lorax

By popular request in the Share an Image! thread...



Chocobolitas
About 8 dozen

You Need:

*2 C Rolled quick oats
*1 C Semisweet chocolate chips (which I can't get; I use bittersweet chocolate-covered sesame seeds instead)
*1 C Cocoa Nibs - these are little chunks of roasted cocoa bean. If you can't find them, just double your semisweet chips. Nibs have a rich, almost coffeelike flavour.
*1 C Sweet butter (unsalted)
*1 C Panela (raw sugar; if you can't get this, use demerrera)
*1-1/2 C Wheat flour (I use a mix of 50% quinoa flour and 50% wheat, because I like the subtly nutty flavour that quinoa gives to cookies)
*1/2 TSP Baking soda (reduce slightly for low altitudes)
*1/2 TSP Sea salt. Accept no substitutes; iodized salt is just plain nasty.
*1/4 C Dutch process cocoa powder. You can substitute any other unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch process is best. Fry's is a good brand in the US and Canada.
*2 large eggs, beaten lightly
*5-6 TBSP Port Brandy (I use Fundador, which is from the port of Jerez), or the non-cream booze of your choice. If you're making these for kids, use milk instead.
*1-1/2 TSP Pure vanilla extract. Accept no substitutes - Ethyl vanillin may be chemically identical, but it lacks the character of real vanilla.

For dipping

*8-10 oz Dark Chocolate, 75% cocoa minimum (I use an Ecuadorean brand, Superior, which is not generally exported. Lindt Signature Dark is a good choice in the US, and Bernard Callebeaut Dark Couberture in Canada.)
*A bag or so of extruded dark chocolate sprinkles (again, I use an Ecuadorean brand that is not generally exported. Find your own dang sprinkles.)

How do you do it?

You MUST combine the ingredients in this order, otherwise the cookies do not turn out properly.

1. Mix the oats and chocolate chips, and set aside.
2. In your main mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until they form a smooth mixture.
3. In your largest measuring cup (4 C minimum), combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa. Mix well. If you're anal retentive, you can sieve them together. I'm not - I use a spoon.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and cream together. What you end up with will be extremely short (flaky) - it's properly mixed when the cocoa has started to darken.
5. In your measuring cup, beat together the eggs, brandy, and vanilla. Add this to the dry mixture and stir well until blended. This will be fairly stiff - if you can't use up all of the flour, add another TBSP or so of brandy (this will vary by your altitude and the humidity content of your flour.)
6. Add the oats and chips mixture to this and stir well. You'll end up with a slightly sticky but quite firm dough.
6a. Preheat your oven to 350 F now.
7. Pinch off a bit of dough and roll it between your palms until it forms a ball. I aim for balls about the size of a target marble (about an inch in diameter) - you can choose your own size, but if you make them much bigger than that, they'll take longer to cook and lose their moist texture towards the outside. Place these on greased or papered cookie sheets.
8. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the sheets on a spatula to brown paper on a cool countertop (mine are marble) and allow to cool fully.
9. In your double boiler, melt the dark chocolate.
10. Using a marble slab and a silicon spreader, temper the chocolate, then return it to the pan of the double boiler. (see note below on how to do this, if you're unfamiliar with the process. If you're completely certain that you'll eat all 8 dozen or so of the cookies within 24 hours, you can skip this step.)
11. On a plate, make a heap of sprinkles.
12. Dip each cookie about 1/3 to 1/2 into the chocolate, then immediately plunge into the sprinkles, then place the cookie back on the paper to set (about 1 hour in a 20 C room). I use my fingers for this unless I'm making cookies for sale; then I use tongs. If you're using your fingers, be careful not to touch the chocolate in the boiler pan.

Chocobolitos are best when they're somewhere between perfectly fresh and a week old; after this they tend to dry out, although they're not susceptible to molding except in very humid climates. After the initial pig-out, they're best stored in Supperware type containers with a layer of parchment or wax paper between each level of cookies. If you're in a particularly hot or humid area (deserts and seabords spring to mind), this should go in the fridge. If you're not, they can stay out at room temperature. In my experience, 8 dozen Chocobolitos rarely lasts longer than 2 or 3 days anyway.

