Easter Gifts
Easter is a great time for families and friends to gather and celebrate. Continue reading “7 Easter Gift Do’s and Dont’s”
Tag: chocolate
The Worst Chocolate Advice You’ll Hear!
The worst advice you can be given about Chocolate in the kitchen is that it is too hard to Continue reading “The Worst Chocolate Advice You’ll Hear!”
6 Layer Caramel Cake
A delicious 6 layer caramel cake is perfect in this kind of weather. Here at Dello Mano we’re celebrating Caramel week so, how better to enjoy it than in 6 layers! We made this one at home last weekend and successfully getting us into the caramel zone.
Each layer is a delicious moist cake, not as dense as brownie but rather fudgy – cakey if that makes sense? The caramel we made was a lovely creamy version and I think totally up to you in terms of which recipe you use to prepare. The important part is just making sure the caramel consistency is enough to hold it firm between layers but just viscous enough to allow it to ooze when the cake is cut. We all need that little bit of theater at the cutting of an impressive layer cake 🙂 We finished the cake off with a little rock salt just to add a little spark in contrast to the overall caramel sweetness.
Why You Should Give White Chocolate a Chance
Maybe it’s time to give white chocolate a chance? Or you not a fan? This week at Dello Mano we’ll celebrate White Chocolate in everything from Hot White Chocolate to Pancakes with White chocolate Mousse and fresh raspberries.
White chocolate looks different and doesn’t taste like regular chocolate. It doesn’t have the bittersweet taste that makes regular chocolates addictive. That’s because it isn’t really chocolate after all. But it does have a few selling points.
Continue reading “Why You Should Give White Chocolate a Chance”
Recipe : Double Chocolate Pecan Fudge Squares
We bake most weekends and this past weekend was no exception. With winter theoretically on our door step ( in theory, I say because the days here in Brisbane at this time of the year really are glorious!) it seemed only fitting to bake ourselves a triple layer treat.
The layers in these Double Chocolate Pecan Fudge Squares do take a little more time however the result is well worth the effort.
Start by preparing the biscuit base according to the instructions below. Take care not to overbake it as it tends to dry quickly and you really are looking for lovely moistness across each of the square layers.
The creamy chocolate filling is simply a brown sugar and butter mix made super delicious with condensed milk. I’ve long been a fan of condensed milk. Beginning my Food Science career at Carnation, I remember clearly the joy of huge and I mean really huge, vats of white creamy condensed milk. My job then was to taste test the condensed milk as it caramalises over time. A life well spent – condensed milk tasting to now these days brownie tasting!
Of course, as we always say great chocolate makes or breaks a dessert. Here at Dello Mano our choice of beautiful chocolate is Belgian chocolate however so long as you choose great quality, the choice of chocolate is yours.
After melting, pour the molten dark Belgian chocolate onto the base of biscuit and creamy filling.
Starting to get exciting now – take a little care to evenly spread the chocolate so as to ensure the squares look balanced when they’re cut. Refrigerate.
Remove from the refrigerator and carefully cut the layers to your preferred size. Since we love Dello Mano cubes, we have a preference for little squares, but really the fudge squares could be ribbons or bar shaped. Just take a little care when moving the knife through the layers to avoid cracking.
Sit back and enjoy those delicious layers.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PECAN FUDGE SLICE
INGREDIENTS:
BASE
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
100 g Butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
FILLING
395 g can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
125 g butter, chopped into small pieces
120g coursely chopped pecans
100 g dark Belgian chocolate, chopped
FROSTING
60 g butter, chopped
200 g dark Belgian chocolate, chopped
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 170-180°C depending on your oven. Grease and line a brownie style pan.
THE BASE
Combine butter, sugar and pecans in a bowl. Add flour and baking powder. Mix until well combined. Using the back of a spoon press the base mixture into the cake pan.
Bake for 18 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.
THE FILLING
Combine milk, sugar and butter in a 2-liter (8 cup) microwave safe jug or bowl. Cook, uncovered, stirring every 2 minutes for 6 to 8 minutes on high (100%) power or until mixtures comes to the boil and is thick and golden. Stand for 1 minute.Add the chocolate and stir constantly until melted. Stir in pecans.
