Chocolate bars

September 21, 2010  •  Category:

 

If there is one habit I have remained faithful to my entire life, it is that of eating chocolate. Every single day.


The only thing that has changed is the type of chocolate.

So when I saw a one-pound bar of Callebaut here at the local supermarket in Beirut, it was  a no-brainer. Out of the shelf and into my shopping cart.

An easy  dessert, because every component takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be frozen separately. The crust is a straightforward sablé cookie crust, made in seconds in the food processor; the ganache can be  frozen up to two months ahead and reheated in the microwave or simply at room temperature.

Make a tarte or bars depending on how many people you are serving.

INGREDIENTS:

  • For the crust:
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 3/4 cup of butter (150 g or about 6 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • one or more tablespoons of cold milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla (or a dash of vanilla powder, optional)
  • dash of salt

GANACHE:

  • 1 1/4  cups of cream
  • 14 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon of liqueur (optional)

Garnishes: walnuts  or other nuts

METHOD:

  1. Place the flour, salt and powdered sugar in the bowl of the food processor (or mixer); process a few seconds to mix. Add the softened butter and mix a few seconds more; add the egg and mix a few more seconds with the vanilla. If needed, add one or more tablespoons of cold milk or cream, starting with one tablespoon, until the dough starts to clump in the food processor.
  2. Gather the dough out on a piece of plastic wrap or foil; make a compact ball and refrigerate the dough for one hour or overnight. When ready to roll, butter and flour a pan, place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of it. Spread the dough on it by rolling it out first on a large piece of wax paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 15 to 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Let it cool.

GANACHE:

  1. Heat the cream until the edges bubble up. Add the chocolate cut in pieces and turn off the heat; let the chocolate melt slowly, stirring it a bit from time to time. Add liqueur at this point if you wish. The mixture should be creamy and smooth.
  2. Gather the ganache and let it cool. If prepared ahead, wrap it well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it. Defrost by letting it sit at room temperature and (or) heating it gently in the microwave.
  3. Spread it on the crust. Refrigerate the tarte to firm up the ganache, decorate with walnuts if desired.

Comments

38 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Angie's Recipes says:

    Chewing some celery stalks now…and salivating all over this chocolate tarts/bars…:-))

  2. TheKitchenWitch says:

    If eating chocolate every day gives you a figure like yours, I’m in!! Looks beautiful.

  3. anncoo says:

    Yum…yumm…I love chocolate!!

  4. Rosa says:

    So delicious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  5. SYLVIA says:

    Innocent looking dessert with walnut eyes. What is it about chocolate that makes everybody’s face light up when they bite into it? you can almost hear the crust saying thank you to the chocolate. Joumana I like how you tucked the chocolate in it’s own butter bed with a mud mask, I love bittersweet chocolate has a little sweetness with a touch of class, this is a gourmet family dessert out of simple ingredients that’s elegant and irresistible.

  6. Dimah says:

    This looks totally scrumptious!

  7. Grapefruit says:

    Looks so simple, and delectable!
    Sorry for the long absence, lately I haven’t even been able to keep up with my own blog!

  8. Rachana says:

    I am a chocoholic too… These choco bars look yummm!!!!!

  9. Heavenly Housewife says:

    Mmm… yummy! I love the idea of eating chocolate every day of my life. What a wonderful idea and a great way to stay happy 😀
    *kisses* HH

  10. kouky says:

    si c’est pour avoir une aussi jolie taille que toi, je veux bien manger du chocolat chaque jour!!

  11. Priya says:

    YUmmmm!!very tempting..

  12. HPD says:

    that looks amazing!

  13. deana says:

    I never liked chocolate that much until I discovered dark chocolate… then…well, like you I have it nearly every day (especially truffles!). Great little snack you have there!

  14. Mo says:

    How fantastic! This is what delicious looks like. 🙂

  15. Susan says:

    You don’t have to convince me. Chocolate is and always will be my favorite food. Add some nuts and I am in heaven. What a wonderful, simple and delicious recipe!

  16. Mimi says:

    Such a nice way to enjoy a little chocolate.
    Mimi

  17. I Sicilian says:

    you know I love chocolate more than any other dessert. I think it’s because it just makes you feel happy. And who can’t use being happy today with all the troubles in the world, therefore another chocolate recipe is just the right recipe for happiness.

  18. Dana says:

    And here I thought that sable cookie crust had almonds in it. I’ve always got something to learn!

  19. marla says:

    I agree with you Callebaut is amazing chocolate. I first started using it 2 years ago. It is great in baked goods & especially in ganache like this!

  20. sophia says:

    I don’t quite share the affinity for chocolate as you, but I’m drooling over those bars right now. I just finished my 40 oz jar of choc-covered nuts though.

  21. Katerina says:

    I am a chocolate lover, a chocoholic, an addicted to chocolate. All of them are 100% true about me. Any dessert that has chocolate wins my heart. The only thing I have changed through the years is that I now prefer bitter to sweet chocolate.

  22. Jean says:

    Yum and yum! I’ll take these in either the bar or tarte form, I won’t be picky. I can’t imagine these being more special than the way you made them, with Callebaut chocolate, wow!

  23. mrhz says:

    Merci beaucoup d’avoir penser a partager avec nous ce gout exceptionnel du chocolat … je me suis regalee entre 2 appels de clientsl!!! 😀
    Zabbat employee

  24. Conor @ HoldtheBeef says:

    Those studs of walnuts, sitting in the rich bed mmmmm 🙂

    I’d love to add some Grand Marnier or Kahlua to this!

  25. Faith says:

    I love how you eat chocolate every day! It’s one of my favorite pleasures too. The tarte is gorgeous, I love the sable crust!

  26. dida says:

    it was very nice to think about us especially in chocolat my favorite dessert
    the taste was delicious i really enjoy it ……
    you are so kind thank you …
    zabbat employee

  27. A Canadian Foodie says:

    ENOUGH! Posts like this should be illegal. I could eat the entire thing under the covers in the morning or at night. Who cares? Chocolate. Shortbread. Nuts. OMG!!!!

  28. Rajani says:

    wish i could eat chocolates every single day…!! nice recipe and i like the pic of clothes hanger!

  29. Linda Mercier says:

    These sound sooo yummy! And I agree, Callebaut chocolate is absolutely the best! I first tasted it about 23 years ago and try to have some at least once a year – it’s such a treat!

  30. Eve@CheapEthnicEatz says:

    Oh, gained 2 pound looking at this…looks rich and incredible.

  31. peter says:

    I’ve always loved chocolate now that I am finally an adult, I find myself liking dark chocolate more. Another expensive taste!

  32. Jeanne @ CookSister says:

    Oh my, that looks INCREDIBLE! Really decadent, and I love that it is so easy…

  33. MaryMoh says:

    I need a slice now 😀 That looks rich and delicious.

  34. Murasaki Shikibu says:

    This looks nice and easy. I have just gotten used to making pie crusts and this might be interesting to make. *bookmark*

  35. Margaret says:

    Oh,MY. Be still my heart, but this looks delicious. This one is on my sweets list NOW!!!

  36. 樓宇加按 says:

    He has been acting as nominee in supervision and implementation of more than 800 approved voluntary arrangements.

Add a Comment