In today’s chef recipe, she shares with us an a dessert recipe for Mexican Chocolate and Banana Empanadas, featuring Nestle’s delicious Abuelita Mexican chocolate.  Abuelita, if you haven’t tried it, is a yummy Mexican chocolate infused with cinnamon.  We found it in the Hispanic food section of our regular grocery store.

Mexican Chocolate and Banana Empanadas
Chef Lorena Garcia

12 (one 11.6-ounce package) frozen store-bought empanada dough discs, defrosted (These you should be able to find in most grocery stores, if not a Mexican grocer should have them. We used Goya brand.)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablets (90 grams each) NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 small ripe bananas, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a large baking sheet.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; reserve.
Heat the Abuelita chocolate and cream in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth; remove from heat.  Beat cream cheese and melted Abuelita chocolate until mixed well.  Fold in chopped bananas.
Place 2 heaping tablespoons Abuelita mixture in center of each pastry disc. Wet edges with water; fold in half and crimp edges with fork. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets; brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Hot Tips For Dipping Chocolate

Temper, temper!  There is a trick to getting chocolate to coat and harden on anything you want dipped in its sweet, silky, delight.  The trick is called tempering.  Follow this easy method and you will be an expert at creating chocolate dipped fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or bananas,  nuts, candy or even bacon!

Chocolate becomes stable and glossy when it is properly tempered by a process of melting it to the right temperature and cooling it to the right temperature.  Without this process it’s impossible to create candy and chocolate decorations. When you buy chocolate it is already in temper, but melting it knocks it back out.  To get it back into the “zone” there is the classic way and a quick temper method I like to use.

The quick method I found in Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst ( love that book!) works and you don’t have to have a marble slab in your kitchen to participate.  Melt two thirds of the chocolate to be tempered to 115 degrees add in the one third remaining stir constantly until smooth and 89 degrees.  Spring for some great chocolate, chop into small pieces place in a double boiler and melt over simmering water. Keep a eye on the temp if it starts slipping under 89 degrees set it back over the water to maintain 89 temperature and stir occasionally.

Now you are ready to dip! Make sure your items are clean and dry. Really dry. Use tongs or skewers to lower items into chocolate allow excess chocolate to drip back into bowl. Put parchment paper down and place dipped goodies on it to set. Make sure items do not touch are they will become one when cool.

After you get good at fruit and candy, you can dip anything!  You could even propose with a chocolate covered engagement ring!  Chocolate is fun and you may lick the bowl after you are finished.

- Chef Renee Fontes

- Chef Renee on Twitter

{Chocolate obsessed like us? Visit more delicious chef chocolate recipes here.}

via creative commons, flickr user laowai kevin

Our friend Ariana (the email Santa!) just emailed us with the most delicious gift.  A recipe.  Not just any recipe, but a recipe for Café Angelina’s famous hot chocolate.   Café Angelina (226 rue de Rivoli) in Paris is notorious for their velvety rich hot chocolate called Chocolat L’Africain (named so for it’s Ivory coast cacao beans).  The tea room, close to the Louvre art museum, is a favorite venue of both local Parisians and tourists alike.  Fashion designer Vera Wang listed it as one of her favorite destinations, and Grammy Award winning soprano opera Renée Fleming states Angelina’s “is a must for hot chocolate.” We love Ariana’s description the best:  ”so sinfully thick, it’s almost difficult to pour”!

Café Angelina’s Chocolat L’Africain (deliciously decadent hot chocolate)
This recipe serves 2 small cups, or one large cup. 2 serious chocolate lovers should double it!

1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp of confectioners’ sugar (aka powdered sugar)
4 oz of chopped 72% Omanhene brand bittersweet chocolate (you may use another brand here, but ensure that it is close to 70% cocoa. We chopped up half of a Lindt 70% bar, found in the baking section of our regular grocery store.)

Heat the milk, cream, and sugar over medium high heat until bubbles are created around the pot.
Remove the pot from heat.   Add the bittersweet chocolate.
Stir until melted adjusting heat as needed.  Serve topped with whipped cream.

{Tasting Notes: Our review after making this -  it’s similar to drinking a chocolate bar, and perfect for those evenings when you are craving sweets after dinner.  And put your guilt on the back burner, dark chocolate is antioxidant packed.}

Savory sweets, we are seeing them everywhere lately.  From chipotle chocolate chili, to salted caramel candies, to bacon and egg ice cream.  Is this a fickle culinary hipster trend or is it here to stay?  While that remains to be seen, we guarantee that this recipe will stay permanently in your repertoire!

