Chocolate Sunday

Chocolate Sunday is coming up next weekend (see Events).

I am baking a nice little trio of desserts (not one a pie!) and need 2-1/2 pounds of bittersweet chocolate. I remember a little shop that sold chocolate by the block, at prices per ounce. I don't remember where that was, but they were in piles in wooden bins stacked in columns. Maybe in Wicker Park? Lincoln Park? Who knows.

I think buying 6 boxes of Baker's chocolate would be expensive, plus I also need fleur de sel, so I thought I'd get some nice chocolate too.

Anyone know where I can buy this for a reasonable price, preferably both in the same place, and preferably not downtown? I live in Niles, so the closer the better.

Thanks!!

PS - I'm making Bittersweet Peppermint Tart, Caramel Truffles with Fleur de Sel and Chocolate Chip Pecan Rum Cakes, to persuade you all to attend...

When I saw bittersweet chocolate and fleur de sel I thought you were going to make Korova cookies for sure. Man, I like those alot.

I didn't even know what those were til I just Googled it. Those do look tasty! I guess I know what to do with my leftover fleur de sel. Thanks!

I'd try Whole Foods. They sell high quality bulk chocolate near the cheese dept in most stores. I think they have both Valhrona and Callabeaut (sp) They also sell fluer de sel.

I'm going to ask a stupid question.
I saw a nifty little grinder dealie in the Spice Islands aisle at Jewel. It was labeled Sea Salt. Should I consider that the same thing as fleur de sel, or is that a lesser version?

Fleur de sel is different from regular sea salt. It's collected in a unique way, and only from certain areas. The final product is lighter and has a distinct flavor profile. You can substitute regular sea salt, but the end result will not be quite the same.

Oh, and please do try the Korova cookies. These have become everyone's favorite cookie around here. Fleur de sel makes a big difference in these, use it if you can.

I found a recipe on
http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/ ... orova.html

Is there a recipe that everyone's been using that I should try? Maybe I'll be making these for Chocolate Sunday too!

Pie Lady wrote:I found a recipe on
http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/ ... orova.html

Is there a recipe that everyone's been using that I should try? Maybe I'll be making these for Chocolate Sunday too!

The recipie I use is from Dorrie Greenspan's book. There's a copy of it on the NPR website , but the cookies have been renamed "world Peace Cookies". The problem is that it has an error as the vanilla extract has been left out of the ingredient list.

The recipie in the above link is the same as the original, except for the discussion of how to handle the dough. In the original recipe it's emphasized how important it is not to overwork the dough in order to achieve the remarkable texture which helps make these cookies so unique. In the link above the author advises flattening out the dough several times while rolling it into logs in order to avoid air pockets. I wouldn't do this, as it seems too much manipulation. I've never had a problem with air pockets and find things turn out just fine if you simply form the dough into two mounds and gently form them into logs. Don't flatten and reform repeatedly, and don't cook for more than 10 min. even if they seem undercooked. They should come out great.

Pie Lady wrote:I remember a little shop that sold chocolate by the block, at prices per ounce.

It's probably too late for the original poster, but when I think of blocks of chocolate, the first place I think of is Trader Joe's.