I was beaten by a recipe today. Something I was trying to convert to gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free status. A daring baking attempt no less. Well - not to give any secrets away, because the daring bakers keep the recipe secret until the moment when we all post in unison, this recipe was just not going to work out.
I shed a single hot tear of frustration and threw my apron on the floor. For a moment I felt overwhelmed by my limitations and angry for the way fate had fallen against me, heavy as a sand bag dragging me down.
But these feelings don't last long with me. I don't want to eat those fluffy white bagels or that slice of meringue smothered angel cake. I really don't! I want to eat the food that sings loudly about life and love, of health and flavour. Food that reminds me how recently it was in the ground or ripening on a tree. Food that doesn't moan about the lack of gluten, creamy things that have never seen a cow and sweetness that comes not from a sugar cane, refined to a sort of purity in which nothing can live.
I went straight to the cupboard and got down my new babies; raw unsweetened cacao butter and raw unsweetened cacao liquor. When all else fails and you feel really frustrated at having baked all day with nothing to show for it, make some chocolate pots. These take about ten minutes tops to make and a few hours of chilling in the fridge later, you can be sinking your tiny spoon into something decadent, comforting and pleasingly grown-up all at the same time.
I used the raw stuff, but if you can only get really dark chocolate then use 85g of that in place of the cacao butter and liquor - at least 85% cocoa solids though. Add a little dribble of bourbon vanilla extract if you like.
Petit Pots de Chocolate
(makes 5 little espresso cups)
60g raw cacao liquor
15g raw cacao butter
125ml double cream (or coconut milk for dairy free)
50ml coconut milk
3 dessertspoons date syrup or 2 of raw honey
2 egg yolks (add the whites to an omelete)
Put the cream, coconut milk and date syrup/honey into a little saucepan and heat gently until just below boiling point (steaming and a few bubbles rising - too hot for your finger).
Chop the cacao butter and liquor as finely as possible, or grate coarsely. Of the heat, stir into the cream and stir gently until it is smooth.
Plop the egg yolks in and beat or whisk immediately. The mixture will thicken as the heat cooks the egg yolks. Add vanilla if using and pour into little espresso cups or egg cups. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until set.
I shed a single hot tear of frustration and threw my apron on the floor. For a moment I felt overwhelmed by my limitations and angry for the way fate had fallen against me, heavy as a sand bag dragging me down.
But these feelings don't last long with me. I don't want to eat those fluffy white bagels or that slice of meringue smothered angel cake. I really don't! I want to eat the food that sings loudly about life and love, of health and flavour. Food that reminds me how recently it was in the ground or ripening on a tree. Food that doesn't moan about the lack of gluten, creamy things that have never seen a cow and sweetness that comes not from a sugar cane, refined to a sort of purity in which nothing can live.
I went straight to the cupboard and got down my new babies; raw unsweetened cacao butter and raw unsweetened cacao liquor. When all else fails and you feel really frustrated at having baked all day with nothing to show for it, make some chocolate pots. These take about ten minutes tops to make and a few hours of chilling in the fridge later, you can be sinking your tiny spoon into something decadent, comforting and pleasingly grown-up all at the same time.
I used the raw stuff, but if you can only get really dark chocolate then use 85g of that in place of the cacao butter and liquor - at least 85% cocoa solids though. Add a little dribble of bourbon vanilla extract if you like.
Petit Pots de Chocolate
(makes 5 little espresso cups)
60g raw cacao liquor
15g raw cacao butter
125ml double cream (or coconut milk for dairy free)
50ml coconut milk
3 dessertspoons date syrup or 2 of raw honey
2 egg yolks (add the whites to an omelete)
Put the cream, coconut milk and date syrup/honey into a little saucepan and heat gently until just below boiling point (steaming and a few bubbles rising - too hot for your finger).
Chop the cacao butter and liquor as finely as possible, or grate coarsely. Of the heat, stir into the cream and stir gently until it is smooth.
Plop the egg yolks in and beat or whisk immediately. The mixture will thicken as the heat cooks the egg yolks. Add vanilla if using and pour into little espresso cups or egg cups. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until set.
