Wasabi Peanut Chocolate Bar is dark chocolate, paired with wasabi covered peanuts for a treat to satisfy both your sweet and spicy tooth.
Happy first day of fall, friends! Except for a wet, dreary Saturday this past weekend, the weather here has been fantastic! Summer turned up the heat for her farewell and it looks like she plans to ride it out to the weekend. But, enough weather talk. Let’s talk chocolate - as in these Wasabi Peanut Chocolate Bars!
Those who know me well are fully aware of my addiction to wasabi covered peanuts. Given my aversion to spicy food, one would think that I wouldn’t get anywhere near wasabi, much less enjoy it. But such is the confusingly double life of a gemini.
A few years back when I was in school, I learned that the prettily piped green stuff that was served alongside my sushi-to-go lunch wasn't authentic wasabi. WHAAAA! Instead, it's horseradish mixed with Chinese mustard and green food colouring. But, not having had the real deal I went along with the impostor, half enjoying, half despising it.
I had my first taste of the real deal a couple years later, when a friend gifted me some premium semi-aquatic wasabi straight from his homeland. I get good tingles just thinking back to my first whiff and taste - earthy, deep, rich with that distinctive heat. It was a real experience!
I was a poor student at the time, so once that supply ran out, it was back to the best impostor crap I could afford.
One such impostor came in the form of 'wasabi-flavoured' peanuts - the inspiration for this Wasabi Peanut Chocolate Bar. I still semi-secretly enjoy the store-bought ones, but have never been completely comfortable with the ingredient list.
So with a little basic panning skills under my belt and a batch of grossly over-priced freeze-dried wasabi, I set out to create my own wasabi peanut snacks. It took me a few expletive-filled, muscle-burning attempts, but I did it!!!
What's your favourite snack that you would like to see paired with chocolate?
Wasabi Peanut Chocolate Bar
Ingredients
- 300 grams dark chocolate
- 50 grams wasabi peanuts
Instructions
- Pre-crystallize (temper) the chocolate according to the instructions provided with your chocolate of choice.
- If using a mold, prepare the mold by buffing with cotton or cheesecloth and warm the mold.
- Pour the chocolate into the mold and tap a few times to release any air bubbles. Scrape off excess chocolate.
- Crush some wasabi-covered peanuts and sprinkle over the bars. Allow to set at room temperature for a few minutes, then pop them in the fridge for about 10 minutes. (setting time is dependent on the temperature in your home)
- Remove from fridge and let stand a couple minutes at room temperature. Invert the mold and lightly tap on the counter to release the bars.
- If you are not using molds, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the precrystallized chocolate onto the parchment and use an angled spatula to spread an even layer, or tap the pan on the counter to level the chocolate out.
- Sprinkle with topping and you can leave to set, then break into pieces, or allow to set partially and use a pastry cutter in a shape of your preference to cut the bark. Allow to set completely, then remove the shaped pieces.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
What do I love about Sunday, you ask? (OK, even if you didn't...) Sleeping in and brunch! One involves an extra large, plush, snuggly elephant (and the Dude). The other, eggs. Enter these single serve Garden Fresh Bacon Cheddar Frittata.
We picked the last of our garden haul this weekend and it bothers me that we won't be able to do so again for quite some time. 😢 I think the squirrel thieves I've spied snacking from time to time, share in my disappointment.
These single serve Garden Fresh Bacon Cheddar Frittata are packed with organic eggs, juicy tomatoes, caramelized onions, three types of mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, jalapeno, fresh bacon, cheddar, thyme and lots of love. We made them on the grill in the most adorable mini cast iron skillets.
I realize your mind has likely already turned to matters of fall, but we still have a few days of summer left. SOOO... I'm sharing what will likely be my last popsicle recipe for the season. Hazelnut Milk Triple Chocolate Popsicles!
These were so GOOD! Why, you ask? Well, let's start with a generous addition of 
It won't be long before the lawn is covered with jewel-toned leaves and cool, crisp air replaces the humidity and heat. I'll be ready with my boots and sweaters, but for now, let's soak up all that summer has left to offer and enjoy a few Hazelnut Milk Triple Chocolate Popsicles!
It's BACK TO SCHOOL already!! With all the anxiety associated with this annual event, I thought these Back To School Strawberry Chocolate Crayons might help to calm a few nerves. A good berry chocolate combo tends to do the trick for me.
I also remember my first set of crayons. That bright yellow and green box filled with what this budding sweet-tooth took to be edible, only to be met with grave culinary disappointment. Followed by hours of adding colours to every surface I shouldn't.
Alright, let's wipe that freakish glimpse into my childhood from your memory with these Back To School Strawberry Chocolate Crayons.
This Grilled Bourbon Peach Browned Butter Cake is a sure sign summer is leaving the building. I should be angry, but... STONE FRUIT, YO!!!
The fuzz freaks me out - even after it becomes less noticeable when washed - so I sometimes remove the skin. A real pain, but a small one, compared to my many other OCD tendencies and hangups.
Did you know that in addition to yellow and white peaches, there are also doughnut peaches (or Saturn peaches that are slightly sweeter and don less fuzz). SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!! Or that some peaches are freestone (flesh separates easily from the stone) and others, clingstone (no explanation needed...)?
I used both peaches and nectarines for this Grilled Bourbon Peach Browned Butter Cake. I grilled the fruits first, which made skinning a breeze, then I cooked them briefly in little brown sugar and spices before letting them soak overnight in their juices, spiked with a touch of bourbon.
There is just no letting go of summer with one of these Mango Passion Fruit Popsicles in each hand! Speaking of summer... were you as consumed by the Olympics as I? I was glued to the gymnastics and track events, in particular.
Ummm - back to these Mango Passion Fruit Popsicles.
OK, did I miss something? The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), or the Ex, to which it is more commonly referred opens this week. That is basically the beginning of the end - the unofficial end to summer that is. Queue the ugly cry...
You may remember a few posts back I shared with you that I was a bona-fide Chocolatier! I get a little chuckle saying that. 🙂 The certificate is tucked away on a book shelf and I still have a full-time career that I am not yet ready to walk away from. The Dude, however, thinks I should 'start building a sweet empire'. He clearly believes in me more that I do. Story of my life.
In the meantime, let's dissect these little gems. Ignore the purple ones for now, I'll share in a future post. This post is all about the goat - goat's milk and cheese, that is. I seem to have a thing with 
These photos are from an earlier batch when I was playing around with a few techniques for layering colour. These are a combination of finger painting and airbrushing. I was not completely satisfied with the look, however.
I may not have the skills of that New York bartender who took a job in Jamaica and fell in love, but I can still wow my friends with a few cocktails. No fancy bottle-slinging needed for these Molecular Mojito Spheres, just a few standard bar ingredients and your grade nine chemistry kit.
The kit comes complete with Sodium Alginate, Calcium Lactate, Soy Lecithin, a slotted spoon, two pipettes, one small spheres silicone mold and three recipes to get you started. The first two items aren't typically found in the everyday kitchen, but can easily be bought. So this is certainly not out of reach for anyone interested in giving these a try. They are quite easy to make and such fun at a party!
OK, before we delve into this tall, dark mass of decadence I call Whipped Dulcey Ganache Chocolate Wrapped Cake, I need your help. I suck at naming my recipes. How does one go about naming culinary creations?
As indicated in the title, this cake is wrapped in chocolate. You might recognize the transfer pattern from my 
Another area that stumps me every time is finishing a cake. Do I add flowers? Should I pipe buttercream rosettes around the top? Candles? Sparklers? I really suck at telling a story through my photos. Don't even get me started on styling, props, camera angles and settings - I turn into one of Woody Allen's characters, off meds.
To wrap things up, pun intended, be sure that your ganache (or buttercream) is applied smooth and evenly. This will make wrapping the sheet of chocolate a cinch! If you have never wrapped a cake in chocolate, consider practicing on a smaller cake first.
