Recipe: Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans

Donald Mackie (1993)/rec.food.cooking

Fairly easy to make. Melt some confectioner's chocolate in a double boiler (ie over water) and drag the beans through it. Put them on greaseproof paper to cool. The secret is to dust the beans in icing sugar before dipping them. This gets rid of the oily coating on the beans and allows the chocolate to stick. They will be a little lumpy - but who cares?

Jim P (2002)/alt.coffee:
It helps to let the beans equilibirate to the hot chocolate before extracting them. Let them sit in the melted chocolate for 5 minutes or more.

Kimberly Robins (1996)/rec.food.baking:
I often dip my own. I do use the addition of powdered sugar and cocoa to dust them with so they will stay seperate, but I don't always do this. Sometimes (after they've "set") I will put 3-4 in little candy cups and pack them up like this in saved candy boxes. They travel well this way. Make sure you use properly tempered chocolate to get the *sheen* and prevent chocolate blooming. Once set, you can either put in the cups or dust as desired. I use espresso beans, because I love their strong flavor. My sister likes to vary her beans, using espresso, french roast, and kona. It's really a matter of taste. The best (and, IMHO, easiest) way to dip the beans is to put a bit (1/2 cup or so) of tempered chocolate on a marble slab or a cookie sheet, add some beans and stir around with your hand until coated and then place on a cookie sheet or waxed paper. Once set, use a candy makers fork (or even a small cocktail fork) to dip again in the tempered chocolate. Again place seperately to set and then dust (if desired) and store in a cool, dry place. - Scott (1999)/alt.food.coffee:
The hardest part is getting individual beans coated. Easiest thing to do is to make "bean bark"; that is, pouring the chocolate over a whole mess of beans about 1/8"-1/4" apart or so and letting it cool. Best of all, you can make a mold: put the beans into a very small foil pan (you can also make one by shaping foil into a sided pan shape) and pouring the melted chocolate in the pans, covering the beans to almost the rim of the "pan."

Easiest way to melt chocolate: a microwave (though purists use a double boiler). DON'T OVERHEAT: use chips, or chop up the bar, and heat until it's about 80-90% melted, then lightly stir until the heat in the melted chocolate melts the remaining chocolate. Make sure your containers and utensils are clean and dry: water will cause the chocolate to seize.

Bittersweet is best for coffee beans (to my taste, at least), but be careful: "bittersweet" is a not specific term, so different brands will have different amounts of sweetness; use what suits you.

I've also found that dark-roast beans suit the chocolate the best.

From the archives: Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans posted by Yvette Hart, 1997

Happy Cooking!

Betsy
Recipelink.com