The Best Chocolate Sauce.

This is one of those sauces that is a must in every chef's repertoire. It's a classic. In a matter of minutes you can turn a simple sweet into chocolate decadence. So set aside the guilt and go ahead - dip, drizzle and dunk your way through fresh strawberries, ice cream and cake. Make it for your Valentine, they will be delighted you did!

George Hirsch, The Best Chocolate Sauce 

A few bits on chocolate: 

One study has shown that the smell of chocolate may actually relax you by increasing theta waves in the brain. Yes, we all have them.

Does chocolate contain any nutrients? Yes, it does, in small amounts. A 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar contains recommended daily values of the following vitamins and minerals:

 • 3 grams of protein • 15% of the Daily Value of riboflavin • 9% of the Daily Value for calcium • 7% of the Daily Value for iron.

When choosing chocolate, look for a shiny finish, which is a sign that the chocolate was heated at the right temperature for the right amount of time. Also, look for a crispy snap when chocolate is broken into pieces. Choose a good chocolate source for sauce like Lindt, Callebaut, or Scharffen Berger. In a pinch chocolate chips will do. This very decadent sauce is ideal served with fresh strawberries. Note: this chocolate sauce recipe is not ideal for coating dipped strawberries. That's another post. 

George's Best Chocolate Sauce
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes about two cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar
3/4 cup cream
3 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional: 1 Tablespoon Brandy or Grand Marnier

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside. 

Place cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a small pot. Heat to a boil stirring constantly. As soon as it reaches a boil pour directly over chocolate and stir until all chocolate has melted. Add vanilla and brandy.

Use immediately or cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks. To reheat, heat the amount you need over a double boiler and stir until just melted.

George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Series

Join me next week, right here at Daily Food when I share with you and release the all new 3 minute video trailer to my new public television series, George Hirsch Lifestyle.

on set George Hirsch Lifstyle TV series

In every episode I invite you into my home-studio kitchen where I  cook, bake, and even grill my mouthwatering favorite recipes, such as; apple strawberry rhubarb pie, oven-fried garlic chicken and pork tenderloin sliders. I also will take you to visit my favorite local places and sources for fresh ingredients—taking you behind the scenes to drop-in on sustainable artisan producers in the heart of the Hamptons.

Cookie By Accident

According to MIT, America's most famous cookie was invented by accident by Ruth Wakefield. Ruth, a dietician and food lecturer, who along with her husband Kenneth, bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, where she prepared home-cooked meals for her guests. 

In 1930, using a butter cookie dough, Wakefield was mixing a batch of cookies for her inn guests and was out of baker's chocolate. She substituted broken pieces of semi-sweet chocolate that was given to her personally by Andrew Nestle. She had expected the chocolate to melt and absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. But as you can imagine, what she was left with was a butter cookie with bits of chocolate. She called her new treat "Toll House Crunch Cookies."

The 'chocolate chip cookies' were an instant hit with her customers and word of their popularity reached back to Andrew Nestle. Nestle then went on to buy the rights to the Toll House name and to Ruth Wakefield's 'chocolate chip cookie'. For her name and recipe, Wakefield's compensation would be a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. I guess that's not so bad if you are a chocaholic.

Nestle printed the Toll House Cookie recipe on its package of bar chocolate that was scored for easy breaking. By 1939 Nestle began selling, small chocolate morsels (aka - chips) in a yellow bag. Of course you know by now that the chocolate chip cookie has become the most popular cookie in America!

Here's my recipe + rendition of America's cookie. My cookie is a bit chewier and less cakey than the Tollhouse recipe. It is also bakes a darker shade due to the dark brown sugar. Share with friends. Enjoy with a talk glass of ice cold milk.

George's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes about 40 cookies

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) lightly sweet butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chopped, or mini chips 

Optional: 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Whisk the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. In another large bowl, cream the butter on low speed to lighten it a bit and then mix in the sugars, cream for two minutes.. Add the water, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined and then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. 

