The Chocolate Decadence Thread - for genuine chocoholics!

[saucyvegan]

Awww Hemlocks gone lol!!

[DancingWillow]

Hemlock, isn't that blasphemy on this thread?

yep

[ScandinaVegan]

When I went vegan, I didn't know about vegan chocolate (or just quality chocolate, in other words), or just about any other vegan treat... so I didn't eat chocolate for over 4 years... (or hardly any other candy). When I one day stumbled upon some G&B mint, I was in HEAVEN..!!!!!!!!! Mmmmmmm.....

Check these recipes at The Chocolate Room

Over the last year, I've completely revolutionized my cooking...

CHOCOLATE...!!!!!!!

[ScandinaVegan]

Oh, and btw:
I find that it's best to just break the chocolate up in smaller bits, and heat it slowly in a little pot on the stove..
In a bowl in a waterbath, the heat is too hard to control.. The same for the microwave - one second it's fine, the next it's hard and nasty...

[DancingWillow]

I didn't eat chocolate for over 4 years.

And you're still alive? I didn't think it's possible! I can't even begin to understand how much you felt you're in heaven after such deprivation...I feel like I'm in heaven every day I get back home from work and eat some chocolate!

[Yoggy]

I was in the same boat Scandina, only it only took a month or 2 for me to discover the world of vegan sweets. In fact, it took me a long time to finally decide to go vegan, because I thought that would mean giving up all chocolate forever . When I read on the forum about vegan "choc", I assumed it was some sort of nasty fake chocolate-flavoured candy that my discriminating palette would instantly reject. Little did I know that vegan dark chocolate is way more real than that milk chocolate that the rest of the world eats. But until I figured that out, I decided that I would go vegan except for the chocolate. So I ate milk chocolate more and more rarely over the first month or so of being vegan, until I discovered on this forum about how good vegan chocolate REALLY is!

Last week I ordered this chocolate bar from vegan essentials (6 of them actually, since the minimum purchase is $10). Remember Bounty Bars, anyone? They were my favourite. I still haven't gotten the vegan ones in the mail yet though

[ScandinaVegan]

Looks great Yoggy... too bad customs are crazy. It would be a 247 $ bar of chocolate, if I ordered it from the US...

[Yoggy]

LOL I had the same problem when my mom sent me a parcel containing chocolate from Canada when I was in Thailand. They wanted to charge me 400 Baht (about $13 Canadian) tax PER chocolate bar . Luckily I had some native Thai speakers with me when I picked up the parcel at the airport (they couldn't deliver it to my apartment, long story), and they argued with the employees until the tax was waived.

[coconut]

Yay! My hair is now so long it blows around in the wind I thought I'd celebrate by making the chocolate mousse Saucyvegan posted. The only ingredient I'm missing is the liquer. Sainsburys do some cheap liquers but whats the deal with them regarding animal ingredients? Are most liquers vegan?

[feral]

I couldn't find liquers in the animal free shopper coconut, maybe the Sainsburys site can tell you.

I have cape gooseberries, it says on the back of the packet to dip them in chocolate, I must obey what it says on the packet

[coconut]

Hmm... Their cherry brandy liqueur according to their website is "Made from molasses, spirit and finest brandy." Sounds okay to me.

[Cherry]

You should post a picture (and a recipe if you have it) in the Chocolate Decadence thread!!!

I don't have the recipe because mr flibble is mean.

[RedWellies]

Cherry/Mr F, that cake looks AMAZING!! Hope it tasted as good as it looked!

[Jane M]

drooling uncontrollably over my keyboard.....yummmmmmmmmmmm chocolate cake......that frosting looks soooo gooooddddd

[Cherry]

Yep, it did Very orangey and definitely very chocolatey!

[Jane M]

sighhhhsssss....grrrr(ooopss tummy growl)

[feral]

Oh dear lord... it's... it's... it's just so beautful *wipes tears & drool*

[tabitha]

Wow.....just Wowg

[Mr Flibble]

Hmm... Their cherry brandy liqueur according to their website is "Made from molasses, spirit and finest brandy." Sounds okay to me.

why does brandy sound vegan?

