While visiting the Chocolate Village Museum in Brussels, I was able to check out their chocolate lab where
I got a sneak peek (and sample) of some of the treats they were preparing for a fancy champagne tasting. My favorite was a thin delicate bread stick dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with all kinds of interesting ingredients. One was more interesting than the next. This little scrumptious morsel is easy to prepare though does take some preparation. However, it is well worth it!
Thin bread sticks (the thinnest you
can find)
1 heaping cup of chocolate melts (milk chocolate is great for kids and dark chocolate is great for adults)
1 heaping tablespoon Nutella
Possible Toppings:
Crushed Pralines (see recipe)
Black pepper
Crushed almonds
Crushed ginger snaps
Broken up freeze-dried strawberries
Anything you can dream up
Place the chocolate melts and Nutella in a large 4-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 second intervals. Stir the chocolate after every heating. Slowly it will begin to melt. When it is melted place the breadstick into the chocolate and use a spoon to coat it leaving some uncoated, so you can hold it with your hand. Lay the coated bread stick on a parchment-lined flat tray. Continue this until all the chocolate is used. When the chocolate is still soft, sprinkle it with the praline mixture or a topping of your choice. Let the chocolate become solid again and fully cool before serving.
Homemade Crushed
Praline Topping
Makes about 2 cups
¾ cup hazelnut (skins removed)
¾ cup blanched almonds
1 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350F.
On a cookie sheet, spread out the hazelnuts and almonds one layer thick. Bake the nuts for 10 minutes and remove them from the oven to cool.
Meanwhile make the caramel. In a heavy small saucepan bring one cup of sugar to a boil in one cup of water. Reduce the heat to medium low stirring occasionally until the sugar begins to take on a pale caramel hue. Be careful not to burn this. Once it turns a pale caramel-color, turn off the heat and add in the nuts. Give it a few good stirs to make sure everything is coated. Quickly pour of the caramel on to a clean sheet pan and let it cool for about 45 minutes. It must be fully cooked before blending.
When you are ready to grind up the praline, break it up with your hands and place it in a powerful food processor fitted with a very sharp blade. Pulse to blend making sure occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom. The praline is done when it chunky and little bits, perfect for a topping on chocolate, ice cream or cake. Store in an airtight container.
