A CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION
WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER Chuck Siegel
For some, the thought of chocolate evokes images of sipping hot chocolate at the ski lodge or celebrating the holidays with a box of chocolate truffles. While fall and winter are wonderful times to enjoy chocolate, summer is just as ripe for enjoying chocolate in a multitude of refreshing ways. In the following pages, I’ve shared some of my favorite chocolate recipes for the long, sunny days ahead.

While chocolate truffles come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, there is stillsomething to be said for simplicity. Using only four ingredients, you can make a handsome, bite-sized Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle that is easy and fun, yet will impress.

Brownies are classic summer fare. Perfect for informal summer barbecues, or dressed up as bite-sized petit fours for elegant gatherings, they are always in style. And who can turn down the opportunity to embellish them with a scoop of cool, refreshing ice cream? Make them as a special surprise, or enjoy making them with friends and family. Enjoy my recipe for Pecan Brownies– a fudgy, bittersweet chocolate brownie enhanced with the unique taste and texture of pecans.

Summer is not complete without the campfire favorite - Chocolate S’mores. This all-American favorite is made with homemade graham crackers, fresh, handmade marshmallows, and the best gourmet bittersweet chocolate. You can take these gooey delights to a whole new level by using the finest chocolate, and making the crackers and marshmallows yourself. These are an irresistible treat for adults and kids alike.

Fantastic recipes need not be complicated – being successful with these recipes requires only a few things:

Use the best ingredients
Chocolate is an ingredient not to be compromised; the quality of your creations will be based largely on the quality of the chocolate you use. At Charles Chocolates, we use a select number of the most premium chocolates from around the world. Our chocolate confections, including our truffles, are made with organic cream and butter. In our mojito heart, we use organic lime juice

and mint to infuse the chocolate ganache with the freshest, most intense flavor we can create – making it truly reminiscent of drinking a mojito. We also use Jamaican rum – the same good stuff you’d use in mixing a real mojito.

Keep it fresh
I enjoy homemade treats because products taste best when they are fresh. Our confections last for only 3-4 weeks because we use no preservatives. Make products in small batches, and enjoy them within a few days of when they were made. The fresh marshmallows and graham crackers used in my S’mores recipe are an entirely different product than the ones you can purchase at the supermarket, which have been sitting on the shelf for weeks, or even months.

Innovate and experiment
I’ve always thought pecans were way more interesting and unique than walnuts in brownies, so I’ve used toasted pecans in my recipes. When ingredient upgrades have been called for, I’ve made them – like use of organic creamand whole vanilla bean in the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles.

Pair well
All of the recipes you’re about to read are wonderful on their own. However, chocolate is also enhanced with delicious and refreshing complements such as milk, ice cream, fresh fruit, and champagne. Read on for my favorite summer pairings with each recipe.

Recommended Chocolates
A final note: my favorite bittersweet chocolates to use in these recipes include El Rey 71% and E. Guittard 72%. Which chocolate you use is also a matter of personal taste, so choose a chocolate that you like, and experiment a few times. Your friends and family shouldn’t mind.

The chocolate delights that I’ve selected are easy to make, have a simple list of ingredients, and shouldn’t take you away from enjoying summer for too long. They are ideal for sharing with friends and family, bringing to a summer soirée, or enjoying as you wind down and relax at the end of the day. Enjoy the casual elegance and romance of these classics.

S'MORES
CHARLES CHOCOLATES BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate (I recommend either E. Guittard 72% or El Rey 71%), finely chopped.

1 cup organic heavy cream or whipping cream (try to find cream that is not “ultra-pasteurized”)

1 whole vanilla bean

8 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat.

2. Split the vanilla bean open and scrape out the vanilla seed into the cream and let steep for 10 minutes.

3. Bring the cream back to a gentle boil over medium heat.

4. Pour the cream over the finely chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture together until very smooth. This is referred to as ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream. 6. Refrigerate in an airtight container, for at least 5 hours or overnight.

7. Using a small melon baller or a small teaspoon, scoop small balls of ganache into your hand and roll until somewhat smooth and round. These should be approximately 1” in diameter.

8. Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl or pan. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder to coat.

9. Truffles may be stored for up to two weeks at a cool room temperature (55-65) in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate or freeze; this damages the texture of the creamy ganache.


Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles
CHARLES CHOCOLATES PECAN BROWNIES

3 cups pecan pieces, lightly toasted

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (either E. Guittard 72% or El Rey 71% is recommended) 10 ounces unsalted butter

5 large eggs at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. real vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

Method:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat.

2. Split the vanilla bean open and scrape out the vanilla seed into the cream and let steep for 10 minutes.

3. Bring the cream back to a gentle boil over medium heat.

4. Pour the cream over the finely chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture together until very smooth. This is referred to as ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream. 6. Refrigerate in an airtight container, for at least 5 hours or overnight.

7. Using a small melon baller or a small teaspoon, scoop small balls of ganache into your hand and roll until somewhat smooth and round. These should be approximately 1” in diameter.

8. Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl or pan. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder to coat.

9. Truffles may be stored for up to two weeks at a cool room temperature (55-65) in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate or freeze; this damages the texture of the creamy ganache.

Yield: 9 servings.

Pecan Brownies


Graham Crackers:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons honey
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup graham flour
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Marshmallows:
3 envelopes of Knox gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate:
These are best with a very high quality bittersweet
chocolate such as Scharffen Berger, E. Guittard
or Valrhona.

Method:
Graham Crackers 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Cream the butter, sugars, and honey in a mixer on medium speed until soft and fluffy. Sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, and put into the mixing bowl. Mix on slow speed until just combined. Using your fingers, press the dough together until it forms a ball. 3. Flour a clean/dry surface with graham flour and roll out the dough to 12” x 12” square and then cut into nine 4” squares. Prick the squares with a fork and place them on a parchment- lined baking sheet. 4. Bake the dough until the top is golden brown, slightly blistered, and dry-looking, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool on a rack. Marshmallows 1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for 10 minutes. 2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute. 3. Pour boiling syrup into gelatin and mix at high speed. 4. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. 5. Add vanilla and incorporate into mixture. 6. Scrape into a 9” x 9” pan lined with oiled plastic wrap and spread evenly. (Note: Lightly oil hands and spatula or bowl scraper). 7. After pouring marshmallow mixture into the pan, take another piece of plastic wrap and press mixture into the pan. 8. Let mixture sit for a few hours. 9. Remove from pan, dredge the marshmallow slab with confectioners' sugar and cut into nine 3” square pieces with kitchen scissors or a very sharp knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar.

CHARLES CHOCOLATES S'MORES
Assemble:
1. Top each graham cracker with a 3” square of bittersweet chocolate and a 3” square of marshmallow (melted chocolate makes a great “glue” for this). 2. Place assembled S'mores on a baking sheet and place under a broiler (in the middle of the oven, not at the top where they will burn quickly). 3. Watch them very closely and remove once the marshmallow is well browned. Serve.
S'MORES

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