Monday, October 24, 2011

Chocolate Chilli Pots {with a surprising garnish}


I couldn't resist taking part in this month's We Should Cocoa challenge. By sheer coincidence the same month that I launched the Sweet Heat Challenge, We Should Cocoa announced their monthly mystery ingredient to be none other than chillies! How could I resist?!

I had recently been testing out another 30 Minute Meal from Jamie Oliver's book and had tried his chocolate pots. As delicious as they were I found them a little too strong for my liking....but then I had an idea to adapt them to use milk chocolate and chillies and so my Chocolate Chilli Pots were created! I like to serve them with some thin biscuits which are perfect for dipping into the oozy spiced chocolate – think of them as a grown up (and much better) version of Choc Dips!

As for the surprising little garnish, for the past month I couldn't get the idea out of my head of trying chocolate covered chillies! Yes you heard right, chocolate covered chillies.....not strawberries, oranges or biscuits but chillies. So I couldn't resist for this challenge trying it out and using them to top the chocolate pots. It sounds crazy but you have to trust me on this one and seriously give it a go – the combination of the chocolate pots with the chocolate covered chillies will (possibly literally) blow your socks off! I like the sweetness of white chocolate as it cuts through the intensity of the chilli heat but feel free to try using milk or dark chocolate – either way you have to give it a go! So there you have it – Chocolate Chilli Pots with Chocolate Covered Chillies.....you can't get more chocolate & chilli than that!


200g milk or dark chocolate (whatever is your preference)*
300ml single cream
small knob of butter
pinch of salt
1-2 dried chillies

For the chocolate covered chillies:
2-3 long chillies
85g white chocolate

Bring a large pan of water to a simmer then add put a bowl over the top. Keep the heat low so that the water is barely simmering and make sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate, cream, butter, salt and chillies and heat gently, stirring as you do, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is silky smooth. Leave the mixture for a while to infuse before pouring into ramekins or espresso cups. For me they taste best at room temperature but you could serve them warm or cold – just whatever your preference is.

For the chocolate covered chillies, melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water then once perfectly melted and smooth remove from the heat. Dip the chillies in so that they get a good even coating then lay down on a baking tray covered with baking parchment. Once they are all coated in the chocolate pop them in the fridge to set. When ready to use simply slice them up. I like to put a few on each chocolate pot then leave the remaining chillies out on a board so people can help themselves.....this is wickedly special!

*If you dark chocolate is your chocolate of choice why not try dark chocolate infused with chilli with a little extra chilli heat and flavour!


12 comments:

  1. I have not tastes chocs and chillies together but why not? Looks lovely and thanks for this unique recipe.

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  2. I love the heat with the chocolate and you made a good choice to change to milk chocolate. That allowed both flavors to be even, the dark chocolate would have over powered the chili. Great dip-also, the chocolate covered chilies are a nice touch on top. Now I am ready for some spicy heat and chocolate-yum!

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  3. This looks liike a contest winner. What a wonderfully imaginative garnish! The combo of chiles and chocolate is such a great thing ... very swanky, dearie!

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  4. Those chocolate covered chillies look stunning, love the contrast of colour. how on earth did you manage to cut them so finely and keep the chocolate in tact? Thanks for taking part in this month's challenge, the chocolate pots look very decadent.

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  5. oh mama! those chocolate covered chillies look lethal!... wowzers!

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  6. AMAZING!!! What a great idea to coat the chili's in chocolate! I love this whole thing, great recipe.

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  7. We've reviewed several chilli, pepper, and hot hot spiced chocolates in the past and tried it once with truffles. Nice to see another person giving it a go, too.

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  8. I love the idea of coating the chillies in chocolate. Sounds like a great dessert.

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  9. Brilliant, I love the idea of covering these with chocolate, I tried stuffing my chillies with chocolate, but yours certainly looks prettier. Thanks for participating.

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  10. Great idea with the chocolate covered chiles! Sounds like a well done dessert all around =)

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  11. sounds really interesting!!! love it :) I love jalapenos so I'll have to give this a try!

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