New Delhi: Every year on July 7, the world celebrates Chocolate Day. We honour the velvety, smooth, and decadent creation that has captivated our taste buds and offered us moments of absolute happiness throughout history. Today is the day to savour every delectable taste of chocolate, whether you prefer the dark, milk, or white kind, or whether you enjoy it in the form of bars, truffles, or bonbons.
The Art of Pairing Chocolate With Other Food Ingredients:
Pairing is a sensational experience that comes with the combination of two or more different ingredients. But, while doing so, it is very important to understand the flavour profiles. For each item that it is being paired with, it’s important to identify the basics- the taste, aroma, texture, mouthfeel, and keynotes.
It is important to look for three things when pairing food: food with similar aromas goes well, such as chocolate with caramel or chocolate with coffee. Incorporating at least two contrasting tastes adds depth of flavour, like sweet and salty or sweet and sour. Additionally, including two or more contrasting textures offers a multidimensional bite.
When it comes to pairing chocolate with wine, although it’s a classic combination, it doesn’t mean any bottle of wine will do. Dark chocolate goes best with sweet wines, not red ones.
Moving on to pairing chocolate with tea, the warmth of tea is enough to melt the chocolate on the tongue. The best teas to pair with dark chocolate are Oolongs, Pu’ers, and black teas. Dark chocolate with floral notes can be combined with Jade Oolong for a refreshing herbal taste, while cacao origins known for their nutty notes pair well with black Keemun tea.
When it comes to the unconventional pairing of chocolate with cheese, it may initially sound like a weird combination. However, you might be surprised to discover that soft and semi-soft cheeses like Gruyère, Gouda, and Brie actually complement chocolate exceptionally well, surpassing the compatibility found with hard cheeses.
As the demand for dairy-free, organic, and preservative-free options grows, health-conscious people are looking for healthier indulgent treats.
According to Abhinav Kumar, Co-Founder, Craft Coffee, "Healthy versions of chocolates are often infused with citrus, berries, herbs & spices, and honey to enhance the flavour profiles and cater to the evolving preferences of health-conscious people."
Check Out Some Interesting Recipes That You Can Try On This Day:
1. Rose White Chocolate Truffle Balls (By Prajit P Kumar, Jr. Sous Chef Bakery, The Ashok)
Ingredients:
- White chocolate chopped into very small pieces– 200 grams
- Unsalted butter-softened– 2 Tablespoons
- Heavy cream– 30 ml
- Bread Loaf– 300 grams
- Gulkand or Rose Petal Jam– 3 Tablespoon
- Dried Rose Petals– 50 grams
- Powdered Sugar– 50 grams
- Almond Flakes– 25 grams
Method:
- In a bowl, finely crumble the bread, add powdered sugar, gulkand, 50 grams of chopped white chocolate, and butter. Mix well and make 1-inch balls out of the mixture
- Over a double boiler melt the remaining chopped white chocolate, stirring casually until smooth and completely melted. DO NOT heat above 105 F (if touched with your finger, it will feel about the same temperature as your body)
- In a small saucepan simmer heavy cream. Remove from heat, add melted white chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is combined with heavy cream
- Dip the bread balls in the white chocolate mixture and roll them over rose petals and almond flakes. Refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled.
2. Chocolate Dumpling (By Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, CHO)
Ingredients:
For the plain dumpling dough:
- Rice flour- 170gm
- Water cold- 125ml (approx.)
- Vegetable shortening- 12gm
- Sugar- 20gm
- Wheat starch- 10gm
- Potato starch- 10gm
For Chocolate Cremeux:
- Double cream- 70gm
- Milk- 60gm
- Sugar- 12gm
- Dark chocolate (70% chopped)- 40gm
- Milk chocolate (40% chopped)- 40gm
For plating:
- Icing sugar- 5gm
- Whipped cream- 30gm
- Mint for garnish- a few sprigs
Method:
- To start, first, make the dumpling dough. Mix the flour with the water and mix well. Add the shortening and combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well until smooth, if the dough is a little dry add a little water. Wrap well in cling film and store in the fridge. Before using it bring it to room temperature
- To make the chocolate cremeux, add the cream and milk to the pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until pale and smooth. Add the chocolate pieces to a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- Once the milk and cream are boiling, pour a splash of the hot milk over the eggs, whisking continuously until smooth.
- Add the mixture back to the pan with the hot milk and cream and cook, stirring continuously at a temperature of 85 degrees centigrade.
- As soon as the custard reaches this temperature, pour the chocolate into 3 stages and gradually emulsify the chocolate.
- Allow to cool and then put in a piping bag, set them in truffle shells in the fridge to set.
- To assemble the dumpling, divide the dumpling dough into 10gm portions. Press each portion of dumpling dough into a 4 cm circle and place the truffle into it and close.
- Cover the dumpling well and keep it in the fridge to set.
