CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHRISTMAS TREE
This tree takes a little time to make, but it is delightful to look at and delicious to eat. The Christmas Tree can be made some days in advance. If the weather is hot, keep it refrigerated.
INGREDIENTS:
- 500g dark chocolate ( see note at end of recipe )
- 250g roasted hazelnuts
- 1 brazil nut
- 60g dark chocolate, extra
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar
CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHRISTMAS RECIPE:
Roughly chop chocolate, place in the top half of a double saucepan, and place over gently simmering water; make sure water does not touch the base of the top saucepan. When chocolate is completely melted and smooth, remove from heat and water, stir in roughly chopped hazelnuts; mix well.
Note: Do not use a blender or food processor for chopping nuts, they will be chopped too finely.
While chocolate is melting, prepare trays for making branches of trees. Cover trays with a piece of aluminum foil; any flat tray, upturned cake tin, base of baking dish, or pieces of heavy cardboard can be used. It is important the surface be level and rigid enough so the branches do not bend while they are setting Bread boards or pieces of wood covered with foil can be used but the chocolate will take longer to set. We used three scone slides.
Mark nine crosses on the foil, leaving about 2.5cm between each cross. The measurements for the crosses are: 7cm; 9cm; 11cm; 13cm; 14cm; 15cm; 16cm; 17cm; 18cm.
Prepare a base for the tree; you will need a piece of heavy cardboard or pressed hardboard 20cm in diameter, it must be rigid and strong enough to support all the branches of the tree. Cover with decorative silver paper or foil. Mark a cross 18cm on this baseboard. Using a teaspoon, drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture along the marked crosses. Do the cross on the baseboard first, refrigerate, then do the remaining crosses in order of size, starting from the largest size and working to the smallest. Refrigerate crosses as soon as they are complete, for several hours or, if desired, overnight. Do not freeze.
Note: If the kitchen is cool, chocolate can be left to set at room temperature this will mean the tree will take longer to make, but chocolate will have more sheen than if it is refrigerated.
Melt extra chocolate over simmering water. To assemble the tree, join the largest cross to the cross on the baseboard by dropping about a teaspoon of the melted chocolate into the center of the cross on the baseboard: position the cross on top, as shown. It may be necessary to move the top cross around until the best position is found; if branches look a little uneven, support them underneath with a matchbox.
Drop about half a teaspoon of the melted chocolate on top of the second cross; this forms a good base when adding the next pair of crosses. Assemble the remaining eight crosses in pairs, starting from the largest remaining cross to the smallest cross, and refrigerate until chocolate is set for about 15 minutes.
When each pair of crosses is set, place the largest pair on top of the crosses on the base board, joining with melted chocolate as before. It is important each section be completely set before topping with another pair of crosses.
When the tree is assembled, cut an end off the Brazil nut, so it will sit neatly on top of the tree, place it in position with melted chocolate, cover the nut with chocolate, and then refrigerate until set. Dust the tree lightly with sifted icing sugar.
Note: The dark cooking chocolate available
from health food stores and packaged cooking chocolate available from
supermarkets are ideal for making this tree. The compound chocolates,
although less expensive . are not suitable.
Also Read: Hot Potato Salad