Submission Thread for F&DB Chocolate Challenge May 4, 2021

Very cool and looks yummy.

A Tale of Two Tarts: Salted Peanut Chocolate Tart and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Tart



First up, Salted Peanut Chocolate Tart with Potato Chip Crust



For tart base:




9 oz of potato chips
4 Tbs golden syrup
3 1/2 oz butter

Process the chips into crumbs.



Combine the syrup and butter and melt the butter.



Combine with chips and press the mixture into a tart tin. I used the bottom of a glass to make sure everything was pressed firmly.





Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 min.

For the filling, melt 375 grams or 13 oz of dark chocolate and 8 oz of butter. I put the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water and melted them.





Whisk together 3 eggs plus three yolks and 3/4 cup sugar with electric whisk or mixer until pale and thickened. Mix in the cooled melted chocolate/butter mixture until well combined. Also add in a little over 1/2 cup of chopped salted peanuts.



Pour and spread over crust in tin and top with the remainder of the cup of peanuts.



Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until almost set. Don’t wait for it to be completely firm. A slight wobble is good.

Cool completely before refrigerating at least four hours. Do not remove from the tart tin until it is very well chilled.










Next up, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart!



Jif is actually my pb of choice, but the store was out. Had I checked more carefully, I had an unopened jar of Jif in the back of the pantry. Life goes on.

Like the first tart, the crust is made of three ingredients, but this one is graham crackers, butter, and sugar. First, process the crackers into crumbs.





https://i.imgur.com/PXCi9Eu.jpg

Combine the crumbs with sugar and melted butter, and then press into the tart tin.



Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 13 -15 min.



Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth and combined.



Spread filling into cooled crust.



Make the topping: Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together until smooth. If using the microwave, stop and stir every 15 seconds until melted. Pour and spread over filling. (For the pictured tart, I saved 1-2 Tablespoons of the topping and drizzled it on top after the topping set.) Chill in fridge at least 4 - 6 hours before removing from tart tin to slice.



















ETA: It was really hard to slice the peanut butter one without cracking the chocolate. If I made it again, I’d use maybe half of the sugar called for in the filling. It was very rich and sweet. My husband and I preferred the peanut tart and my son and his wife preferred the peanut butter tart.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing

It seemed a shame to not also post this recipe, so here is a second chocolate cake. This one, much more basic.



If you were lucky like I was, your mom made this cake for you when you were a kid, and then if your luck continued into adulthood, you stumbled onto someone who loves you enough to make this cake over and over, whenever you ask. This is old fashioned, as country as your granny and really good.

Thanks go out to my wife who held the spoon for me on some of the photos.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing

For the Cake, you'll need:

- 250 grams of AP flour (2 cups)
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 pound)
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla

- 2 - 10 inch cake pans
- Parchment paper to line pans
- Butter to coat pans
- Oven preheated to 350 degrees F



Directions:

Cut parchment paper rounds to line bottoms of pans (helps to remove the cooked layers from the pan and coat inside of pans with butter



Dust pans with AP flour



Cream butter and then add sugar. mix well. Forget the Kitchenaid for a minute. I can remember seeing my mom do all of this with a hand cranked mixer or a wooden spoon.





Add the two eggs - one at a time and mix well. Then add the vanilla.





Weigh 250 grams AP flour



Add the flour slowly in small portions, alternating with milk.



Add salt and 1 Tablespoon baking powder. This seems like a lot of baking powder but as you will see later, it lightens the finished cake and gives it an excellent rise.



Mix well - maybe 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom to make certain all of the flour is mixed in.



Add vanilla and continue mixing - another 2 minutes.



Portion the batter into the two pans. It won't look like enough batter but the cake will rise to completely fill the pan.



Smooth out



and bake both layers in a 350 degree oven for not quite 30 minutes until a pick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove the layers when done and cool in the pans on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Toward the end of cooling, run a sharp knife around the edge to free the cake layers from the side walls of the pans.



This recipe will make a 2 layer cake that is about six inches high. To make a 3 layer (taller) cake, increase the recipe by 1/3.

While the layers cool,

Make the chocolate frosting.