[Cherry]

Brandy isn't made from ready made wine that has been fined, so should be fine in theory (I mean before it gets aged). I know that many whiskies are aged in sherry casks to add colour/flavour but not sure that this is the case with brandy.

brb

NB Would still rather get one that has VEGAN printed clearly on it in sparkly letters!

[Cherry]

Quite right Mr F.

They do use new oak casks sometimes, but often not. What could Coconut use in his recipe?

[puffin]

Cherry that cake looks fab, hope you saved some for my Birthday

My husband has offered to make me a cake for my Birthday but i am a little scared, i think i will go without

[RedWellies]

I've just had one of those creme egg thingys. (Suppose this should go in the easter egg thread really). I had a blackcurrant one...very purple inside. Very sweet but I liked it.

[cedarblue]

after coating fresh strawbs in choc at the weekend i threw some brazil nuts in to use up the rest of the melted choc - most of them made it onto the parchment paper to set - SOME of them went into my mouth with the runny choc on them..mmmmmm



anyone ever tried raw chocolate?

[Mr Flibble]

what do you mean?

I have all the base ingredients for chocolate in my kitchen (including several kilos of food grade cocoa butter ), but i've never tried putting them all in my mouth at once

[feral]

Ooohh that reminds me, I've got to use those cape gooseberries and they recommend dipping them in chocolate... mmmm think I'll get the fondue set out after dinner... I'll try not to burn me tongue this time

[DancingWillow]

OMG, Cherry!!!! That cake is truly worthy to be on the Chocolate Decadence thread! It looks amazingly tasty Glad you had such a wonderful birthday topped with a beautiful and delicious chocolate overload cake!

[DancingWillow]

I don't have the recipe because mr flibble is mean.

Oh, Mr. F, you can't possibly be this cruel and deprive the rest of us on the other end of the world from such a cake!!! Will you please share the recipe, pretty please, with a cherry on the top?!

[Cherry]

Yes, it was a chocolatey birthday

Have just polished off the last of my waitrose whole nut belgian chocolate bar. It's ok though, I have a good stash of chocolate left so I don't feel too bereft

And Dancing Willow, don't tell him I told you, but the cake tasted quite similar to my blackforest gateau recipe. I'm guessing with a lot of cointreau in the mousse, and a bit of orangeyness in the sponge Wouldn't be quite the same of course as naturally my birthday cake was the best cake ever made, but it might 'do'

[Mr Flibble]

Oh, Mr. F, you can't possibly be this cruel and deprive the rest of us on the other end of the world from such a cake!!! Will you please share the recipe, pretty please,

The ingredients list will be on my food blog later, but the recipe itself will be in my book when i finally finish it

with a cherry on the top?!

I think you'll hafta ask her!

And Dancing Willow, don't tell him I told you, but the cake tasted quite similar to my blackforest gateau recipe. I'm guessing with a lot of cointreau in the mousse, and a bit of orangeyness in the sponge

I thought it tasted a little like thou 99p sara lee gateaux things they sold in the 90s (and still may do). I haven't sampled cherry's blackforset thingy so can't comment. The mousse i made for this is spreadable - it's much nicer to model with and pipe than standard stuff. It should also be noted that I didn't intend for it to look quite as much like a giant pork pie as it did - i prototyped it and worked out the amounts in 9" tins, but then for various reasons () was forced to make it in 8" tins. Thus it was taller than I planned on and I didn't have as much mousse to pipe with as I thought.

[RedWellies]

Mr Flibble, you are too modest. It looks heavenly! (I used to like those Sara Lee gateaux) I don't want your recipe, I just want the cake.

[Cherry]

I thought it tasted a little like thou 99p sara lee gateaux things they sold in the 90s (and still may do).

Mmm. I remember those. Doing an actual comparison in my head makes me cringe tho - all that dairy - yuck. Your cointreau cake is surely on another level.

