Three Simple Desserts That Accentuate The Flavors Of High Quality Dark Chocolate
When you have high quality, gourmet chocolate, you want to enjoy it in a way that allows its flavors to shine, rather than camouflaging it with too many other ingredients. That's not to say you always have to enjoy your gourmet chocolate plain. Here are three simple dessert recipes that accentuate the flavors of good chocolate.
Chocolate Drizzled Berry Bowls
This simple dessert is a light choice that's perfect after a hearty meal. With plenty of fresh berries and dark chocolate, it's also pretty healthy. The recipe makes enough for four, but it's easily doubled if you're having company.
Ingredients:
- 4 chocolate dessert cups
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 4 medium strawberries
- 1/2 cup high-quality dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
Start by dividing the blueberries and raspberries between the dessert cups. If you desire, you can fan each of the strawberries by making several vertical cuts, starting at the tip of the strawberry, and going almost all of the way to the stem end. Slide the partial slices apart to reveal a fan shape. Set the strawberries and the filled bowls aside.
To melt the chocolate, fill the bottom portion of a double boiler with water, and bring it to a boil. Place the chocolate in the top part of the double boiler, and stir constantly until it melts. Make sure you keep the heat on low so that the chocolate does not melt too quickly and become scorched.
When the chocolate is fully melted, drizzle it over the berries in the dessert cups. Place a strawberry on top of each cup, and serve immediately before the chocolate has a chance to harden.
Simple Ganache Over Vanilla Ice Cream
When you want something cool and refreshing in the summer, serve yourself a bowl of this elegant, yet easy-to-make dessert. Ganache preserves the true flavor of good chocolate, since the only ingredients in it are heavy cream, chocolate, and a dash of salt. The vanilla ice cream lets the ganache really shine as the key element of the dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups high-quality dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 gallon high-quality vanilla ice cream
Pour the cream and salt into a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Heat the cream just until bubbles start to form around its edges -- do not let it boil. Remove the cream from the heat, and stir in the chocolate until a smooth sauce forms. Serve this sauce, while warm, over bowls of the vanilla ice cream.
Salted Caramel Fondue
Fondue is a lot of fun to enjoy at parties. Serving this chocolate-based fondue will keep the party going after dinner by encouraging guests to interact and giggle over the dipping pot. With a base of dark chocolate, this fondue also contains a hint of caramel and sea salt. It's magnificent on everything from apples to marshmallows. This recipe requires an electric fondue pot.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce
Turn your fondue pot on low, and allow it to come up to temperature. Add the ingredients to the pot, and stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow guests to dip their own goodies into the pot. Every few minutes, make sure you stir the chocolate to keep it from adhering to the bottom of the pot and scorching.
Any one of these desserts is sure to impress your company -- and your taste buds. Make these recipes with your favorite chocolate, and enjoy its flavor in a whole new way. You can purchase gourmet chocolates online at sites like http://www.abdallahcandies.com.