Chocolate substitutions

If it's really a candy, the candy part should have plenty of sugar. So you shouldn't need to do much more than melt the unsweetened and pour on top - it'll make for a more chocolatey final result.

*However*, unlike chocolate chips, you'll need to temper the chocolate, assuming it really is a quality chocolate as you say. What brand is it? Callebaut? That's the most common block-format unsweetened. Anyway, on tempering, the idea is the following. 1) Melt the chocolate. 2) Get out a cool, nonporous flat surface (a marble slab is ideal) and pour out 1/2 to 2/3 of the melted chocolate onto the slab. 3) Use a palette knife or metal spatula to spade it around on the slab until it just begins to solidify. Quickly scrape it all back into the rest of the melted chocolate. 4) Stir everything until smooth and then quickly pour over the candy. Unlike the original recipe, note that your candy should be cool.

If you want a sweet chocolate on top, use the candymaking technique you should be familiar with to get a sugar syrup to the soft-crack stage, mix with melted chocolate, stirring constantly, and then pour the resultant mixture on top. In the latter case I'd also wait for it to cool somewhat, then temper as above.

BTW, chocolate chips don't need to be tempered because they have a lower cocoa butter content, and cocoa butter (in high proportions) is what creates the need for tempering because it doesn't have a uniform, sharp melting profile, but rather passes through several phases.

No. You really do need some sugar, even for a candy topping. Have you ever eaten unsweetened chocolate when you're expecting sweet? It's jarring, to say the least.

JoC says that semisweet chocolate is 60% bitter chocolate and 40% sugar.

jenn

-- Jenn Ridley snipped-for-privacy@chartermi.net

Thanks, Alex. It is, indeed, Callebaut. The recipe is below. I'm torn with the idea of using straight, unsweetened chocolate. I just made the recipe again with semi-sweet chocolate. It's a rather good candy; I don't think it's cloyiing (and I don't have all that much of a sweet tooth), but I would be willing to try at least a less-sweet variant. What should the unsweetened chocolate/sugar ratio be? The (initial) sugar-water ratio for the syrup? Also, temper the chocolate AFTER adding the sugar syrup?

Almond Brittle

1-1/2 cups finely chopped almonds 1-1/4 cup butter 2-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 6 oz. chocolate bits or 2 to 3 milk chocolate bars

Measure the butter and sugar and put in a heavy 2 or 3 quart pan then add the water. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. When it boils, add one cup chopped almonds. Boil until it reads 290 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage). Butter a flat pan, pour in candy and spread. Scatter chocolate over the top. As it melts, spread it to cover. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top. When cool, break candy into bite sized pieces.

Depends, really, on how sweet you want it to be. 3 to 1 (75% chocolate) will yield a very pleasant, perhaps optimally-balanced, result. 4 to 1 (80% chocolate) will be very smooth indeed for super texture, if somewhat on the bitter side. 3 to 2 (60% chocolate) will be quite sweet without compromising texture, but as you go below this it will start to seem grainy even if you mixed and tempered perfectly. It will also be very sweet.

Immaterial. You're going to boil it down anyway to a relatively fixed ratio, so the starting ratio doesn't really matter. I suggest using just enough water to dissolve the sugar completely, in order to minimize boiling time.

Also, temper the chocolate AFTER adding

Yes. If you did it before, the hot sugar syrup would bring the chocolate above the temper point, and the changed ratios would affect where this would lie anyway, so doing it before would never work.

That's pretty sugary. Unsweetened chocolate is particularly delightful with brittle. The smooth texture and bitter flavour make a fine contrast with the sweet, crunchy texture of the brittle. I think using the chocolate as unsweetened would be the best and most sophisticated way to do this candy.

I strongly recommend that you use a semi or bittersweet chocolate for this candy, as the unsweetened will not taste right here, IMO. As for what to do with the unsweetened chocolate, try something else....brownies come to mind. Try these: Squares of Sin Brownies Brownies:

6 oz good quality unsweetened chocolate 3/4 cup unsalted butter 4 eggs 2 tablespoons real vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 3/4 cups white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted almonds, or pecans

Ganache:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, good quality, finely chopped 6 oz heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In double boiler over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, salt and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly pour in chocolate mixture and flour. Stir in the nuts. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan
4. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is crackled. Do *not* overbake. A toothpick will come out with moist crumbs, but not wet.
5. Prepare ganache. Heat cream just to boiling and remove from heat. Stir in chopped chocolate and let sit 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Pour over cooled brownies. Let ganache set up before cutting into squares.

For a tasty variation, omit the nuts. Make a filling of 8 oz cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, and a few drops of peppermint oil. Spread on cooled brownies, then top with ganache. Another delicious variation is to make a reaspberry puree and add it to the ganache (about 1/3-1/2 cup).

kimberly