It’s another delicious video recipe from Chef John of Food Wishes, it literally only takes 5 minutes, and the combination of crispy bread, dark chocolate, and sea salt will transport you into chocolate lovers heaven. The first time  we made this, despite having camera batteries charged, it disappeared before we could photograph it!  So…we had to make it again, and quickly snap a photo, for the readers of course!    The second time it was taken to a holiday party in Aspen, and the crowd loved it.  It’s flavor is salty sweet, with both crunchy and soft textures, and the combination’s are magical chocolatey goodness.  People were seriously pulling and tugging at a red wool peacoat asking for the recipe.

One question you may have as the party goers did:  Is dark chocolate crustini bruschetta a dessert or an appetizer?  The answer:  it is whatever you want it to be.  In fact, it may just be breakfast for us one day, paired with a piping hot Sumatra coffee.    Read Chef Johns post, wine pairing recommendation, and full ingredient list here.  (Note: For the dark chocolate, we used a Lindt brand bar with 70% cocoa, found in the baking section of our regular grocery store.  And, as you may notice in the photo, we were lacking the Maldon sea salt with the nice thick crystals, so we used what we had, but it was still chock full of deliciousness.   Is deliciousness a word? )

Today’s video recipe features Marcus whipping up an order of chocolate pancakes using his highly rated Marcus Cookware, served on top of a crunchy pineapple cashew salad.   It’s not your average breakfast or brunch but this would be great for a blissful weekend splurge!

Chocolate Pancakes
Marcus Samuelsson
Serves 6

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Melt the chocolate and the 8 tablespoons butter in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.
2. Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a large bowl until well mixed. Whisk in the melted chocolate and butter. Sift the flour over the top and fold it in.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat in a large nonstick sauté pan. Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side. Transfer the pancake to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as necessary.
You may make the pancakes in advance, reheat in a 350 degrees F oven until heated through.

Pineapple Cashew Salad
Marcus Samuelsson
Serves 6

1/2 cup sweet white wine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 golden pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup roasted cashews
4 mint leaves, finely shredded

1. Pour the wine into a medium bowl and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved. Add the pineapple cubes. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. To serve, stir the cashews into the pineapple. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with the mint.

For more Marcus Samuelsson recipes, check out:

• Tomato and Artichoke Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette
• Salmon with Asparagus, Tomato Mustard Jam and Pine Nut Hollandaise
• Sweet Potato Tarta
• Crispy Fried Potatoes
• Chilled Strawberry Mint Soup
• Pickled Cucumbers
• Black Olive Oil
• Jerk Chicken
• Mango Couscous
• Apple Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
• Moroccan Roasted Turkey
• Apple Endive Salad with Pistachio Oil Dressing

Some soufflé trivia:   The word  soufflé  is derived from the past tense of the french verb “souffler“, which literally translates to “blown up”.  Legend has it that the original soufflé recipe was printed in the book “Le Cuisinier Moderne” in 1742, which was written by Vincent La Chapelle, a prestigious author and french master chef who was employed by Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis the XV.   And did you know?   Febuary 28th is National Chocolate  Soufflé day in the US!

Read on for the recipe…

Chocolate-Orange Soufflés

Ingredients for Souffle Base
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• zest of 1 orange

Ingredients for filling the ramikens with a butter and sugar coating:
• About a tablespoon of room temperature butter
• 1 cup sugar

Ingredients for Soufflé
• 12 egg whites
• 1/3 c sugar

Steps for making the Soufflé Base:
1. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the cream, vanilla extract, and 3 of the egg yolks. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Pour the mixture into a medium-size saucepan and heat on medium-low, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir for about 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
3. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to keep the pastry cream from developing a skin while cooling. Let cool for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350º (preheat conventional oven to 370º, preheat convection oven to 350º)

Steps for filling the ramikens with butter and sugar coating:
1. Coat the inside of the ramiken with butter. Be sure to coat the entire surface.
2. Fill the ramiken with sugar so it sticks to the butter
3. Pour out all the sugar. The sugar that is remaining is what sticks to the butter

Steps for making the Soufflé

1. Combine the 12 egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothed, about 4 minutes.
2. After the 4 minutes are up, slowly add 1/3 cup sugar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form.
3. Once the sugar is incorporated, speed up the mixing process again until the egg mixture turns into medium peaks
4. Once this is done, pour the egg white mixture into the soufflé base and make sure to fold the egg mixture into the base to maintain the fluffiness of the mixture
5. Once the mixture is fully incorporated, the soufflé is ready to be poured in the ramekins for baking.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately Orange-Creme Anglaise . Puncture the top of the hot soufflés and pour the sauce right in.

Orange Crème Anglaise:
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar – divided use
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, 1/4 cup of sugar and orange zest to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in about 3/4 cup of the hot half-and-half, mixing well. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half. Cook stirring, over medium heat, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place saucepan in a large bowl of ice water to chill mixture quickly.
3. Add the Grand Marnier and vanilla, and stir to combine.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until completely cool, about 2 hours, or overnight.