It’s National Chocolate Day! Of course, If you’re among those who find daily bliss in a square (or more) of 70 percent cacao, today is just another opportunity to indulge. Still, the chocolate lovers here at Bigelow Tea believe this day is worthy of a few extra-special chocolate treats. We think you’ll agree that our Chocolate SweetTEA Pie and Jasmine Green Tea Truffles are perfect for celebrating the occasion!
Pair either with a steaming cup of Chocolate Chai or our White Chocolate Obsession tea. You’ll gain new appreciation for the literal translation of theobroma cacao, the botanical name for the cacao tree: “God food.” Need we say more? Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 Bigelow® Sweetheart Cinnamon Herb Tea Bags*
¾ cups hot whole milk
10 graham crackers, broken into pieces
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 9″ pie plate
Freshly whipped cream (recipe below)
Instructions:
This decadent pie is a perfect way to end Valentine’s Day dinner with your sweetheart. Bigelow’s® Sweetheart Cinnamon or Raspberry Royale™
tea infuses the filling with flavor, making it an extra special treat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set the rack on the middle setting.
Place the graham crackers into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until crackers are fine crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter, and pulse until combined.
Pour mixture into the pie plate and press firmly onto the bottom and sides.
Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, place tea bags in the hot milk. Allow to steep for 5-7 minutes, and then remove tea bags, gently squeezing out liquid from bags.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, 2/3 cup of sugar, cornstarch and salt. Place pan on stove-top and turn heat to medium-high. While whisking, add tea infused milk. Bring mixture to a low simmer while whisking vigorously. While continuing to whisk, add chocolate chips. Continue to whisk mixture at a low simmer until thickened into a custard, about 5-7 minutes total.
Pour chocolate custard into cooled crust. Allow to cool completely before topping with whipped cream (*recipe below). Place entire pie into refrigerator to chill approximately 3 hours. Serve chilled.
*Whipped Cream
1 cup cold whipping cream or heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until stiff peaks are formed. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled chocolate pie.
Ingredients:
¾ cup (180mL) whipping cream
8 Bigelow® Jasmine Green Tea Bags
9 ounces (252g) good semisweet chocolate, chopped
Coating:
5 ounces (140g) good semisweet chocolate, chopped and melted
Cocoa powder and icing sugar for dusting
Yield: Serves 24 – Prep Time: 20 min. – Cool Time:1 hr fridge, 30 min freezer
Instructions:
Place cream in small sauce pan. Add tea bags and simmer for a few minutes or until tea has infused cream; remove tea bags and squeeze out excess cream.
Pour hot cream over chocolate. Stir gently to blend and cool at room temperature. Beat with a whisk until fluffy and place in refrigerator for about an hour.
Make sure your hands are cold, rub with ice cubes. Using a melon baller, place a small amount of the chocolate mixture into your cold hands and roll into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet and continue until all chocolate is used. Place in freezer until solid.
Coating:
Melt chopped chocolate. Dip frozen truffles into melted chocolate with a toothpick, place on clean tray. Return to freezer for 30 minutes. Once coating is set, dust with icing sugar or cocoa powder.
Photo by Ring R via Flickr.com