? about adding rosemary to spicy chocolate bark

Hi folks,

I found a simple recipe for making spicy chocolate bark, 1.5 lbs. chocolate, 2 teaspoons cayenne powder and sea salt. I made a batch last night and it came out very good. I know I can vary the types of powders to change it up, but I was wondering about adding some other flavors.

What do you think about adding some dried rosemary? I think the rosemary would compliment the chocolate.

Also, what do think about adding broken up pretzels to give it a crispy, crunchy texture, and more salt?

And last question, what about adding peanut butter?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sicman]

i dont know about the rosemary/ my wife mad some bark last night chocolate,mint,and almonds. yummy!

 

[Trippa]

I think Rosemary would over power the whole thing. Could end up like eating potpourri (ie to floral )

 

[ThePepperManiac]

sounds good sic

 

[WalkGood]

Godiva makes a rosemary & chocolate mousse, I say go for it but use very little rosemary the first time around, better less than too much. Then if you like it, next time you can increase it a little. I've also heard of rosemary chocolate ice cream ...

 

[geeme]

Flavor is such a subjective thing. Consider that while I love chile peppers, I can't stand "regular" pepper of any sort (black, green, pink....) And when I say I can't stand it, it's not the same as I don't particularly care for something - I find regular pepper to be utterly revolting. It seriously comes across to me like the smell of a dirty diaper pail. Who wants to put THAT in their mouth??? Yet, millions and millions of people do. So I would say if you like rosemary, go for it; you might like it a lot. But I agree with WalkGood - start with a smaller quantity, then experiment with more, if desired. I will not forget the first time I used fresh cilantro, before I realized how much stronger it is than parsley..... love cilantro, but won't make that mistake again.

 

[salsalady]

I've made some culinary products with lavender and have found that people either love or hate the flavor. It's nothing personal, it'sjust a flavor. Rosemary, lavender, cilantro, they are very pungent, sos start with a little.


the other thing I would mention is that I would not like a chocolate with big chunks of hard rosemary in it, likeifyou just threw some dried rosemary into the chocolate. There are ways to "infuse" the chocolate with rosemary flavor without adding the dried bits to the chocolate.


You'd probably just have to experiment, but I'm thinking ...rosemary in a cloth spice bag or cheese cloth... let it "steep" for a while to infuse the flavor and then remove the bag and spices.

another idea to explore would be grinding the rosemary to a superfine powder so it will incorporate into the chocolate without being chunky.

 

[geeme]

+1 on the rosemary being too hard when it's dry. Here's a link for making rosemary extract, which might be an option: http://www.ehow.com/how_4488063_make-rosemary-extract.html

 

[Burning Colon]

perhaps mint would be a better choice of herb. i use my own grown herbs in lots of things but i don't think i would put rosemary, chocolate and cayenne together as a palatable choice.

i make cardamom tea, sage tea, rosemary tea, thyme tea and sometimes i mix them together especially if one of the kids is coming down with a cold and sore throat, sage/rosemary tea works wonders.

there, i just had to rub my rosemary plant to release some beautiful fragrance in the air and rub my shirt with it. my two plants sit an arms length away and everyday i give them a little rub.

good luck with your experimenting.

 

[neoguy]

Thanks for all the great feedback. My intent was to use finely ground rosemary powder. Adding the mint sounds like a winner, I'll have to experiment with small batches.

geeme, thanks for the link. How did you know Vodka was my drink of choice?

 

[geeme]

i use my own grown herbs in lots of things but i don't think i would put rosemary, chocolate and cayenne together as a palatable choice.

There are people even on this site who will not mix heat and sweet. I've talked with some who have never even tried it, and refuse to, on the basis that it doesn't sit "right" in their minds. Whatever, as they're missing out on a real treat! So my vote is that if any flavor mix interests you, give it a try. I frequently do, and have come up with some fantabulous things. Yes, I've also come up with a few "guess I won't try that again" things, but those don't happen very often. Mostly, have fun with it!