Chocolate and Cheese - mmm, yes please?! This months We Should Cocoa challenge, set by Choclette of Choc Log Blog is to make something both chocolate-y and cheesey. And not cheesey as in just-a-bit-naff kind of cheesey. My first thought was chocolate cheesecake - yum! but I decided I was in a contrary mood and didn't want to go for something obvious.
My next thought was my rather lovely book Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A. Young. I really, really must start making things out of this book, because there are so many interesting recipes in there - really different too. Quite a few would have worked for this month's challenge too - Savoury sandwich ganache, Goat's cheese and lemon ganache, Sweet chocolate pesto or Dark chocolate and chilli gnocchi, with mascarpone and pecorino. I wish I were more adventurous!!!
However, I am delighted to present you with these rather gorgeous scones instead. They are based on my favourite recipe (original can be found here) and I have made them over and over again in a number of forms. This one obviously contains chocolate! My chocolate of choice here is something rather bitter - an 85% (I usually use Lindt) because it contrasts so well with the sweet sugar topping of the scone and the moist interior. I love biting down on a little piece of chocolate heaven.
An added bonus is that these are pretty easy and fairly quick to make, which is perfect when you're running out of time....
Chocolate Ricotta Scones
Ingredients
175g ricotta
100g caster sugar
200g self raising flour
50g butter
1-2tbsp milk
40g 85% cocoa solid chocolate, chopped
demerara sugar to sprinkle
I sometimes add a little vanilla extract too if I remember, which is always good.
I use the method detailed here so won't reproduce it again. However, when it comes to shaping the scones, I make a long rectangle, and mark into 10 scones because this suits my purposes better.
Perhaps not the most ground breaking introduction to the cheese and chocolate combo, but because these scones are just so delicious I keep on coming back to them again and again - soft, moist, crunchy with sugar and those little nuggets of bitter chocolate hiding from you in the midst of it all. Bliss is a chocolate ricotta scone!
14 comments:
It's breakfast time here and I NEED one of those to get me in a 'more able to cope with Monday morning' frame of mind. If only I'd gotten up earlier... Perhaps a piece of chocolate and a spoonful of ricotta will have to do...
Oh lovely. I used ricotta too, it's a great cheese, so versatile. Your scones look divine. Love the way you made along bar and then divided too.
Oh yes please. I think I'll put the kettle on and imagine the scone. I love that combination of the bitter chocolate and the sugary topping.
Delicious! The dark chocolate sounds just right.
The sugary topping and those lovely chunks of chocolate look gorgeous!
Oh my sweet baby Jesus these look good! Excellent way to go for WSC
Lucy - I wish I could send you one! I like the idea of the spoonful of ricotta and lump of chocolate - not quite sure it'll hit the same spot though ;-)
Janice - ricotta is such a useful ingredient to have around! The bar was a development of the recipe - it works well for me.
Phil - the bitter choc is such a good contrast to the crunchy sugar topping.
Suelle - it really works here. Perhaps because the scone is sweet and light as a contrast.
Hannah - thank you!
Dom - they are good! Glad you like the look of them!
They look delicious, Caroline, particularly with the demerara sugar crust! x
Celia - in all honesty the crunch of the crust is one of the very best bits about these - they just wouldn't be the same without it!
these are my sort of scones - but you now have me very interested in the book - must look for it in the shops here as chocolate pesto sounds fantastic
I smell deliciousness!
Yum! These look delicious!! The recipes from the book sound interesting too -I'm sure we'll see a few in the future? :)
You make such fabulous scones C - I really really must try your ricotta recipe. Although I did initially try something from Adventures in Chocolate, I foolishly didn't look in it thoroughly enough, because I love the idea of the gnocchi. Thanks every so much for these lovely scones for WSC - it's very nice to have a change from cheesecake!
Johanna - I would thoroughly recommend the book - I haven't made anything from it but it's inspiring for the ideas alone, and to prompt further thought and adaptations!
Mr Pineapple Man - indeed you do!
Ros - they were delicious. Sadly all gone now! I'm not so sure - some of the recipes in the book are very unusual. Don't hold your breath!
Choclette - thank you, you're very kind! I really do need to be more adventurous in my use of chocolate and try some of the recipes from the book :-)
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