Chocolatekissesfordieters Recipes

Steps:

• Place the cognac, sherry, Cane Simple Syrup, dark chocolate syrup, half-and-half, caramel sauce and chocolate bitters if using in a cocktail shaker (without ice) and dry shake until everything is emulsified. Add large ice cubes and shake again vigorously. Double strain and serve in a martini glass or cocktail coupe. Garnish with dark cocoa powder.
• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Put a little caramel sauce on one plate and cocoa powder on another. Dip the edge of a martini glass first in the caramel, then in the cocoa powder.
• Put the cognac, half-and-half, sherry, Bitter Chocolate Syrup and Simple Syrup in a cocktail shaker and DRY SHAKE vigorously to mix the ingredients together well. Add ice and shake vigorously again. Taste for balance, single-strain into the prepared glass, garnish with fresh nutmeg and serve.
• Mix the chocolate with 4 ounces warm water in a small bowl until melted.
• Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 month.

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
• Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes.
• Beat in extract.
• Fold in grated chocolate.
• Insert a medium open-star tip in a pastry or plastic bag.
• Fill with meringue.
• On lightly greased baking sheets, pipe 42 1-inch circles.
• Press a chocolate kiss into the center or each.
• Pipe meringue around each kiss in continuous circles from the base to the top until kiss is completely covered.
• Dust with cocoa.
• Bake at 325 F for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
• Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to absorb the oil generated by the nuts, and grind until medium fine.
• Place egg whites in the clean bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until egg whites are stiff. Add the remaining sugar slowly; continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Beat in cocoa until combined. Fold in almonds, and mix until completely blended.The batter should be quite thick and sticky.
• Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper. Dampen hands, and shape about 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into a 1-inch ball. Pinch the ball with your fingers to form a teardrop shape, and place on baking sheet. Continue process, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, until all the dough is used.
• Bake until cookies are slightly cracked and soft but slightly firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour over chocolate, and let stand; stir until all the chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool until thick yet pipeable. The ganache should be the consistency of toothpaste. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #11 round pastry tip with the ganache. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto the flat side of a cooled cookie, and place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return cookie to rack, and let chocolate harden. Repeat process with remaining cookies.

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
• Stir well.
• Line a tray with wax paper.
• Dip fig in chocolate and then into the chopped nuts.
• Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.
• Store figs in the refrigerator in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers for upto 1 week.