quality chocolate with better flavour than other varieties.

Fair Trade chocolate

Fair Trade chocolate is produced by farmers and labourers who are paid a fair price for their products. Unfortunately, a high percentage of the cocoa beans used to make chocolate are produced by people, including child slaves, who are exploited for cheap labour. However, due to growing awareness, there is an increase of the number of products on the market that are certified and labelled Fair Trade.

Chocolates

Chocolates

When you were a child, have you ever dreamed of going inside a chocolate factory and wondered what it was like to swim in a river made of chocolate?  What child would not fantasize about chocolate?  Its creamy texture and bittersweet taste are deeply ingrained into our young heads.  If you smother healthy stuff like fruits and grains in chocolate, they will definitely get eaten.  Of course, we also remember our parents telling us that too much chocolate will make our tummy hurt and our teeth fall out.

For many people, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food.  For them, eating a piece of chocolate makes them feel like they are being transported to a time in your childhood when you were still innocent and free of worries.  You may think this is just psychological, but recent studies have shown that there are more health benefits from chocolate apart from just getting good feelings.

Recent studies discovered that chocolate is rich in flavonoids.  These are anti-oxidants that are formed from the combination of amino acids called acetate and phenylalanine.  Flavonoids neutralize the effects we get from free radicals in food and the environment, which are bad for us because they destroy the cells in our bodies.  Did you know that eating 1.5 oz of dark chocolate has the equivalent amount of antioxidants contained in a cup of black tea?  Both of them contain around 800mg of antioxidants, so which would you choose?

With the above mentioned chemicals in chocolate, studies have proved that chocolate can help keep our cardiovascular symptoms in good running order.  It can lower the body’s blood pressure, as well as the body’s cholesterol levels.Aside from containing antioxidants, chocolate also contains theobromine, which is an alkaloid compound usually found in cacao plants. Theobromine and caffeine are very similar in that they improve blood circulation and can be used as diuretics and heart stimulants.  However, the effects of theobromine are weaker compared to caffeine and the amount of it contained in chocolates are very minimal.  Unfortunately, theobromine poisoning can occur in the elderly and they are cautioned against consuming too much chocolate. This alkaloid compound is also dangerous for pets, who have an inability to digest it.

The good feelings we get from eating chocolate is due to the theobromine.  It stimulates the heart, relaxes the nerves and thus, elevates our mood.

Among all the kinds of chocolates available, eating dark chocolate is your best bet.  This is because it has the highest concentration of cocoa solids compared to milk chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate drinks.  It also has less sugar compared to the other types.  Milk chocolate contains a lot of sugar and milk and chocolate drinks have even less cocoa solids.  This means that the higher concentration of cocoa solids there are in chocolate, the more you can take advantage of the benefits.

Doesn’t finding out about all the good things about chocolate make you feel less guilty about indulging?  Go ahead, get a big bite out of that lovely, rich chocolate bar or cake today and enjoy it!

However, it is also important to choose your chocolate wisely and eat in moderation to get these benefits. Dark chocolate, especially those with nuts and fruits, is still your best bet, as it has the highest concentration of cocoa solids and nutrition compared to other types of chocolate.