- To cook the dumpling, bring a pan of water to a boil, place a few dumplings and agitate gently so they don’t stick to the bottom.
- Cook for 3 -4 mins till cooked and completely soft.
- To plate, add dumplings on the plate, dust with icing sugar, whipped cream and some fruits if needed.
3. Chocolate Trufles: (By Chef Ajay Chopra, Plaka)
Ingredients:
- Dark Compound Chocolate– 1 cup
- Cream– 3 cups
- Chopped Almond– 2 tbsp
- Chopped Pista– 2 tbsp
- Cocoa Powder– 2 tbsp
- Caramel Filling– 1 tbsp
Method:
- Chop dark compound chocolate and keep it aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate in the double boiler.
- Stir the chocolate in between.
- Temper the chocolate to give it a smooth texture and shine.
- Add cream in tempered chocolate in the ratio of 70-30, mins and keep in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- Stuff caramel in between chocolate truffles and roll them in a spherical shape and coat with chopped almond, chopped pista, and cocoa powder
4. Royal Chocolate (By Bhaskar Chakraborty, Executive Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Kolkata)
Ingredients:
For the pastry dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 tablespoons ice water
For the chocolate filling:
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache glaze:
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For garnish (optional):
Edible gold leaf
Fresh berries
Whipped cream
Method:
- Start by preparing the pastry dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture.
- Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the butter is evenly distributed. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of ice water. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour and butter mixture, stirring with a fork or your hands, until the dough comes together. Add an additional tablespoon of ice water if needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry dough into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan. Transfer the rolled dough to the tart pan, pressing it gently into the bottom and sides. Trim any excess dough.
To make the chocolate filling-
- Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer.
- Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to soften the chocolate.
- Add the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth and well combined. Pour the chocolate filling into the prepared tart shell.
- Bake the tart in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- While the tart is cooling, prepare the chocolate ganache glaze
To make chocolate ganache glaze-
- Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate.
- Add the unsalted butter to the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled tart, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Allow the ganache to set at room temperature or refrigerate the tart for about 1 hour until the ganache is firm.
- Once the ganache is set, you can garnish the tart if desired. You can place edible gold
5. Chocolate Bark (By Chef Vidisha Bathwal, Paprika Gourmet)
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate (50% to 60%)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
- 1/3 cup large coconut flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon chunky sea salt (or smoked sea salt)
Method:
- Prep: Start a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Chop the chocolate into 1/2-inch chunks. In a heat-proof bowl that is completely dry that will fit over the pan of simmering water, add about 2/3 of the chocolate chunks. We used a small metal bowl; you can also use a double boiler if you have one.
- Melt the chocolate to a temperature of 108 to 115°F: Hold the bowl with the chocolate above the other saucepan with boiling water to create a double boiler (or use your double boiler). Place a towel on counter next to the stove so that you can transfer the bowl to the counter as necessary and avoid any water getting into the bowl. Hold the bowl of chocolate over the simmering water for a few seconds, until the chocolate starts to melt. Remove from the bowl to the towel and stir and stir to continue melting. Check the temperature with a food thermometer, and continue going back and forth from the water for a few seconds to the towel until fully melted. The target temperature is 108 to 115°F, but do not allow the chocolate to go higher than 115°F.
- Add the unmelted chocolate and reduce to 85 to 86°F: Once the chocolate is fully melted and at 108 to 115°F, add the remaining third of the unmelted chocolate and stir constantly until it melts and the chocolate temperature falls to 85 to 86°F. This will take up to 10 minutes, but it is worth the wait! Stir regularly for the entire time to ensure an even temperature.
- Heat back to 90 to 91°F: When the chocolate is 85°F, return the bowl of chocolate to above the pan of simmering water for a couple seconds at a time until climbs back to 90 to 91°F. Now the chocolate is tempered!
- Add mix-ins and spread in a thin layer: Add half the cranberries, chopped pistachios and coconut flakes to the melted chocolate and stir until fully combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the parchment paper in an even layer to a size of about 8″ by 11″. Sprinkle the remaining toppings over the top, crushing the coconut and chunky sea salt with your fingers to make smaller pieces.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate at 30 minutes until hardened. When hard, cut into irregular 2 to 3 inch pieces with a butter knife. Store in an airtight container at refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen for 3 months.
6. Choco Lava ( By Chef S. Kumar, Moti Mahal Delux, Kolkata)
Ingredients:
- 135 gms - dark chocolate
- 95 gms - butter
- 100 gms - icing sugar
- 35 gms - flour
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- In a microwaveable bowl, add in chocolate and butter & melt it (You can melt using the double boiler method too).
- In another bowl whisk together sugar.
- Mix together the chocolate and butter mixture with the sugar.
- Fold in the flour.
- Strain the mixture to get rid of any lumps.
- Also place 3 chocolate pieces in the center of each cup.
- Keep this in the fridge for 5-7 minutes to chill.
- Pour the batter into greased ramekins.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream.