Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

The Flavors of Freeport Festival is well under way and I just wanted to share a quick note on the Chef's Signature Series. This is the second year the Flavors of Freeport Festival has been in existence and this year there was a Chocolate Challenge for the local B&B's.

There were 6 entries into the Chocolate Challenge covering all manner of chocolate delights...brownies, heart-shaped cookies, cannolis, truffle tarts and, last but not least, the chocolate raspberry clouds pictured below.

Although we didn't have a contest, it was fun to watch as folks came around the corner and were suddenly faced with an entire 2 tables filled with nothing but chocolate desserts! Amazingly enough, most everyone had 'dinner' first by sampling all of the local restaurants' fare before hitting the 'dessert' aisle.

The Chocolate Challenge table was bookended by Wicked Whoopies and Simply Divine Brownies, so it was pretty much 'death by chocolate' in that aisle!


So, here it is, the White Cedar Inn Chocolate Challenge
'entry': Chocolate Raspberry Clouds

And if you want to make them at home, here's the recipe:

Chocolate cups (make them yourself with melted chocolate and a cup form, or buy them premade at BJ's or the like)
Cannoli Cream
Raspberries or other fruit for topping

Cannoli Cream:

For one box (42 pieces) of chocolate cups, you need the following ingredients:
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup heavy (whipping cream) + 1/4 c
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 metal mixing bowls, place one in the fridge/freezer before you start.

Mix the ricotta cheese and the 1/4 c of heavy cream in one bowl, put in the fridge to chill.
Whip the 1 cup heavy cream, cinnamon and powdered sugar in the cold bowl until medium-stiff peaks form.
Gently blend in the ricotta cheese mixture.
Cool in fridge for 30 minutes or more.

Pipe the ricotta-whipped cream mixture into the chocolate cups, top with fruit. Chill before serving. If you don't have a piping bag, use a plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off (small snip or it makes a mess!)

These can be frozen for about 1 week.

If you have any cannoli cream and raspberries leftover, lucky you! Plop that cream on top of the raspberries and enjoy!

Other fruits to try...blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges

It remains to be seen what next year's 'challenge' will be but we hope to see you there!