Color me chocolate

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!"
- Lucy Van Pelt (Peanuts)

The Dairy Milk chocolate bar, the small Eclairs oozing with chocolate inside the mouth, the crunchy Fruit and nut, Temptations, Melody claiming its chocolatey flavour,the stylish 5 star bar, such and many more, the chocolates we as kids were and even as grown ups are tempted for. These now are replaced by the Hershey's, Ferror Rocher's, Reese's and Snickers.

Chocolates for me signify the sweet rememberance of childhood. The only affordable luxury as a child with the meagre pocket money. Something which one wouldn't want to share even with his or her best friend. Quickly gobling down that delectable piece before anyone catches you. Eating too much chocolates and then brushing ones teeth several times to save them from going bad.

The Pralines, truffles, hazelnut clusters, chocolate seashells, sugared violets, venus's nipples mendiants, chocolate and butternut, simmering hot cocoa topped with whipped cream. The sinful chocolate. In the world of grown-ups, chocolates are looked upon as indulgence, atleast that's what Joanne Harris tells in her famed novel 'Chocolat'. Something which one wants but the rules prohibit you from that.

Chocolat, the book manifests how the social rules abstain one from doing things which are a source of pleasures. Joanne Harris, whose writing gives the vibes of Chitra Banerjee Divakruni's 'Mistress of Spices' ,takes the reader on a french culinary adventure and pampers the reader into the chocolate epicurean.

Chocolate brings smile to one's face, haven't seen anyone crying after eating a one.Some might condemn it as an aphrodisiac for some it might sprinkle romanticism, but for me it is a sweet companion. From heart breaks to heart aches, from a bad hair day to a tough day at work, through ex-boy friends and through stressful nights. It works as a best stress busters and a quick fix for a crumpled heart. Belive me, I speak from experience.

If we have to talk about indulgence, then what do you think about, enjoying a book curled up in a quilt in a warm bed, with a simmering cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream to keep company.

Simran of Bombay Foodie who loves reading and also doesn't mind my out of the blue mails, came up with a fabulous idea.

Every month we will decide on a book, read it, discuss it and try to cook something out from that book. It was Simran's initiative and she permitted me to tag along.

We welcome those who are interested in joining us, please drop a line in the comment section and we will do the needful....:)

This month's book was Joanne Harris's 'Chocolat'.

The book is full of delicious and delectable french chocolate recipes, but the name 'Pain Au Chocolat' intrigued me. So I tried to make them on my own.

Pain Au Chocolat, is a pastry filled with chocolate and almonds. I googled and found out many different versions of recipes for this, but I wanted to add my own touch to this one, rather I wanted to indulge.

So for the outer covering I followed this recipe. For the the chocolate fillings, I followed my palate.

Recipe for Pain Au Chocolat:

Ingredients:

For the dough:

All purpose flour 2 cups

Wheat flour 1 cup

Milk, 1 cup
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
Egg, 1

Active dry yeast, 1 tbs
salt, sugar 1 tbs

For the filling:

Coconut flakes, 1/2 cup

Crushed or powdered Almonds, 2 tbs

Baking chocolate, 1 bar

Sugar, 1/2 cup

Butter, 1/4 cup, for brushing

Procedure:

Roast the coconut flakes in a hot pan for 2-3 min. Pour in the chocolate and sugar. Stir occasionally for the sugar and chocolate to melt and form a mixture.

For making the dough, in a big mixing bowl, add yeast and warm milk. Let it stand for a minute.

Add the egg white, olive oil, sugar, salt and flour to the bowl and mix to form a pliable dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Immediately, divide the dough in 8 parts, roll them into roti like circular shapes. Apply butter on the top part of first piece, put another piece over it. Apply butter to the top piece and put the third piece over it. Repeat the procedure till all the eight pieces are exhausted.

Flour the surface and roll the bunch into a big round shaped roti. Cut into wedges.

Put a spoonful of filling on the wider part and roll it over to form a croissant type shape. Let them stand for 30 min.

Preheat the oven at 350F. Lightly butter a cookie sheet and place the rolls on it. Brush the rolls with egg yolk. I did it with butter. Bake for 25-30 min, till they change color.

Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Pains Au Chocolat are ready to savour.

Note:

I used a mixture of All purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Original recipe uses only All purpose flour.

Current Mood: Indulgence
Current Music: Yellow Submarine (Beatles)
Current Book: Life is not all Ha Ha He He (Meera Syal)
Current Movie: Sweeny Todd