HEY YOU! Yes, I'm still kicking around - in case you were wondering. I've been busy making up for last summer and that has meant less blogging and social media. Soaking up the rays and frolicking in the lake has its downside, apparently. It's called heat stroke. So no trek to the cottage this long weekend, which provides the perfect opportunity to catch up and chill with you guys!
Blueberries are in season and make an appearance in just about everything we make lately, from salads to smoothies, crumbles, pancakes and popsicles. That they are a known source of Vitamin C and fibre makes them all the more attractive, beyond their rich, jewel tone.
Some of our haul, naturally end up in the freezer for smoothies. Here are a few things to keep in mind when storing and using blueberries:
These mini Blueberry Coconut Popsicles are a delightful way to enjoy some blueberries this season. They are basically three ingredients and are easy on the eyes, even if you choose not to dip and decorate them. Here's a little video I shot and edited rather amateurishly from my phone.
Like popsicles, ice cream is synonymous with summer and my childhood. I remember Sunday afternoon walks to the neighbourhood ice cream shop, where we got to pile a few of our chosen flavours high onto a waffle cone. Then the fun began on the walk back as we kids would compete to see who could finish theirs without having a scoop hit the pavement. I can still hear the laughter, cries and slurping of what eventually turned into a sweet drippy mess of a glove that covered our little hands and most of our forearms.
Inspiration for the ice cream portion of these Caramelized Banana Hazelnut Ice Cream Chocolate Cones comes from 
It's a long weekend here in 'the six' and although one needs no excuse to eat all the popsicles, this would be a perfect one. Three sun-drenched days of impromptu dips in the lake, fiercely competitive board games, sundown walks in the woods accompanied by scary stories and an array of melty, drippy popsicles to cool things down. Don't you just LOVE summer? How about these Key Lime Curd Meringue Popsicles?
A few weeks back, I made a variety of curds and compotes, key lime being among the mix. I had a bit left over the recipe I was working on and decided to make these Key Lime Curd Meringue Popsicles. Boy, were they ever GOOD! A perfect balance of creamy, tart and sweet. The Dude and I shared one and after his first bite, declared that they tasted EXACTLY like key lime pie. And you know what goes splendidly well with key lime pie? YUP! Meringue.
Guess what?? I am a year older! EEEEEKKKK...To prove I am totally cool with this aging thing, I'm celebrating in the buff. Alright, stop cringing...the only thing naked on the blog today is my Passion Fruit Raspberry Naked Birthday Cake. It's ridiculously tall and mostly naked, with a few strategically placed macarons, chocolate drips and fresh fruit. Totally PG. 😉
I actually preferred the cake just as it appears above - six passion fruit-raspberry-browned butter buttercream filled layers of mouthwatering simplicity. But being gemini, I yielded to my polar-opposite twinsie, who is clearly farther along on the expressive spectrum than I. Ummm... macarons, fresh fruit, sprinkles, drippy chocolate AND an out-of-place chocolate sculpture thingy...all together on one cake?? I soon began to have serious doubts. Plus, it's not a chocolate cake. I ALWAYS do chocolate on my birthday!
First off, 
Layered cakes can get a little tricky once you get past three layers, particularly for smaller cakes. Here are a few sweet tip reminders I've used and shared with you over the years to avoid the leaning tower of pisa syndrome:
I know you want to get to these Lemon Ginger Cupcakes, but indulge me for a moment...
The liquor store carding coupled with the incident a couple months prior, where the convenience store attendant questioned my age before selling me a lottery ticket (which, I rarely buy BTW), are allowing me to move into this upcoming birthday with less anxiety. So are these Lemon Ginger Cupcakes!
The rose buds were stupid easy to make, with the help of the increasingly popular Russian piping tips (see link below in case you can't live without them). Such a time saver! Granted, it takes a little practice to get the pressure and release just right, but the fun is in experimenting. No lessons needed, just some trial and error and of course there is always 
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Today I bring you Salted Caramel Ganache Dark Chocolate bonbons!
Unlike those whose love of food and its preparation started them blogging, it was blogging that sparked my passion for the culinary arts. I was already a pro at enjoying great food, but the real pleasure now comes from creating, preparing and watching what I make being enjoyed by friends and family. It's oddly intoxicating!
