Recipes by Zola - Chocolate Peppermint "Finger wedges"

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Chocolate Peppermint "Finger wedges"

Zola Gorgon

Sweets for the Sweet...

For my birthday my husband bought me one of the most touching gifts. So why am I telling you about it now? Mostly because I think it's an idea you might want to "steal." It's a perfect idea for Valentine's Day or any other holiday.

In my case, I was hitting one of those monumental birthdays. I was going to be celebrating it rather quietly, so instead of giving me a party my husband involved all of our friends in my gift.

You may have seen these photo books. There are a bunch of photo processing companies that offer them. My husband used Picaboo. www.picaboo.com. The basic idea is you gather photographs and then write captions to go with them. Submit the materials to the Picaboo site and you can compose your book. They make it really easy for you to lay out. Designs are pretty much sort of "fill in the blank." They even have examples for different occasions, and yes, there's one for Valentine's Day, so even if you are bit lost in writing these sorts of things they help you along the way.

If you've had a long romance and are married they suggest you choose pictures that remind the two of you how far you've come in your relationship. Or some people might concentrate on trips taken together and how much fun is involved in those memories.

In a new relationship you might choose stock photography and talk about all the things you hope to do together in the future. Anything will work. It can be a long book or a very short one. They come small enough that they are almost like a big "card." Mine was 50 pages long. It was filled with so many touching comments from family and friends that I cried and laughed my way through the whole thing. And I have the book to keep forever.

So there... If you don't have an idea of what to do for Valentine's Day you can "steal" this one. My biggest suggestion is that you get on this project pronto; especially if you are going to involve others because they have to get you the pictures and then you have to do the magic.

Last thought...if you are feeling computer illiterate, find a teenager who can do the work for you. Pay them in gas money and I think you'll have a winner.

Chocolate Peppermint "Finger Wedges"

1 cup toasted coconut (see toasting instructions)
15 red and white peppermint candies, ground fine in a food processor or smashed by hand
12 oz. deep chocolate (Shoot for 70% cocoa). Cut into tiny bits
3 Tbl whipping cream
Butter spray

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

To toast coconut: Take the one-cup of coconut and spread it on a dry cookie sheet. No spray needed. Toast the coconut in the oven at 350 degrees; just until you see a little golden edging. This will take 5 - 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it. It burns very suddenly.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and the whipping cream on low temperature. Stir fairly often. Make sure it's low so you don't scorch the chocolate. When almost melted stir in the ground peppermint. The mixture will be slightly grainy in appearance.

Pour into a 9" springform pan that has been oiled with butter spray. This is only about a quarter of an inch thick so don't let that shock you. Sprinkle the coconut on top and press it down lightly with your fingers so it sinks into the chocolate mixture.

Set in your refrigerator to cool until hardened. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife along the edge, loosen the tart pan and take off the sides. Cut the chocolate peppermint mixture into tiny wedges or "fingers". These are really rich pieces of candy. Moist mouthfeel, they melt in divine fashion in your mouth and they even cleanse your breath!

Totally romantic treat.

Enjoy! Cheers,
Zola

This news arrived on: 02/05/2007

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