The recipe comes from Chef Andres Jimenez, who is the Executive Chef for The Ritz-Carlton in Denver, Colorado. Made using the standard truffle method of cooled ganache, these truffles are put on a stick and decorated with bits of candy to resemble spiders. These would be great for kids to help out with, and to give away to teachers or for a class party!

Halloween Chocolate Spider Truffles
from Chef Andres Jimenez

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate – chopped into small pieces
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. unsalted cold butter
8 oz. coating chocolate – cut in small pieces
15 ea. lollipop sticks
Liquorish and assorted candy

~ Bring heavy whipping cream to a simmer – in a heavy bottom saucepan

~ Cut the chocolate in small pieces and place in a bowl

~ Once hot, pour cream over the chocolate pieces and stir with a whisk until the chocolate is completely melted

~ Add the butter and stir constantly until melted and mixed thoroughly

~ Let the truffle mix cool down to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator until its firm enough to roll

~ Place coating chocolate in a microwave proof bowl and heat in short intervals, always stirring the chocolate until completely melted ** be careful it doesn’t get too hot

~ Once the chocolate mix is cold, roll into small balls and insert lollipop sticks to create a lollipop. Dip into the melted chocolate coating

~ Let the chocolate harden and decorate with liquorish candy to make the spider legs and red candy for the eyes

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Sadly, there’s no indication where flickr user flirtykitty bought it, though!

[images: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This week’s Chocolate Zen is a simple chocolate birthday cake I found on flickr. It was made with a ganache frosting and looks delicious!

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

During the summer months I try to avoid dessert recipes that require turning the oven on, but I make an exception for this one! We like ours topped with strawberries and peaches.

Chocolate Pizza Pie

3/4 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. flour

FILLING:
10 oz. chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
8 oz. cream cheese
GLAZE:

1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Mix butter, sugar and flour and press in pizza pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Melt chocolate chips and whipping cream in microwave, then beat cream cheese into the mixture and spread on top of crust. Place cut up fruit on top (strawberries, peaches, grapes, etc.) Mix sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice and lemon juice and drizzle on top.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

There’s been a lot of hype over the release of the Sex and the City movie this weekend, and though I was never much of a fan (I think I can remember the character names), I thought it’d be fun to see what kinds of chocolate I could dig up with a SATC theme!

The cute little purse above is by Chocochocohouse (their site seems to be down for maintenance) and is made from milk chocolate from Belgium and France and is molded to look like pink crocodile with a gold clasp. The chocolate ganache also has a little vodka in it! A six-piece set sells for $17.95.

[image: product photo chocochocohouse]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This is called “The Fortress Aquamarine” and is available at Wine3 at The Fortress in Galle, Sri Lanka, for a mere $14,500. According to ForbesTraveler:

This dessert, which debuted in March, was inspired by the success of the restaurant’s other gem-studded treat, the Bombay Sapphire Martini. The star of the show is an 80-carat aquamarine gem that rests on a sliver of chocolate shaped to resemble the traditional stilt fisherman that’s part of the resort’s logo. Handmade glass utensils (not included in the price) complete the presentation. And yes, diners can pocket the gemstone after polishing off the dessert. None have yet been sold.

Next is the Brownie Extraordinaire with Saint Louis from Brûlée: The Dessert Experience in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Only $1000 for this one! “The Brownie Extraordinaire comes with a Saint Louis crystal atomizer, a $750 keepsake filled with a shot of rare 1996 Quinta do Noval Nacional port wine to be sprayed into the mouth between each bite of hazelnut-coated brownie.”

The Dome’s Truffle Ice is available at Mezzaluna in Bangkok at a downright affordable $200. “Perigord truffle ice cream layered with gelée and Manjaree chocolate and suffused in gold leaves, berry compote and a rare cognac—Moyet Tres Vieille Grande Champagne No. 7 (of which there are only 1,300 bottles in existence). The restaurant sells up to 10 every week.”

The Madeleine Truffle is available at Knipschildt Chocolatier in Norwalk, Connecticut for $250 per truffle, or $6,000 per pound.

Classic ganache—comprised of 70 percent Valrhona chocolate mixed with fresh cream and infused for 24 hours with vanilla pods and pure truffle oil—is shaped around a Perigord truffle, then dipped in Valrhona and rolled in cocoa powder. “The ganache must be whipped repeatedly to make it as soft and silky as possible, then it must be chilled so it’s easier to work with,” said a company spokesperson. The product of a long and painstaking process, these truffles are not available over the counter, but made to order and presented in a silver box with a personal note from chocolate maker Fritz Knipschildt.

[pictures from forbestraveler]

…..

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

We went camping over the weekend and I didn’t think to take pictures of the s’mores we made. We did have a lot of leftover graham crackers, though (can’t imagine why there was no leftover chocolate bars), which tasted fantastic with leftover ganache.

The ganache has been in the fridge so it’s about the consistency of frosting. Perfect!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

For my friend’s birthday yesterday we did a little “petits fours party.” I used Gale Gand’s recipe for the cake and fondant glaze (way too sweet) and made my regular ganache.

As tasty as they are I don’t know that I’d use the ganache for any kind of formal serving unless you made them a day ahead to let them set up a bit more. I had draped them only a couple of hours before we decorated and they were still pretty tacky, so they’d be messy at a wedding reception or dinner unless you pass out forks with them. We have some left over that I tested this morning and the chocolate seems to be a little more set, so making them a day or even two ahead of time wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The picture really doesn’t do the little cakes justice — the chocolate seems to just absorb the light (I had kitchen lights and my flash on!), but they tasted amazing.

This is one of my seven year-olds’ plates and I think it’s safe to say the kids had a blast too (those are candied lemon peel on top among the sprinkles).

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Ganache. Even the name sounds rich and chocolatey and decadent, doesn’t it? I gathered up my courage last year and made it for the first time for my husband’s birthday cake. I’m not sure why I had always found it a bit intimidating, maybe it was the thought of all that wasted chocolate if I messed up. But I found a recipe that was very user-friendly and I haven’t looked back:

1 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream

That’s it. Put the chocolate chips in a food processor. Warm the cream just until it starts to simmer and pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit in the processor for just a minute, then pulse until the chocolate and cream are combined and smooth. I let this cool for just a little bit before pouring it over the cake. (Place the cake on a rack over a bowl and pour the chocolate over it so the bowl catches the run-off. The “extra” ganache is really good with strawberries or bananas or graham crackers or…).

I put finely chopped walnuts around the sides of the cake because my husband doesn’t like just plain chocolate (I know). And don’t mind the lettering job on the cake — I’ve never claimed to be any good at that!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes