Tag: sweet

Price Points: Ruby chocolate

 Ruby chocolate | H is for Home

Have you heard of ruby chocolate? It’s touted as being the new, 4th chocolate; falling in behind its dark, white and milk kinsfolk.

Ruby chocolate hasn’t been around for that long – it was invented by Barry Callebaut, a Belgian-Swiss cocoa company, in 2017. Even so, it’s already had a mixed reception from many. Some claim that it’s not a legitimate ‘new’ type of chocolate; it’s just a new method of processing.

Remembering back to my school days and learning about cocoa production in geography class, the cocoa pod develops from green, to red, to yellow… at which point it’s ripe and ready to harvest. The ruby version is manufactured by picking the pods when they’re still red – hence the pink colour of the cocoa beans and ‘butter’.

Apparently it tastes like white chocolate infused with raspberries; creamy and fruity with a slight sourness. It makes a perfect chocolate choice for Valentine’s Day and wedding or anniversary present.

  1. Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3: £3.89, Tesco
  2. Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g: £6.50, Fortnum & Mason
  3. 12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles: £15.80, Etsy

I dare you to watch this video from Callebaut without your mouth watering… go on, I bet you can’t do it!

shop ruby chocolate

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
£15.80
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
£6.50
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
£3.89
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
£15.80
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
£6.50
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
£3.89
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
£15.80
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
£6.50
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
£3.89
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
£15.80
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
£6.50
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
£3.89
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
12 ruby chocolate & sakura truffles
£15.80
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
Fortnum’s ruby chocolate bar, 70g
£6.50
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
Magnum ruby ice lollies – box of 3
£3.89

Almond chocolate fudge

Stack of home-made almond chocolate fudge | H is for Home

I’ve had an opened tin of condensed milk in the fridge for about a month. Thanks to it being so sweet and thick – and that I covered it tightly with a silicone food cover – it was fine to use after all that time.

Melted chocolate mixture with toasted chopped almonds

I wanted to use it up by making something quick, sweet and tasty – almond chocolate fudge! I found the perfect recipe online on the Sweetest Menu blog. I only had half a tin of milk remaining, so I simply halved the amounts.

Almond chocolate fudge sliced into squares

It was so lovely – just a couple of squares is enough, though – it was very sweet. I think it would also make a delicious icing for the top of a layered sponge; perhaps a chocolate or mocha cake.

Click here to save this almond chocolate fudge recipe to Pinterest

Almond chocolate fudge recipe | H is for Home #fudge #chocolatefudge #chocolate #almond #sweet #recipe
Almond chocolate fudge
Yields 16
Ingredients
  1. 300g/10½oz dark chocolate
  2. 35g/1¼oz unsalted butter
  3. 300g/10½oz condensed milk
  4. 1tsp vanilla extract
  5. pinch of salt
  6. ½tsp baking soda
  7. 120g/4¼oz chopped almonds, toastedAlmond chocolate fudge ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Grease and line a 20cm/8" square baking tin with baking or parchment paper
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add your chocolate and butter and then place on top of a saucepan filled with about 5cm/2" of water - ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water beneath
  3. Pop onto a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until completely melted
  4. Gradually stir in your condensed milk, vanilla, salt and baking soda and gently stir until it all comes together
  5. Remove from the heat, throw in your nuts and mix through
  6. Moving quickly as it will begin to set, pour the chocolate mixture into your prepared pan and gently smooth over the top
  7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm
  8. Cut into small squares and serve
Notes
  1. Store in the fridge
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Adapted from Sweetest Menu
Adapted from Sweetest Menu
H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Home-made Nutella

Home-made Nutella with shortbread biscuits | H is for Home

Last week, before we had a cooker, I made a (very successful) no-bake Nutella cheescake. This week, with a brand new range cooker installed in the kitchen, I made a batch of home-made Nutella.

Hazelnuts are currently in season and a big hazelnut tree hangs over our fence offering up its bounty. Shelling them is a time-consuming chore, but once you get into the rhythm (and stop banging your fingers) it’s very satisfying.

Removing the shells from hazelnuts using a small hammer Grinding hazelnuts using a pestle & mortar

As chance would have it, this week we were in Ultracomida in Aberystwyth having a coffee and I got one of their cookbooks off a shelf. In it was a recipe for home-made Nutella.

Heating cocoa, sugar and milk in a saucepan Adding peanut butter to chocolate sauce

There are 6 ingredients, all of which (except perhaps the hazelnuts) you already have in your kitchen.

However, next time I make it, I’d tweak the recipe slightly. It contains a ‘scant ½ pint’ of milk. The resulting ‘spread’ was a bit too thin. I think it could do with as little as a ¼ pint of milk.

Despite this, it made a fabulous dipping sauce for biscuits or croissants. I also had some as an ice cream topping… it made a wonderful combination!

If you choose to make a ‘thick’ version, a lovely idea would be to form it into shapes and wrap them to make lovely gifts. You can buy chocolate moulds in the shape of hearts, balls and domes.

Home-made Nutella in red heart-shaped ramekins

Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest

Home-made Nutella recipe | H is for Home
Home-made Nutella
Yields 1
Ingredients
  1. 140g/5oz sugar
  2. 55g/2oz unsweetened cocoa powder
  3. 285ml/scant ½pt milk
  4. 1tsp vanilla extract
  5. 2tbsp smooth peanut butter
  6. 1 heaped tbsp ground hazelnutsHome-made Nutella ingredients
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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it
Instructions
  1. Put the sugar and cocoa into a saucepan and stir until blended
  2. Gradually stir in the milk
  3. Bring to the boil over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes
  4. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for at least 5 minutes
  5. Add the vanilla extract, peanut butter and ground hazelnuts, stirring until perfectly amalgamated
  6. Leave to cool and pot up in a jar
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Adapted from Recipes & Ramblings
Adapted from Recipes & Ramblings
H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: No-bake Nutella cheesecake

Slice of no-bake Nutella cheesecake with mug of coffee | H is for Home

I’ve been pining for my stove and oven; there’s been no home-made bread, cakes or biscuits for almost 2 months.

Ground digestive biscuits Digestive biscuit base for cheesecake

Consequently, when I came across Nigella’s no-bake Nutella cheesecake recipe, I knew it was the one to make for this week’s Cakes & Bakes recipe.

Jar of Nutella with cream cheese in a white bowl

I’ve not unpacked many of my kitchen appliances – just the yoghurt maker, toaster, microwave and slow-cooker. I had to grind my digestive biscuits with a pestle & mortar; they did a ‘fine’ job!

Cheesecake base, cream cheese filling and chopped hazelnut topping

Surprisingly, Nutella is something that, we only discovered today, neither of us remembers ever buying or tasting before. What’s wrong with us? What a treat we’ve been missing out on!

Sprinkling hazlenuts over cheesecake top

Even without the aid of electrical appliances to do all the hard work, this recipe was quick and simple to prepare. And it’s just so delicious and morish… definitely one that will be made again & again.

Home-made no-bake Nutella cheesecake

Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest

No-bake Nutella cheesecake recipe | H is for Home #cake #cheesecake #chocolate #dessert #Nigella #NigellaLawson #nobake #nobakecake #Nutella #recipe #sweet
No-bake Nutella cheesecake
Ingredients
  1. 250g/8¾oz digestive biscuits
  2. 75g/2⅔oz soft unsalted butter
  3. 1 x 400g jar Nutella (at room temperature)
  4. 100g/3½oz chopped toasted hazelnuts
  5. 500g/17⅔oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
  6. 60g/2oz icing sugar (sifted)Home-made no-bake Nutella cheesecake ingredients
Add ingredients to shopping list
If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it
Instructions
  1. Break the digestive biscuits into the bowl of a processor, add the butter and a 15ml tablespoon of Nutella and blitz until it begins to clump
  2. Add 25g/3 tablespoons of the hazelnuts and continue to pulse until you have a damp, sandy mixture
  3. Tip into a 23cm/9" round spring-form cake tin and press into the base either using your hands or the back of a spoon. Place in the fridge to chill.
  4. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and then add the remaining Nutella to the cream cheese mixture. Continue beating until combined
  5. Take the spring-form out of the fridge and carefully smooth the Nutella mixture over the base
  6. Scatter the remaining chopped hazelnuts on top to cover and place the tin in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight
  7. Serve straight from the fridge for best results
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Adapted from Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration
Adapted from Nigellissima: Instant Italian Inspiration
H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/