Now, back to these little Salted Caramel Ganache Dark Chocolate gems. Salted Caramel can most certainly hold its own, but when paired with dark (or milk) chocolate as a ganache, it's catapulted to superstar status. Don't take my word for it, whip up a batch and find out!
These little sweet pastry cups of sunshine are simply mouthwatering! If you don't make these Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts at least once, we can no longer be friends. Seriously, I am fickle like that and apparently the world's biggest procrastinator.
The lemon-lavender curd was most certainly the star in these Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts. I made the lavender-lemon sugar a couple days before, by simply blitzing some sugar, lemon zest and culinary lavender buds in the food processor - one teaspoon lavender to one cup sugar is a good ratio for me. I could have gone the route of a meringue topping, but if you look through my blog you'll discover my love of flavouring whipped cream. It's just so quick and easy! The lemon curd coconut mousse brought serious star-power as well, without competing with the filling. It took a mini intervention to stop me from devouring it by the spoonful straight from the bowl. Paired with a little raspberry coulis and my attempt at plating, these went over splendidly with our guests.
Can you believe that Mother's Day is just over a week a way? I swear 2016, like its predecessor, seems to be kicking my ass and leaving me in the dust asking where the time has gone. While I ponder that...
If you have never had, or heard of financiers, they are small French cakes that have a perfectly buttery crisp exterior that gives way to a light, moist interior. They are generally made with almond flour, but get their distinct flavour from the beurre noisette, or simply, browned butter. I love browned butter and use it in 
These mini bars are typically made in rectangle molds to resemble gold bars (or ingots), said to be developed by a pastry chef with a shop in the French financial district in the nineteenth century. They were to be a quick, on-the-go, cutlery-free and mess-free treat for the busy financiers (bankers, traders etc.) in the area. Brilliant, right! I love a food with a good back story.
Patty Pinner's book, Sweet Mornings - 125 Sweet and Savoury Breakfast and Brunch Recipes, offers a plethora of delicious and comforting dishes page after page. In addition to the recipes, Pinner offers a list of essential ingredients and indispensable kitchen tools at the onset and snippets of the people and stories behind each recipe.
There are enough recipes packed into this book for a year's worth of weekend brunches. I was immediately drawn to the muffins on the cover when I received my copy of the book from the folks at 
My baking preference is from scratch, so I was pleased to see that most of the recipes in the book were from scratch. Although a photo did not accompany every recipe, there were enough well-photographed, full-page images to hold my interest. I would have loved to have seen more images in place of the non-scratch recipes. I usually scale my ingredients and appreciate when books provide metric measures as well.
The folks at Agate Publishing will provide one winner with a copy of Patty Pinner's book, Sweet Mornings - 125 Sweet and Savoury Breakfast and Brunch Recipes.
We are finally expecting spring-like weather! YAAAYY! With the warmer weather ahead, my mind has turned to easy, colourful desserts for outdoor entertaining, like these Key Lime Meringue Nests. Think... Mother's Day brunch!
After a couple drinks and a whole lot of sobbing and cussing, I took a look at the box of meringues sitting on the counter between us and rolled my eyes. I looked back at my friend and asked if she had planned to use them for shots, at which she laughed/cried/laughed...
My preference is for a meringue with a crisp outer shell that gives way to a marshmallow-y interior - these 
We polished off this Walnut Chocolate Chunk Caramelized Banana Bread over a week ago, but I am salivating as I write this post. I know, I know... it's banana bread. It's been done a million times. You'll never see me make claims of anything being 'the best', but I gotta say this is pretty damn amazing.
My grandmother would sometimes pick the bananas while they were still green and cook them as a side dish. My undeveloped palate just could not deal. She would boil them with a little salt and they would make their grey, slimy way onto our plates alongside more desirable items. Me, being the uber-stubborn child I was, would eat around them, to my grandmother's disdain. She and I had many a stand-offs when it came to food. Now that I know a little about 
So yeah... I LOVE bananas and banana bread! I make it quite often, but have only shared 
How about 