Note on how to temper chocolate and why it's important to do it in the first place.

Tempered chocolate keeps longer than simple melted chocolate, and does not develop 'bloom' (white scungy surface) or chalky texture for much longer than simple melted, especially when refrigerated. This is especially important for chocolate that uses real cocoa butter (as the brands I suggested do), since the bloom and texture are caused by this fat separating from the cocoa substrate and rising to the surface of the confection. Tempering also gives the chocolate a much smoother, glossier finish once it's set.

Once the chocolate has reached a fairly thin consistency (it should run freely off a metal spoon), transfer it to a cold, perfectly dry marble or granite slab. Work it across the slab in a fluid, scoop-and-spread motion using the silicon spatula, until the chocolate ceases to appear shiny and has taken on a velvetty sheen. Transfer this back to the pan of the double boiler, with the heat off; the residual heat of the water in the boiler portion will bring the chocolate back up to its original thin consistency. That's it.

You must be religiously careful not to let water or alcohol come into contact with chocolate while it is melting or tempering. Liquids cause nearly immediate curdling, which makes the chocolate unusable. One drop of water can ruin up to 3 lbs of chocolate while it's a liquid. I've found it useful to dry the bottom of my double-boiler pan with a tea towel before transferring the chocolate to the slab.

If by this point, you're saying "boy, that Lorax sure is a chocolate snob" you're quite right. In life, but especially when it comes to chocolate, anything worth doing is worth doing the very best you can. I'm a master confectioner, so this goes doubly for me.

momoese

Wow!

lorax

And despite that whole rigamarole, they're actually very easy to make - it's the work of about an hour and a half, including the whole baking-cooling-dipping thing.

Jack Daw

Indeed. Wow.

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Abnshrek

Looks delicious :^)

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aash09

yum!

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CookieCows

YUM!!!

If you want chocolate chips I'm happy to send them to you!! I hadn't heard of quinoa flour so looked it up and am going to get some! It sounds like it would have a great taste and good for you.

Thanks for the recipe!

Deb

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lorax

I actually really like the bittersweet-coated sesame! If you'd like some Nibs, let me know.

Bob

oh thanks for the recipe.... now I'm starving!( what's new). Do they ship well?

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damaclese

Elizabeth can i use turbono sugar its a natural raw sugar if you dont know coms from the midal east origanaly but the brand i get is from Mex has a slitly vanilla and molassis flaver i find it to be an out standing sugar for baking adds a depth of flavor you dont get with your standerd raw sugars

PS haveing acsses to reall vanilla beens my self i can totaly agree with you about uesing what i refer to as pin tree vanilla which is where most artafical Vinilla comes from YUCKY!

Do what i do find a friend that grows the Orchid and knows how to cure the Been pod LOL i know its a rareaty but fortune has smiled on me

PSS 8-10 oz Dark Chocolate, 75% cocoa minimum from Equador is avlibal from starbucks kinda pricey but they do have it allso Fresh and easy has it if yo live in the south west or on the west cost


PSSS if any water gets in your chocolot and causes it to seze thers a vary simple salotion for fixing this put all the chocolot back in to a dubal boler on low simer over water add water 1 tabl sp per lb of chocolot it will look grosse don't worry stur it will remelt and unseze if it seams to be stubern ad more water by tea sp's eveyr 3 min untill it losens dont add more then 2 tabl per LB or it will not be abal to be retemperd theer is a process for drying chocolot out in humid climets but it invalvs having a chocolot tempering Machean which the advrig person dose not have so i wont exsplan it

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lorax

Yeah, Starbucks is carrying Caoni chocolate, I think. I can buy that here, but I prefer the depth of flavour of Superior, which is 100% Criollo beans. Caoni (a coastal producer) uses Arriba beans grown in full sun, which bitters the mix significantly, and robs the roundness and velvet of the flavour. Superior (an amazon producer) is using a mixture of shade-grown cultivated and wild-collected cacao. When I really want to go overboard, I buy Kallari 85 - this is 100% shade-grown wild-harvested amazon Criollo beans. It's worth every penny of the $6 that the 10 oz bar costs.

