ScarlettWhite Chocolate Coconut Kisses
October 14th 2008 06:17
White Chocolate Coconut Kisses
About Coconut
a coconut is a simple dry nut known as a fibrous drupe. The husk, or mesocarp, is composed of fibres called coir and there is an inner stone, or endocarp. The endocarp is the hardest part. This hard endocarp, the outside of the coconut as sold in the shops of non-tropical countries, has three germination pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface once the husk is removed. It is through one of these that the radicle emerges when the embryo germinates. Adhering to the inside wall of the endocarp is the testa, with a thick albuminous endosperm (the coconut "meat"), the white and fleshy edible part of the seed.
The endosperm surrounds a hollow interior space, filled with air and often a liquid referred to as coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut milk, called "santan" in Malay, is made by grating the endosperm and mixing it with (warm) water. The resulting thick, white liquid is used in much Asian cooking, for example, in curries. Coconut water from the unripe coconut, however, can be drunk fresh. Young coconuts used for coconut water are called tender coconuts. The water of a tender coconut is liquid endosperm. It is sweet (mild) with aerated feel when cut fresh. Depending on the size a tender coconut could contain the liquid in the range of 300 to 1,000 ml. It is known in Tamil/Malayalam/Kannada as "elaneer".
About white chocolate
White chocolate is a confection of sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids. The melting point of cocoa butter is high enough to keep white chocolate solid at room temperature, yet low enough to allow white chocolate to melt in the mouth. White chocolate thus has a texture similar to that of milk chocolate.
White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Regulations also govern what may be marketed as "white chocolate": In the United States, since 2004, white chocolate must be at least 20% cocoa butter (by weight), at least 14% total milk solids, at least 3.5% milk fat, and less than 55% sugar or other sweeteners. In many countries, white chocolate is not considered chocolate. Before this date, U.S. firms required temporary marketing permits to sell white chocolate. The European Union has adopted the same standards, except that there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners.
Some preparations, known as confectioner's coating or summer coating, is made from inexpensive solid or hydrogenated vegetable fats, and as such, is not at all derived from cocoa. These preparations may actually be white in color (in contrast to white chocolate's ivory shade) and will lack cocoa butter's flavour.
Because it does not contain any cocoa solids, one benefit of white chocolate is that it also does not contain any theobromine, which means it can be consumed by individuals who must avoid theobromine for medical or religious reasons. Theobromine is only found in the cocoa solids and other ingredients of chocolate that give it the characteristic brown color. In contrast to white chocolate, dark chocolate contains the largest amount of theobromine, because it contains the largest amount of cocoa solids. The theobromine content of milk chocolate falls somewhere between white and dark chocolate.
White chocolate can be difficult to work with. When melted, the cocoa butter can occasionally split and create an oily compound that can be recovered by re-emulsifying. This can be done by melting a small amount of butter or chocolate and whisking in the "oily compound". As with chocolate, as soon as any water is introduced into the melted product it rapidly turns lumpy and grainy, i.e. split. Again, it can be saved by re-emulsifying. Some brands respond better to baking than others. Some have a tendency to brown from being baked.
About cream of tartar
Cream of tartar is the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate, an acid salt that has a number of uses in cooking. Now, before you get all jittery about the thought of cooking with an acid, it's worth noting that lettuce, brown sugar, steak, plums, and just about every other food we eat is acidic. In fact, egg whites, baking soda, and milk are the only non-acidic (alkaline) foods we have.
Cream of tartar is obtained when tartaric acid is half neutralized with potassium hydroxide, transforming it into a salt. Grapes are the only significant natural source of tartaric acid, and cream of tartar is an obtained from sediment produced in the process of making wine. (The journal Nature reported some years ago that traces of calcium tartrate found in a pottery jar in the ruins of a village in northern Iran are evidence that wine was being made more than 7,000 years ago.)
Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting. It is used commercially in some soft drinks, candies, bakery products, gelatin desserts, and photography products. Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware.
If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 24
For the cakes
50 gm / 2 oz shredded coconut, as long-thread as possible
60 gm / 2½ oz plain flour
75gm / 3 oz caster sugar
a pinch of salt
4 large egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar
For the topping
250 gm / 9 oz good-quality white chocolate
110 gm / 4 oz shredded coconut, as long-thread as possible
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF. Prepare two 12 hole mini-muffin tins, lined with 24 mini-muffin paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, sugar and salt together 3 times, lifting the sieve high so as to incorporate as much air as possible.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl, using an electric hand whisk, until they are floppy but not stiff.
4. Add the cream of tartar and continue whisking until you get quite stiff peaks that stand up when you lift the whisk.
5. Sift the flour mixture over the bowl and, using a large metal spoon, carefully fold it in, making sure there are no little pockets of flour that have escaped the folding.
6. Fold in the 50 gm / 2 oz of coconut.
7. Spoon a rounded dessertspoon of the mixture into each muffin case; it should come just above the top.
8. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until they’re slightly risen, feel firm and are springy when touched with your little finger. They will turn pale god but that’s okay.
9. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly.
10. Transfer the muffins from the tins to finish cooling on a wire rack.
11. To make the topping, break up the white chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water.
12. Leave the chocolate to melt, which will take about 6-7 minutes.
13. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth.
14. Place the shredded coconut in a bowl and mix it with two-thirds of the melted chocolate.
15. Spoon the rest of the chocolate over the cooled cakes and make sure it goes right to the edges.
16. Using 2 forks, make rough ball shapes of the coconut mixture and place on top of each cake.
17. Leave to set for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
**From “The Delia Collection Chocolate”, “ochef.com” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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