You'll need

- 3 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 1/3 cup milk plus a teaspoon or so additional to make it the consistency you like
- 1 teaspoon vanilla



Add the melted butter to cocoa in a mixing bowl



Then add the milk and begin mixing a low speed Scrape walls and bottom to be certain all of the cocoa is incorporated. Increase the speed and slowly add the powdered sugar



and the vanilla. Continue mixing until the icing gets smooth and consistent. Scrape walls and bottom. After a while, you will have Chocolate Icing!



Icing the cake:

When the cake layers have cooled about ten minutes, run a sharp knife around the edge and turn the layers out onto the racks to cool another twenty minutes or so. They need to be cool before attempting to ice the cake.



To ice the cake, place a bit of icing on the platter and position the first layer. Placing parchment paper or aluminum foil under the edges of the bottom layer will to protect the platter from icing when you are icing the cake. When all is ready, ice the top of the bottom layer.





and position the top layer.



At this point, the cake needs to be crumb coated. To crumb coat, ice a very thin coat on the cake and then allow the crumb coated cake to rest an hour. This will make it much easier to ice the cake.



After the crumb coat has set into the cake (an hour later), the real icing is (artfully) applied and the paper removed from the bottom edges.



Time to eat chocolate iced yellow cake like I hope your granny made.

First time doing a cooking challenge and even uploading photos so we will see how this goes... be gentle.

Chicken thigh mole adobo with Mexican rice



I'm sure I won't be the only mole submission, but it's always been something I've wanted to cook. It sounds so simple but seems to take a seasoned touch to make perfect. This was a solid first attempt at a quick mole however.

The ingredients are pretty simple: chicken thighs, onion, garlic, oil, pepitas, Ibarra Mexican chocolate, fire roasted diced tomatoes, chilis in adobo, raisins, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and chili powder.



Throw the onions, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, pepitas, raisins, Mexican chocolate, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili powder into a blender.



Blend to smooth.



Remove chicken thighs. Salt and pepper both sides and sear in pan. (I know my pan is too crowded but I had a few hungry people waiting)





Once seared, add the mole sauce directly into the pan, cover, and let simmer. Mole will darken as it cooks.



Moving on to the Mexican rice. Ingredients are: onion, garlic, carrot, peas, chicken stock, oil, basmati rice, tomato sauce, corn, salt, cumin, chili power, and fresh tomatoes.



Sautee onion and garlic in a little oil, then toss in rice to toast.



Add chicken stock and tomato sauce.



Add in peas, carrots, corn, and spices.



Cook until rice is tender stirring frequently. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Once as desired, cut heat and stir in diced fresh tomatoes.



Once chicken thighs and Mexican rice are plated top with Cotija and green onion.

Tatted sous chef - checks out.

Tatted up and behind the bar making drinks...I like it

Very creative idea and good execution.

Sauce the whole plate add a little microplaned white chocolate garnish before adding the berries & mint would trick the brain into thinking it was a savory dish.

I wonder if the ravioli would hold up to frying?

Chocolate Muffin Porter

Flavorings for Robust Milk Porter aged on Coffee, Cocoa, & Vanilla


Mash in & recirculate


Fermentation 14 days @67°F then age 3-5 days on coffee, cocoa, & vanilla
>

Bottle condition additional 21-30 days

Smoked Pork Burnt Ends with Chocolate BRQ Sauce

I made one mistake and that was buying meat from Rouses, which I try not to do. But they had something they claimed was Pork brisket & rib ends. There were rib ends, but I don't think there was any brisket. Should have gone with my initial plan and used pork belly.

Pork Rub
Salt
Black pepper
Brown sugar
15 spice blend

Rubbed pieces and put into zip bag and refrigerated for 2 days. Onto the BGE at 225F


Chocolate Glaze/BBQ Sauce
Butter
Brown Sugar
Mexican chocolate
Cider vinegar
Tomato paste
Adobo sauce
New Mexico Chili pepper (mild)
Mexican oregano
Cumin
Orange juice
Orange zest



Then added orange juice & zest


After meat reach ~190F, pulled, put in aluminum pan and sauced. Raised temp setpoint to 350F on grill.



Cooked for another hour.



Served with grilled potatoes, onions & peppers, squash & broccoli