Chile Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream.

1 Bourbon Vanilla bean
Homemade chili powder ground from 2 large dried Pasilla Negro chilies
4 cups whole Milk
280 gr. good semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate
1 pint heavy whipping cream
80 gr. vanilla sugar

1. Scrape seeds from the interior of the vanilla bean and put them and the pod in the milk in a saucepan.
2. Add most of the pasilla chili powder, holding some back for a garnish.
3. Scald the milk (cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until steam begins to rise). Remove the vanilla bean pod.
4. Turn the heat to low, and add the chocolate, stirring frequently until the chocolate is completely melted.
5. Whip the cream. Once it has begun to thicken, add vanilla sugar to taste (you’ll probably want at least a half cup). Continue whipping until you get firm peaks.
6. Whisk hot chocolate until frothy, pour into mugs. Just prior to serving, top each with a dollop of the vanilla bean cream and dust lightly with your reserved chili powder.

Makes 4 servings with extra whipped cream.

Balsamic Chocolate Truffles (with a wink of cherry)

Balsamic Chocolate Truffles (with a wink of cherry)



226 gr. dark chocolate, chopped

100 ml. cream

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

8 dried cherries

100 gr. cocoa powder

Put balsamic and cherries into a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cherries and discard. Set balsamic aside to cool.

Melt chocolate and cream in a double boiler (or a heat-proof glass bowl over a pot filled with water), making sure the water is hot, not boiling. Place melted chocolate in a small bowl and add the cooled balsamic. Mix well. Cool in the refrigerator about 1 hour. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, until firm but moldable.

Roll mixture into one inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Pour cocoa powder into a shallow dish and roll balls to cover. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container up to one week, but don’t keep them all for yourself.