Chocolate Monday Exotic: Black Salt Caramels/Pistachio Citrus/Mexican Hot Chocolate/ Sweet Dukah!! 🌞

[justaprogressive]

Last edited Mon Nov 24, 2025, 01:13 PM - Edit history (1)

CHOCOLATE AND BLACK SALT CARAMELS

MAKES ABOUT 64

if you're into making edible gifts or love caramels, these are a winner.
Find briny. mineral flavoured black salt at health food shops or online.
Alternatively. use really good plain or smoked sea salt flakes.

150g/ 5 1/4 oz dark chocolate (50 60% cocoa solids) finely chopped or grated
400g 400ml/ 13 1/2 fl oz double [heavy] cream
100g/14oz granulated sugar
230g/ 8oz golden [corn] syrup
45g/ 1 1/2 oz unsalted butte
60ml/ 2fl oz water
black lava salt, to taste

Instructions

Line a 20x20 cm 6-8in baking dish with baking paper, making slits in the corners so that it fits neatly. Let the paper overhang the sides. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bow), Heat the cream in a pan until almost boiling, then pour it over the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.

Place all the remaining ingredients, except the salt, in a deep, heavy pan, Mix well so that everything is moistened, Sec over a medium high heat and simmer without stirring, just swirling the pan now and then, until the temperatu.re reaches 125°C/ 257°F on a sugar thermometer, Remove from the heat and very slowly and carefully pour the chocolate cream into the caramel, stirring all the time watch out, as it will froth up.

Return to the heat and simmer, stirring now and then. until the mixture returns to 125°C/ 257°F, Pour into the prepared baking dish and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt then leave to cool and set at room temperature. This might take a few hours. When set. lift out using the baking paper as handles onto a chopping [cutting] board and cut into small squares or rectangles. then wrap in baking paper

These can be kept for up to 6 months, but don't store in the fridge.


**************************************************************************


PISTACHIO, CITRUS AND DARK CHOCOLATE CINNAMON ROLLS

MAKES 7 ROLLS

These rolls make a decadent brunch, served warm from the oven,
with a pot of good strong coffee on the side.

FOR THE DOUGH

240ml/ 8fl oz whole milk
50g/ 1 3/4 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
400g/ 1 oz strong white bread flour. plus extra for dusting
7g/ 1/4 oz fast action dried [active dry] yeast
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg. lightly beaten
flavourless vegetable oil, for oiling
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, for brushing


FOR THE FILLING

80g/ 2 3/4 oz pistachios, finely chopped
115g/4oz soft dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
80g/ 2 3/4 oz dark chocolate (70 80% cocoa solids). chopped
50g/ 1 3/4 oz chopped mixed candied citrus peel
80g/ 2 3/4 oz unsalted butter, softened

To make the dough, heat the milk in a small pan until almost boiling. Remove
the pan from the heat. add the butter and stir until completely melted. Set
aside to cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl or the bow! of a stand mixer. whisk the flour.
yeast and salt together with a fork or balloon whisk. Add the whole beaten
egg and then the lukewarm milk. Knead with a dough hook attachment for
5 minutes, or turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by
hand for 8 10 minutes.

The dough will be quite sticky at first, but hecomes smooth and elastic as
you knead add a little more flour if it’s too wet to work with Place the dough
in a large lightly oiled bow! (it will expand considerably) and turn over to coat.
Cover with a clean tea [dish} towel and set aside somewhere warm for 1 hour,
or until doubled in size.

While you're waiting, mix all the filling ingredients, except the butter, together,
in a bowl. Butter a 23 cm/ 9 in round loose bottomed or springform cake tin with
sides at least 5cm/2in high. Wrap the base in foil, as the filling sometimes melts
and seeps out a little. When the dough has risen, press down on it to let the air
out and tip out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle roughly
35-25cm/ 14-10in. making sure the middle is no thicker than the edges.

With the long side of the dough parallel to the edge of your work surface. spread
the butter evenly over the top. Sprinkle over the filling and press down on it gently.

Working with the long side. carefully roll the dough into a sausage shape, like a
Swiss [jelly] roll. Cut into 7 equal pieces, each about 5cm/ 2in long, and arrange.
cut-side up. in the prepared tin: place one roll in the centre and the others around
it, with a little space in between. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 30
minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F/Gas mark 4, Brush the tops of the
rolls with the beaten egg yolk and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then release and pull apart when cool enough to
handle.

These are delicious served warm, but will keep well in an airtight container for a
couple of days.



****************************************************************************


WHIPPED MEXICAN STYLE HOT CHOCOLATE WITH CINNAMON AND ALMONDS.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 6 CUPS,

This is a simpler version of traditionally made Mexican hot chocolate. For an extra-special touch, try to get hold of the molinillo - a type of wooden whisk used to froth up the chocolate. The dry mix keeps well in a sealed jar inside a cool cupboard.


140g/ 5oz dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids),broken into pieces
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 heaped tsp flaked [slivered] almonds
2 1/2 Tbsp soft light brown sugar
good pinch of sea salt flakes

TO SERVE

whole milk
chilli [red pepper] flakes

Place all the ingredients for the chocolate mix in a food processor and blitz to
a fine rubble don’t overdo it or the chocolate will melt and turn into a paste:

Heat the milk in a pan almost to boiling point. then remove from the heat and
add 3 tablespoons for each 250ml/ 8fl oz of milk used. Whisk or heat to a
lovely froth. Serve with a pinch of chilli flakes on top.


**********************************************************************


SWEET DUKKAH

MAKES ABOUT 200g/ 7oz

Dukkah is the Egyptian condiment made from nuts. seeds, herbs
and spices. typically used as a dip for bread anointed with olive oil.
This sweet version is equally delicious and versatile: sprinkle it
over yogurt, porridge, stewed fruit or even hot buttered toast.

60g/ 2 1/2oz pistachios
60g/ 2 1/4oz blanched almonds
2 Tbsp runny honey
75g/ 2 3/4oz mixed seeds. including sesame seeds
1-2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp caster [superfine] sugar
3 Tbsp cacao nibs. roughly crushed in a spice or coffee grinder
pinch of sea salt flakes
4 Tbsp dried rose petals

Preheat the oven to 350/ 180°C 2 with baking paper.

Add the pistachios and almonds to the prepared sheet drizzle
with the honey and stir to coat, Spread out in a single layer and
roast for 10 minutes, or until golden, stirring the nuts halfway through
to ensure even cooking, Keep an eye on the nuts towards the end
of the roasting time. as they will burn easily at this point.

Remove from the oven, lift our the nuts onto the paper and set aside
on a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, pulse in a
food processor to make a rough rubble of finely ground and larger
pieces of nuts.

Meanwhile. toast the mixed seeds and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan
until they start to smell toasty. Tip into a bowl and add all the remaining
ingredients. including the blitzed nuts but not the rose petals.

Mix well. then fold in the rose petals.

Store in an airtight jar for up to a month.

All the above from "The Little Chocolate Cookbook"
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58786945-the-little-chocolate-cookbook


MMmmm Mexican HOT Chocolate!! Enjoy!