Aztec Chocolate Soup
Makes 6 - 6 oz servings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 tablespoons Butter, Unsalted
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Half and Half
- 1/4 cup Espresso Coffee (or instant espresso in 1/4 c. water)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Crushed Pink Peppercorns
- 1 1/4 tablespoons Ground White, Green & Black Peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne (to taste - always start out light)
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- 1/3 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 pound Milk Chocolate, Valhrona
- 1/2 pound Dark Chocolate, Valhrona
- 1/2 pound Bittersweet Chocolate, Valhrona
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian Pink Sea Salt
Garnish:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Sour Cream
- 2 teaspoons Half and Half
- 1 pinch Allspice (light pinch, add more to taste)
1. Chop chocolate semi-fine; set aside.
2. Saute the spices lightly in butter till fragrant; 3. In the same pan, add milk, cream and chocolate. Integrate all ingredients gently, and melt on a medium flame. Once melted, switch to very low flame. Avoid letting the soup get above 120 degrees to avoid scorching.
4. Stir completely only once every hour until your desired cook-time is done: 8 hours will produce a more up-front pepper flavor, whereas cooking up to 24 hours will produce a smoother character. Over-stirring will cause the ingredients and flavors to separate.
5. Strain through a cheesecloth before serving.
6. Garnish with sour cream thinned with half & half & sprinkle with allspice. You can also add toasted almonds or coconut. For an added kick, drizzle orange liquer or cognac, but avoid brandy and coffee liqueur, which are too strong.
Rivers of Chocolate Festival
Some of the finest chocolatiers will share their delights at the Twelfth Annual Rivers of Chocolate Festival: A Fantasy for Your Palate on Sunday, April 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Adobe Lodge and Mission Gardens at Santa Clara University.
For tickets and more information on the Rivers of Chocolate Festival, call EHC LifeBuilders at 408.539.2109, or visit www.riversofchocolate.org.
About Chef Stephanie Gelman and the Owl Cafe
Mission College offers budding young chefs an affordable way to get classically trained in the culinary arts without having to leave Silicon Valley. The student run Owl Cafe serves lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays and offers diners top notch eats at very affordable prices, including table side presentations of Bananas Foster. Chef Gelman teaches a "chocolate creations" course where student chefs create ganaches, truffles, chocolate rolls, marzipan, couvertures, chocolate tulips and other designs. At last year's festival, they wowed the crowd with their "chocolate soup."
For more information about the Owl Cafe, click here
