Chocolate Honey Spice Cake: Mardigras and Carnival of goodies

It has always been my dream to move my hips and to dance the "samba" in the grand carnival of Rio in Brazil. But I never had the opportunity. For getting reservations has always been arduous, be it for hotel or airplane tickets during this period. The only carnivals I was lucky enough to experience was the famous Sinulog Festival of Cebu in Philippines and the Tenjin Matsuri of Osaka in Japan. The non-stop dancing on the street, the festive mood and people's jolly faces are truly intoxicating. I am not really of a dancer but it is the jubilant ambiance of any Mardigras that brings me to seventh heaven. Funny or not, I feel the same ecstasy come Christmas. Chocolates and candied fruits are the stars of the event. Their ordinary look metamorphose into something grandiose exclusive for this occasion. The table is suddenly transformed into colorful streets of Rio and the parade of the yummy goodies begins.


Let me start with my Chocolate Honey Spice Cake nibblets garnished with "orange confit"



Followed by my home-made candied organic oranges (orange confit)



and how a simple chocolate bar could be transformed into something fantastic like this....



Dark Chocolate bar heavy laden with nuts and candied oranges



Well, all we need now is just a cup of hot tea and off we go with our "samba" mood!


Chocolate Honey Spice Cake
250 g of flour, 125 g of honey, 125 g of sugar, 1 tsp of four spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg,clove), 5 tbsp of milk, 5 tbsp of water, 2 tbsp of cacao, 1 tsp of baking powder, some salt and 30 g of butter

Warm up the milk with the water and dissolve the sugar and honey. In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cacao, salt and spices. Mix little by littly the milk-honey-sugar mixture. Blend well. Butter a baking dish and cook slowly for 1 hour over 180 degrees. Once cook you can make the shape you want with the help of cookie cutter. You can garnish it with chocolate ganache and some orange confite.

Orange confit
2 organically grown oranges, 300 g of sugar, 1 cup of water

Take off gently the orange peel with the help of a sharp knife. Blanch for two minutes in a boiling water the orange peel. Do this operation about two times. Slice diagonally the oranges and start preparing the syrup. In a casserolle, mix the sugar with the water and let it boil. Add all the sliced oranges and boil for 5 minutes. Let it macerate on this syrup for 24 hours in the fridge. The next day strain the oranges and let it dry completely.

Dark Chocolate Bar

200 g of chocolate bar, 2 tbps of mixed chopped nuts (pistachio, hazelnuts and almonds), 2 tbsp of orange confit

Melt the chocolate in bain marie and pour it over a chocolate bar mold. Garnish it with the nuts and candied oranges. Let it harden.


26 comments:

Oggi said...

I love the candied orange and nuts chocolate bar, it's very pretty!:)

Gloria Baker said...

Dhanggit this is sweet and lovely, nice recipe!!! Gloria

Anonymous said...

Good that you already experienced the Sinulog Carnival, my Dad hails from there and I haven't been there yet !

I've always been a fan of dark choco and nuts these are perfect for me, thanks again for sharing your secret recipes :D ! ***HAZE***

Manggy said...

You're very well-traveled!
Beautiful chocolate, looks bejeweled. I suppose that would be what's called a mendiant (the confection, not the beggar!).

Finla said...

Love the chocolatebites.
And the pics are beautiful.
Love the just lie down pic

Tanya said...

Wow, this post hit me at an odd time-- I was just browsing for last-minute airfare to Argentina (or anywhere, really, the boss just gave us off from Christmas-New Years, too late for real bargains.) That chocolate looks fabulous.

I use Coconut and Lime's recipe for pizza dough, and it comes out perfectly so long as you don't overbake it (golden, not brown.) My trick is to preheat the oven to 200 for a minute or two before putting the bread in to rise (turn it off when you put the dough in) and reheat the oven between rises. It sounds like a pain, but it makes everything nice and fluffy without killing the yeast. I used to buy the premade stuff, but then I got too lazy to go shopping for it.

Finla said...

I have tagged you for weirdest meme. Check out my blog :-)

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Those are stunning pictures. Truly.

Gloria Baker said...

Dhanggit, at last I finish the Meme, only was too separated the words I don't know why buy you may read, I think. Thanks by nominame. xxxxxxGloria

Gloria Baker said...

Dhanggit I think to the weekend I will post a recipe, know I have to prepare the things to the child's camping! Whish me luck!!! Gloria

Anh said...

Yum! That chocolate bar looks like it's from heaven!

Cynthia said...

You are being such a temptress with these!

desie said...

these were such a festival for the eyes. very christmasy and beautiful. wish i could taste them!
the sydney mardi gras is also worth catching...

Sidney said...

I wish you already a "wild" Christmas!
You will need to dance those calories away ! ;-)

Big Boys Oven said...

Now you make me wanna samba with all my ingredients in my cabinets! lol! Love the way you present those lovely orange confit!

Anita said...

Your photographs are so brilliantly delicious!

ilingc said...

Nothing spells indulgence for me than a bar of dark chocolate studded with nuts and candied orange. Your photos are beautiful Dhanggit especially the last one with the teapot. :)

Tanya said...

Aw, thanks for your note. No, no luck, decided to save my money for next year's trip and go to Portland to visit my sister. Alas! I was so excited. Luckily, I've never been to Portland either, and I'm excited to explore there.

Brilynn said...

Dark chocolate, oranges and nuts sounds fabulous!

Cakespy said...

This post made my heart swell with happiness and my stomach quiver with hunger. What a beautiful post and so chocolatey!

test it comm said...

The chocolate and honey spiced cake sounds really good. The chocolate with nuts and candied oranges looks great.

Sagari said...

lovely pics

Deborah said...

Oh, my goodness! My mouth is watering!

Lynne Daley said...

This looks yummy! Your photos are incredible!

Peter M said...

Ahhh bitter dark chocolat, toasted almonds and candied fruit...a symphony!

Unknown said...

dark chocolate is my fave! with addition of fruits and nuts... well that's a richness of all food, i guess hehehe great for scroggin!