Celebrate World Chocolate Day with these easy recipes

New Delhi, July 7 (IANSlife) Its World Chocolate Day and what better way to celebrate than to relish on a delectable chocolate recipe! Here are some delicious chocolate-based recipes which is easy to make.

COCONUT CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE FUDGE

INGREDIENTS

400 GM Condensed Milk

300 GM White Chocolate

100 GM Desiccated Coconut

130 GM Del Monte Dried Cranberries

50 GM Dried Almonds, Finely Sliced

PINCH Of Salt

METHOD

Layer a baking pan or any square pan with a parchment paper and keep it aside. Remember to leave enough paper on the edges so that you can pull the fudge out easily once it is set.

Spread the desiccated coconut out onto a pan and toast it till it turns golden brown.

Pour condensed milk into a saucepan and add finely chopped white chocolate. Turn the heat on medium and cook the milk until the chocolate melts.

Keep stirring to avoid it from burning. It would be a shame to have to restart after coming this far. Once it’s done, switch off the heat and mix the toasted coconut, salt and almonds with our star ingredient, Del Monte Dried Cranberries.

Give it a stir and then pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.

Let it set in the refrigerator for 4 hrs and if it’s still not set, leave it overnight. Then cut it into bite-sized squares and store it in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator.

Mocha Tart:

Ingredients

60 ml coffee

25 g sugar

3 eggs

60 ml cream

125 g 50% cocoa dark chocolate

100 g flour

20 g cocoa

75 g butter vanilla extract

lemon zest

Method:

For Ganache

Whisk the two egg yolks with the sugar until they are pale and creamy.

Bring the cream to the boil.

Add the whisked yolks and cook up to a temperature of 90eC.

Add the coffee and stir well.

Pour the mixture over the finely chopped chocolate.

Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Cool in the refrigerator.

For Dough

Dice the butter and bring it to room temperature.

Make a well in the flour and cocoa.

Put the butter, sugar and egg into the well.

Mix the ingredients and then add the flour until you obtain a smooth dough. Refrigerate for one hour.

Spread the dough over the base and up the edges of your cake tin.

Use a fork to prick the bottom of the tart.

Bake in a non-ventilated oven at 180eC for 18 minutes.

Allow it to cool.

Presentation

Using a piping bag, fill the tart with the warm Ganache cream.

Refrigerate until the cream is completely cool.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

Cranberry brownies

INGREDIENTS

e Cup, All-Purpose Flour, Sifted

e Cup, Cocoa Powder, Sifted

e Cup, Brown Sugar

3 Medium Sized Eggs

TBSP Vanilla Essence

100 Gram Butter

e Cup, Del Monte Dried Cranberries

50 Grams, Dark Chocolate, Chopped

METHOD

Begin by preheating the oven at 180 degrees centigrade. Take an 8*8 inch square pan and line it with parchment paper.

While the oven preheats, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Carefully take out the molten ingredients and whisk them well.

Add a dash of sweetness with sugar and mix. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Finally, pour in the teaspoonful of vanilla essence and stir everything together.

Fold in the flour and cocoa powder and pour the mixture into the lined pan.

Now for the game-changer! Add the scrumptious Del Monte Dried Cranberries to the mix and level the batter evenly to give it a perfect texture.

Bake the brownies for 20 to 25 minutes or until skewers come out clean.

Let it cool before cutting the brownies.

Drizzle some more chocolate on them and your homemade delights are ready to be relished!

CHOCOLATE PRUNE BANANA MUFFIN

INGREDIENTS

1e Cup All-Purpose Flour

2 Ripened Big Bananas (Mashed)

Cup Del Monte Prunes

175 G Dark Chocolate

e Cup Butter At Room Temperature

Eggs

e Cup Sugar

TBSP Vanilla Essence

TBSP Baking Powder

e TBSP Baking Soda

e TBSP Salt

METHOD

Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add 1 egg and beat until incorporated well. Add another egg and beat again. Add vanilla essence and mix. Now add melted chocolate and mix.

Add flour mixture in 3 batches and fold it until mixed. Add chopped prunes and fold.

Fill the muffin pans, lined with the muffin liners. Bake them in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until skewers come out clean

OLIVE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS

175 G Del Monte Olives

300 G Dark Chocolate

3 TBSP Butter

e CUP Cream

1 TSP Lemon Zest

SOME Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

METHOD

Let’s start by heating the chocolate and cream together, in a double boiler until it melts.

Then take the mixture off the heat and whisk well to smooth out any lumps.

Add some butter to the chocolate and cream mixture with a little bit of lemon zest to give it a subtle zing.

Now mix all the ingredients well.

It’s time for hero of the show to make an appearance! Add the Del Monte olives to the mixture and fold it in.

Cover the chocolate mixture and let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours. We know the wait is hard.

Once the mixture is set, scoop out a spoonful and roll it into a small lemon sized ball. Make these delicious chocolate balls out of the whole mixture.

Refrigerate the prepared truffles for another hour. The wait is almost over, promise!

Once chilled dust the truffles with cocoa powder.

Chocolate Cranberry Nut Clusters

INGREDIENTS

75g DEL MONTE dried cranberries

50g walnuts

50g almonds

200g dark chocolate

METHOD

Chop the walnuts and almonds.

Melt the chocolate in a large heat proof bowl in a microwave for one minute. Stir until smooth.

Add the dried cranberries and chopped nuts to the melted chocolate. Stir well so that all the fruit

and nuts are coated with chocolate.

Lightly grease a baking tray or plate.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the chocolate mix on the tray. Chill for 15-20 minutes until set.

Once set, take off tray and store in a cool place.