DREAM COME TRUE?
During the past 25 years, Mary Basta has watched her customers go to the dark side.
Basta, chef/owner of the Chocolate Swan at Mandalay Place, started her business in Wisconsin. When she began creating chocolates and pastries 25 years ago, Basta said, milk chocolate accounted for 75 percent of the chocolate she used in her business. Now, the proportions are 60 percent dark, 35 percent milk chocolate and 5 percent white.
"It's changing like you can't believe," Basta said. "I used to have to order two times as much milk chocolate as dark, even though I used the dark for baking, and now I've had to switch that out."
"Dark chocolate is becoming more and more popular, definitely," agreed Vincent Pilon, executive pastry chef at Mandalay Bay, who said 60 percent of the chocolate in the creations he serves to customers is dark, with milk and white at about 20 percent each.
"We've seen that across all of our lines," said Erica Lapidus, head of public relations and promotion for Godiva Chocolatier.
Phil Levine, director of public relations at ethel's chocolates, said the company's Valentine's Day offerings are heavy on dark chocolate, a departure from the past when light and milk chocolates were favored.
Even Diamond Foods has gotten into the act, adding Emerald Cocoa Roast Dark Chocolate Almonds to its line.
The reasons, it seems, are twofold: Americans are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes, and they are attracted by the perceived health benefits of dark chocolate.
"With all of the food shows and the Food Network, people are a little more educated about food," Pilon said.
"You get a better taste of the real chocolate with dark chocolate," said Jean-Philippe Maury, executive pastry chef at Bellagio. Milk chocolate, he said, is sweeter, which dilutes the flavor. And white chocolate is made through a different process entirely.
Lapidus noted that several studies have indicated the potential health benefits of dark chocolate.
Chocolate comes, after all, from a plant; cocoa beans grow on trees in tropical regions within about 15 degrees of the equator. And the Internet jokes about chocolate being a vegetable notwithstanding, there is, it appears, a grain of truth there, because as a dark fruit, cacao contains flavonoids, and therefore antioxidant qualities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that a German study linked dark chocolate to lower blood pressure. (Which is not to say you can have as much as you want; the recommended portion is no more than 30 calories a day, because the potential blood pressure benefit could be offset by the high sugar, fat and calorie intake.)
Other studies have indicated that dark chocolate also may help to lower "bad" cholesterol.
"I think that makes it a decadent treat with added value," Lapidus said.
Decadent indeed. Pilon said one of his most popular items is a Napoleon made with a hazelnut brownie piped with dark-chocolate mousse, topped by a thin dark chocolate wafer.
Basta said her Death by Chocolate is the most popular in her shop, for its four layers of dark-chocolate cake, three layers of chocolate cream and chocolate buttercream icing.
Maury's dessert called the Intense is made with 65 percent dark-chocolate creme brulee surrounded by 72 percent dark chocolate mousse, with a shiny dark-chocolate glaze and atop a dark-chocolate shortcake.
Lapidus -- who noted Godiva's store-dipped products such as chocolate-covered strawberries and peanut-butter cups and dessert cups are being increasingly requested in dark chocolate -- said a popular favorite is the Midnight Swirl, with an 85 percent velvety ganache center in a dark-chocolate shell.
And as for Levine, he noted that ethel's customers can indulge their dark-chocolate tastes with design-your-own boxes at the company's shops and ethel's chocolate lounges, and with other dark-chocolate treats in the lounges.
None of which would constitute health food. But Basta maintains that most people are not going to give up chocolate. So if you're going to eat it, might as well make it dark, right?
"It's a little more heart-healthy, just like using canola oil and certain olive oils," she said. "If you're going to do it, satisfy yourself, but do it healthy."
DARK CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons steel-cut oats
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter large rimmed baking sheet. Sift first four ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Mix in oats with spatula until evenly distributed (dough will be very firm). Add chocolate chips and knead gently to blend.
Using moistened palms, shape 1 generous tablespoon dough into ball. Place on prepared sheet; flatten to 2-inch round. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing rounds about 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until center is slightly firm and top is cracked, about 14 minutes. Cool on sheet.
Note: "Old-fashioned" oats have been cut, steamed and flattened with large rollers. Steel-cut oats are not as highly processed and look like tiny pellets. They produce a more al dente result.
Makes 12.
-- Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine
DARK CHOCOLATE BROWN SUGAR POUNDCAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE
21/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
21/4 sticks (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
11/2 cups granulated sugar
11/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate extract (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Brown sugar sour cream (recipe follows)
Strawberries for accompaniment
Do not preheat oven. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan, knocking out any excess flour.
Into a small bowl sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt.
In another small bowl stir together baking soda and sour cream.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer (preferably a standing electric mixer) beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in extracts and add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately in batches, beating until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and put in middle of cold oven.
Set oven to 350 degrees and bake cake 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and turn out onto rack to cool completely.
(Poundcake keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 week. Alternatively, poundcake may be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, 3 months.)
To make glaze: Chop bittersweet chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth. Transfer glaze to a pastry bag fitted with a No. 3 plain tip, which is slightly smaller than 1/8 inch. (Alternatively, transfer glaze to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and press out excess air. Snip off 1 corner, making a small hole.) Pipe glaze back and forth over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let glaze set 30 minutes at room temperature.
Serve cake with dollops of brown sugar sour cream and strawberries.
Serves 16 to 20.
To make brown sugar sour cream, stir together 11/2 cups sour cream, 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Mixture will keep, covered and chilled, 1 week. Makes about 1 2/3 cups.
-- Recipe from Gourmet magazine
DARK CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ANISE BISCOTTI
11/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 63/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon aniseed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
3 ounces premium dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, aniseed, baking soda and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with a mixer until blended (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 7 times. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove roll from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cut roll crosswise into 22 slices. Place, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Cool cookies completely on wire rack.
Heat chocolate in a small heavy saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes or until melted; stir. Dip cookies, top sides down, in chocolate; allow excess chocolate to drip back into pan. Place cookies, chocolate sides up, on a baking sheet. Let stand 1 hour or until set.
Makes 22 biscotti.
-- Recipe from Cooking Light magazine
REFRESHING CHOCO-ORANGE CHEESECAKE
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
11/2 cups dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
Whipped topping
Orange wedges (optional)
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl; pat firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
Place chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium for 1 minute, or just until chips are melted when stirred.
Beat cream cheese and remaining 13/4 cups sugar in large bowl; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in sour cream and orange extract. Stir 3 cups cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate chips; pour into crust. Freeze 10 to 15 minutes, until chocolate sets.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir orange peel into remaining cream cheese mixture; gently spread over chocolate mixture.
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until set except for 3-inch circle in center; turn off oven. Let stand in oven, with door ajar, 1 hour; remove from oven. With knife, loosen cheesecake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. Cover; refrigerate. Garnish with whipped topping and orange wedges, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake.
Serves 12.
-- Recipe from Hershey's
DARK CHOCOLATE TORTE WITH SPIKED BLACKBERRY COULIS
2 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces), divided
1 cup (2 sticks) salted margarine, divided
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Spiked blackberry coulis (recipe follows; make coulis before torte)
Fresh mint sprigs
Fresh blackberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 9-inch-diameter springform pan with margarine; line bottom with parchment. Stir 1 2/3 cups chocolate chips and 3/4 cup margarine in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Whisk in cocoa and espresso. Cool 10 minutes.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl on high speed until thick, about 6 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake torte until dry and cracked on top and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 42 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 1 hour (center will fall). Using spatula, press raised edges so top is level. Cut around pan sides; remove sides. Place plate atop torte and invert onto plate. Remove pan bottom; peel off paper, and cool torte completely.
Stir remaining 1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate and 1/4 cup margarine in small saucepan over low heat until smooth (do not overheat). Whisk in 2 tablespoons blackberry coulis.
Cool glaze 15 minutes. Pour glaze into center of torte. Smooth top with spatula, allowing some of glaze to drip down sides. Refrigerate uncovered until glaze is set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Cut torte into wedges; spoon coulis alongside. Garnish with mint and berries, if desired.
Serves 8.
Spiked blackberry coulis:
1 1-pound bag frozen unsweetened blackberries, thawed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons semidry white wine (such as chenin blanc)
6 tablespoons (about) sugar, divided
3 whole cloves
2 Turkish bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon brandy
Place berries, wine and 4 tablespoons sugar in blender; puree. Pour into medium saucepan. Add cloves, bay leaves and allspice. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 8 minutes.
Strain into medium bowl. Discard solids in strainer. Whisk in brandy; sweeten with remaining sugar, if desired. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk before using.)
Makes about 2 cups.
-- Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine
Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0474.
