World Chocolate Day: Celebrate With These Gourmet Chef-Special Recipes

Don’t you just love dipping your finger in melted chocolate and just watching yourself go into another world? That’s the magic of chocolate. For people with a sweet tooth, chocolate-based desserts have a special place in their hearts. Whether it is a rich and silky serving of ganache, molten chocolate lava cake, or even some fusion desserts, each is equally delicious.

To pay homage to one of the most favourite treats, World Chocolate Day is celebrated every year on the 7th of July. So, why don’t you leverage the globally celebrated occasion and make yourself a rich chocolate dessert? While you might already be a pro at baking brownies, here are some gourmet chocolate recipes, specially curated by Indian chefs.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 150 g refined flour
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 25 g butter
• 15 g sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Water, as needed to knead
• Oil for deep frying

For the chocolate coating:

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 1 tsp coconut oil

For the filling:

• 250 g hung curd
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp rose water
• A few saffron strands (soaked in warm milk)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

For garnish:

• 20 g pistachio (finely chopped)
• Dried rose petals, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine all shell ingredients and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and let it rest for 15–20 minutes.
2. Roll the dough out thinly and cut into circles. Wrap each circle around a metal cannoli tube and seal the edges firmly.
3. Deep-fry until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely before gently sliding off the moulds.
4. Melt dark chocolate with a little coconut oil until smooth and glossy. Dip both ends of the cooled cannoli shells into the melted chocolate.
5. Place on parchment paper and let them set completely.
6. In a bowl, whisk together hung curd, powdered sugar, rose water, saffron-infused milk, and cardamom until smooth and creamy.
7. Fold in half of the chopped pistachios for added texture and flavour.
8. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours to chill and firm up.
9. Fill a piping bag with the chilled shrikhand and pipe it into each chocolate-dipped cannoli shell.
10. Garnish with the remaining pistachios and a few dried rose petals for a beautiful finish.

Chocolate Truffle Delight

By Chef Ramit Kohli, Executive Chef, Ambassador, New Delhi, IHCL SeleQtions

Ingredients:

Chocolate sponge batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp grain sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup refined oil
• 2 eggs, well beaten
•  ½ teaspoon - vanilla extract
•  ⅓ cup full-fat cream
•  ½ cup hot water

Whipped Chocolate Truffle:

• 200g dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
• 355ml whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Chocolate glaze:

• 113g- semisweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup plus whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat the baking oven to 180°C. Line the base of a cake baking pan with a round of parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides with butter.
2. For chocolate sponge batter- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. 
3. Add sugar, then whisk to blend evenly. Add oil, beaten eggs, cream and vanilla and begin to whisk gently. It will be thick. Add the hot water and whisk until the batter is smooth.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
6. Trim the top of the cake to level it out and make it flat with a bread knife.
7. Cut it in half horizontally to make two even layers.
8. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Add ½ cup of cream and honey to a steel saucepan over medium heat until simmering, then immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate.
9. Whisk with a gentle stirring motion until smooth and glossy.
10. Combine the remaining 1 cup (237ml) of cream with cocoa powder in a large bowl and whip to soft peaks using an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk.
11. Fold one-third of this cream into the above-made cooled ganache until evenly combined. Add the remaining cream and fold it in gently until no streaks remain.
12. Chill the chocolate sponge & and apply half of the truffle filling over the first layer of the sponge.
13. Spread it out evenly using a palette knife. Put a second layer of sponge and sprinkle a little water on the sponge. Put the rest of the truffle mixture and flatten it up using a palette knife.
14. Place it in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
15. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave until just simmering.
16. Pour it over the chocolate. Whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Let it cool for about 15 minutes till it is just slightly warm and runny.
17. Pour it over the chilled cake and quickly smooth it out or tilt the cake around to help spread out the glaze evenly.
18. Chill until set, slice into pieces, and decorate on top. Serve chilled or at room temperature for a softer texture.

Chocolate Jalebi

By Chef Ashu Chugh, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Greater Noida

Ingredients:

• 220 g dark chocolate chips
• 50 g white chocolate chips
• 8 jalebis
• 25 g mixed nuts, roasted & chopped
• A few rose petals

Instructions:

1. Put dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl separately.
2. Place it in the microwave and cook until both the chocolate melts completely.
3. Stir occasionally for uniform cooking.
4. Remove from the microwave, dip the jalebis in dark chocolate, coat well and place them on a wire rack. 
5. Drizzle the white chocolate over the jalebis to create a pattern as per your liking.
6. Finally, sprinkle chopped nuts and rose petals and place the jalebis in the refrigerator for a while to set.
7. Once set, transfer them to a serving dish and savour them on the occasion of Chocolate Day.