14 comments:
What a shame your original baking plan didn't work out. I know it can be fustrating when you have a good idea but it doesn't work. Your cocoa pots look amazing and wonderfully dark and delicious. Don't give up on your original idea, its just trying to give you a challange.
Looks and sounds great, but a little too healthy for me ;). If you're normal like me (by no means "normal" but has only "normal" kitchen ingredients) than you probably don't have raw cacao liquor/butter. Well march right over to Barcelona, Spain and into a Xocoa chocolate shop (there's a lot). Buy 10 bars of their 90% dark chocolate - 1 for this recipe, 1 for you to eat, and 8 to mail to me. You won't be sorry (I know I won't).
- The Peanut Butter Boy
They sound and look delish, Naomi - they may be sugar free, but certainly not taste free!
Katie, I'm not going to give up after all - Natalie of the wonderful Gluten a Go Go has sent me a recipe to try and dried my tears up with some kind words. Thank you for yours!
Nick, boy, you ain't convicing anyone that you're normal. An obsession with peanut butter isn't run of the mill you know? I'm sure you don't have to go as far as Barcelona to pick up some dark stuff. Having said that, next time I'm there, I know just what to do....
Flyingfork - what a fab name, we should get you together with forkful-of-spaghetti! They certainly are not taste free. Finley finished up the last one yesterday with a tiny spoon and great gusto. It was hard to watch, knowing there was none for me.
Sorry that you were having such a tough time with the DB recipe. I am always amazed by those of you who must go to extensive work to adjust, substitute and change the recipes to make them work.
Lovely chocolate pots. These would make me feel better too. :)
Thanks Gretchen,
I think I might try a twist on the recipe and see how that goes. If I can't learn from my mistakes and move on, what's the point?
x x x
Oh, I'll have to try something like this, it looks and sounds delicious. I just also happen to have some cacao butter since bought a kilo of it recently, I found this great place were it isn't too expensive.
emilia (I have a sister called Amelia),
here did you get yours from? it's always good to know where to get great deals on things.
x x x
I meant where? Still getting used to this keyboard and forgetting to check I actually hit all the keys!
I've baked with xylitol in the past and had wild success. Okay, maybe not wild (no browning) but it works cup for cup like sugar and comes granulated so it can work its' aerating properties. Best of luck if you try again.
Hi Naomi,
I feel for what your going thru. As a vegan, I'm suffering some of the same issues (although gluten free would be virtually impossible there, I think).
DH mentioned to me recently that it seems like the DB efforts aren't really panning out for me. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, but I agree that some of these efforts aren't worth the results they yield.
But I agree with you that we should be able to learn from our mistakes. I signed up as a Daring Baker to force myself to learn to bake vegan. I figure a monthly project with a deadline, and some accountability will force me.
Good luck to you whichever path you choose. Those chocolate pots look amazing. Off to see if the recipe works without eggs!
Jane of VeganBits.com
Chou - I tried xylitol too, but apparently not all xylitol is created equal. Xylitol must be refined from birch bark to be the good stuff, the xylitol made from corn is not supposed to be as good for you. Not quite sure where I read that, so now have to go research it to back it up!
Jane, There are vegan gluten free bakers out there doing some fantastic stuff. Always worth visiting Karinas Kitchen for vegan gluten free inspiration. I think alarm bells start ringing for me when I find too many denatured food substitutes going into my cooking. I think the bottom line always has to be, keep it real. How far has this stuff come from the ground it grew in?
x x x
Those pots de creme look wonderful-I have had something similar on my mind for a while- I'll definitiely try your version if I can find the ingredients here. Glad your feeling a bit better on the baking front and hope something easier for the GF baker will work out with the DBs. Lis said she'd check it out.
I got my cocoa butter from a perfume shop actually, and it was really cheap 400 grams for 8,90 euros. They also sell cheap shea butter, oils and things like that.
If anyone from Finland is reading this the address is http://www.tuoksukauppa.net/
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