Schezwan Peppercorns

This weekend instead of the usual Chunky Cherries + Almonds +  Black Peppercorns, the black peppercorns are substituted with Schezwan Peppercorns.  It was an accidental mistake, and I thought it might change the taste every so slightly.  Was I wrong.  There’s a big difference.  Schezwan Peppercorns are used mostly in Chinese and Tibetan cooking and come from the Prickly Ash Tree.  The have a very distinct flavor – citrusy and anise-like.  I think of it similar to a 5 spice powder, but more delicate.  It goes well with the cherries and almonds.  A lighter kick than the Mayan Tradition with the 3 chilies.  I’ll be selling this at the Playa Vista Farmer’s market this weekend so come get it while you can!

Beauty of Frictional Heat and Cacao Butter.  Chocolate squished between the stones

Hi!  I’m telling myself that I’m going to make a commitment to start blogging.  So after some tweaks on the website and finalizing a few changes, here’s the first official entry!

Earlier this week I went into the kitchen and started experimenting with different flavors.  Quatre Epice – 4 spices in French.  The typical spices are cloves, nutmeg, white pepper, and ginger.  I forgot to bring my dried ginger and organic peppercorns .  So I improvised and used Schezwan Peppercorns, I got from a chef and cinnamon.  After tossing in 4 measured batches of the ingredients into the chocolate, I finally found the perfect blend.  I gave a tiny sample to my friend and these are his comments:

“This is your best work so far Patricia.  Each component came through.  I love the sweet warmth of the cloves.  The nutmeg spoke everything Autumn.  The cinnamon added a subtle undertone.  And the peppercorns!  Oh My!  It was like getting a kiss from someone you were hoping for, but not expecting.  I love this chocolate!”

I’m hoping to introduce this for the holidays.  I’m working on a couple of other blends.  When I’m only using whole ingredients and not flavorings, the job of creating recipes is more challenging.  But I’m up for the challenge!
Chocolate Blessings!