Making Gourmet Chocolates Yourself

A few weeks ago I thought it would be a good idea to make some gourmet food for a party I was going to arrange. Well I put on my chefs hat and finished up making some truffles, and wow, my friends thought they were fantastic and actually thought that they were gourmet chocolates that I had bought from a quality gourmet food store.

I would like to point out that making gourmet chocolates for yourself is difficult and will take a lot of time, however to be positive it does give you the opportunity to try out some recipes that you probably could not get from the local store.

The ingredients are the key to making fantastic gourmet chocolates:

Choosing and buying the ingredients of your gourmet chocolates is part of the fun. To start with I melted excellent quality dark chocolate over a double boiler. Secondly I rolled some small balls from marzipan and covered them with chocolate. Finally I rolled the chocolate covered marzipan in ground almonds, I also rolled chocolate covered peanut butter in more chocolate and then gave them a covering of ground peanuts.

Creating gourmet chocolates yourself will open up your creativity for sure, also making gourmet chocolates, will allow you to make many different sorts like, chocolate covered chili peppers, chocolate covered citrus peels, and a real wow, chocolate covered candied ginger.

Sharpen your sculpting talents when making gourmet chocolates:

A popular TV chef had a recipe for a honey chocolate cake, which inspired me to make a honey marzipan truffle. Start by melting some very good quality chocolate over the double boiler, and add a little honey, this will create a nice glaze. Now get the marzipan and with a paring knife carve some simple shapes like flowers, bunnies or hearts then dip the shaped marzipan carefully into the chocolate and let the chocolate set on the marzipan. Then dust them with confectioner's sugar. The glaze will be a little sticky, so the sugar will stick. This will make a great gift for all occasions, and is an especially good idea for gourmet chocolates, because you can make the marzipan into any shape to suit the occasion, and finish off by dusting them with the confectioner's sugar.

A Fantastic gift for someone you care about:

It's difficult to find someone who doesn't like chocolate, so as gifts they are an excellent choice to show someone you care. By making gourmet chocolates yourself, you can take your time, and make them look great for that special person in your life. Food and wine followed by some gourmet chocolates will definitely score you some brownie points.

Gourmet chocolates are usually created by master chocolatiers, so be sure not to create something that looks bland and boring, it defeats the purpose of making them yourself. If your chocolates look uneven, with strange shapes, people won't think you creative. So try not to embarrass yourself or your friends when presenting a plate of your homemade gourmet chocolates.

chocolate-tips.com for information, tips and articles about chocolates

For more on Gourmet Chocolates go to http://www.chocolate-tips.com/gourmet-chocolates.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Moorhouse

Cheesecake to the Rescue

Love giving gifts but hate the pressure of finding the perfect thing Are you afraid that the receivers of your gifts only take out your present when you stop by? There’s only one way to ensure that the recipient of your gift will not only love it, but also that you will never have to see it again: give them an edible gift. However, you can’t give just any gift of food; just as with chia pets and paper weights, people have different tastes in such matters. What, then, is the best edible gift, enjoyed and consumed by all? In a word: cheesecake.

Believe me. I have never encountered a person who didn’t like cheesecake. Even those who profess distaste for cheese and cake in their lesser, individual forms are the first in line when cheesecake is made. Not only is cheesecake the ideal gift for any recipient on your list, it is also the easiest to send. Order a cheesecake on the internet, selecting from a multitude of flavors and styles including New York cheesecake, sugar free cheesecake, and, of course, turtle cheesecakes, and have it delivered to that special person you have in mind.

Just imagine their delight when they open up your package to discover that, not only is it not another Christmas Tree sweater with twinkling lights, but that you have sent them a rich, creamy, delicious cheesecake—exactly what they wanted! Perhaps your wonderful gift will become the centerpiece in their next family gathering; or maybe it will be eaten before anyone gets a chance to see it. Either way, you know that next time you come to visit, you will only hear praise for such a delightful gift.

Gift selection is hard. Take the hassle and pressure out of the equation and get something you know your special someone will really want: Cheesecake!

Visit http://www.EliteCheesecakes.com for the finest in cheesecakes, such as berry cheesecakes or cheesecake samplers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allison_Mueller

Chocolate mousse with a citrus kick

Love chocolate and drinking? - Chocoholic hangover cure

I created this recipe after an infamous night out, far to many drinks were consumed and I had a really bad head the next day. When I woke in the morning I went straight to the kitchen luckily I had some chocolate left in the fridge and thus this recipe was born! The funny thing is it really works.

Ingredients to serve six

350g of high cocoa content chocolate - Lindt 99% excellence chocolate bar 100g of good quality butter - chopped into small pieces 500ml of double cream 3 large eggs 6 tablespoons of Blue Curacao - Bright blue liqueur with a strong citrus orange flavor 6 tablespoons of honey

Although this recipe has a small quantity of ingredients, I have found the best results come from making it in three steps

First step

Put the chocolate and butter into a bowl over simmering water, slowly melt the two together then remove from the heat and leave to stand

Second step

Whip the cream gently in a separate bowl, you do not want to fully whip this cream the ideal is nice and soft, not to stiff

Third step

Whisk the eggs and honey together in a third large bowl until fluffy. Then gently add the blue caracao, chocolate mix and cream. Pour this into six glasses and pop in the fridge for about an hour. You can now serve this delicious mousse...enjoy

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