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Cheering for chocolate and a good cause

The 11th Annual Cheers for Chocolate Festival raises money to help Christmas Cheer and Alamance County continue their mission of helping underprivileged children.

BURLINGTON, N.C. — Christmas Cheer of Alamance County is back with their 11th annual Cheers for Chocolate Festival. The proceeds from the festival benefit the non-profit charity that is dedicated to sharing the spirit of Christmas with underprivileged children and elderly of Alamance County. 

The Cheers for Chocolate Festival is Saturday, February 1 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Holly Hill Mall in Burlington. 

To sample chocolates, tickets are $5 for 5 chocolates and $10 for 10 chocolates. Tickets can be purchased at the YMCA, Burlington Times, or at the door. 

Executive Director of Christmas Cheer, Dawn Sternal and Harvest Table Culinary Group at Elon University, Adam Neill will make two chocolate recipes that you can find below:

Chocolate Choux au Craquelin

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces cold butter, cubed.
  • 3 ounces of flour
  • ½ ounce of cocoa powder
  • 3 ½ ounces of sugar

Instructions

  1.  In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream all ingredients together until completely combined.  2 minutes.
  2. Scrape the dough onto a parchment sheet, roll to 1/16th inch thick.  Chill one hour.
  3. Once chilled, use a cutter slightly larger in diameter than your choux puffs.

Chocolate Pate a Choux

Ingredients

  • 3.5 ounces whole milk
  • 3.5 ounces water
  • 3 ounces of butter
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 3.5 ounces of flour
  • 5 eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Combine milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.
  3. Sift cocoa powder and flour into a bowl.
  4. Remove boiling mixture from heat.  Using a sturdy spoon, stir in flour/cocoa mixture. 
  5. Return to heat, constantly stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Once the paste pulls away from the sides of the sauce pan and develops a sheen, it is ready to be removed from the heat.
  6. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  7. While the mixture is still hot, turn the mixer on low speed, and add one egg at a time.  Be sure to incorporate each egg completely before adding the next.  Stop half way and scrape the bowl and paddle.
  8. Once all eggs have been added, transfer the choux paste to a piping bag and cut the tip to make a half inch hole. 
  9. Pipe 1 ½ inch rounds of the paste onto a parchment lined or silpat lined sheet tray.
  10. Remove the craquelin dough from the refrigerator, and punch out 1.5 inch circles with a biscuit cutter.
  11.  Place one craquelin round on each piped choux.
  12.  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F and continue to bake 25 to 30 more minutes.  Do not open the oven before 35 total minutes in the oven or the choux could potentially collapse.
  13.  After 35 minutes in the oven, check one of the puffs for doneness.  The center should be hollow and not doughy. 
  14. Cool completely.  Enjoy with desired filling. 

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