Chocolate Fancy Jap Recipes

CHOCOLATE FANCY JAP

Steps:

• Crush shortbread (not too finely) and mix with cocoa. Melt butter, syrup and sugar in a pan, then add biscuit/cocoa mix gradually, stirring well to mix. Press into buttered 8x8" square dish and leave to cool.
• Melt chocolate, milk and butter gently together, stirring. Spread icing over cookies. Decorate with sprinkles/jimmies, silver dragées, mini-M&Ms, etc, if desired. Cut into bars.

ASIAN FIVE-SPICE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Put chocolates in a large shallow bowl. Bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, and spice to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour through a fine sieve set over chocolates. Stir until smooth, then stir in butter until smooth.
• Beat eggs with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until increased in volume and pale and beaters leave a distinct trail (4 to 5 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 to 20 with a hand-held). Stir 1/4 of eggs into chocolate to lighten and fold in remainder gently but thoroughly (fold 1 to 2 minutes).
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Put pan in a water bath and bake in middle of oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering. Remove from water bath and cool 2 hours in pan on a rack.
• Unmold cake by running a thin knife around edge, then heating pan 5 to 10 seconds on burner set at moderately low. Invert cake plate over pan and flip cake onto plate. (If cake sticks, tap bottom of pan with a knife handle. If that doesn't work, heat pan again.) Peel off paper.
• Serve cake in thin slices.

FANCY DOUBLE DRIZZLED CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Stack two baking sheets together and line top one with parchment paper (if baking scones freeform). Or, spray six to eight 3 1/2 inch individual tart tins with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a food processor, place flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Process to combine. Add the butter and pulse to cut it into dry mixture. Process until you have a coarse, mealy texture.
• Turn mixture out into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg, vanilla and most of the cream. Stir to make a soft dough. Fold in chocolate chips. Texture should be between a dough and a firm batter. With an ice cream scoop, drop scone dough into tart tins or onto baking sheet.
• Bake until lightly browned (15-18 minutes).
• Remove from oven and cool in tart tins or on baking sheet until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes.
• Place parchment paper or waxed paper under cooling racks; transfer cooled scones to racks. Drizzle both melted chocolates over scones. After the chocolate has set, dust tops of scones with confectioners' sugar. Place scones on serving plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with Creme Fraiche or Devonshire Clotted Cream (optional). Makes 6-8 scones.
• **Tip:
• When melting White Chocolate, be careful not to burn it. White Chocolate or milk chocolate will burn much easier than dark chocolate as they have a much higher milk solid content. When melting white chocolate or milk chocolate, place chocolate in a double boiler on very low heat. Stir constantly, and keep your eye on it continually while melting.