My Chocolate Fantasy

Julie Spear asked:


These days, you don’t have to go to the grocery to buy chocolate. Just like cookies, these can be home made as long as you have the ingredients and the materials. They most important to make chocolate are the molds.

Molds are usually made of plastic and these can be purchased from craft stores. Most of these cost about a dollar up so if you want to make these in different shapes and sizes, you have to buy a bunch.

Now that you have your mold, you should also buy the raw chocolate which is also available from the craft store. This is available in different flavors and colors so you can mix them up later on.

There are two ways to melt chocolate. The first is to cut the chocolate block into small pieces and then put this in a microwave safe bowl before sticking it in the oven. Since it is quite hard to see if all the chocolate has finally melted, we now come to the second option which is to melt it using a double boiler.

A double boiler consists of two pans. The first one has water while a smaller one is placed on top which is where the chocolate will be placed. You then stir the chocolate until melts. Once everything is now in liquid form, you then get your mold and pour the chocolate.

You should tap the bottom to take out air bubbles out of the chocolate otherwise there will be holes later on when they come out of the freezer. If you decide to put in candy sprinkles or marshmallows with your chocolate, it is best to pour them into the boiler.

After ten minutes or so, the chocolate mold inside the freezer is ready to be taken out. A good indicator is to check the bottom of the mold and see if the chocolate is still holding on to the mold.

If it is ready, then it is time to flip it over and tap it gently so it can land on a soft surface like a napkin to prevent it from breaking. Another method is to carefully pour water on the mold. But if it is not, then you should put the mold back into the freezer.

The nice thing about working with chocolate is that if is should ***** or break, you can recycle it which prevents wastage. If you make a mistake when you are painting it, don’t touch it and wait until it freezes so it is easy to remove and you can start over.

When it is ready, you can serve this as part of your dessert but if you are giving this away as a gift, make sure you find a nice box because it should look presentable to whoever will be receiving it.

Surely the molds you used to make chocolate will be used in the future. To maintain it, you must never wash this with soap as this removes its slickness. You should also carefully dry it after washing because it could cause spots to appear making it also difficult for the chocolate to be released from the mold.

But if your chocolate mold is sticky, perhaps you should coat it first lightly with some vegetable oil before you pour in the melted chocolate.

Making chocolate using molds is fun. You may not get it perfect the first time but as time goes by, you are sure to get better at it.

Shelly Hill asked:


When it comes to making desserts for my family during the hot summer months, I look for recipes that don’t involve turning on my oven. The recipes have to be easy, with common every day ingredients and more importantly, taste great!

When it comes to making these pies, it’s important to remember that they need to be chilled for several hours before serving them. If desired, you can garnish your pies with some whipped topping.

These recipes would be great for everyday desserts or prepare one for your next family gathering.

Chocolate Chiffon

1 baked pie shell

1 env. unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. milk

3 egg yolks

1 c. heavy whipping cream

3 egg whites

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Combine sugar, cocoa and salt in a saucepan. Stir in milk and egg yolks. Cook over low heat stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, do not boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Chill for 1 hour. Whip cream until peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture; beat egg whites and add to chocolate. Pour mixture into pie shell. Chill until set.

Chocolate Amaretto

1 graham cracker crust

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 3/4 c. milk

3 tbsp. Amaretto extract

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Gradually blend in milk, stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Blend in Amaretto, butter and vanilla. Pour into pie crust. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Banana Cream

1 baked pie shell

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

2 1/2 c. milk

1 c. sugar

5 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 med. bananas, sliced

1 c. whipped cream

Place baking chocolate and 1 1/2 cup of milk in top of double boiler over simmering water; heat and stir until melted. In a bowl combine sugar, cornstarch and salt; blend in remaining 1 cup of milk. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, stirring constantly. Immediately add egg yolks. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cool. Spread a small amount of filling over the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange a layer of banana slices on top of filling. Spread remaining filling. Cover bowl and chill.

Reg Ofori asked:


The Secret for Making the Best Belgian Chocolate Fondue

One essential instruments for making Belgian chocolate fondue is called the chocolate fountain. A chocolate fountain stands 2 to 4 feet high with multiple tiers. It is made of stainless steel and has a built-in motor at the bottom. The motor is used to heat the prepared morsels of chocolates on the heating trays. The central corkscrew will push the molten chocolate vertically upward through the fountain’s column. When it reaches the fountain’s top, the chocolate will flow like waterfalls. The chocolates will fill in the cascading tiers until the bottom tier is filled. Then the same procedure is repeated over and over again. Melting the chocolate can also be done using a double boiler or a microwave. Put the fountain in a sturdy base, near a power socket. Make sure that it can carry up to 40 kilograms of chocolates.

A chocolate fountain is available both in commercial and home versions. It can be utilized for different types of occasions including film premiers, product launches, parties, and bar mitzvahs. It is perfect for around twenty five people.

You can rent chocolate fountains from party supply shops and catering companies. Attendants are ocassionaly provided to ensure that the chocolate fountain is working properly, it cascades the chocolates smoothly, and no fountain abuse for excited children. This apparatus is rented at an hourly basis and include charges on the services provided by the attendants and the cost of chocolates used. Chocolate fountains operate for a maximum of two hours or less during the party and starts to function when desserts and appetizers are served.

Tidbits including cheesecakes, fruit pieces, and marshmallows are placed around the chocolate fountain for added excitements. Skewered these using toothpicks and dip it in the chocolate fountain. However, never put anything that can be easily crumbled when dipped in the chocolate fountain. Never install chocolate fountains outdoors because the chocolate aroma can attract insects and the flow may be distracted by the breeze.

Chocolates contain higher amounts of cocoa butter, like couverteur chocolates which is perfect for making chocolate fondue. Make sure that you are using either the dark or milk chocolates. Chocolates that have low contents of cocoa butter can be substituted with vegetable oils. But expect that the taste and smoothness of the chocolates are affected. These Belgian chocolates are prepared from dried cocoa seeds. These seeds are first roasted and then crushed to become powder. After that, cocoa butter is made though a squeezing process. Cocoa butter and powder are combined adding milk powder and sugar. The proportions of each element determine the color of the chocolates. Black chocolates contain 70 percent of cocoa, milk chocolates contain more milk powders, and white chocolates are made from sugar, milk, and cocoa butter without cocoa.

The Belgian chocolate fondue fountain is a very innovative product which elegantly enhances wedding receptions, special events, and buffet. It is because it offers an exciting dimension new in making chocolate fondues. Your guests can be drawn into amazement especially when dipping strawberries as well as other appetizing desserts in the flowing waterfalls of chocolate. Hotels, restaurants, event planners, and catering companies can offer unlimited varieties of food services which can attract more clients. Purchase a chocolate fountain and make your own version of a Belgian chocolate fondue fountain.

Shana Shane asked:


In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about chocolate. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM Recipe

For about two quarts and a half of cream use a pint and a half of

milk, a quart of thin cream, two cupfuls of sugar, two ounces of

Walter Baker & Co.’s Premium No. 1 Chocolate, two eggs, and

two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour.

Put the milk on to boil in a double-boiler. Put the flour and one cupful of the sugar

in a bowl; add the eggs, and beat the mixture until light.

Stir this into the boiling milk, and cook for twenty minutes, stirring often.

Scrape the chocolate, and put it in a small saucepan. Add four tablespoonfuls of

sugar (which should be taken from the second cupful) and two tablespoonfuls of

hot water. Stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy. Add this to the cooking mixture.

When the preparation has cooked for twenty minutes, take it from the fire and add

the remainder of the sugar and the cream, which should be gradually beaten into the

hot mixture. Set away to cool, and when cold, freeze.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.