Have you had chocolate covered espresso beans?

Yeah, me too. Yummy.

I like to think of them as big people’s Raisinettes. They are not too hard to make, and as long as you start with a fantastic espresso bean, and add great chocolate, you are going to have an awesome end product.

Better than anything you have ever tasted. Really.

So, are you ready?

I really suggest a good dark espresso roast in this. A lighter roast will be acidic and somewhat nasty. O.k..really nasty. Don’t do it.

Once you have the perfect espresso bean you need to choose the perfect chocolate to go with it. A 75% /25% mix of good quality bittersweet and milk chocolate is my favorite. Use about one lb of chocolate for one lb of coffee. Chop the chocolate up and microwave on low power, stirring often (every 20 seconds) until melted. Be careful not to overcook.

Now mix in 1/2 of the coffee beans. Stir really well. Here is the tedious part. Take the chocolate covered coffee beans out, one by one with a fork, and lay on a piece of wax paper or silpat. You want them to be individual, chocolate- covered beans, not a huge mass of chocolate and coffee beans. Let them cool, or refrigerate.  Continue to add coffee beans until you have used up all the chocolate.  If you want a thicker chocolate let it set, and then dip them again.  Youc an also use this method to put on two different chocolates, once in dark, once in white..etc.

Once the chocolate has set you can melt white chocolate and drizzle it across the beans.

I bet you are wondering why I posted a picture of chocolate rather than the finished product, aren’t you?

I ate them. All.

Image: (c)Marye Audet 2008. Used by permission. Apron Strings & Simmering Things

Post from: Kettle and Cup