Chilmark Chocolates (more martha's vineyard wonderfulness)

remember those old-fashioned chocolatiers, the ones who lovingly made each piece by hand and the chocolates were always super fresh, like they were just made? this rare expertise still exists in chilmark. every single time i drove by this tiny up island shop, there was a line out the door. a line that took 15 minutes just to get inside the chocolate shop. there is a pleasant wooden porch for this purpose, so the wait isn't so bad. and everyone is real friendly in line, like all of you are so smart to even be waiting in this particular line, that it is kind of like a secret smart chocolate persons club. and importantly, you are all going to walk out with a great box of chocolates sooner or later. it is a happy line.

once, inside you are handled smartly and efficiently by friendly custom chocolate box consultants who steer you along until you've got your box just the way you like it. they are very patient with you if you hem and haw a bit your first time. they don't mind. they understand. and speak in soothing tones so you feel you've made the right decisions. the price seems like a steal. the taste is incredible, like you just made chocolates in your own kitchen an hour ago just the way you like them.

brownie quest

i have been on a brownie quest all week. you see, i had a sudden craving for brownies last week. this is unusual as i am more in the savory camp than the sweet tooth camp, and yet, there it was. an intense desire to eat the perfect brownie. this was probably due, in no small part, to my children who adore the brownies from le pain quotidien. which are very good. but sometimes they can be a bit stale, on an off day, and oh, that is almost too much disappointment to bear when you are in the mood for a really good brownie. it was clear, we had to find a reliable in-house source to fulfill our brownie requirement.

what did i want in a brownie? something rich, substantial, dark, flavorful, but not too sweet. there is an outrageous amount of sugar in some brownie recipes (2 cups of sugar and more). and i just can't have that.

my quest process went something like this: first, i researched brownie recipes from my past, recipes i had used before, i checked out the lpq recipe also, which i plan to try one day, but the idea of making two separate batters and then combining them was too complicated for me in summertime. so then i consulted the recipes of some of my favorite baking experts. i took a few ideas from each. i baked a batch nearly every day. (making my family very happy in the process). tweaking the recipe, changing a few things. 

i have come up with a recipe i love. one that is perfect for me. my son loves it too. perfect with a glass of milk. it is dark and rich and velvety. paired with vanilla ice cream and warmed chocolate sauce, it is some kind of taste of heaven. my husband and my daughter, they maybe want something a little sweeter. not bad, they say. so thankfully, the quest continues. it is hard work, but someone's got to do it.

rich velvety double chocolate brownies

10 TBSP unsalted organic butter (1 stick plus 2 TBSP)

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate broken into pieces (best chocolate you can find, organic green&blacks is nice)

1 cup + 1 TBSP organic sugar

4 large eggs, whisked

1 TBSP vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (i used green&black's cocoa powder as well)

1 cup sifted organic flour

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line a 13 x 9 baking pan with parchment.

melt the chocolate pieces and the butter in a glass container in the microwave or over a double boiler. i like to use the microwave for this as it takes 1 minute 30 seconds at most. often less. allow the butter and chocolate mixture to cool for 5 minutes. stir until smooth. add the vanilla extract and stir in the sugar.

whisk in the 4 eggs, the cocoa and the salt. stir until combined. now gently and swiftly add the sifted flour, stirring only as much is absolutely necessary to combine.

pour the batter into the parchment lined pan. bake until set, only about 15 to 20 minutes. 17 minutes worked for me. simple, dark, rich, velvety brownies in half an hour! cut into squares while still warm. a fine accomplishment during one sultry week in august.

chocolate pots de creme

when one of the best things in the world is also one of the simplest easiest things in the world, i am especially thrilled. and so it is with chocolate pots de creme. i like it better than chocolate mousse. texture i think. cooked custard is sublime in my book. takes no time at all to prepare, but there is the baking and the refrigerating that span some time. but mostly, easy peasy. also, 100th post right here. feels good to have created this little blog. a small space for beauty in the too frequently mundane stream of life. thanks for stopping by and reading a few words or maybe even just looking at the pictures!

chocolate pots de creme

ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

6 oz of the best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate you can lay your hands on, finely chopped

1/2 cup fine sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  bring cream/milk mixture to a nice simmer. remove from heat. add chopped chocolate and fine sugar. stir once. cover. allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes. meanwhile in a mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, the vanilla and just the tiniest pinch of salt. at this point, check on the chocolate. it should be melted. give it a gentle stir (dont want to mix vigorously or chocolate can separate). now, gradually stir in the yolk mixture. i add a bit of the chocolate to the yolk mixture and then incorporate that mixture into the rest of the chocolate. pour the whole thing through a fine mesh strainer or sieve, into a pitcher.  

ready your ramekins. or pots de creme pots with their cute little lids if you have them (i don't). this makes 9 pots for us, which is all that fit in our baking pan. as pictured above. fill all the cups you have an equallish amount and place in rectangular pan. pour your bain marie, or hot water bath. fill up the pan about halfway. careful not to slosh on your way to the oven.

into the oven they go. bake for approximately 25 -30 minutes. the centers should still jiggle a bit, but not look like pure liquid. allow to cool on the counter for 5 minutes or so. then remove them from the bain marie and allow to cool on the counter another 10 to 20. then it is off to the refrigerator for them. cover with foil and refrigerate for about 2 hours. they will solidify quite a bit more during all this cooling and refrigerating. simply lovely. enjoy with a bit of fresh whipped cream if you like. 

friday photo

happy valentine's weekend everyone! i hope it is dark, rich, sweet, chewy and maybe a little bit nutty.