Add the chocolate and stir constantly until melted. Stir in pecans.
Pour over warm base and set aside to cool completely.
TO MAKE FROSTING
Melt butter over a low heat. When melted slowly add chocolate, stirring gently until smooth. Be careful not to aerate the chocolate mix. Pour over fudge filling.
Optional : Spread some crushed pecans on top before refrigerating ( can there ever be too many pecans!)
Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe adapted from Stahmann Pecan Farms – www.stahmann.com.au
15 Chocolate Facts
Oh chocolate ! It is undeniably one of the most loved food in the world–from bars, luxury brownies, chocolate dipped strawberries and gift boxed chocolates–everything just seems better with chocolate, don’t you agree?
But did you know that chocolate actually has a very rich history? Take a look at some of the most amazing facts about our favorite sweet treat:
1. The scientific name of cocoa tree is Theobroma Cacao, Greek for “food for the Gods”. But the word chocolate actually comes from the Aztec term “Xocolatl” meaning bitter water.
2. Chocolate has been very valuable through history. The Aztecs believed that the cocoa beans are gifts from their god Quetzalcoatl and used them as currency (10 beans = a rabbit, 100 beans = a servant). In the American Revolutionary War, chocolate was used to pay the soldiers.
3. The first chocolate bar was invented in 1847 by Joseph Fry. His company Fry & Son eventually merged with Cadbury.
4. Most of the world’s chocolate supply comes from Latin America (15%), Asia (17%) and Africa (68%). 33% of the global supply actually comes from Côte d’Ivoire in Africa.
Tempt Your Tastebuds—5 of the World’s Most Expensive Desserts
As an old saying goes, “Always save room for dessert“. But have you heard that there are desserts we might have to save money for just to enjoy? It’s true! Just take a look at 5 of the world’s most expensive desserts:
Golden Opulence Sundae ($1,000)
New York City’s Serendipity 3 is known for great treats but this product is their most opulent on their product list. Recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2007 as “World’s Most Expensive Sundae”, Golden Opulence Sundae is so exclusive, reservations must be made 48 hours in advance.
Here’s a quick look at what goes into the Golden Opulence Sundae:
- Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream
- 23-carat gold leaf
- Medei Porceleana chocolate and Chuao chocolate
- gold dragets
- grande passon caviar with fresh passion fruit
Brownie Extraordinaire ($1,000)
Continue reading “Tempt Your Tastebuds—5 of the World’s Most Expensive Desserts”
6 Things You Didn’t Know about Brownies
What are brownies? No, they couldn’t possibly be simply a flat, baked chocolate dessert. Not even a cross between a cake and a soft cookie. According to us at Dello Mano, Brownies are little slices of heaven, period 🙂 They make us feel happy, period. And they satisfy our sweet tooth (without being too sweet), period!
How to Be a Better Baker: 5 Best Baking Tips
They say cooking is an art and baking is a science. But for real, passionate bakers, baking is both an art and a science.
Continue reading “How to Be a Better Baker: 5 Best Baking Tips”
3 Reasons to Indulge in Chocolate
Hope everyone had a great Easter break. Indulge in some chocolate over the Easter holiday?
Just in case, here are 3 great reasons to support your decision to indulge in all that beautiful chocolate.:)
1. Research and studies have shown that chocolate can help lower the risk of heart disease. In a recent report, it was stated that participants who regularly eat chocolate have about a 37% lower chance of heart disease as opposed to those who do not eat it. According to the study both milk and dark chocolates when consumed in a reasonable amount on a regular basis help lower the risks of heart disease and stroke.
2. Premium dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants which are said to help reduce wrinkles and ageing. In addition, they help boost blood circulation which is influential in enhancing skin tone and texture.
3. According to a Swiss study, eating chocolate helps improve moods. These studies have shown that high quality chocolate contains certain unique natural substances which elevate the mood and reduce stress levels.
Of course everything in moderation as there always seems to be a report about something to do with chocolate. The above is merely a suggestion for the positives of eating chocolate.
Hope though you did manage to relax and enjoy some wonderful chocolate over Easter – any favourites?
