Chocolate Snacking

Kriss Harvey for Guittard Chocolate Company 

What is old is often new again.  The first chocolate bar was created in the mid 1800’s.  I grew up eating candy bars as my go to snack.    Now in my travels and experience exploring the world of chocolate, pastry and baking I am seeing a big increase in demand for chocolate snacks in a variety of forms – from bark, to nibs, to snack bars and snack cake and I have been having a ton of fun creatively bringing chocolate snacks to life.  I have been creating my own chocolate blends to bring out the flavors of each unique ingredient and to give each product my own personal signature.  

From a consumer perspective, a bonbon is a serious and special occasion treat.  (Not to mention one bonbon is never enough.)    So, consumers are turning to more casual forms of chocolate to deliver on that snacking moment.  One of my favorites is the chocolate snack bar. It gives today’s flavor-driven consumer a snacking treat that’s complex, satisfying, and fun. It’s an eat-me-now snack that’s no longer meant just for a special occasion.   

As a chef, I love making snack bars because they offer a bigger canvas to work with.  I can deliver on texture, flavor, aroma, and crunch all at once by layering a variety of complementary ingredients.   I also love them because consumers love them.   Having grown up in the pastry world, I am accustomed to overseeing the dining experience finale – where job number one is making sure the guest leaves wowed and delighted.   I carry this consumer centricity with me in everything I create, and it has allowed me to explore new flavor combinations, new applications, and premium ingredients – and make modern versions of yummy things that everyone loves! 

Chocolate Peanut Nougat Caramel Snack Bar  

Recently, I have been working on a Chocolate Peanut Nougat Caramel Snack Bar – an homage to my childhood. The combination of flavors adds depth and complexity to this bar. Chocolate is the backbone of the confection and getting the chocolate right is the number one focus. Ensuring that the chocolate balances with the rest of the ingredients will allow for the entirety of the piece to come to life.   I see the U.S. as the birthplace of the candy bar so I chose to work with Guittard Chocolate, a family-owned American chocolate company that has been crafting premium chocolate for 155 years.   They source cacao from around the world that they then craft into a variety of nuanced flavor profiles that allowed me to make the perfect blend for this bar.   I selected 3 different Guittard Collection Etienne chocolates:  Guittard Soleil d’ Or 38% Cacao, Guittard L'Étoile du Nord 64% Cacao, and Guittard Lever du Soleil 61% Cacao. The ensemble of flavors pairs perfectly with the caramel, salt and nutty flavors making each bite a memorable snacking experience.   I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  

Prepping Molded Shells

1. Using Chocolate World Mold Ref. 2125, line and empty the mold with crystallized Guittard Lever du Soleil 61% Cacao chocolate.   

2. Allow to retract, remove empty shells and reserve. 

Ganache

INGREDIENTS  

• 300 g Cream 

• 50 g Invert Sugar 

• 7 g Sorbitol 

• 500 g  Guittard Soleil d’Or 38% Cacao ;  

• 100 g Guittard L'Étoile du Nord 64% Cacao 

• 100 g Butter 

METHOD OF PREPARATION 

1. Melt the milk and dark chocolate by 50%. 

2. Warm the cream, invert sugar, and sorbitol. 

3. Pour over the chocolate. Using an immersion blender, blend thoroughly.  

4. Measure the temperature of the ganache, when the temperature reaches 40°C, add the room temperature butter and blend thoroughly. 

5. Use the ganache when the temperature reaches 32°C 

Fleur de Sel Caramel Ganache 

INGREDIENTS  

• 217 g Sugar 

• 119 g Glucose 

• 237 g Cream 

• 59 g Invert Sugar 

• 119 g Salted Butter 

• 5 g Fleur de Sel 

• 237 g  Guittard Soleil d’ Or 38% Cacao 

• 40 g Cocoa Butter 

METHOD OF PREPARATION 

1. Heat the cream, glucose, and invert sugar to 90°C, set aside. 

2. Dry caramelize the sugar to 193°C. Deglaze with the cream mixture. 

3. Cool the caramel to 80°C. Pour over the chocolate and emulsify with an immersion blender. 

4. Add the butter when the temperature drops to 40°C and blend with an immersion blender. 

5. Use the ganache when the temperature drops to 32°C. 

Peanut Nougat  

INGREDIENTS 

• 73 g Water 

• 220 g Sugar 

• 45 g Glucose 

• 172 g Honey 

• 10 g Sugar 

• 35 g Egg White 

• 203 g Peanuts, chopped 

• 10 g Fine Sea Salt 

METHOD OF PREPARATION 

1. Mix the smaller amount of sugar with the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. 

2. Cook the water, sugar, glucose, and honey to 140°C. 

3. Pour over sugar and egg white mixture, and whip on high speed in a stand mixer. 

4. Mix the nougat until it is developed. 

5. Switch the attachment from the whip to the paddle, add in the salt and the ground roasted peanuts. 

6. Dust marble with glucose powder and knead, roll between 2 pieces of parchment paper to 5mm. 

7. Cut with a 6cm ring cutter and reserve in a Silpat. 

Assembly 

1. Pipe an even portion of ganache #1 into the mold, gently press a nougat portion into the ganache. 

2. Pipe fleur de sel ganache over the nougat, sprinkle a few dry roasted peanuts on top. 

3. Allow to crystallize overnight at 18°C and 60% humidity. 

Enrobing 

1. Enrobe snack bar with Guittard Lever du Soleil 61% Cacao.

2. Use a fan setting medium/ high to remove excess chocolate.

3. Dust snack bar with gold leaf while the chocolate is still wet.