lorax
01-22-2010, 06:18 PM
By popular request in the Share an Image! thread...
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh196/HabloPorArboles/Bananas/DSCN2488.jpg
Chocobolitas
About 8 dozen
You Need:
*2 C Rolled quick oats
*1 C Semisweet chocolate chips (which I can't get; I use bittersweet chocolate-covered sesame seeds instead)
*1 C Cocoa Nibs - these are little chunks of roasted cocoa bean. If you can't find them, just double your semisweet chips. Nibs have a rich, almost coffeelike flavour.
*1 C Sweet butter (unsalted)
*1 C Panela (raw sugar; if you can't get this, use demerrera)
*1-1/2 C Wheat flour (I use a mix of 50% quinoa flour and 50% wheat, because I like the subtly nutty flavour that quinoa gives to cookies)
*1/2 TSP Baking soda (reduce slightly for low altitudes)
*1/2 TSP Sea salt. Accept no substitutes; iodized salt is just plain nasty.
*1/4 C Dutch process cocoa powder. You can substitute any other unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch process is best. Fry's (http://www.canadaonly.ca/images/fryscocoax.jpg) is a good brand in the US and Canada.
*2 large eggs, beaten lightly
*5-6 TBSP Port Brandy (I use Fundador (http://notb.net/ship/fundador.jpg), which is from the port of Jerez), or the non-cream booze of your choice. If you're making these for kids, use milk instead.
*1-1/2 TSP Pure vanilla extract. Accept no substitutes - Ethyl vanillin may be chemically identical, but it lacks the character of real vanilla.
For dipping
*8-10 oz Dark Chocolate, 75% cocoa minimum (I use an Ecuadorean brand, Superior, which is not generally exported. Lindt Signature Dark (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4157678941_37b66bd769.jpg) is a good choice in the US, and Bernard Callebeaut Dark Couberture (http://www.bernardcallebaut.com/shop/ProdImages/couverture_baking_bar_1_lg.gif) in Canada.)
*A bag or so of extruded dark chocolate sprinkles (again, I use an Ecuadorean brand that is not generally exported. Find your own dang sprinkles.)
How do you do it?
You MUST combine the ingredients in this order, otherwise the cookies do not turn out properly.
1. Mix the oats and chocolate chips, and set aside.
2. In your main mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until they form a smooth mixture.
3. In your largest measuring cup (4 C minimum), combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa. Mix well. If you're anal retentive, you can sieve them together. I'm not - I use a spoon.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and cream together. What you end up with will be extremely short (flaky) - it's properly mixed when the cocoa has started to darken.
5. In your measuring cup, beat together the eggs, brandy, and vanilla. Add this to the dry mixture and stir well until blended. This will be fairly stiff - if you can't use up all of the flour, add another TBSP or so of brandy (this will vary by your altitude and the humidity content of your flour.)
6. Add the oats and chips mixture to this and stir well. You'll end up with a slightly sticky but quite firm dough.
6a. Preheat your oven to 350 F now.
7. Pinch off a bit of dough and roll it between your palms until it forms a ball. I aim for balls about the size of a target marble (about an inch in diameter) - you can choose your own size, but if you make them much bigger than that, they'll take longer to cook and lose their moist texture towards the outside. Place these on greased or papered cookie sheets.
8. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the sheets on a spatula to brown paper on a cool countertop (mine are marble) and allow to cool fully.
9. In your double boiler, melt the dark chocolate.
10. Using a marble slab and a silicon spreader, temper the chocolate, then return it to the pan of the double boiler. (see note below on how to do this, if you're unfamiliar with the process. If you're completely certain that you'll eat all 8 dozen or so of the cookies within 24 hours, you can skip this step.)
11. On a plate, make a heap of sprinkles.
12. Dip each cookie about 1/3 to 1/2 into the chocolate, then immediately plunge into the sprinkles, then place the cookie back on the paper to set (about 1 hour in a 20 C room). I use my fingers for this unless I'm making cookies for sale; then I use tongs. If you're using your fingers, be careful not to touch the chocolate in the boiler pan.
