Nothing says holiday cheer like homemade goodies. Jacques Torres, baker extraordinaire and owner of Jacques Torres Chocolate in New York City, shares his recipes for chocolate bark and chocolate corn flakes.
Recipe: Chocolate bark (on this page)
Recipe: Chocolate corn flakes (on this page)
For more on Jacques Torres and his delicious recipes, visit his Web site.
Chocolate bark
Pour your choice of mixed nuts and/or dried fruit onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading them out evenly. The desired amount of nuts and dried fruit can be up to the cook, either a lot or a little.
Pour enough tempered chocolate over them to cover almost completely. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate and nuts evenly in the pan and out to the edges, to completely fill the pan in an even layer. Add more chocolate if needed. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator to set and harden. When set, invert onto a clean surface and remove parchment paper. You may need to run the blade of a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bark from the sides of the pan.
Break into mid-size pieces and store in airtight container in a cool, dry area.
How to temper chocolate
Place a saucepan half-filled with water over medium heat and cover with a heatproof mixing bowl large enough to snugly rest on the rim of the saucepan.
Use 2 pounds of chopped chocolate or chocolate discs. Place about 2/3 of the chopped chocolate or chocolate discs into the bowl.
Use a rubber spatula to stir occasionally until the chocolate reaches about 100°F. This can be determined by either inserting a candy thermometer or noting that about 2/3 of the chocolate has melted.
Carefully remove the bowl from the pan. Stir in the remaining chocolate.
As the chocolate cools you will see it start to crystallize (harden) around the outside edge of the bowl. Use the rubber spatula to stir this crystallized chocolate into the melted chocolate.
Place the bowl of melted chocolate back over simmering water to ensure chocolate is completely melted and reheated; should reach a temperature of 88°F-90°F.
If the chocolate is tempered, a knife tip dipped into tempered chocolate will set with a nice shine after 60 seconds in the refrigerator.
I always try to bring contrast to every dessert. I discovered corn flakes ten years ago and, being a pastry chef, wondered what would happen if I covered them with chocolate. I loved it so much that now I take corn flakes home to France and make this recipe for my friends. They wonder about the things I am learning in America, but there are never any leftovers.
Crispness is important, so use a fresh box of corn flakes. You will need to have tempered chocolate ready before you begin. Use the best-quality bittersweet chocolate that you can find.
Pour the corn flakes into a large mixing bowl, then pour about half of the tempered chocolate over them. Use a rubber spatula and mix until they are coated evenly. The tempered chocolate will immediately begin to set. Once the chocolate has set, repeat with the remaining chocolate to give a second coat.
Quickly scoop the chocolate corn flakes into small mounds onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. I find it easier to use one spoon to scoop and another spoon to scrape the scooped mixture onto the baking sheet. It is important to work quickly because the mixture is easier to scoop before the chocolate hardens.
If your kitchen is very hot, you can place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Do not leave them in the refrigerator for more than 10 minutes; if they get too cold, condensation will form on them when they are removed from the refrigerator due to the difference in temperature between the cold chocolate and the warm air. This will cause the chocolate to turn white. While this doesn't affect the taste, it does ruin the appearance.
Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry area. They will keep for two weeks, if you can resist eating them.
Yield: About 6 dozen pieces
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