I've never had a problem with seized batches in high humidity, but thank you for the solution for siezed chocolate due to water - I generally turf it because the flavour and texture changes, even with the addition of more water.

I grow my own vanilla, but Ecuador also has a fairly major industry in real vanilla extract - we supply South America. Despite this, I still see Pine Vanillin in the stores, and I can't figure out why anybody would buy it. It's more expensive than the real stuff!

You can absolutely use Turbano sugar - I suspect it's the same type of product that I call Panela. Dark, sweet with hints of molasses and vanilla. The very best panela that can be purchased here is not granulated - it comes in solid 3 lb blocks and you use a special hardwood mallet to break off and mill what you need. I prefer what is called Blonde Panela (from harvests with abundant water) for baking, and Black Panela (which is from drought-harvests) for jams and whatnot. This season, it's getting harder to find local sources for the blonde - most azuecerias are only putting out black.

momoese

You don't have to be lucky like Paul. Btw, this is "the" place to buy spices.

Spices at Penzeys Spices Vanilla

CookieCows

Speaking of spices and extracts... Watkins used to sell Rose Extract and I can't seem to find it anymore .. anywhere. If anyone knows of a rose extract I'd be really excited to have that info! It has to be for cooking. We had a bundt cake recipe that goes way back in our family that sure isn't the same without it.

I haven't searched for it online in afew years but last time I did all I could find was rose oil.

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sunfish

Amazon.com: Pure Rose Extract 4 oz.: Gourmet Food

Pure Rose Extract for Baking, Beverages and Ice Cream - Silver Cloud Estates

Star Kay White Pure Rose Extract

CookieCows

You have no idea how excited I am!!! I also feel rather stupid as this must be a quick search on your part to come up with not one... but 3 sites!! Right before I hit the enter button on my post I thought, "Debbie you really ought to search this again first!"

I am so excited to be able to buy this again and can't wait to surprise my mom with a bottle of it too. This was her favorite cake when she was little and my grandmother would make it on her birthdays.

Thank you Tony!!!
Deb

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sunfish

Your welcome

Patty in Wisc

Penzeys warehouse/factory is right here! I go past it all the time when I go to Mike's house I'll stop there sometime & check out prices...maybe I can get them cheaper, like wholesale(?). It's a huge building!

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Patty




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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

damaclese

im not sure if i get the blond or the black but its farly light colord to me a cupla of shadeds lighter then C&H light Brown sugra do you think thats the blond its flavor is light and has hints of Vanilla iv stoped using white sugra all together if you set them sid by side and get a lemon take some of the white then use the lemon to clens the palit then take a drink of water then try the Turbono then try it in revers T then W you will see quite cearly that the White sugar is horably sweet laking any other flavore propertes exsept a sutal biter quality that comes from the bleach they ues to make it white thats right theres bleach in your sugar people it leads to kidny deseas in the elderly since i swiched to the Turbono iv lost 10 lb and i have not in any way altered my sugar intake i highly recomend it

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damaclese

Rose surup is the easeas thing to make just ues roses that are pestaside free and that have a strong old rose sent or any sent you like make a simple surip of sugar and water thats 50% water to sugar so a 1 to 2 rato bring to a boil take off heat add rose petels and alow to cool to room temp wala rose surup
if you want rose water just ues water and cook the petels for 5 mints but i like the fresher flaver of just steeping the petals at its best its a sutal flaver of older times unlike are ultra intens flavors of todays confetions

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lorax

Pauly, sounds like you've got what I'd call Blonde Panela. You'd know immediately if you had the Black Panela - it's about the same colour as Blackstrap Molasses.

I don't even keep the White Death in my house anymore, except to kill ants with.