Chocobolitos are best when they're somewhere between perfectly fresh and a week old; after this they tend to dry out, although they're not susceptible to molding except in very humid climates. After the initial pig-out, they're best stored in Supperware type containers with a layer of parchment or wax paper between each level of cookies. If you're in a particularly hot or humid area (deserts and seabords spring to mind), this should go in the fridge. If you're not, they can stay out at room temperature. In my experience, 8 dozen Chocobolitos rarely lasts longer than 2 or 3 days anyway.
Note on how to temper chocolate and why it's important to do it in the first place.
Tempered chocolate keeps longer than simple melted chocolate, and does not develop 'bloom' (white scungy surface) or chalky texture for much longer than simple melted, especially when refrigerated. This is especially important for chocolate that uses real cocoa butter (as the brands I suggested do), since the bloom and texture are caused by this fat separating from the cocoa substrate and rising to the surface of the confection. Tempering also gives the chocolate a much smoother, glossier finish once it's set.
Once the chocolate has reached a fairly thin consistency (it should run freely off a metal spoon), transfer it to a cold, perfectly dry marble or granite slab. Work it across the slab in a fluid, scoop-and-spread motion using the silicon spatula, until the chocolate ceases to appear shiny and has taken on a velvetty sheen. Transfer this back to the pan of the double boiler, with the heat off; the residual heat of the water in the boiler portion will bring the chocolate back up to its original thin consistency. That's it.
You must be religiously careful not to let water or alcohol come into contact with chocolate while it is melting or tempering. Liquids cause nearly immediate curdling, which makes the chocolate unusable. One drop of water can ruin up to 3 lbs of chocolate while it's a liquid. I've found it useful to dry the bottom of my double-boiler pan with a tea towel before transferring the chocolate to the slab.
If by this point, you're saying "boy, that Lorax sure is a chocolate snob" you're quite right. In life, but especially when it comes to chocolate, anything worth doing is worth doing the very best you can. I'm a master confectioner, so this goes doubly for me.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh196/HabloPorArboles/Bananas/DSCN2488.jpg
Chocobolitas
About 8 dozen
You Need:
*2 C Rolled quick oats
*1 C Semisweet chocolate chips (which I can't get; I use bittersweet chocolate-covered sesame seeds instead)
*1 C Cocoa Nibs - these are little chunks of roasted cocoa bean. If you can't find them, just double your semisweet chips. Nibs have a rich, almost coffeelike flavour.
*1 C Sweet butter (unsalted)
*1 C Panela (raw sugar; if you can't get this, use demerrera)
*1-1/2 C Wheat flour (I use a mix of 50% quinoa flour and 50% wheat, because I like the subtly nutty flavour that quinoa gives to cookies)
*1/2 TSP Baking soda (reduce slightly for low altitudes)
*1/2 TSP Sea salt. Accept no substitutes; iodized salt is just plain nasty.
*1/4 C Dutch process cocoa powder. You can substitute any other unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch process is best. Fry's (http://www.canadaonly.ca/images/fryscocoax.jpg) is a good brand in the US and Canada.
*2 large eggs, beaten lightly
*5-6 TBSP Port Brandy (I use Fundador (http://notb.net/ship/fundador.jpg), which is from the port of Jerez), or the non-cream booze of your choice. If you're making these for kids, use milk instead.
*1-1/2 TSP Pure vanilla extract. Accept no substitutes - Ethyl vanillin may be chemically identical, but it lacks the character of real vanilla.
For dipping
*8-10 oz Dark Chocolate, 75% cocoa minimum (I use an Ecuadorean brand, Superior, which is not generally exported. Lindt Signature Dark (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4157678941_37b66bd769.jpg) is a good choice in the US, and Bernard Callebeaut Dark Couberture (http://www.bernardcallebaut.com/shop/ProdImages/couverture_baking_bar_1_lg.gif) in Canada.)
