Choco-Almond Duality

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This plant-based snack features an interesting variety of textures in two different elements. It has an intense dark chocolate flavor, combined with the taste of roasted almond versus raw almond. It is completed with black cherries infused with Mavrodaphne sweet red wine and an antioxidant mix of spices.

For this snack, my inspiration is to present the “contrast” between a natural - unaltered flavor, and one that has been developed by us humans, using almonds as an ingredient. These two different flavors finally come together with chocolate. They can be enjoyed separately as well as in combination. A crude looking crunchy-filled snack features the raw almond flavor (nature side). A “shiny” hot-chocolate drink features the bond between the plantation chocolate Alto el Sol and the roasted -Maillard reaction- almond flavor, (knowledge/science side). By dipping the top half of the snack in the drink, the flavors come together, with chocolate being the binding element.
The snack is inspired by a traditional Greek sweet pie called “Bougatsa” that has a crunchy thin pastry exterior and is filled with semolina cream.
Nutrition-wise, this snack is a powerhouse of energy and packs a great quantity of antioxidants that come from the combination of almonds, cinnamon, curcuma and black pepper, red wine, the anthocyanins of the cherries and of course, the cocoa solids.

Recipe components

Chocolate - Vanilla Phyllo Pastry tubes

Preparation

Scrape the vanilla seeds and add them in the water.

Ingredients
  • 2piece(s)
    Madagascar vanilla
  • 260g
    water
Preparation
Ingredients
  • 85g
    Extra virgin olive oil
  • 7g
    white vinegar
  • 2g
    sea salt
  • 462g
    All purpose flour
  • 22g
    DCP-22EXBRU

Knead all the ingredients together until the dough becomes elastic. Rest for 1 hour, divide in 80g balls and roll it out until it is very thin, almost translucent, dusting with flour so it doesn’t stick.

Preparation

Coating

50:50 Deodorized Cocoa Butter : Extra virgin almond oil mix

QS Fine sugar - Extra Brute Cocoa Powder mix

Ingredients

Cut the phyllo in rectangles, brush with a cocoa butter and almond oil mix and sprinkle with a sugar-cocoa mix. Repeat on the other side, then roll in metal tubes and bake in 180°C for 11-12 min.

Chocolate Chia dip

Preparation

Melt

Ingredients
Preparation

Then

Ingredients
  • 40g
    chia seeds

Melt Fleur de Cao 70% and Deodorized Cocoa Butter. Then add chia seeds.

Raw almond - Cherry chocolate cake

Preparation

Whip in mixer like a meringue and set aside

Ingredients
  • 9g
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1g
    sea salt
  • 6g
    vanilla extract
  • 180g
    raw almond milk
  • 7g
    Soy protein isolate powder
  • 72g
    demerara sugar
Preparation

Beat in mixer to soften with the paddle attachment

Ingredients
  • 72g
    raw almond paste
Preparation

Melt together and add in almond paste

Ingredients
Preparation

Sift together all the powders

Ingredients
  • 48g
    cake flour
  • 50g
    strong flour
  • 24g
    corn starch
  • 6g
    baking powder
  • 1g
    baking soda
  • 0.72g
    cinnamon powder
Preparation

Freeze and dice

Ingredients
  • 200g
    Mavrodaphne wine infused black cherries

Mix the almond milk meringue with the almond paste mix gradually, then add the powders and mix. Add the cherries and homogenize.

Spread on a baking sheet 1.5 cm thin and bake at 175°C for 12 minutes. Cut mini cylinders once cooled.

Chocolate - raw almond semolina cream

Preparation

Scrape the vanilla bean, boil everything and strain

Ingredients
  • 540g
    raw almond milk
  • 20g
    Traditional Soumada bio
  • 4piece(s)
    cinnamon stick
  • 75g
    demerara sugar
  • 1piece(s)
    Madagascar vanilla bean
  • 0.8g
    salt
Preparation

Mix together, then add hot almond milk mix gradually and homogenize. Put back in the saucepan and cook like a pastry cream.

Ingredients
  • 9g
    Soy protein isolate powder
  • 28g
    Fine semolina
  • 35g
    corn starch
Preparation

Add everything in hot cream and whisk together until homogenous

Ingredients

Film the surface and let cool, then cream it with a whisk.

Roasted Almond and Spices Hot Chocolate Drink

PreparationIngredients
Preparation

Boil together and strain

Ingredients
  • 450g
    roasted almond milk
  • 57g
    Maple syrup
  • 0.6g
    Curcuma
  • 6g
    black peppercorns
  • 9g
    bergamot peel
  • 0.3g
    salt
  • 1g
    Cinnamon
Preparation

Pour above mix and blend until homogenous. Keep hot until serving.

Ingredients

Cinnamon -maple - Roasted Almond foam

PreparationIngredients
Preparation

Mix all ingredients together and foam in a milk frother.

Ingredients
  • 200g
    roasted almond milk
  • 8g
    brown sugar
  • 0.2g
    xanthan
  • 0.4g
    cinnamon powder
  • 20g
    Maple syrup

Antioxidant black cherries infused in Mavrodaphne and spices

PreparationIngredients
Preparation

Boil everything together and strain.

Ingredients
  • 1g
    cardamom seeds
  • 10g
    cinnamon stick
  • 1g
    Curcuma
  • 8g
    bergamot peel
  • 1g
    black peppercorns
  • 0.5g
    nutmeg powder
  • 150g
    Mavrodaphne wine
  • 15g
    Balsamic Vinegar aged
  • 30g
    water
  • 50g
    cherry purée
  • 60g
    demerara sugar
Preparation

Add cherries and boil for a few minutes. Let infuse 24h and strain. Keep the cherries aside.

Ingredients
  • 150g
    black cherries