Hey there!
I just came across Gayle's latest article about dark chocolate and coffee treats. Excellent article, and some yummy sounding candies, btw! Thanks!
I make my own version of coffee and dark chocolate candy, and thought I would tell you about it.
Take whole coffee beans, dark roast is best, and spread them out on a sheet pan/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat your oven to 250 degrees, and heat the beans in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until crunchy. Take them out and let them cool completely.
In a saucepan, or microwave safe container, melt some dark chocolate chips - Ghiradelli are the best! Melt until you have a pourable consistency, adding a couple of pats of butter if necessary. If melted slowly in a double boiler, no butter will be needed. If using the microwave, cook them at a very low setting to avoid burning the chocolate.
Next, take the cooled coffee beans and make sure they are spread out well on your parchment paper or on wax paper, keeping them on the pan for easy transport. Pour the chocolate over the coffee beans, until the bean is covered. Do this to all of your beans, and store them in the refrigerator until the chocolate re-hardens. It will harden back up better, the less butter you use. If your chocolate is too thick, roll it around the bean and then chill. If it is too thin, it will run off the bean. Let it cool first, and possibly add more chocolate to re-thicken to a better consistency.
This is a very simple candy, almost fail-safe.
Call me when you get it made, and I'll be right over!
Enjoy!
