Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Pies R Us


We have a brand new Christmas special, combining three of our most favourite Christmas desserts: pies, puddings and fruit cake. The fruit mince pies have a lovely buttery crust, and are filled with fruity mince. The pudding is lovely steamed in it's own pouch, or microwaved, and served in thin slices with white chocolate sauce or by itself. The fruity cake, our pièce de resistance, is a lovely 800g moist fruit filled cake decorated with complete pieces of pecan, almond, and green and red glacé cherries. Separately their combined retail price is $44.35, but follow this link to our website and they can be purchased together in a pack for $39.95.

Click here to order

Monday, December 15, 2008

RECIPE BLOG! Christmas Stars with Raspberry Framboise Sauce

Here's a festive recipe using The Chocolate Box's own Raspberry Framboise Sauce. It's pretty easy. Like I usually say "If I can make them, anyone can! TM".

INGREDIENTS
A tablespoon or two of The Chocolate Box's Raspberry Framboise Sauce
2 sheets of puff pastry (each sheet makes 16 stars)
1 Freerange Egg
1 Tablespoon Water
White icing for decoration

IMPLEMENTS
Greaseproof baking paper
Basting brush
Baking tray
Bowl
Spoon, fork, knife

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take out and defrost one sheet of puff pastry. Cut into about 16 squares. Preheat oven to about 200•C.
2. Create cuts in all four corners of each sheet, as shown. If you want to make them a bit thinner than mine, you could try rolling out the dough to be a bit finer.
3. Spoon on a little bit of Raspberry Framboise Sauce into the centre of the stars. I find that you actually don't need very much.
4. Fold over one startip from each corner into the centre, until you make a pinwheel shape. See diagram at right. Make sure that you press the dough together at the centre of each star, otherwise the stars might not keep their shape.
5. Place stars carefully on greaseproof baking paper on an oven tray.
6. Whisk one egg and a tablespoon of water in a bowl, and with a brush, brush them over the pastries. This is what gives the pastries their golden brown colour.
7. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at about 150-180•C. Remove when lightly browned.
8. To finish, sift a little bit of white icing powder over the top for decoration.















As an interesting variation, you can try adding dessicated coconut to the raspberry framboise sauce before using in the recipe.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

NEW! Our Favourite Christmas Things


"When I'm ti-red,
Of Christmas shopp-ing,
When I'm feeling fagged,
I simply remember my favorite things can be ordered online,
And then I don't feel so bad..."


Here are some of the recent Christmas additions to our website. Order by December 15th to ensure your order arrives before Christmas. We deliver Australia wide (only).
More products are available on our website www.chocolatebox.com.au


The Ultimate Christmas Hamper
A fine selection of Christmas
goodies including:
A Bottle of wine,
Entertainer Fruit & Nut Cake,
Shortbread Biscuit Tin,
Luxury Cream Truffles Box,
Christmas Star Assortment Box,
and a lovely Christmas Pudding
$99.95
Click Here

Christmas Plum Pudding
A delicious traditional Christmas
Plum Pudding in calico.
To cook: Remove pudding from
cloth, place pouch in
microwave (1000 watts) and heat
on high for 2 minutes. Remove
from microwave and rest for 2
minutes (this ensures an even
reheating) - then microwave for
a further 2 minutes. 400g.
$12.95
Click Here

Entertainer Fruit and Nut Cake
Packed with fruit and nuts this
deluxe Christmas cake is a real
delight. Just slice and display on
your Christmas table. 800g cake.
$23.95
Click Here

Fruity Nut Rum Bombs
An explosion of Fruit, Nut and
Rum Liqueur in delectable
Dark Chocolate. 250g box (approx.
20 pieces).
$12.95
Click Here


Please view our website for more products.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

RECIPE BLOG! Chocolate Spiders


Now that you know how to temper chocolate, (see December 1st blog), here is a very simple recipe for making chocolate spiders. Maybe they're a little bit too big and scary looking (see picture), but the good news is that if I can make them, anyone can!

INGREDIENTS
200g The Chocolate Box chocolate pastilles
100g packet of Pre-cooked Fried (non-flavoured) noodles
2 tablespoons of Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth)

IMPLEMENTS
Double saucepans or a bain-marie
A tablespoon
A dessert spoon
Small pattypans (if you can find them) or waxproof paper


INSTRUCTIONS
1. Break chocolate pastilles into smaller pieces for quicker melting.
2. Melt chocolate in an empty smaller saucepan sitting on a larger saucepan partially filled with simmering water. Do not boil water, keep stove at low temperature. Do not allow any water to get into the small saucepan. See post "How to cook couverture chocolate" below.
3. When chocolate is smooth and melted, stir in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, until mixture is thoroughly mixed.
4. Stir in noodles, until they are completely covered in chocolate.
5. Scoop out mixture using spoons and place into pattypans, or in blobs on greaseproof or baking paper.
6. Allow to cool. When chocolate solidifies the spiders are ready!

Monday, December 1, 2008

How to cook couverture chocolate

masthead how to cook couverture chocolateThe instructions for cooking couverture chocolate may sound a bit complicated, but its really just about getting the chocolate warmed into a sauce-like consistency so it is easy for you to stir into your mixtures or pour into moulds.

We recommend the use of a bain marie, or double saucepans. Heat hot water in the larger saucepan at a low temperature setting, and use the smaller saucepan to hold the melted chocolate as you dip it into the hot water.

For dipping fruit and desserts into a warm chocolate sauce, you can use a fondue set (we sell some of these at our stores). It is easy to use for small amounts of chocolate, and it simply consists of a ceramic dish with pieces of chocolate melted above a small candle. (Don't try to reproduce this over an open flame with a saucepan).

For easiest use, The Chocolate Box pastilles come in flat circular pieces which you can break down into smaller pieces for easy melting, or if you like, you can use our single origin callets.
These are the instructions for our couverture chocolate pastilles.

HOW TO COOK CHOCOLATE

1. Using a double-boiler, or two saucepans of varying size, place the chocolate pieces in the smaller saucepan. Fill the second saucepan with water and heat to a low temperature of approx. 45˚C. (Put your stove on low heat setting)

2. Place the saucepan containing the chocolate over the second saucepan and allow the chocolate to melt slowly. Heat very gently, stirring regularly to avoid burning the chocolate. DO NOT allow the cooking temperature to exceed 50˚C, and never heat your chocolate over a naked flame.

3. Cool chocolate by leaving on a marble or cold table, or by submerging your saucepan partly into cold water, to a temperature of approx. 27˚C for Milk Chocolate, or 27˚C to 28˚C for dark chocolate. Stir continually, constantly scraping the chocolate from the sides of the bowl. Take care that no water is allowed into the chocolate as the mixture will become
thick and unuseable.

4. Return the saucepan of chocolate to the pot of warm water and, stirring constantly, raise the temperature of the chocolate to 30˚C - 32˚C for dark chocolate or 29˚C - 31˚C for Milk Chocolate. The chocolate is now ready for moulding or dipping. Centres for dipping should be at 20˚C - 25˚C.

5. Cool finished products at 14˚C - 18˚C in a dry place. DO NOT refrigerate, or risk condensation.

6. Unused chocolate can be removed and re-used in the above manner.


WHAT IS COUVERTURE CHOCOLATE?
Coverture chocolate is a higher quality chocolate, that uses more cocoa solids in its manufacture. Compound chocolate is a cheaper grade of chocolate which is often found in commercial chocolate bars in the supermarket. Compound chocolate is a bit more robust and you may find it easier to use in cooking.