Kicchiri Kitchen: Nama Choco (生チョコ)

I’m going to prepare you for Valentine’s Day this year. In Japan the whole day revolves around chocolate. This recipe can be made for friends, co-workers, boyfriends and girlfriends so you’re either making tomochoco (友チョコ), giri choco (義理チョコ) or for your own true love, honmeichoco (本命チョコ). Whoever it is, this recipe is easy to do and may even catch the eye of that sexy sensei, turning girichoco into full on honmei style.

Makes 24 chocolates

Ingredients

200g of your favourite dark or milk chocolate

100ml fresh cream (生クリーム)

Cocoa powder (for dusting)

Optional toppings: crushed pistachios, Valentinesy sprinkles

Baking tin lined with wax paper (a 7 inch square tin will do, but I used a 6inch x 3 inch and made individual chocolates too) OR 24 small chocolate molds

 

Prep time       10 mins

Cook time       5 mins

Chill time        20+mins

 

1. Chop the chocolate up into shavings (so they melt quicker and smoother!).

2. Gently heat the cream in a saucepan until near boiling then turn off the heat.

 

 

 

3. Tip in the chocolate in batches and stir until melted completely.

 

 

 

 

4. Pour the mix into your lined baking tin and smooth over using the back of a spoon (add toppings now). Or alternatively, divide the mixture into chocolate molds.

5. Put in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until firm.

 

 

6. Using a warm knife, cut the chocolate slabs vertically and horizontally to make rectangular pieces.

Tip: for easy cutting, wipe the knife after each cut and run under hot water to warm, then wipe again.

7. Using a sieve, dust your chocolaty goodies with cocoa powder.

Now that you’re done you can wrap them individually in patterned wax paper (to disguise their mismatched shapes!) and share the love. Or eat the whole batch and start from scratch.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Cherie Pham