Extra Bitter Chocolate Sauce from Michael Recchiuti

It makes perfect sense that one of America's premier confection makers, Michael Recchiuti, has equal success in crafting dessert sauces. For right-out-of-the-jar perfection, nothing beats Michael Recchiuti's Extra-Bitter Chocolate Sauce or Burnt Caramel Sauce.

The heart and soul of Michael Recchiuti's Extra-Bitter Chocolate Sauce is 64% dark chocolate made from a custom blend of single-origin cacao beans, each chosen for its nuanced flavor and aroma. Adding just the right amount of highest grade vanilla, local dairy-fresh cream, and pure cane sugar results in a luscious sauce without compromising the complexity of the chocolate. A touch of cocoa powder added in the finish boosts the sauce's roasted aroma. The texture is purposely thick, requiring warming to serve.

Good ice cream begs to be smothered in this chocolate sauce. Beyond sophisticated sundaes, this is the ideal chocolate sauce for dessert crepes filled with sautéed seasonal fruit, or Belgian waffles fresh from the iron and covered in strawberry slices. Cherries love chocolate: make individual cherry parfaits layering crushed biscotti, mascarpone cheese, and fresh cherries macerated in balsamic vinegar and sugar. Finish with a layer of Extra Bitter Chocolate Sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with crushed hazelnuts, and a sprig of fresh mint. 

 

Regarding Michael Recchiuti's Burnt Caramel Sauce, it is hard to believe that something so simple in ingredients (sugar, cream and butter) can become so intensely flavorful. Half of the success is sourcing the best quality ingredients. The other half is all "in the wrist." Michael Recchiuti cooks the pure cane sugar to an exact temperature, caramelizing the sugar and achieving a smoky flavor with a pleasantly bitter edge. The intense burnt caramel flavor is balanced with a rich, buttery finish.

Burnt Caramel Sauce performs beautifully on poached fruit, warm apple pie and vanilla gelato. Add a pinch of Espelette Pepper to the sauce to give it some sassy heat. It also makes a surprise pairing with pungent blue cheese. For a memorable Tres Leches Cake, mix diced fresh pineapple into warm Burnt Caramel Sauce and serve the mixture with individual slices.

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Crema Cacao - The Ultimate Chocolate

Hazelnut Spread from Venchi of Italy

Do you sometimes crave Nutella on warm toast, crepes or ice cream? We have something far better for you. Hailing from the same region where the best quality hazelnuts are grown in Italy, artisan chocolate maker Venchi has succeeded in elevating chocolate hazelnut spread to luxurious extremes. Venchi Crema Cacao (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread) is bolder, richer and cleaner than any other common grocery alternative. At first taste, the quality of the ingredients is immediately apparent: fragrant ground hazelnuts and luscious cocoa are balanced with sugar and real vanilla. Using olive oil as emulsifier is a genius (and delicious) alternative to hydrogenated oils common in inferior products. Once you taste this on a banana split, warm oatmeal, or French toast, you just might get hooked.

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