Using two soup spoons, drop the cookies 2" apart onto two parchment lined, nonstick or greased cookie sheets. Bake for eight-nine minutes, rotating the sheets after four minutes. 

Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

Humble Crumble

The soon to be legendary Mrs. Patmore, from the mega hit TV series on PBS, Downton Abbey, is the head cook brimming with one liners that can only be heard from downstairs within the heat of the kitchen and in this case, the heat, directed to her assistant, Daisy, the scullery maid.

Mrs. Patmore: Daisy, I said you could go for a drink of water, not a trip up the Nile.

Mrs. Patmore: Listen to me Daisy, take those kidneys up to the servery before I knock you down and serve your brains as fritters.

Daisy:  I was only trying to help.

Mrs. Patmore:  Oh!…Judus was only trying to help, I suppose, when he brought the Roman Soldiers to the Garden. 

So what's a scullery-maid?—from Mrs. Beeton's The Book of Household Management - circa 1861

The duties of the scullery-maid are to assist the cook; to keep the scullery clean, and all the metallic as well as earthenware kitchen utensils. The position of scullery-maid is not, of course, one of high rank, nor is the payment for her services large. But if she be fortunate enough to have over her a good kitchen-maid and clever cook, she may very soon learn to perform various little duties connected with cooking operations, which may be of considerable service in fitting her for a more responsible place.

While Mrs. Patmore is taking a well deserved rest, in one scene, Daisy interrupts Mrs. Patmore in the servant’s hall unsure if the crumble was ready. Sorry, you will just need to watch this weeks finale of season 2 Downton Abbey for more of Mrs. Patmore good hearted but sometimes cutting humor. 

Meanwhile, enjoy My Apple Charlotte Recipe, a dish Mrs. Patmore was not able to plate-up, reason, you'll need to watch-n-see (don't want to spoil the plot).

Another dessert dish, circa 1915 featured on Downton Abbey - "Humble Crumble":

Crumbles can be traced back to the UK, but became highly popular in America during colonization, where it is also known as a crisp.  The crumble originated as a wartime dessert due to strict rationing.  The crumb topping, or cumble is a mix of flour, butter and sugar and replaced pastry or typical pie crusts. Fruits such as apples, blackberry, and rhubarb are often used depending on seasons or what was previously preserved and on hand.  

TIPS: picking the right apple
Granny: This Australian native was discovered in 1868 as a chance seedling by "Granny" Anne Smith of Ryde, New South Wales. One parent might have been a French Crab Apple. Grannys are known for their distinctive green flesh, which sometimes bears a red blush, and their very tart flavor. An all-purpose apple, Grannys work equally well as a snack or in pies and sauce. U.S. Grannys are harvested beginning in August, and are available year-round.

Gala: This variety originated in New Zealand, a cross between Kidd's Orange Red and Golden Delicious. The Royal Gala strain was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, who deemed it her favorite during a visit to New Zealand. It was brought to the United States in the early 1970s, and is now one of the country's most popular apples. This crispy, juicy, very sweet apple is ideal for snacking. Galas can vary in color, from cream to red- and yellow-striped. U.S.-grown Galas are harvested beginning in mid-July, and are typically available year-round.

George’s Warm Apple Crumble Recipe
Makes 4–6 servings
As seen on George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series

For Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 quick oats
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup melted butter 

Mix all sugars, flour, oats and nuts. Pour in butter and mix until topping looks like wet sand. Do not over mix; topping should have a lumpy consistency.

For the Filling:
4 cups Apples- 1/2 granny and 1/2 gala or other sweet apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. 
1/3 cup water or *simple syrup
1/4 cup raisins, plump in simple syrup

Pre heat a 375 degree oven.

Grease small individual ramekins or one nine inch ovenproof casserole. Add chopped apples, raisins and simple syrup. Top with a generous amount of crumb topping.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until crumb topping is crisp and light brown. 

Serve warm topped with powder sugar, whip cream or powder sugar.

*To make simple syrup:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 orange, cut into quarters

Place all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Remove and cool.