*A bag or so of extruded dark chocolate sprinkles (again, I use an Ecuadorean brand that is not generally exported. Find your own dang sprinkles.)
How do you do it?
You MUST combine the ingredients in this order, otherwise the cookies do not turn out properly.
1. Mix the oats and chocolate chips, and set aside.
2. In your main mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until they form a smooth mixture.
3. In your largest measuring cup (4 C minimum), combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa. Mix well. If you're anal retentive, you can sieve them together. I'm not - I use a spoon.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and cream together. What you end up with will be extremely short (flaky) - it's properly mixed when the cocoa has started to darken.
5. In your measuring cup, beat together the eggs, brandy, and vanilla. Add this to the dry mixture and stir well until blended. This will be fairly stiff - if you can't use up all of the flour, add another TBSP or so of brandy (this will vary by your altitude and the humidity content of your flour.)
6. Add the oats and chips mixture to this and stir well. You'll end up with a slightly sticky but quite firm dough.
6a. Preheat your oven to 350 F now.
7. Pinch off a bit of dough and roll it between your palms until it forms a ball. I aim for balls about the size of a target marble (about an inch in diameter) - you can choose your own size, but if you make them much bigger than that, they'll take longer to cook and lose their moist texture towards the outside. Place these on greased or papered cookie sheets.
8. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the sheets on a spatula to brown paper on a cool countertop (mine are marble) and allow to cool fully.
9. In your double boiler, melt the dark chocolate.
10. Using a marble slab and a silicon spreader, temper the chocolate, then return it to the pan of the double boiler. (see note below on how to do this, if you're unfamiliar with the process. If you're completely certain that you'll eat all 8 dozen or so of the cookies within 24 hours, you can skip this step.)
11. On a plate, make a heap of sprinkles.
12. Dip each cookie about 1/3 to 1/2 into the chocolate, then immediately plunge into the sprinkles, then place the cookie back on the paper to set (about 1 hour in a 20 C room). I use my fingers for this unless I'm making cookies for sale; then I use tongs. If you're using your fingers, be careful not to touch the chocolate in the boiler pan.
Chocobolitos are best when they're somewhere between perfectly fresh and a week old; after this they tend to dry out, although they're not susceptible to molding except in very humid climates. After the initial pig-out, they're best stored in Supperware type containers with a layer of parchment or wax paper between each level of cookies. If you're in a particularly hot or humid area (deserts and seabords spring to mind), this should go in the fridge. If you're not, they can stay out at room temperature. In my experience, 8 dozen Chocobolitos rarely lasts longer than 2 or 3 days anyway.
Note on how to temper chocolate and why it's important to do it in the first place.
Tempered chocolate keeps longer than simple melted chocolate, and does not develop 'bloom' (white scungy surface) or chalky texture for much longer than simple melted, especially when refrigerated. This is especially important for chocolate that uses real cocoa butter (as the brands I suggested do), since the bloom and texture are caused by this fat separating from the cocoa substrate and rising to the surface of the confection. Tempering also gives the chocolate a much smoother, glossier finish once it's set.
Once the chocolate has reached a fairly thin consistency (it should run freely off a metal spoon), transfer it to a cold, perfectly dry marble or granite slab. Work it across the slab in a fluid, scoop-and-spread motion using the silicon spatula, until the chocolate ceases to appear shiny and has taken on a velvetty sheen. Transfer this back to the pan of the double boiler, with the heat off; the residual heat of the water in the boiler portion will bring the chocolate back up to its original thin consistency. That's it.
You must be religiously careful not to let water or alcohol come into contact with chocolate while it is melting or tempering. Liquids cause nearly immediate curdling, which makes the chocolate unusable. One drop of water can ruin up to 3 lbs of chocolate while it's a liquid. I've found it useful to dry the bottom of my double-boiler pan with a tea towel before transferring the chocolate to the slab.
If by this point, you're saying "boy, that Lorax sure is a chocolate snob" you're quite right. In life, but especially when it comes to chocolate, anything worth doing is worth doing the very best you can. I'm a master confectioner, so this goes doubly for me.