Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Crunch Bars
From the 2002 KLO dinner — Hawaiian Luau
Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Crunch Bars
Ingredients in boldface have separate recipes, which follow the main recipe.
- Macadamia Nut Brittle
- 1/4 cup macadamia nut oil, or vegetable oil
- 12 oz gaufrette cookies (about 50)
- 1-1/2 lbs Hawaiian Vintage milk chocolate
- 1-1/4 lbs Hawaiian Vintage dark chocolate
- 2-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tsp macadamia nut liqueur
- Anglaise
- Chocolate Sauce
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, for dusting
- 1 cup raspberries (or other fresh fruit) for garnish
Grease a baking sheet and spatula. Line a 9×13 pan with plastic wrap. Prepare the brittle.
Place the brittle in a kitchen towel and crush with a rolling pin or mallet. Transfer to a bowl and add the oil.
Place the gaufrette cookies in a kitchen towel and crush with a rolling pin or mallet. Add to the brittle in the bowl. In the top of a double boiler, melt the milk chocolate. Add to the bowl. Stir well and transfer the mixture to the plastic wrap lined pan. Refrigerate until needed.
In the top of a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. Transfer to a clean bowl. When cool, fold in the cream, add the liqueur, and mix thoroughly. Spread over the milk chocolate mixture in the pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Remove the chocolate from the pan and transfer to a flat work surface. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Cut the chocolate into oblong bars or the desired shapes. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Prepare the Anglaise and the Chocolate Sauce.
To serve, spoon a pool of Anglaise on individual plates. Swirl in the chocolate sauce. Artistically arrange pieces of the crunch bar in a pile next to the Anglaise. Garnish with berries. Serves 6 to 8.
Macadamia Nut Brittle
- 1 cup diced macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda, sifted
Preheat the oven to 250 F. Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Heat until the mixture reaches 280 F on a candy thermometer. Add the vanilla and toasted nuts. Carefully stir in the baking soda — use caution as the mixture will bubble up. Immediately pour onto the greased cookie sheet and spread evenly with the greased spatula. When it is cool enough to touch, by hand carefully pull out the brittle to make it thinner. Let cool.
Anglaise
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise & seeds scraped
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. In a saucepan bring the milk, vanilla bean, and vanilla beans to a boil. Stir 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Reduced the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon; do not overcook. Strain into a stainless steel bowl and place in an ice bath to cool. When cool, stir once more and refrigerate until needed.
Chocolate Sauce
- 4 oz Hawaiian Vintage dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Place the chocolate in a small, deep bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use; heat over a water bath if the sauce becomes too thick and cold.