I haven't sampled cherry's blackforest thingy so can't comment,

Thus it was taller than I planned on.

Look - don't ruin it It looked fab I mean, who wants a piddly little squashed looking birthday cake? You've set the standard now. I expect one at LEAST that tall next year

And 9" tins are for losers

[DancingWillow]

The ingredients list will be on my food blog later, but the recipe itself will be in my book when i finally finish it

Oh, I didn't know you were putting together a cook book...I was going to ask you about that actually! Please make a thread to notify us when it's published! I'd love a copy (signed, of course )

I think you'll hafta ask her!

lol

And Dancing Willow, don't tell him I told you, but the cake tasted quite similar to my blackforest gateau recipe. I'm guessing with a lot of cointreau in the mousse, and a bit of orangeyness in the sponge Wouldn't be quite the same of course as naturally my birthday cake was the best cake ever made, but it might 'do'

Cherry, you are a wonderful cook as well and I look forward to trying many more (hmm, hmm), ALL, of your recipes!!!

[Mystic]

Chocolate Macadamia Cake

[feral]

*sigh*... won't some of you very kind people fly over here and make me some chocolate cake? I'm very sick *goes for sympathy angle* chocolate cake would build my strength and then I could cuddle my kitties more... see it'd be for the animals really ... pleeeeease

[Mystic]

Did you check out the blueberry pancakes on the next page too?

[feral]

Oh they look lovely! Oats don't agree with me though, and wot's a pancake factory? I assume it's sort of pancake toaster? I just pour my batter into a pan & flip them.... mmmmmm haven't made pancakes in aaaages.

[Mystic]

There is a link that will show you what a pancake factory is - Its a little hard to describe - it it just a pancake cooker

[DancingWillow]

Chocolate Macadamia Cake

Mmmm, stickydate, this looks reaaaaaaly delicious too! I wish every recipe on this thread could magically appear in front of me at the snap of my fingers!!!

[DancingWillow]

where did you get that smiley?! It's cute!

[Tigerlily]

Chocolate Macadamia Cake

Is raw sugar the crunchy beige kind that has bigger crystals than white sugar?

[RedWellies]

I didn't really think I was a chocoholic, but you lot have corrupted me!! Today I have eaten...a creme egg, lots of mini Cocoa-Tree truffles and 5 huge pieces of honey-not-comb! (My Easter treats arrived from Animal Aid)

On the plus side, I haven't touched the G and B's Maya Gold egg.

[eclectic_one]

I've made this recipe twice and I LOVE it Warning though, it says 18 cookies, but it makes almost 50

http://www.recipezaar.com/99094

[Mystic]

Is raw sugar the crunchy beige kind that has bigger crystals than white sugar?

Yes it is

[DancingWillow]

I've made this recipe twice and I LOVE it Warning though, it says 18 cookies, but it makes almost 50

http://www.recipezaar.com/99094

It would be a warning if it was the other way around I have no problem with getting over twice the cookies!

[eclectic_one]

It would be a warning if it was the other way around I have no problem with getting over twice the cookies!

The reason I said "warning" is because at the time, I only had one big cookie pan, so it caused me some headaches. I put the unbaked cookies on all sorts of pans and some became hopelessly emeshed in the pans I used (I think one pan was for broiling, so I had to soak the mess for hours before I could scrape the mess off)--as they weren't meant for cookies. Since then I've bought another cookie sheet, but I halved the recipe so I wouldn't have too many (I'm only one person after all)...so with three cookies a serving (that's my "serving" anyway ), that's a good week's worth

[Tigerlily]

Yes it is

Was it crunchy in the cake?

When I was a kid, I used to eat these muffins that was made from that raw sugar. So crunchy!

[feral]

where did you get that smiley?! It's cute!

Oh aye, yea won't come over and bake me chocolate cake but you want me to divulge my secret smiley stash

[DancingWillow]

Hey, I don't see you coming and baking me a cake either (to congratulate me for getting into grad school)!

[feral]

*damn it, backfired*