A4U: Chocolate Recipe Fun to win increased commission!!

[ChrisBishop]

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Evening A4U...

A little ad-hoc chocolate related incentive...

I've just blogged about Angus Thirlwell's US debut appereance on American television - A simple chocolate dessert by a European chocolatier... and basically Angus was invited on the show to make some Caramel Kiss Pots which is an alternative chocolate recipe idea from our Liquid Chocolat range (Hot Chocolat) and naturally to promote our US chocolate gifting website.



So.....

I'd delighted to announce the Hotel Chocolat - A4U Recipe Competition open!

Simply create a chocolate themed recipe (ideally using Hotel Chocolat products!) and then post it below... the 4 finalist will automatically receive 2% increased commission, and the winner will receive a £100 bonus, a Hotel Chocolat recipe book and also 4% increase commission

....naturally pictures/videos will assist in deciding the winner

4 recipes to be chosen for Angus to cook and to evalute the overall winner entries close on the 30th November 2007.

I'll aim to pick a winner every Friday (9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th) and either publish on the date or the following Monday.

For ideas either look at our Chocolate Recipes section on the site or view our Gourmet Chocolate Specialities page for some awesome products - Cocoa Pasta, Cocoa Bean & Chilli Olive Oil, Spiced Savoury Chocolate Sauce.

Remember these chocolate recipes (with links to Hotel Chocolat products) will all be great content supportive for your own sites!


T & C's
- Valid Hotel Chocolat affiliates only (sign up if not! link below)
- Entries close 30th November 2007
- My decision is final (I've always wanted to say that!)

Best of luck to everyone and start placing those recipes below....

Any questions or comments please contact me....

Thanks, Chris




A few notes....
Full Christmas affiliate update will be shortly this week (great incentives, new creative, product reviews, cash bonuses and the annual Hotel Chocolat Affiliate Awards!) and the US Hotel Chocolat affiliate program is in the pipeline and naturally as soon as we are ready this will be launch.

[John Jupp]

I'll give you a free recipe as I'm not an affiliate of your program. Did this for Salt back in the early 80's and the recipe ended up being used in a salt substitute (potassium based) by Seven Seas to hide the bitterness and leave a tang on the tongue.

In every Kilo of Cocoa add 5 grams of liquorice extract and using an industrial mixer (3Kg weight max) mix for half an hour minimum. To give an additional taste to liquorice chocolate add 50-70 grams of crushed cherries extract to the above to produce a liquorice/cherry chocolate. Again you need to add this separately and again mix for a further 45 minutes - total mix per 3 kilo = 1 hour 15 minutes. This is just to produce the powder extract to be used in the chocolate making process before adding any liquids.

[lowndsy]

Good fun! I'll have a go, but Mogga will win...

[drivetowin]

Hey Dave you're in luck - a whole month when Elaine won't be out of the kitchen

[Mogga]

I'm still thinking about a full days chocolate menu...

Breakfast would be musili that's had melted chocolate poured over it, stirred round and then served with ice cold milk and a mug of hot chocolate made from the Organic Cocoa Powder.

For lunch some handmade ravioli stuffed with Bitter Chocolate & Black Truffle Salsa, with thinly sliced seasonal veggies

For a starter I'd try the Spiced Savoury Chocolate Sauce with strips of fried chicken

For dinner I'd have the chocolate penne served with a bacon and cream sauce with some Naked Nibs stirred in at the last minute served with a bitter leaf salad with dressing made from Cocoa Bean & Chilli Olive Oil and Cocoa Nib Balsamic Vinegar.

For dessert some chocolate dipped fruit such as the mango and cherries.

For supper? The top layer of the seasonal chocs and a mug of warmed Liquid Chocolat - Valencia Orange...

Or is that too much chocolate?

[ChrisBishop]

Ok ok!

Mogga is clearly the first winner (well done)

Anyone brave enough to compete! Come on a4uforum!

Maybe using our products as a drink? Maybe even with alcohol? how's that for an idea? Or a few more simply ideas - rice cakes au chocolat?

Don't be scared that all the ideas have to be gourmet, simply ideas are usually the best.

Well Done again to Mogga and look forward to reviewing further recipes! Remember this is all great supportive copy on your sites, so compose away and deeplink into the Hotel Chocolat site.

Thanks, Chris

[Frostie]

Right, after my attempt last year of making the world biggest Curly Wurly my thinking hat has gone on

Not sure my body can handle another 12,000 calories though

[aotagain]

Hmmm. Here's one that my wife has refused to eat - you'll see why

Its a Cointreau, Orange, Chocolate Tiramisu. Look away now if you are on a diet.
Quantities are a bit approximate.

Soak half a packet of sponge fingers in a dessert bowl in a mixture of half a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and an amount of Cointreau you can comfortably afford. Chill.

Take a carton of Marscapone, a small carton of single cream and a couple of desertspoons of proper cocoa powder (such as the organic one sold by Hotel Chocolat - not the stuff from the company vending machine). Mix by hand until smooth. Then (optional) add a couple of desertspoons of Cointreau to the mix.

Then whip until the mixture is stiff and doesn't run off your whisk. (Best method is to lift up the whisk, hold above your mouth and see if any drops off easily. If it does, there's nothing wrong with it, but you are a greedy oink).

Spread the mixture over the chilled fingers. Chill for half an hour or so.
Decorate with a sprinkling of cocoa powder and chocolate strands.

Now the difficult bit... put back in the fridge and wait until the next day - its significantly better. Ideal for sharing at a dinner party, as long as you make another one for yourself and hide it somewhere.

[Mogga]

That liquid chocolate stuff mixed into cocktails ... mmm (not that I think about chocolate a lot)
You could have a lot of fun getting the right proportions

Liquid Chocolat - Valencia Orange with cointreau.

Liquid Chocolat - Aztec Chilli would be nice with southern comfort, or jim beam at a push

The Liquid Chocolat - Classic would be good with some amaretto, baileys and a dash of kahlua! Lots of ice. I think this is the one to start with

Mmmmm

I don't drink malibu or bacardi but imagine they'd be nice in the milky one.

[ChrisBishop]

Its all gone a little quiet on the chocolate recipe inspirations!

To give you a few more ideas Angus' appereance has found it's way to YouTube so you can re-watch the video here - Chocolate Recipes from Hotel Chocolat

Also view here Learn Chocolate Recipes at Hotel Chocolat for more inspirations...

Thanks, Chris