Here’s some eye candy (BARS) that I hope inspire you in the kitchen over the next several days. I just wanted to remind you guys that there’s just about two weeks left to enter the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure Contest [2]. And since I know you’ll be baking up a big sugary storm – why not be a little adventurous and take a shot winning the $25,000 Grand Prize at the same time. I would so love for one of you guys to win!!!
Here’s a quick rundown reminder.
1. Create an original bar recipe. That could be layered bars, candy bars, cookie bars, ice cream bars, brownies. Basically any bar.
2. Your bar recipe just needs to use a Scharffen Berger chocolate product and at least one of this year’s ten adventure ingredients.
Adventure Ingredients:
Bourbon
Turbinado Sugar
Fresh Pomegranate
Hibiscus
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Peppercorns (Any Type – Black, Red, Green)
Pandan Leaf or Pandan Leaf Extract
Coconut Milk, Cream, Butter or Oil
Oat Flour
Carrot
Sesame Seeds (Black or White)
Fresh Croutons or Crostini
Okay, I know you guys are going to be making some kind of bar recipe over the holidays.
Bourbon? Who’s planning on baking with Bourbon? I thought so.
Coconut Milk? Totally doable.
Pomegranate? Perfect for a festive treat.
Turbinado Sugar? You guys can totally do this.
Break out that family bar recipe and adventure that bad boy up.
Here’s the Chocolate Adventure Contest website [2] with everything you need to know.
Contest ends January 2, 2014.
Hope you guys whip up something magical and make it hard for me to help pick a winner.
Now, how about those inspiration candy bars above that my friend and fellow judge, Matt Armendariz photographed to illustrate different kinds of bar possibilities… yes, yum… let’s make some. Here are some more of his pics [5] if you need more visual inspiration.
**Okay… you know me and since we are talking inspiration candy bars here… I would probably just dip these in dark chocolate candy coating or chocolate bark so I don’t have to worry about all that temperature stress. I’m getting nervous just thinking about it. Source: © 2013 Handcrafted Candy Bars published by Chronicle BooksDark Chocolate Almond Coconut Candy Bars
Ingredients
TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE:
Instructions
Place almonds on one baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until aromatic and lightly brown.Notes
Which adventure ingredient would you want to tackle?
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bakerella/11393308013/
[2] Chocolate Adventure Contest: http://www.chocolateadventurecontest.com
[3] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bakerella/11393177535/
[4] Image: http://www.bakerella.com/site/../images/2013/10/Adventure.jpg
[5] Here are some more of his pics: http://mattbites.com/2013/12/13/have-you-entered-the-chocolate-adventure-contest-yet-hurry/